UK Rifle Sweeps Weekend With Win Over Nebraska

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Kentucky rifle team needed – and got – a strong performance in air rifle to earn a 4723-4696 win over Nebraska on Sunday at the Tronsrue Marksmanship Center in West Point, N.Y.

Kentucky got off to a sluggish start Sunday, shooting 2338 in the smallbore competition and leading the No. 7-ranked Cornhuskers by only six points going into air rifle.  The Wildcats finished strong, however, pulling away with a 2385 mark on the air guns, the second-best score of the season in that discipline.

“We made more fundamental mistakes in smallbore, definitely didn’t get the results we wanted based on how we’ve worked,” Coach Harry Mullins said.  “But, we were able to recover and I was super impressed with air rifle.  We were focused, but loose enough to shoot good scores.”

Allison Buesseler led the way in air rifle with 598, only one point shy of her career best. Emmie Sellers was right behind her with a 597. Sofia Ceccarello checked in a solid 595, and for the second day in a row, Martin Voss notched a career-high 595.

Ceccarello claimed match honors, winning the smallbore (589) and the individual aggregate (1184).

The No. 3-ranked Wildcats improved to 8-1 on the season, sweeping the weekend action after having also defeated host Army on Saturday.

Kentucky results           SB          AR         Aggregate

Sofia Ceccarello            589       595       1184

Emmie Sellers               584       597     1181

Allison Buesseler          580      598      1178

Jaden Thompson          584     593      1177

Martin Voss                   580      595+    1175

Braden Peiser               581       590      1171

AJ Hotko                         571      591        1162

Emily Marne                 555       572       1127

+ tied career high

Kentucky returns to action Sunday, Jan. 21 as the Wildcats travel to Murray State for the Withrow Invitational.