Sofia Ceccarello Shines at 2023 ISSF World Cup in Brazil
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky rifle sophomore Sofia Ceccarello continued to shine on the international stage as she performed over the week at the 2023 ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, advancing to the final in both 10-meter air rifle women’s and 50-meter three-positions women’s.
Ceccarello started the week-long competition by finishing seventh in 10m air rifle and closed out the event by earning a fifth-place finish in 50m three-position. Both finishes continue to establish the Wildcat as one of the best female shooters in the world.
In air rifle, Ceccarello finished fourth in qualifying with a score of 632.3 to earn one of eight spots in the final. In the final, Ceccarello posted a 145.0 total to finish seventh.
In three-position smallbore, Ceccarello finished sixth overall to earn a spot into the final competition. She posted an impressive 199 in kneeling, 196 in prone and 194 in standing for a total of 589. In the final, Ceccarello earned a 425.1 to finish fifth.
Ceccarello became the latest in a long line of All-Americans during her freshman season for the Wildcats in 2022-23. On top of her All-America honors, she was named first-team All-Great America Rifle Conference in combined, smallbore and air rifle and was tabbed the conference’s rookie of the year.
Ceccarello had a great first season for Kentucky, leading the Wildcats in smallbore average at 589.333, air rifle average at 598.231 and aggregate average at 1187.564. Ceccarello’s best smallbore of the season was her 595 score in Alaska against Georgia State, while she scored 592 or higher in the discipline five times. In air rifle, Ceccarello scored a 599 eight times while her lowest air rifle score of the season was 595. She had two aggregate scores of 1193 during the season, making her one of three athletes in the nation to accomplish that feat. During the GARC Championships, Ceccarello took home gold in the individual air rifle final after qualifying for the final with an impressive 599 score.
The native of Ravenna, Italy, helped Kentucky win the GARC Regular-Season Championships last season and qualify for the NCAA Championships. Ceccarello did not compete in the NCAA Championships due to a previously made obligation with the Italian National Team that played a significant role in her potentially solidifying a spot in the 2024 Olympics.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
