No. 3 Rifle Travels to No. 2 Alaska for Two Matches Friday, Saturday
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a strong start to its 2025 schedule, the No. 3 University of Kentucky rifle team is set to head west for two dual matches with No. 2 Alaska this weekend in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Kentucky and Alaska will face off in dual matches both Friday and Saturday in two different locations. Friday’s match will start with smallbore sights and prep at Noon ET inside Alaska’s home venue – E.F. Horton Rifle Range. Saturday, the two squads will compete inside the Tanana Valley Sportsmans Association range with sights and prep for smallbore starting at 1 p.m. ET. Live targets for both matches will be available online at UKathletics.com, while Friday’s match will feature a live stream, which is also available through UKathletics.com.
“This weekend should be a great test for our team as we travel and compete against one of the best teams in the nation,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “Our team has worked hard and with only two weekends of the regular season remaining, it is important that we start to put things fully together and be competing at our best as we approach postseason competition.”
Kentucky is coming off a dual-match win at North Georgia last Sunday using a different lineup then they have used all season. The Wildcats scored a 4694 and were led in the match by senior Ally Buesseler and freshman Brandon Evans, who each scored a 1177 aggregate. The Wildcats have performed well in 2025, starting with a 4742 against Georgia Southern to start the year, followed by a 4731 in the Withrow Open and 4736 in a dual match vs. Memphis.
As a team this season, Kentucky is averaging a 4729.45 team aggregate score with a 2347.91 average in smallbore and 2381.55 average in air rifle. Sophomore Braden Peiser is the leader for Kentucky averaging a 591.7 in smallbore and 596.3 in air rifle, while junior Sofia Ceccarello is right behind him with a 589.375 in smallbore and 597.7 in air rifle for a 1187.075 aggregate. Freshmen Liz Probst and Sam Adkins are right behind those two in averages. Adkins is earning a 584.2 in smallbore and 595 in air rifle, while Probst had a 583.6 smallbore average and 594.8 air rifle average. Junior Martin Voss is earning a 584.667 in smallbore and 591.778 in air rifle, while Buesseler is averaging 582.2 in smallbore and 590.2 in air rifle. Evans is having a good season with a 581.5 in smallbore and 589.222 in air rifle, while fellow freshman Hannah Todd is earning a 565.5 in smallbore and 583.5 in air rifle. Junior AJ Hotko is posting a 577 average in smallbore and 590.333 averaging in air rifle, while sophomore Emily Marne rounds out the roster with a 546.75 in smallbore and 571.75 in air rifle.
Alaska is averaging a 2353.22 in smallbore and 2386.44 in air rifle with a 4739.67 aggregate average this season. The Nanooks are coming off a record-breaking performance last weekend at home, setting a new school-record team score of 4756. Cecelia Ossi leads the team with a 1184.889 aggregate average, earning 58.333 in smallbore and 595.556 in air rifle.
Following the weekend, UK will wrap 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.
Historic Memorial Coliseum is set to host the 2025 NCAA Rifle National Championships on March 14-15 and both all-session tickets and single-session tickets are now on sale. 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. All-session and single-session tickets are on sale now through the UK Athletics Account Manager. All-session tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for youth (ages 3-18) and seniors (age 65+). Single-session tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for youth (ages 3-18) and seniors (age 65+). Children ages 2 and under will be admitted free of charge.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
