Aug. 31, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. — After winning the 2008-09 Great American Rifle Conference regular-season and tournament championships, the Kentucky rifle team opens its preseason practice, Monday at UK’s Barker Hall.

UK is coming off a second-place finish at the 2008-09 NCAA Championships, held in Fort Worth, Texas. The Wildcats secured the conference regular-season and tournament championships, before league-foe West Virginia snatched the NCAA Championship with a furious run on the last-day of competition.

“We are pretty excited to get the season started,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “I will be doing individual meetings with the team and (assistant coach) Stacy Underwood will be manning the range throughout the day. Everybody is getting back into shape and getting ready for a big season.”

 Kentucky will be led by its four seniors, Tom Csenge, Ashley Jackson, Jen Pason and Leslie Angeli. Junior shooters Sarah Broeker and Logan Fox and sophomores Megan English and Ethan Settlemires give UK a veteran-laden team. Freshmen Stacy Wheatley, Heather Greathouse, Katie Fretts and James Jasis will make up one of the top incoming classes in the nation.

“If we keep our focus on the plan at hand, we will see good things in October,” Mullins said. “The first day of practice is always very exciting and we will see some good things from people the first couple of weeks. We are looking for lots of folks to step up this season.”

UK will open the season Friday, Oct. 9 against N.C. State at Barker Hall.