Rifle Qualifies for 2025 NCAA Championships in Historic Memorial Coliseum
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a great regular season topped off by an incredible NCAA qualifying score last weekend inside the UK Rifle Range, the University of Kentucky rifle team has qualified for its 31st NCAA Rifle Championships and will compete in and host the 2025 NCAA Rifle National Championships on march 14-15 inside Historic Memorial Coliseum.
Kentucky is one of the most decorated programs in NCAA rifle history, with four national titles – 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022 – six runner-up finishes and 23 top-five finishes. The 2025 championships will technically mark the second time UK has hosted the national event. The first was in 2020 when UK turned Memorial Coliseum into a first-class range before the NCAA canceled the championships after Thursday’s practice day due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. That season, Kentucky was ranked No. 1 in the nation and was having an undefeated season.
“I am proud of the team for handling their business this season and making sure we were in a good position to qualify for the national championships,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “This will be an exciting two days in Historic Memorial Coliseum and I hope Big Blue Nation comes out and supports us. Until then, we are going to be working hard in training to get better and hopefully we can take another step forward this weekend at the GARC Championships.”
Last Saturday’s NCAA qualifying score was the last factor determining the field for the 2025 NCAA Rifle Championships. Each team’s three score aggregate average – the score based on each team’s highest three regular season scores fired at three different locations – was already recorded. last weekend’s qualifier score was then added to that average and the teams with the eight highest combined scores qualified for the NCAA Championships.
UK’s three scores it counted as part of its NCAA qualifying score was its 4748 in Colorado, an impressive 4742 fired to start the 2025 schedule in Lexington and its 4740 at Ole Miss in the fall of 2024. With UK’s 4740 qualifying score Saturday, the Wildcats total qualifying score is 9483.33, placing the Wildcats third overall entering the championships. Alaska is seeded first with a 9509 score, followed by West Virginia second at 9496. TCU, Ole Miss, Murray State, Georgia Southern and Air Force complete the field. Several other individuals were selected as well from teams that did not make the team championships. Full tournament listings can be found at NCAA.com.
Both all-session tickets and single-session tickets are now on sale for Big Blue Nation to watch the championships inside the newly reimaged Historic Memorial Coliseum.
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.
Fans should purchase tickets for the event in advance through UK Athletics Account Manager through Ticketmaster or may call the UK Athletics Ticket Office during regular business hours. Tickets will also be available for purchase in person at the UK Athletics Ticket Office inside the Joe Craft Center.
Accessible seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For safety reasons, only the Lexington Avenue entrance will be available for fans to enter Historic Memorial Coliseum. The Avenue of Champions and Rose Street entrances will be closed for this event.
On the season, Kentucky is averaging 2347.86 in smallbore and 2382.14 in air rifle for a 4730 team aggregate average. UK’s season-best team score came Nov. 24 in a tri-match with Air Force and Akron in Colorado Springs, Colorado, earning a 4748. The Wildcats are one of four teams in the nation to post a 2360 or higher team smallbore score, while Kentucky’s 2391 season-best air rifle score is tied for the third highest team score in the nation this season.
Individually, sophomore Braden Peiser is Kentucky’s top aggregate performer with a 591.75 smallbore average and 596.833 air rifle average for an aggregate average of 1188.583. Junior Sofia Ceccarello has the team’s best air rifle average at 597.769 and is second in aggregate average with a 1186.769 including her 589 smallbore average. Freshman Liz Probst is having a great rookie season with a 583.077 smallbore average and 594.769 air rifle average for a 1177.846 aggregate average. Fellow freshman Sam Adkins is also averaging a 1179.230 aggregate average with a 584.615 smallbore average and 594.615 air rifle average. Junior Martin Voss is averaging a 585 in smallbore and 591.667 in air rifle for a 1176.667 aggregate, while Buesseler is earning a 582.615 average in smallbore and 590.538 in air rifle for a 1173.153 aggregate average. Freshman Brandon Evans is earning a 581.462 in smallbore and 590.625 in air rifle, while junior AJ Hotko is posting a 576.143 smallbore average and 590.625 air rifle average. Freshman Hannah Todd is having a good season, averaging a 563.75 in smallbore and 584.375 in air rifle, while sophomore Emily Marne is earning a 540.333 in smallbore and 569.833 in air rifle.
Postseason competition for Kentucky begins March 1-2 with the Great America Rifle Conference Championships in Morgantown, West Virginia. Smallbore team and individual competition will be March 1 with air rifle competition on March 2. Live targets will be available online at UKathletics.com.
For more information on the Kentucky rifle team, visit UKathletics.com or follow UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
