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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Weisz Advances at Olympic Team Trials
12/8/2015 | Rifle
OXFORD, Miss. - While many Ole Miss students were preparing for finals this past weekend, rifle junior Alison Weisz and freshman Harley Gardner were in Colorado Springs, Colorado for the USA Shooting Winter Airgun Championships held at the Olympic Training Center.
The Winter Airgun Championships served as part one of the 2016 Olympic Team Trials.
Weisz (Belgrade, Montana) shot a three-day total of 1242.1 in the 10m women's air rifle competition to earn ninth overall and advance to the second stage of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Air Rifle Team Trials, set for June of 2016. She made the junior finals all three days.
"I am very excited! If nothing else it was very cool to experience my first Olympic Trials and I am very grateful to have been able to go and accomplish my goals as well," Weisz said. "I was thankful to find out the second trials aren't until June, so I don't have to worry about it conflicting with our college season. This gives me great confidence, but the international format of rifle is much different than collegiate rifle. I am just trying to stay focused on what lies ahead for the rest of our season in the spring and then I'll worry about the second state of Olympic Trials."
Gardner (Bellville, Texas) finished 36th overall and 27th among juniors only with a total of 1221.4. She scored a PR of 408.8 on the final day, Sunday.
"I am so proud of both ladies that competed last weekend," head coach Valerie Boothe said. "They improved their scores each day throughout the competition. I think it was a confidence boost for both. It was great to see Ole Miss represented in a final each day. Ali has worked really hard for this moment and it's fantastic to see her work pay off by being in the top 10."
The Rebels return to collegiate competition January 16, when they host Murray State at the Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center.
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissRifle, on Facebook at OleMissRifle and on Instagram @OleMissRifle. Also follow head coach Valerie Boothe on Twitter, @ValerieBoothe.
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