No. 3 UK Rifle defeats No. 5 Ole Miss 4716-4672

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 3 University of Kentucky rifle team won its fourth consecutive match to start the 2019-20 season Friday by earning a 2342 in smallbore and 2374 in air rifle to total an overall team score of 4716 and earn the victory over No. 5 Ole Miss. The match took place in the Buell Armory at Barker Hall on the UK campus.
 
Freshman Mary Tucker and sophomore Will Shaner finished 1-2 for top individuals with aggregate scores of 1192 and 1187. Tucker and Shaner currently rank No. 1 and No. 5 in the nation, respectively in aggregate scores. Kentucky’s team score of 4716 is the program’s highest since the 2018 National Championship, when the Wildcats took home its second national title.

The Wildcats started the match in spectacular fashion, posting a season-best 2342 smallbore score. That score is currently tied for the No. 3 smallbore team score in the nation.
 
Three Wildcats also recorded individual season bests in smallbore, highlighted by a 594 and 593 from Shaner and Tucker. Those are currently the No. 1 and No. 2 smallbore scores in the country. Freshman Jaden Thompson scored a 579, her season best. Sophomores Ruby Gomes and Richard Clark rounded out Kentucky’s smallbore with scores of 576 and 575. 
 
UK once again shined in air rifle to earn the victory with a score of 2374. Kentucky’s air rifle score bested Ole Miss by 19 points. UK’s air rifle score of 2382 from the Kentucky Long Rifle match is the second highest score in the nation, only trailing West Virginia’s 2385.
 
Kentucky’s strong air rifle score came behind impressive performances from Tucker, Shaner and Gomes, who also finished first, second and fifth, respectively, in the overall individual race. Tucker shot 599 in the discipline. Shaner and Gomes fired a pair 593s in air rifle, followed by Clark and Thompson with 589 and 585.
 
“I feel we did some good things today,” said UK head coach Harry Mullins. “We produced some solid numbers, but we’re still learning. We’re a young team. I’m proud of the way they supported each other and cheered their teammates on even when there was some adversity. This can be a special team, but we still have things we can improve on.”
 
GARC rival Ole Miss, finished 44 points behind Kentucky, scoring 2317 in smallbore, 2355 in air rifle and a 4672 overall.

The Wildcats have a quick turnaround, as No. 6 Akron will make the trip to Lexington on Sunday, Nov. 10.
 
This season’s GARC Championships will be in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 28-29. Kentucky will play host to the 2019 NCAA Championships in Memorial Coliseum on March 13-14.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky rifle team, follow @UKrifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.