LEXINGTON, Ky. — Behind career-best performances from Leslie Angeli, Ashley Jackson and Ethan Settlemires, the Kentucky rifle team cruised to a 4658-4550 victory over state-rival Murray State, on Saturday at UK’s Barker Hall.
Kentucky (9-1) posted its eight consecutive win behind a slew of personal bests. Settlemires, a freshman from Kossuth, Miss., totaled a match-best 594 to set a new career high, while Angeli finished with a personal-high 581 in air rifle. Jackson, a junior and native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, won the overall match with a combined 1176, including a personal-high and match-best 586 in smallbore.
“Ethan, Ashley and Leslie all had outstanding performances today,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “Ashley shot really well to win the overall match, and I was especially pleased with her personal best in smallbore. Leslie continues to get better and better, and her 581 in air rifle was also a very good performance.”
Jackson posted a career-high 586 in smallbore, including a perfect 200 in prone, a 191 in standing and a 195 in kneeling. Tom Csenge posted a 582 in smallbore, good for second on the team. Settlemires notched a 576 in smallbore, highlighted by a 196 in prone. Senior Andrew Roland totaled a 572 in smallbore, with Angeli (575), Jen Pason (573), Megan English (564) and Clint Sejkora (554) rounding out UK’s smallbore scores. Pason totaled a 582 in air rifle, with Roland finishing with a 581 in air gun. Sophomore Sarah Broeker, a native of Seward, Neb., tallied a 579 in air rifle.
“I was pleased with the scores, but we left some more points out on the board that I know we can achieve with hard work,” Mullins said. “In air rifle, I was happy to see Ethan come up and shoot well and I was happy with our smallbore, a 2316, but we are capable of more. Overall, we are on the right path coming back for first match of the spring season.”
Murray State was led by Kasey Meyers, who tallied a team-best 577 in smallbore, while Ashley Rose had a 571 in smallbore. Rose totaled a 576, joining Apryl Meares’ 574 to lead Murray State in air rifle.
Kentucky returns to action on Jan. 30-31, traveling to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss and N.C. State
