LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2022-23 College of Kentucky rifle staff will start its season ranked third nationally within the newest Collegiate Rifle Coaches Affiliation Prime 20, it was introduced earlier this week.
The Wildcats, who formally start the season subsequent Saturday at Akron, are behind TCU and Alaska-Fairbanks within the nationwide itemizing. UK’s rating might change earlier than subsequent week’s season opener as a number of colleges start competitors this weekend.
Kentucky enters the season having gained three of the final 4 NCAA rifle nationwide championships, claiming the title in 2018, 2021 and 2022. UK was the favourite and prime seed to win the title in 2020 earlier than the championships had been canceled as a result of pandemic.
The 2022 crown was Kentucky’s fourth nationwide championship in program historical past – 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2022 – all coming underneath head coach Harry Mullins. Mullins is the second coach in UK Athletics historical past to win 4 nationwide championships throughout a tenure, becoming a member of the legendary Adolph Rupp, who led the UK males’s basketball staff to 4 nationwide championships. UK’s 4 nationwide titles is third most in NCAA historical past.
The title got here as UK scored a 4739 staff rating, which was one of the best staff rating on the NCAA Championships within the 60-shot period. The earlier greatest was UK’s 4731 it scored to win the title in 2021. The Wildcats had been in an amazing place to earn the title after a 2360 smallbore staff rating, clinching the title with a 2379 air rifle staff rating
TCU completed second with a 4736, whereas Alaska Fairbanks was third at 4733. Ole Miss completed fourth with host Air Pressure ending fifth, West Virginia sixth, Murray State seventh and Navy eighth.
Main the Wildcats once more this season will likely be fifth-year senior Will Shaner, who gained the NCAA smallbore nationwide championship final yr. The All-American is joined again on the road by fellow fifth-year senior and All-American Richard Clark. Clark carried out brilliantly for UK on the nationwide championships. Two different members of UK’s nationwide championship lineup are returning in senior Jaden Thompson and sophomore Allison Buesseler, who clinched the title with a robust air rifle end. Additionally returning is fifth-year senior Mitchell Nelson, seniors Mason Hamilton and Emmie Sellers and sophomores Kayla Kalenza and Tori Kopelen.
New to the staff this season are three freshmen in Anthony Hotko, Martin Voss and Sofia Ceccarello. Hotko is an American product from Batavia, Illinois, whereas Voss and Ceccarello are overseas stars. Voss involves UK from Norway the place he was some of the completed junior performers in his nation, whereas Ceccarello is from Italy and represented her house nation within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The Wildcats will start the season on Oct. 8 at Akron earlier than returning to Lexington the next weekend for his or her house opener vs. NC State on Oct. 15. After a weekend off, UK will host Navy and North Georgia on Oct. 29 earlier than touring to West Virginia to compete in opposition to WVU, TCU and Alaska on Nov. 5-6. UK will host the Kentucky Lengthy Rifle Match on Nov. 12 with Murray State and Morehead State. The autumn schedule will conclude Nov. 19 at Ole Miss and Nov. 20 at Memphis.
The winter schedule will begin in Fairbanks, Alaska for the Wildcats in opposition to Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 14 and Georgia Southern on Jan. 15. The next weekend, UK will go to Murray State to compete within the Withrow Invitational. The winter regular-season slate ends with UK internet hosting matches vs. Military and North Georgia on Jan. 28 and West Virginia on Feb. 11. The Wildcats will host a NCAA Qualifier on Feb. 18 to start postseason competitors.
The Nice America Rifle Convention Championships will likely be held Feb. 25-26 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The NCAA Championships are schedule for March 10-11 in Akron, Ohio.
For extra info on the Kentucky rifle staff, go to UKathletics.com or comply with UKRifle on Twitter, Instagram and Fb.
