Aiming High

Oct. 18, 2001

By Bill Bunting
Sports Information Intern

In 1995, Ole Miss embarked upon a new course in its women's athletic history. Ole Miss was looking to expand its women's athletic program, and the University did just that with the creation of the Rebel rifle team.

Since that time, the journey has been one of constant improvement and a steady process of "baby steps" toward new goals each season. Ole Miss head coach Valerie Boothe has seen Ole Miss rifle go from a fledgling program to one which is making its mark on the national scene. The Rebel rifle team, which competes in the Great American Rifle Conference, has jumped into the top 20 in the national rankings and become a solid contender for an NCAA Championships berth in the 2001-02 season, which began last Saturday against Tennessee-Martin.

The 2000-01 campaign was one of record-breaking performances for the rifle team. Each meet, the Rebels set new marks in both air rifle and smallbore, concluding with a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Sectional.

Ole Miss could experience another such season of success this year with the addition of two newcomers and a solid returning cast that Coach Boothe hopes will push her team to a higher finish at the NCAA Sectional and into the NCAA Championships.

"We are shooting for a top-20 finish this season and hoping to continue to 'baby-step' that into the top 15 before long," said Boothe, whose squad will host the Ole Miss Invitational next weekend (Oct. 26-27). "We are also shooting for the NCAA Championships this year. We were so close to making it last season, but we couldn't quite follow through. We are hoping to take our success from last year and continue to build on that."

Back to lead the team is the sole senior, Misty Ballard. The Glen, Miss., native paced the team last season with steady performances in air rifle, recording an average of 366.5. Her season-high performance of 382 in air rifle came at the NCAA Sectional to close out the season. Ballard posted an average score of 1105 in smallbore.

"Misty came out of nowhere to be one of our top shooters when she got here," Boothe said. "She is a strong leader, and I expect her to push the others if we are going to achieve our goals."

Junior Maranda Stockton returns to the Rebels as the squad's steadying factor, finishing last season with an average score of 366.4 in 12 air rifle events for Ole Miss. Stockton posted a season-high score of 373 in two meets for the Rebels. Stockton also finished the season with a 1085.5 average in smallbore.

Sophomore Kristin Parker posted the second-best average score in air rifle last year at 371.3. Parker posted a career-high score of 380 against both Austin Peay and Arkansas. Parker notched an 1108.7 average in smallbore.

Katie Trickett, also a sophomore, was the Rebels' top shooter in air rifle last season with a 380 average. Trickett, who competed in the Junior Olympics during the off-season, looks to - once again - set the standard a little higher for the Rebels in 2001-02, as Ole Miss makes its move into the national spotlight. Trickett also posted the highest average on the team in smallbore, finishing with a 1117.6 last season.

Ole Miss is hoping to add more power to its punch with the addition of two freshmen in 2001-02. Joining the Rebels are Shanda Duval and Megan Roberts.

Duval is another outstanding shooter and, along with Trickett, should give the Rebels a solid "one-two" punch. The Oakville, Wash., native participated in the Junior Olympics in the off-season, before joining the Rebels. She also posted the highest score of any shooter in the high school division of the air rifle competition in the state of Washington.

"Adding Shanda to the roster is great because she has competition experience," Boothe said. "Having that experience is a vital key to being successful quickly on this level."

Roberts, a graduate of Oxford High School, chose to remain at home to compete for the Rebels. The Oxford, Miss., native got her start with riflery while in the Junior ROTC program in high school.

The key to the Rebels' 2001-02 season lies in team unity and a sense of identity as a single unit competing to achieve a common goal. It's that goal which Boothe feels will help push her team to new heights this season. The team wants to achieve a top-20 ranking nationally and make it to the NCAA Championships for the first time in the short history of the program.

"Team work is what will make the difference for us this season," Boothe said. "We have the ability to make incredible gains in this sport, as a team. They care about each other and how the rest of the team is performing and we feed off that emotion."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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