Rifle Has Impressive Team, Individual Performances in Win vs. Murray State
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky rifle team had a lot to be thankful for Saturday inside the UK Rifle Range as the Wildcats posted some career highs individually and defeated Murray State in a dual match with a strong team aggregate score.
The Wildcats started the match with a strong 2359 smallbore team score, which was its second highest smallbore team score of the season. UK followed with its best air rifle team score of the year at 2391 for a 4750 aggregate, which is its best of the season and the second-best team score in program history. Murray State posted a 2342 in smallbore and 2368 in air rifle for a 4710 team score.
Sophomore Liz Probst was the star of the match for Kentucky, earning career-best marks in smallbore and aggregate as well as a great air rifle score. Probst posted a 591 in smallbore with 31 centers, scoring a 198 in kneeling and prone and wrapping her match with a 196 in standing for the strong score. Adding her air rifle, she posted a 1189 aggregate, which was a career best and tied for the highest at the match.
“Really proud of how the team competed today and put together a great performance top to bottom to wrap up the fall season,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “It was great to see them put some things together today before we break from competition for a little bit. You never want to go into the holiday break with a lot lingering. So for us to be able to put together a complete match today was good to see. Thanks to our fans that came out and supported us as well, it really helped.”
Kentucky took control of the match in smallbore, posting an impressive 2359 team score. Junior Braden Peiser and senior Sofia Ceccarello each shot in the 590s with Peiser posting a 591 and Ceccarello a 590. Peiser scored a 198 in kneeling and perfect 200 in prone, ending the match with a 193 in standing. Ceccarello earned 197 in kneeling and 198 in prone with a 195 in standing. Sophomore Sam Adkins posted a 586 with a 198 in kneeling, 197 in prone and 191 in standing, while senior Martin Voss wrapped up the countable scores with a 584 score. Voss earned a 191 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 195 in standing.
Also competing for Kentucky in smallbore was freshmen Elisa Boozer and Jacob St. Hilaire, seniors Brandon Evans and AJ Hotko, junior Emily Marne and sophomore Hannah Todd. Evans led that group with a strong 586 with Boozer posting a 576 and St. Hilaire a 572. Hotko scored a 569 with Marne earning a 561 and Todd a 559.
In air rifle, UK posted a 2391 and was led by Adkins, who scored a career high in the event with a 599 with 52 centers. Peiser scored a 598 with 52 centers, while Probst and Ceccarello scored 597s with Probst posting 52 centers and Ceccarello 48 centers. Voss posted a strong 591 with 47 centers, while St. Hilaire scored a 589 and Boozer at 588.
Wrapping up UK’s squad was Evans with a 591, Todd with a 581, Hotko with a 580 and Marne a 572.
Lea Soule and Abby Ballard led Murray State with 1182 aggregates.
Kentucky will return to action Jan. 17-18 when it travels to Fairbanks, Alaska for two matches against Alaska and Nebraska. Live targets and NCAA scorecards from the matches will be available online at UKathletics.com.
