Rifle Wraps Regular Season at West Virginia
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky rifle team will conclude its regular-season schedule Saturday as it heads to Morgantown, West Virginia for the annual showdown with the Mountaineers.
The action will start with sighters and prep for smallbore at 8:45 a.m. ET with smallbore competition beginning at approx. 9 a.m. ET. Live targets and NCAA Scorecard will be available online from the match at UKathletics.com. Both teams are planning to have an individual air rifle final following air rifle team competition.
“Obviously, looking forward to getting back in the range to compete after a few weeks off and not our best showing last time out,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “I think the team has been doing a good job in training of focusing in on ways to get better and making sure we continue to improve as we head to postseason play. This is always a tough match as West Virginia is a great program and is having a great season.”
Kentucky is coming off a 4712 team score in the Withrow Invitational in mid-January at Murray State, which was the second-lowest team score of the season for the Wildcats. UK enters Saturday’s competition with a 2341.80 smallbore average, 2380.40 air rifle average and 4722.20 aggregate average as a team.
Sophomore Sofia Ceccarello leads Kentucky this season in both smallbore average and air rifle average. She is averaging a 588.5 in smallbore and 598 in air rifle for an aggregate average of 1186.5. She has posted five 599 scores in air rifle this season. Fifth-year seniors Emmie Sellers and Jaden Thompson are right behind her and having good seasons. Sellers is earning 583.8 in smallbore and 593.9 in air rifle for a 1177.7 aggregate average, while Thompson is posting a 582 average in smallbore and 593 in air rifle for a 1175 aggregate average. Freshman Braden Peiser is earning a 582.4 in smallbore and 593 in air rifle for a 1175.4 aggregate, while sophomore Martin Voss is posting a 583.1 in smallbore and 589.3 in air rifle for a 1172.4 aggregate. Junior Allison Buesseler is earning a 580 in smallbore and 591.7 in air rifle for a 1171.7 aggregate average. Sophomore AJ Hotko and freshman Emily Marne will also compete Saturday. Hotko is averaging 569.429 in smallbore and 587.286 in air rifle, while Marne is earning a 557.714 in smallbore and 569.571 in air rifle.
WVU is averaging 2360 in smallbore and 2382 in air rifle for a 4742 aggregate. WVU is coming off back-to-back 4739s in January vs. Army and at Navy.
Following this weekend’s match, Kentucky will return home next weekend by hosting a NCAA Qualifier with Morehead State inside the UK Rifle Range. Following the qualifier, UK will compete in the Great America Rifle Conference Championships Feb. 24 and 25 at Army. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 8-9 in Morgantown, W.Va.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
