Current, Future Wildcats Shine at 2026 USA Shooting Junior Olympics

LEXINGTON, Ky. –  The University of Kentucky rifle team was well represented last week at the 2026 USA Shooting Junior Olympics with Wildcats winning three of the four individual titles during the event.

Braden Peiser was the top performer for Kentucky, winning the men’s smallbore and men’s air rifle competition. Peiser was the top performer in regular smallbore competition and then won the eight-person final to be the overall champion. In air rifle, Peiser edged out fellow NCAA shooter Griffin Lake of WVU to take the top spot.

Liz Probst took home the top spot in the women’s air rifle competition by over a point. She performed well in regular competition and the final to earn the top spot. She also finished fifth in the women’s smallbore competition.

Also competing well for Kentucky on the men’s side was Samuel Adkins, Jacob St. Hilaire and signee Noah Abzug. Adkins finished sixth in smallbore and fourth in air rifle, while Abzug was fifth in smallbore and seventh in air rifle. Abzug did win the under-18 championship in both smallbore and air rifle. St. Hilaire was ninth in smallbore and eighth in air rifle.

On the women’s side, Elisa Boozer finished 40th in smallbore and eighth in air rifle, making the individual final. Signees Maggie Palfrey and Briley Sralla also performed well. Palfrey was 29th in smallbore and 15th in air rifle, while Sralla was 72nd in smallbore and 23rd in air rifle.