The Kentucky rifle team will begin the 2017-18 season ranked fourth in the country after the release of the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association preseason poll.
“It’s always an honor to be ranked in the top four teams prior to the season,” head coach Harry Mullins said. “We welcome the challenge of trying to improve from where we finished the previous year, and we’re excited to focus and chase that this season.”
The Wildcats finished fourth at the NCAA Championships last season and second in the Great American Rifle Conference regular-season final standings.
Despite losing key seniors Heather Kirby and Sonya May, UK returns junior Hanna Carr, who earned first team All-Conference honors in smallbore and was named second team NRA All-America, alongside senior Billy Azzinaro, who fired the team-high score in air rifle (598) and was named second team All-Conference combined this past season.
New additions, such as freshman Henrik Larsen, look to make an impact right away. Larsen has experienced success in the junior rifle ranks and international competition, proved by his third place finishes in 50m three-position rifle at the 2017 Junior World Championships and 2016 European Junior Championships.
The Wildcats will face their first test of the season at the Ole Miss Invitational in Oxford, Mississippi, on Oct. 7.
CRCA Preseason Top-20
1 West Virginia
2 TCU
3 Murray State
4 Kentucky
5 Ohio State
6 Nebraska
7 Alaska
8 Air Force
9 NC State
10 Army
11 Memphis
12 Ole Miss
13 Nevada
14 Navy
15 JSU
16 Akron
17 UTEP
18 Morehead
19 UTM
20 North Georgia
For the latest on the Kentucky rifle team, follow @UKRifle on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
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For more information contact:
Grant Gearheart
