Rifle Earns Dual-Match Win Sunday at North Georgia
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 3 University of Kentucky rifle team earned a dual-match victory over North Georgia on Sunday in Dahlonega, Georgia to continue its winning ways to start the 2025 portion of its schedule.
Kentucky, which was using a new squadded lineup Sunday that included several members that have not be in the squadded lineup yet this season, posted a 2324 in smallbore and 2370 in in air rifle for a team score of 4694. North Georgia posted a 2279 in smallbore and 2342 in air rifle for a 4621 team score.
“Happy with the performance today as some folks that aren’t normally in the countable lineup handled the pressure of that well and put together a strong match,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “We have a short turnaround now as we get ready to go to Alaska for a couple of matches. This trip is something we have done the last few years and it is a good test as we get ready for postseason competition.”
Kentucky’s performers finished first, second, third and fourth in individual aggregate scoring, topped by senior Ally Buesseler, who posted a 1177 aggregate. Freshman Brandon Evans tied her in aggregate score with a 1177 but earned second place based on total centers. Freshman Sam Adkins was third with a 1174 while junior AJ Hotko was fourth with a 1166 aggregate. Freshman Hannah Todd was eighth in aggregate with a 1156.
Evans was Kentucky’s top smallbore performer with a 585, earning 28 centers. He posted a 194 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 193 in standing. Buesseler scored a 584 in smallbore with a 194 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 193 in standing. Adkins was third on the team with a 580, scoring 193 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 190 in standing. Hotko posted a 575 with a 192 in kneeling, 194 in prone and 189 in standing, while Todd scored a 187 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 188 in standing for a 573 aggregate.
In air rifle, Adkins scored a 594 with 44 centers, while Buesseler had a 593 with 47 centers and Evans was 592 with 37 centers. Hotko posted an impressive 591 with 45 centers, while Todd was 583 with 35 centers.
This week UK will travel west to Fairbanks, Alaska for two matches against UAF 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.
