Rifle Posts 4742, Defeats Georgia Southern by Tiebreaker
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky rifle team posted an impressive team score of 4742 to earn a victory over Georgia Southern by tiebreaking procedure on Sunday inside Barker Hall in Lexington, Kentucky.
Kentucky posted a 2360 in smallbore and 2382 in air rifle, while Georgia Southern earned a 2351 in smallbore and 2391 in air rifle. After both teams tied at 4742, the first tiebreaker was based on center shots, but both teams had 343 centers. The next tiebreaker is total aggregate score of the fifth shooter in each gun. Totaling those scores made it 1175 for Kentucky and 1167 for Georgia Southern, thus making Kentucky the official winner.
“What a great match, both teams competed really hard, which is clear by both teams posting the same exact score,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “Overall, for it being our first match out of camp, I thought we did some good things. I am proud of the team and hopefully we use this to grow and improve as we move forward.”
Sophomore Braden Peiser was Kentucky’s top performer on the day, scoring an aggregate of 1194 with 89 total centers. Junior Sofia Ceccarello finished second in individual aggregate with a 1188 and 92 centers, while freshman Elizabeth Probst earned a 1181 aggregate with 86 centers.
Kentucky posted an impressive smallbore team score to start the match. Peiser was the star, posting a 595 with 35 centers, earning a 197 in kneeling, 198 in prove and perfect 200 in standing. Ceccarello was just behind him with a 592 and 41 centers, posting a 199 in kneeling, 198 in prove and 195 in standing. Probst posted a 587 with 36 centers, earning a 195 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 194 in standing. Freshman Sam Adkins posted a 586 with 36 centers, scoring a 193 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 196 in standing. Fellow freshman Brandon Evans scored a 583 with a 195 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 190 in standing. Senior Allison Buesseler wrapped up the scoring with a 580, earning a 196 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 186 in standing.
In air rifle, Peiser led the way with a 599 and 54 centers, while Ceccarello was right behind him with a 596 and 51 centers. Probst posted a 594 with 50 centers, while Buesseler scored a 593 with 40 centers. Adkins shot a 592 with 47 centers, while Evans concluded the scoring with a 586 and 33 centers.
Kentucky will continue its 2025 slate by traveling Jan. 19-20 to Murray, Kentucky, to compete in the Withrow Invitational and vs. Memphis. Kentucky will travel to North Georgia on Jan. 26 for a dual match before two matches vs. Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. UK wraps the regular season on Feb. 8 against WVU in Lexington before hosting its NCAA Qualifier on Feb. 22.
Postseason competition begins March 1-2 with the Great America Rifle Conference Championships in Morgantown, West Virginia. 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.
