Wildcats scored a 4737 as a team to carry momentum into the winter schedule
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UK press athletics
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Connected electronically while shooting in their home ranges, the No 2 University of Kentucky rifle team posted an impressive team score of 4737 to defeat Navy, who scored a 4686, on Saturday. Scores from the match will not count towards NCAA qualifying since the match was virtual.
“Overall, it was nice to end the semester with this performance,” said UK head coach Harry Mullins. “We had some strong points and some other points that we have to iron out. I feel the team did a good job today staying focused on the plan and ending the semester strong. It would have been nice to do this on the road in a head-to-head match, but you have to take what you can get sometimes. I was proud of the group with the way they battled for the points today.”
Kentucky started the match with a strong 2352 smallbore score and followed with an impressive 2385 in air rifle. Navy scored a 2313 in smallbore and a 2373 in air rifle.
In smallbore, sophomore Mary Tucker led the way again with a 594, followed by junior Will Shaner with a 589. Sophomore Jaden Thompson was on target in the match with a personal best 587, while junior Richard Clark and senior Hailee Sigmon each scored a 582. Juniors Mitchell Nelson and Mason Joachim scored a 581 and 569, respectively, while sophomore Emmie Sellers posted a 574 and fellow sophomore Mason Hamilton earned a 576.
The Wildcats were just as impressive in air rifle with Tucker and Shaner earning near perfect scores of 599 and 598, respectively. Clark posted a 594 in the discipline, while Thompson also earned a 594 and finished the match with a personal best aggregate of 1181. Sigmon scored an impressive 588, while Nelson posted a 586 and Joachim a 584. Sellers scored a 582 with Hamilton shooting a 565.
Navy was paced by Michael Zanti, who earned a 585 in smallbore and 593 in air rifle. Gabriella Mayes and Mark Amdahl each scored a 595 in air rifle with Gabriella scored a 575 in smallbore and Amdahl a 580 in smallbore.
Saturday’s match concluded the fall season for Kentucky, which will release its winter schedule later this month.
For the latest on the Kentucky rifle team, follow @UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.