.png&width=48&height=48&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Ready To Host Great America Rifle Conference Championships
2/23/2005 | Rifle
Feb. 23, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss will be this year's host of the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) Championships taking place at the new Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center this weekend Feb. 25-27.
The tournament marks the first time in the rifle program's nine-year history that it has hosted the conference championships. Ole Miss joined the GARC prior to the 2001-02 season.
"We're very excited to bring the conference championships to Ole Miss and to get a chance to showcase our facility, which I think is one of the finest in the nation," said Ole Miss head coach Valerie Boothe.
The GARC boasts some of the best rifle programs in the country, including conference leader Army (8-2, 6-0 GARC), which is ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association rankings. Nebraska, Xavier, 2004 GARC champ Kentucky, Memphis and West Virginia will also be competing with Ole Miss for the conference title. All seven schools are ranked in the top 15 of 37 NCAA-sanctioned programs.
The Rebels will bring top competition of their own in sophomore Jennifer Lorenzen, who recently returned from a trip to Colorado Springs, Colo. where she competed with fellow U.S. National Development Team members.
Several Rebel shooters have turned in career highs and school records in Ole Miss' very balanced attack this season, including junior Megan Sandage, sophomore Mara Polonsky and freshman Shannon Wilson.
"Our kids are ready for this weekend. They're ready to perform well and hopefully shoot some great scores," Boothe said.
The premier shooting facility at the Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center was built prior to this season, and the Rebels have already hosted the Ole Miss Invitational in October and brought GARC members Xavier, Memphis, Kentucky and Army to the Center for head-to-head matches.
Competition commences at 2 p.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon. Morning sessions begin at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with afternoon finals set for 1 p.m. both days.