OXFORD, Miss. — The Kentucky rifle team captured the Great American Rifle Conference Championship after a dominating performance in air rifle Sunday, securing the 2006-07 regular season and tournament crowns, narrowly defeated Army 4630-4628.
?I am very proud of this team,? Kentucky head coach Harry Mullins said. ?They have worked hard all season to achieve their goals and I am just so glad that all their hard work and dedication has come to fruition. This match was really neck-in-neck all day long and towards the end the team had a chance to loose confidence in themselves but they did not and they kept battling back and we came out on top after shooting against some of the best teams in the nation.?
Kentucky entered competition Sunday behind Army by just one point after Saturday’s smallbore competition. The Wildcat comeback was paced by its freshmen star shooters Tom Csenge and Jen Pason. Pason finished in second place in air rifle with a 586 score. Csenge, who led the Wildcats in smallbore, finished with a solid 582 score.
?This was really like a national championship match for us because of the high level of competition,? Mullins said. ?We really had to dig deep and work for every shot that we could get. It came down to the last few points and the team really persevered throughout the day.?
The Wildcats breezed through its regular season conference slate, going undefeated in conference action. The only blemish on the season came at the hands of defending NCAA Champion Alaska-Fairbanks in a hard fought match at Barker Hall. Fellow Kentucky freshman Ashley Jackson joined senior co-captain Amy Sowash in the air rifle starting lineup and posted a 582. Sowash tallied a 581 total in air rifle.
?Starting Ashley was a tough decision but she responded with a great performance in air rifle,? Mullins said. ?She stepped up in the most difficult of situations and really helped her team out.?
Up next for the conference champions is the NCAA Championships held March 10 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
?This team worked so hard to achieve its goals that it is just such a good feeling to see them have success,? Mullins said. ?The whole coach of the year award really means nothing by itself, this team and its dedication is the reason that we have been successful. I am just honored to have coached this team and now we need to turn our focus on preparing for the NCAA Championships.?
