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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lorenzen Captures Bronze Medal In Junior Olympics
3/22/2004 | Rifle
March 22, 2004
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Ole Miss freshman Jennifer Lorenzen made her name known on the national level over the weekend by capturing the bronze medal in 50-meter smallbore at the 2004 National Junior Olympic Championships. A Memphis product who was representing the state of Tennessee, Lorenzen turned in scores of 566, 572 and 98.6 for a third-place total of 1236.6.
"This is a tremendous achievement for Jennifer," said Ole Miss head coach Valerie Boothe, who was on-hand at the national competition. "Her accomplishments say a lot about her abilities and the person she is. It's hard to believe that she is still a freshman because she has quickly turned into one of the top shooters in the nation. We are all very happy for her and excited that she will be with us for three more years."
Lorenzen, who also registered a 37th-place effort in air rifle with rounds of 378 and 377 for a total of 755, was just one of three Ole Miss shooters competing in the annual event. Sophomore Laura Gavin and freshman Mara Polonsky were also on hand for the five-day affair.
Gavin, a native of Rhode Island, placed 35th in smallbore with a two-round total of 1105 and 63rd in 10-meter air rifle with a combined score of 741. Polonsky, a native of New Hampshire, finished 57th in air rifle with a count of 745.
"I am very proud of all three girls," Boothe added. "They did a terrific job of representing their home states and the Ole Miss rifle program. We were a very young team this year and I think this momentum will carry over to the 2004-05 season. With no seniors and everyone returning, there is a lot of optimism within the girls on this team."
Sarah Blakeslee of Colorado captured the gold medal in smallbore with a score of 1263.9, while Abigail Fong of New York took the silver medal with a count of 1240.3. Blakeslee was also the air rifle champion (885), while Kristina Fehlings of Virginia placed second (883) and Elizabeth Tidmore of Georgia finished third (877).
The competition took place at the Olympic Shooting Center, a $2.7-million-dollar facility which serves as a home range for the national development teams. It is the largest indoor shooting facility in the western hemisphere.
