No. 6 Rifle Heads to Morgantown for WVU Fall Classic
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 6 University of Kentucky rifle team heads to Morgantown, West Virginia this weekend for the WVU Fall Classic, which is one of the most competitive rifle events of the season.
Kentucky will compete at the event against some of the best teams in the nation, including host No. 1 West Virginia, No. 2 Ole Miss, No. 8 TCU and No. 12 Nebraska.
The event will be held like a normal NCAA Championship, featuring two days of competition and two relays each day with an individual final at the end of each day. Saturday will feature smallbore starting at Noon ET, while Sunday will feature air rifle starting at 8:45 a.m. ET.
Live targets and a live NCAA Scorecard will be available online at UKathletics.com.
“This is always a fun weekend and a very competitive weekend,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “Every team at this event is incredible and we have so much respect for each one of them. This is going to be a good test for us to see how we have handled the last few weeks since the loss to Navy and if we are heading in the right direction. Go Cats!”
Kentucky is coming off a 4738-4728 loss vs. Navy at home on Halloween. The Wildcats posted a 2343 in smallbore and 2385 in air rifle in the match.
UK is averaging a 2341 in smallbore and 2382.2 in air rifle for a 4723.2 aggregate average.
Senior Braden Peiser leads Kentucky with a 589.4 smallbore average and 597.8 air rifle average for a 1187.2 aggregate average. Peiser has already recorded a 600 perfect air rifle score this season. Right behind him is junior Sam Adkins, who is earning a 585 smallbore average and 596 air rifle average for a 1181 aggregate average. Liz Peiser is the only other Wildcat averaging 1180 aggregate or higher with a 584.2 smallbore average and 597.333 air rifle average for a 1181.533 aggregate average.
Freshmen Maggie Palfrey and Noah Abzug are having great starts to their college careers. Palfrey is earning a 580.2 average in smallbore and 593.4 average in air rifle, while Abzug is posting a 581.2 in smallbore and 589.4 in air rifle. Sophomore Jacob St. Hilaire is scoring a 579.8 in smallbore and 589.6 in air rifle, while fellow sophomore Elisa Boozer is earning a 577.333 in smallbore and 590.333 in air rifle.
Freshman Iva Rakonjac is earning a 571.667 in smallbore and 591 in air rifle, while junior Hannah Todd is posting a 568.667 in smallbore and 590 in air rifle. Freshman Briley Sralla competed for the first time vs. Akron, scoring a 570 in smallbore.
Following Saturday’s match, Kentucky will head west to Alaska for two matches with Air Force and Alaska.
