AKRON, Ohio – The Kentucky rifle team finished fifth with an aggregate score of 4669 at the 2016 NCAA Championships, which concluded on Saturday at Akron’s Louis and Freda Stile Athletics Field House.
Kentucky shot 2356 in air rifle on Saturday, and 2313 in smallbore on Friday.
“Overall I am very excited for this team,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “I could not be more proud of the effort they gave this weekend and thought the entire season. It is always disappointing when you do not finish the season the way you wanted to, yet I feel this group has nothing to hang their heads for.
“They are a very hard working team and feel very confident if we stay on the path we are on we will get the results we are striving for.”
Heather Kirby led UK in Saturday’s air rifle, shooting a 592. She scored the same as the eighth-place air rifle finisher individually, but missed the eight-person individual final on the center-shot tie-breaker.
Hanna Carr shot a 590, Sonya May shot 588, Cathryn Papasodora shot 586 and Carmen Fry posted a 583 air rifle score. Kentucky’s 2016 NCAA Championships team was made up of two juniors (Kirby and May), and three freshmen (Carr, Papasodora and Fry).
West Virginia won the team championship with 4703 points. TCU finished second with 4694, while Murray State took third (4690) and Air Force was fourth (4669).
“The field is getting tighter and tighter every year and we have our work cut out for us in the future,” Mullins said. “But we are Wildcats and that means we have it in us. I am very proud of the effort this weekend. The future looks good for Kentucky rifle.”
The overall team champion was determined by combining the smallbore and air rifle team total scores into an aggregate for each team.
UK finished sixth in the championships last year after placing third in 2014, second in 2012 and 2013, and winning the title in 2011.
TEAM FINAL STANDINGS
Team SM + AR =
TOTAL=
1. West Virginia 2338 + 2365 = 4703
2. Texas Christian 2333 + 2361 =4694
3. Murray State 2329 + 2361 = 4690
4. Air Force 2309 + 2360 = 4669
5. Kentucky 2313 + 2356 = 4669
6. Alaska Fairbanks 2313 + 2351 = 4664
7. Ohio State 2308 + 2351 = 4659
8. Nebraska 2297 + 2353 = 4650
AIR
RIFLE TEAM RESULTS
1. West Virginia 2365
2. Murray State 2361
3. Texas Christian 2361
4. Air Force 2360
5. Kentucky 2356
Heather Kirby 592
Hanna Carr 590
Sonya May 588
Cathryn Papasodora 586
Carmen Fry 583
6. Nebraska 2353
7. Alaska Fairbanks 2351
8. Ohio State 2351
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITORS
Lucas Kozeniesky, NC State 596
Caitlyn Ford, NC State 593
Ali Weisz, Mississippi 593
Samantha Bullard, JSU 586
AIR
RIFLE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS FROM TEAM COMPETITION
1. Lucas Kozeniesky, NC State 596
2. Mindy Miles, TCU 595
3. Ginny Thrasher, West Virginia 593
4. Luke Johnson, Alaska 593
5. Caitlyn Ford, NC State 593
6. Ali Weisz, Mississippi 593
7. MacKenzie Martin, Murray State 593
8. Cap Spencer Air Force 592
9. Heather Kirby, Kentucky 592
10. Grant Spurgeon, West Virginia 592
