Kentucky Rifle Begins 2020-21 Slate Saturday vs. Akron Virtually
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Returning to the range for the first time since the cancelation of the 2020 NCAA Championships, the University of Kentucky rifle team is excited to get its 2020-21 season underway Saturday as it competes against Akron starting at 9 a.m. ET.
The match will happen virtually with each team shooting in their home range and connected electronically. Due to the ongoing global pandemic, fans will not be admitted into UK rifle matches this fall, but live targets will be available online through UKathletics.com.
“We are really excited to get this year kicked off under the circumstances,” said UK head coach Harry Mullins. “It is great just to be back on the range competing even though it will be virtual vs Akron. During these times we have to make the best out of every situation and I think we are welcoming that challenge regardless how it looks. I feel we have worked hard these past five weeks and are looking forward to the test.”
Overall I feel we have had some good performances in training and now we have to see if the translate into match scores. I am excited for the team to see what we are capable of.
Kentucky, which is ranked No. 1 in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Preseason Top 20, is coming off an unprecedented 2019-20 season, finishing the year undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the final CRCA Top 20. The two-time national champions were the top qualifier for the 2020 NCAA Rifle Championships, which were cancelled due to the ongoing global pandemic.
The Wildcats finished the regular season with a perfect 15-0 record, winning the Great American Rifle Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 2013 and the GARC Tournament championship for the first time since 2009. It’s the first time the Wildcats have won both in the same year since 2009 as well.
During the season, Kentucky bested its previous school-record aggregate score of 4719 four times, including the nation’s best overall score during the 2019-20 year of 4734 at Army on Jan. 19. UK also surpassed the previous school record with a 4724 vs. Memphis at home on Feb. 1 followed by back-to-back 4723s in a win at West Virginia on Feb. 15 and during the NCAA Qualifier in Lexington on Feb. 22.
Every member of the 2020-21 Kentucky rifle team will be a familiar face for Big Blue Nation as the Wildcats bring back a majority of last year’s roster with no newcomers. The Wildcats return four All-America performers from last year’s squad, including CRCA Shooter and Freshman of the Year, Mary Tucker, who was All-America combined first team by the CRCA and a smallbore, air rifle and combined All-GARC performer. Will Shaner also returns after being All-America first team by the CRCA and a smallbore, air rifle and combined All-GARC performer a season ago. Hailee Sigmon, who is now entering her senior season, was a second-team Collegiate All-America honoree in smallbore and air rifle in 2019-20, while Richard Clark capped his sophomore season last year as honorable mention Collegiate All-American in air rifle.
Tucker and Shaner, who each qualified for the four-member Team USA Air Rifle Olympic Team earlier this year, combined to post eight of the nine smallbore scores of 593 or better last season while they also combined to earn six of the eight 599s that were scored in air rifle. Tucker and Shaner were the only two NCAA shooters to post an aggregate score of 1190 or better last season, with Tucker doing it seven times while Shaner did it twice.
Also returning for the Wildcats will be senior Mason Joachim, junior Mitchell Nelson and sophomores Mason Hamilton, Emmie Sellers and Jaden Thompson. Joachim set a career-best score in both smallbore and air rifle during the 2019-20 season, while Nelson was named an All-GARC Scholar-Athlete. Hamilton, Sellers and Thompson each had great freshman seasons and will be counted on heavily this season. Hamilton scored a 589 in air rifle against Akron last season, while Sellers posted an impressive 596 in air rifle during Kentucky’s historic win over West Virginia. Thompson performed well as a rookie, competing in every match and had a career day vs. Memphis scoring a 584 in smallbore and 595 in air rifle.
This will be Akron’s second virtual match of the season as the fifth-ranked Zips opened their 2020-21 campaign posting a 4,660-4,618 victory over No. 15 Morehead State on Saturday, Oct. 3.
For the latest on the Kentucky rifle team, follow @UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
