Ole Miss Rifle Sets Sights On 2010 Season

Sept. 30, 2010

OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss rifle head coach Valerie Boothe has a few reasons to be excited. With a strong group of shooters returning, led by team captain Meredith Holman, and a talented group of newcomers, Boothe believes the Rebels are set for a special season in 2010.

"I can't wait for it to get started," said Boothe, the only head coach in Ole Miss rifle history. "I have been excited for the season since last year when we started signing our recruits and saw the players we had returning. This is probably the most excited for any season that I have been. Everyone has been working so hard and doing so well; it's so exciting to think what they will be capable of by the end of the season."

This season the Rebels will be led by senior team captain Meredith Holman, the 2009 Great America Rifle Conference individual air rifle champion. Boothe believes Holman is ready to take her leadership to the next level.

"Meredith will be our team captain again this year. It is exciting because I have seen her grow and mature so much over the past couple years. Now, even though she has done a great job as team captain, it has come full circle now. She exhibits leadership in everything she does. I expect this to be one of her best years, and I know she expects it to be her best year as well."

Joining Holman as the Rebels' other senior is Colleen Tillson, who Boothe sees as another strong leader for the squad.

"Colleen is also a strong leader," Boothe said. "She is probably Meredith's right hand in terms of enforcement of team rules. They bounce ideas off each other and bring a lot of ideas to the table about what we can do and how we can make the program better. Coleen is very strong, and she is a good influence on the new people. She had the ability to work with others when they are struggling. It is a huge help to the entire team."

Other returnees for the Rebels include Kim Coffey, Emma Holman and Keely Stankey, who tied the school record with a 595 in the air rifle last season.

"Kim is doing a really great job," Boothe said. "She came in and was a clutch player last season when we lost a player mid-season and has continued to improve. She has been growing everyday and getting that much stronger, and she is really pushing the others.

"Emma just keeps the energy flowing. If a player is down, she can go talk to Emma because she is going to help her. She has worked so hard on the range, and I am impressed with everything she has done. She is working every single day to get better so that she can be a driving force for the team.

"Keely is such a fun kid. She is a quiet force of nature and you always know she is working as hard as she can, but you never really know what to expect from her. She is a pretty consistent shooter, so we know what to expect from her scores, but you never know when she will hit that amazing score. I fully expect her to continue to reach those school records again this year."

Boothe is also excited by her freshmen class, which she believes is the most talented group she has recruited at Ole Miss. The six-member class, which is the largest class in Ole Miss history, includes Mary Ann Banks, Rena Goodwin, Melissa Quartarone, Kelly Rosales, Abigail Stanec and Alivia Yeager.

"From the first week of school, you could feel the air was different around the range. No one was expected to show up to the range until the first day of practice, yet I had these freshmen knocking on my door asking for range time. The way they practice is so different than what we have had before. We have never had so many devoted kids in the sport. We have had ones that love the sport, but you can see the passion in these kids' eyes."

Although Boothe believes some of the freshmen are further along than others, she thinks the competition will benefit the entire team.

"I think we are working on a few different levels. Some came in on a higher plane because they came in a little stronger than the others. Then, I have my workhorses who are not quite to the level as a couple of the freshmen, but by the end of the year they are going to outwork everybody."

Boothe says the leadership and connection among the team will give the Rebels that extra edge they need to make their mark on the national stage.

"I want to see the team bond grow. I think we have always had a close knit group, and I think that makes our team stand above everybody else. I think that will help us not only advance to the NCAAs, but place and possibly bring home a trophy. This season I want to put Ole Miss' name where it has never been."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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