The University of Kentucky rifle team is set to begin its postseason competition this Saturday, following its fourth straight Great America Rifle Conference Regular-Season Championship last weekend. The team will be hosting a NCAA Qualifier with Morehead State at Barker Hall, and spectators are invited to come and watch smallbore scores and enjoy free breakfast starting at 8 a.m. ET. The range will be open to spectators for air rifle, and admission is free, but all spectators are required to be masked while inside Barker Hall or the UK Rifle Range.
During the match, the team will honor six seniors between relays. Super seniors Richard Clark, Mitchell Nelson, and Will Shaner, along with seniors Mason Hamilton, Emmie Sellers, and Jaden Thompson, will be honored for their hard work and dedication to the UK program. The ceremony will take place at approximately 11:30 a.m. ET inside the UK Rifle Range.
Kentucky head coach Harry Mullins expressed his excitement for the event and emphasized the importance of honoring the seniors for their contributions to the program. He said, “These six have been nothing but first-class here at UK, exceptional students and model humans for our community. I hope BBN comes out and supports them for one last match in Barker Hall.”
The NCAA Qualifying score for each team will determine the field for the 2023 NCAA Rifle Championships, and this weekend’s qualifier score will be added to each team’s three-score aggregate average. Kentucky is currently ranked fourth in the NCAA qualifying standings at 4740.67, with TCU, Alaska-Fairbanks, and West Virginia ahead of them.
Kentucky is coming off an impressive win against West Virginia, where they secured their fourth straight victory over their rivals and claimed their fourth straight regular-season conference championship. Sofia Ceccarello leads the team individually this season, averaging 589.727 in smallbore and 598.182 in air rifle. Freshman Martin Voss and sophomore Allison Buesseler have also had strong performances, with Clark, Shaner, and Nelson close behind.
Following this weekend’s NCAA Qualifier, the team will participate in the GARC Championships next weekend in Morgantown, West Virginia. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 10-11 in Akron, Ohio. Morehead State will join UK at the NCAA Qualifier and is currently sitting in 15th place in the NCAA team standings with a score of 4672.67. It should make for an exciting and competitive event, and fans are encouraged to come and support the team.