Shooting For Beijing

Oct. 1, 2004

By Matt Segal
Athletics Media Relations Intern

Over the course of its storied athletic history, Ole Miss has had a handful of Olympians. In 2004, the Rebels were represented -- in Athens, Greece -- by Ole Miss Hall of Famer Van Chancellor, former tennis All-American Mahesh Bhupathi and current softball player Chloe Kloezeman.

Its next Olympian could come from the sport of rifle. The name is Jennifer Lorenzen and it's one you want to get familiar with.

"Shooting is not just one of my hobbies," says Lorenzen, who has quickly become one of the nation's top collegiate shooters at just 19 years old. "It's my life and something I take very seriously. My ultimate goal is to go to the Olympics. That's something I've always dreamed about and something I've always wanted to do."

Ole Miss head coach Valerie Boothe, who has led the program since its inception in 1996-97, recognizes that Lorenzen is well on her way to having that chance.

"Making the 2008 Olympics is a very realistic goal for Jennifer," Boothe admits. "She has already made the National Development Team, which means she is one step closer to making the U.S. Olympic Team. The sky is the limit for Jennifer because she has so much potential and she's so dedicated to the sport. She competed like a seasoned veteran for us last year. When it's all said and done, Jennifer could be our first All-American at Ole Miss. We've had some gifted shooters who have come close in the past, but no one has been able to receive that highest individual honor."

Not only did Lorenzen lead Ole Miss as a freshman in 2003-04, but she made her name known across the country by performing well at several national competitions. In March, Lorenzen captured a bronze medal in 50-meter smallbore at the National Junior Olympic Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. Then, in June, the Memphis native earned a silver medal in the Junior Women's Prone Division at the National Championships in Fort Benning, Ga. The second-place finish gave her a spot on the U.S. National Development Team.

"Jennifer's second-place finish at Nationals and third-place finish at the Junior Olympics were both tremendous individual achievements," Boothe says. "Her accomplishments say a lot about her abilities and the person she is. It's hard to believe that she is only a sophomore. She has quickly become one of the top shooters in the nation and we are looking forward to working with her over the next three years."

Lorenzen picked up several individual awards while pacing the Rebels last year. The daughter of Kenneth and Sharon Lorenzen, she was named Ole Miss' Most Valuable Shooter and Rookie of the Year after posting the team's top smallbore (1158) and air rifle (358) scores. Lorenzen also picked up Scholar-Athlete honors and was selected to the Dean's Honor Roll after registering a 3.72 GPA during her first semester on campus.

Lorenzen's story dates back to 1992, when she started shooting at her uncle's property in Jackson, Tenn., at the age of seven. Seven years later, at the age of 14, Lorenzen began training and competing with a local junior team. Then, at the age of 16, she was one of four individuals who founded the West Tennessee Junior Rifle Team. Lorenzen really enjoyed what the junior team had to offer. She became more and more interested in shooting and began to develop a deep passion for the sport.

Lorenzen continued with the junior team until age 18, as her high school, Macon Road Baptist, did not have a team. Lorenzen competed in 3-Position smallbore, 3-Position precision air rifle and international air rifle during her high school years. She claimed a total of four individual state championships, earning the Tennessee International Air Rifle titles in 2002 & 2003 and 3-P Smallbore crowns in 2003 & 2004. During the college-selection process, Lorenzen knew she wanted to continue shooting. She `shopped around' and, after visiting Oxford, knew that Ole Miss was the place for her.

"I chose Ole Miss because I saw something here that I didn't see with any other team," Lorenzen says. "The one thing that sets this program apart is the team unity. We hang out all the time and do everything together. We are each other's best friends. That chemistry was something I never had and something I really wanted."

Less than two years later, Lorenzen is very happy with the decision she made and the situation she's in. She enjoys everything Ole Miss has to offer, including the terrific academic programs, beautiful campus and competitive rifle program.

"At Ole Miss, we get to shoot all the time and that has really helped improve my scores," Lorenzen admits. "We get in much more practice than I ever did in high school. I was the best shooter on my club team so it wasn't very challenging for me. Now, I am competing with people who are at my level or better, so that has helped me become a much better shooter. "Rifle is a very mental sport and one in which you normally control your own destiny. But, competing with and against other talented shooters has helped motivate me."

Lorenzen and her teammates are very excited about the upcoming campaign. After all, there are several reasons for an all-time high in level of excitement. Lorenzen leads a group of seven returnees who all figure to make an impact in 2004-05 and the team has moved over to the brand new Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center, which is located just 10 minutes from campus at the intersection of SR 7 and Sisk Avenue.

The Rebels christened their new facility this past weekend with the first three days of the Ole Miss Invitational, which concludes this weekend. The home schedule also features competitions with Xavier & Memphis (Oct. 9), Kentucky (Oct. 23) and Army (Jan. 15) before Ole Miss hosts the Great America Rifle Conference Championships (Feb. 25-27) for the first time in school history.

"There is a lot of excitement around the Ole Miss rifle program," Lorenzen mentions. "All of the girls have an upbeat attitude towards the 2004-05 season. We feel like this is going to be a great year because we have everyone returning plus we've added two really good shooters. We are improving each year and look forward to accomplishing big things this year.

"The new facility will definitely help this program. It's nice to have our own team room because we've never had one before. We now have something we can call our own and a place to store our equipment. In the past, we've had to share with other teams and it's just not the same. We are also moving to a bigger range which will allow all of us to shoot at the same time during practice."

As for Lorenzen's individual aspirations, several upcoming events have already been marked on the calendar. She is eligible for one more Junior Olympic competition and hopes to take home both gold medals (in smallbore and air rifle) this coming March.

And, then, there's the 2008 Olympic Games, which are getting closer and closer each day.

"I think I am making satisfactory progress, especially since I just made the National Development Team," Lorenzen says. "2008 may be my best opportunity because I will be fresh out of college. I won't give up on the chance of going if I don't make it then, but everything I'm doing now is to prepare me for the (Olympic) games four years from now."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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