LEXINGTON, Ky. — Coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2009-10 NCAA Championships, the Kentucky rifle team opens its 2010-11 season with a match at Murray State, set for Friday at UK’s Barker Hall.
After the season opener on Friday, UK will face Army in its first conference match of the season on Sunday at Barker Hall. The Friday match will also function as the rifle Blue/White contest, with coaches, student-athletes and staff from the entire athletics department on hand to support the team.
UK will offer a live blog of the matches on Friday and Sunday, in addition to a live stats feed of the targets. Fans can also follow along with UK rifle on Twitter (@UKrifle) and Facebook.
“We are really excited to get the season going,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “The team has worked very hard over the past two months to get ready for the matches. This weekend, along with next weekend, will give us a good indication of the direction we are going. The match with Murray will test us in regards to keeping control of our match nerves and staying focused on the task that they have been set.”
“This Friday’s match is the launching point for our fall campaign,” UK assistant coach Stacy Underwood said. “We are excited to have fellow student-athletes and staff come support the team during our Blue/White Game against in-state rival Murray State. Our scrimmage last week showed the potential of this year’s squad. The past two weeks of training have been spent refining fundamentals and match plans. The realization that their performances are not just coincidence or luck of the draw, but a direct reflection of the endless hours spent on the range and their desire to become a little bit better, each and every day.”
The Wildcats return several standout athletes, including 2009-10 Great American Rifle Conference Rookie of the Year, Katie Fretts. Seniors Sarah Broeker and Logan Fox anchor a veteran squad, featuring juniors Megan English and 2008-09 GARC Rookie of the Year Ethan Settlemires. UK’s sophomore class consists of Fretts, Heather Greathouse, James Jasis, Ed Ryznar and Stacy Wheatley. Mullins and Underwood secured arguably the top recruiting class in the nation in the offseason, including freshman Dayna Ferguson, Emily Holsopple, and Breuberg, Germany, native Henri Junghänel.
“Our match against Army will be a great start to our conference schedule,” Underwood said. “We compete in one of the toughest conferences in the nation, but it provides us the opportunity to know what we will be facing at nationals. Our team has been preparing for mentally for the task of facing two competitive teams over the weekend.”
