No. 4 Kentucky Has Best Performance of the Year, Wins at No. 11 Ole Miss
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Behind the fifth-highest smallbore team score in the nation – and the best this season for the Wildcats – the No. 4 University of Kentucky rifle team continued its impressive start to the 2024-25 season with a 4740-4714 victory at No. 11 Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi.
Kentucky’s 4740 team aggregate score was its best of the season and one of the highest scores by a team in the nation this year. UK becomes only the fourth team in NCAA competition this season to post a 4740 or higher. It was a season-best smallbore team score and the squad’s second-highest air rifle team score of the year that led to the high team mark. Ole Miss posted a 2348 in smallbore and 2366 in air rifle for a 4714 team score.
“Good performance today and a great win against a really, really good team on the road,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “All five really competed well today and did some good things. We set the tone with a really strong smallbore score and they kept the momentum going from there, which is exactly what we wanted. We will now get a week or so to keep training and then be back at Barker Hall in a few weeks for a tri-match. I hope Big Blue Nation can come out and support this team. We had a great crowd last home match and we would love another one in a few weeks.”
Sophomore Braden Pesier took home the top individual aggregate award with a 1188, just edging fellow teammate and junior Sofia Ceccarello, who also had a 1188. Peiser earned the top spot to break the tie with 89 total centers, while Ceccarello had 88. Freshman Liz Probst – who was celebrating a birthday Saturday – finished just behind them in third place with a 1183 and 86 centers. True freshman Sam Adkins finished in fifth in the overall count with a 1179 and 74 centers, while junior Martin Voss finished ninth overall with a 1177 with 75 centers.
Kentucky started the match with a strong smallbore performance, scoring a 2356 as a team, which was the fifth-best smallbore team score in NCAA competition this season. The high mark was the best of the season for Kentucky this year, edging last weekend’s 2355 against Navy. Peiser was the leader for Kentucky in the discipline with a 592, scoring a 198 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 195 in standing with 41 total centers. Ceccarello finished just behind him with a 589, including a 197 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 195 in standing with 34 centers. Voss scored a 588 with a 195 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 195 in standing with 34 centers. Probst and Adkins performed very well in the discipline. Probst scored a 587 with a 195 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 194 in standing with 36 centers, while Adkins scored a 586 overall with a 197 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 192 in standing with 26 centers.
The Wildcats posted a 2384 team score in air rifle behind five quality performances. It was Ceccarello that led Kentucky, earning a 599 with 54 centers. This was her first 599 score of the season after reaching the impressive mark numerous times last season. Peiser and Probst finished with 596s with Probst earning 50 centers and Peiser 48 centers. Adkins wrapped up the scoring rotation with a 593 and 48 centers, while Voss scored a 589 with 41 centers.
Ole Miss was led in the match by Gracie Dinh, who scored a 591 in smallbore and 592 in air rifle for a 1183 aggregate. Three other Ole Miss athletes scored 1177 aggregates, including a 595 air rifle from Lea Horvath.
After a week off, UK wraps the fall portion of the schedule with three competitions across eight days starting with a home tri-match with Army and Murray State on Nov. 16. The following weekend UK travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado for two matches beginning Nov. 23 vs. Akron and ending Nov. 24 vs. Air Force and Akron.
The NCAA Rifle Championships return to Lexington for the first time since 2020. The two-day event will see the best air rifle and smallbore competitors in the nation compete on the historic Memorial Coliseum floor. The smallbore competition will be March 14 followed by air rifle competition on March 15. Ticket information and full schedule of events for the championships will be announced later.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
