Rifle Ends Alaska Road Trip with 4733
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky rifle team completed its two-match road trip to Alaska on Sunday with a 4733 team score, falling to Nebraska and Alaska inside the E.F. Horton Rifle Range on the campus of Alaska Fairbanks.
Kentucky scored a 2345 in smallbore and match-high tying 2388 in air rifle for its 4733 score. Nebraska won the match with a 4740, scoring a 2361 in smallbore and 2379 in air rifle, while Alaska finished second with a 4734, posting a 2346 in smallbore and 2388 in air rifle.
This was the second of two tri-matches with Alaska and Nebraska this weekend for Kentucky. The Wildcats won the first meeting Saturday behind a school-record and NCAA-tying team score of 4759, including a school-record smallbore team score of 2368.
“Hard-fought match today with some real good things and some frustrations and challenges that we didn’t handle as well as I had hoped,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “Coming off yesterday’s strong performance, it was going to be a challenge for us to keep that going and we just didn’t get the scores we had hoped for today.”
After the impressive smallbore team score Saturday, the Wildcats came back to earth a touch Sunday in the discipline, posting a 2345. Junior Braden Peiser led Kentucky with a 593 and 36 centers, scoring 198 in kneeling, 200 in prone and 195 in standing. Although he was not in the countable lineup, senior Brandon Evans finished second on the team with a 589 and 37 centers, scoring a 197 in kneeling and prone and 195 in standing.
Sophomore Sam Adkins posted a 586 with 37 centers, scoring a 195 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 192 in standing, while senior Martin Voss posted a 193 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 192 in standing with 34 centers. Senior Sofia Ceccarello and sophomore Liz Probst each posted 582s with Ceccarello earning 28 centers and Probst 27. Ceccarello posted a 197 in kneeling and 198 in prone with a 187 in standing, while Probst posted a 189 in kneeling, 196 in prone and 197 in standing. Freshman Elisa Boozer scored a 578 with a 188 in kneeling, 200 prone and 190 standing and 26 centers.
In air rifle, Kentucky was led by Adkins, who scored a 599 with 54 centers, while Peiser scored a 597 with 55 centers and Probst a 597 with 54 centers. Voss and Evans each scored a 595 with Voss adding 48 centers and Evans 45. Boozer and Ceccarello scored 594s with Ceccarello earning 48 centers and Boozer 44 centers.
Kentucky will return to action next weekend in the annual Withrow Open, which will be hosted at Murray State. UK will compete Saturday at the event. Live scores and live targets will be available online at UKathletics.com.
