No. 3 UK Rifle Starts Spring Season in Columbus

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 3 University of Kentucky rifle team returns from winter break and will head to Columbus, Ohio to begin its spring season. Kentucky will compete against No. 6 Ole Miss and No. 14 Alaska-Fairbanks in the tri-match.
 
UK finished the fall season a perfect 6-0 and boasted the No. 3 average team aggregate score in the country during the fall with a 4704.0. West Virginia (4712.72) and TCU (4710.86) are the two teams ahead of the Wildcats.
 
“We have been working hard this season, and we will continue to do so,” head coach Harry Mullins said. “I think this year we’ve seen some really special things from a lot of teams and people around the country. It will be one of the tightest races to the finish in a long time.”
 
A couple of individuals have stood out on the national level in freshman Mary Tucker and sophomore Will Shaner. The duo currently has the top two aggregate averages in the country. Tucker sits at No. 1 with 1187.67, and Shaner is next at No. 2 with 1181.5. 
 
Tucker also emerged as the women’s leader after the first stage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for air rifle. The Sarasota, Florida native’s 1256.4 finished ahead of some of the nation’s best shooters, including the 2016 Olympic champion Ginny Thrasher, among others. Tucker placed third in the opening stage of Olympic Team Trials in smallbore shooting in October. Shaner sits in third at the men’s air rifle team trials, scoring a 1255.0.
 
The Olympic Team Trials consists of two stages of competition. The second stage is set for February 7-9 in Colorado Springs. The United States has secured a maximum eight quota spots in air rifle for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, including two men’s air rifle and two in women’s air rifle. The top two athletes in each gender will be named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team following the second stage.

Kentucky continues its spring slate next Saturday, Jan. 18 in West Point, New York against North Carolina State. A matchup with Army follows on Sunday, Jan. 19.
 
This season’s GARC Championships will be in Memphis, Tennessee, on Feb. 28-29. Kentucky will play host to the 2020 NCAA Championships in Memorial Coliseum on March 13-14. Tickets are available online at UKAthletics.com/NCAARifle.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky rifle team, follow @UKrifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.