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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rifle Athletes Dominate at Winter Airgun Championships
12/4/2018 | Rifle
Former Rebel Alison Weisz Sets National Record
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It was an impressive weekend by Ole Miss rifle athletes at the 2018 Winter Airgun Championships, Nov. 30 – Dec. 2 inside the Olympic Training Center, led by Alison Weisz's new American women's record. Weisz joined five current or future Rebels, as well as assistant coach JP Lucas in intense national-level competition.
Weisz, a two-time All-American and 2017 Ole Miss graduate, set an event-breaking score of 630.9 on day two of 10m air rifle women's individual competition. Her two-day total 1257.4 easily advanced her to the six-person final where she won with a 1259.9.
Senior Harley Gardner finished 43rd out of 205 total competitors in the event with a 1224.7, just ahead of sophomore teammate Abby Buesseler (1224.5, 45th). NLI signee Claire O'Neel ended the weekend in 50th place behind 1221.9 points. Also cracking the top 60 were sophomore Emily Cock (1221.0, 54th) and freshman Jillian Zakrzeski (1219.8, 59th).
Lucas, a nine-time All-American and captain on two national title teams at West Virginia, captured second overall in the 10m air rifle men's team event. He fired a 416.8 behind Dempster Christenson's 419.4. Weisz also finished second in the 10m air rifle women's team competition with 419.0 points. Lucas and Weisz advanced and teamed up to earn second place in the mixed team air rifle event. This mixed competition will debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Notes…
Each year the Winter Air Gun Championships are the largest air gun competition held in the United States. This year there were 313 competitors in rifle and an additional 108 competing in air pistol, as well as several Para-Olympic shooters. The Winter Air Gun Championships utilize the U.S. Olympic Training Center's 70-point state-of-the-art air rifle range, and a 45-point "mobile" or temporary range constructed in a large gym on the OTC complex.
The first two days of the Winter Air Gun Championships served as a selection match for shooters who will represent the U.S. in the India World Cup slated for March of 2019. The third day saw a demonstration of two Olympic events, mixed team air rifle and mixed team air pistol, both of which will debut in 2020. Since scores from Day 3 were not used for team selection, the date was not an exempt date for NCAA competitors so Ole Miss could not participate.
Decimal scoring is used for air rifle in international competition. The highest possible score on each shot is a 10.9. A perfect score would be a 654 after 60 shots. The best shooting rifles and pellets typically group a little better than a 10.7. Decimal scoring is a better measure of performance – the shooter with the shots closer to the center will have the higher score.
Marsha's minute...
On strong performances in a tough environment…
"I was pleased to see Harley Gardner (616.4) and Jillian Zakrzeski (614.8) fire personal-bests on the first day. Everyone was above a 613 on one of their days which was nice to see. Colorado Springs is a tough place to shoot due to the altitude. Most shooters find themselves running out of breath before they can execute the shot. This match is a bit harder since it is just so big and they use three different ranges."
On Weisz's national record…
"Every year there are some outstanding performances in this competition. It was exciting to see Ole Miss 2017 graduate Ali Weisz not only win the competition but establish a new national record on the second day."
On gaining valuable experience…
"Our participation in this competition will help us down the road. The team members performed well under challenging conditions. We learned a lot and can build on this experience."
Up Next…
Three Rebel athletes (Sophia Cuozzo, Kamilla Kisch, Erin Walsh) will compete in the Mississippi State USA Shooting Junior Olympic Air Rifle and Smallbore Rifle Championships. Ole Miss will resume NCAA competition on Saturday, Jan. 12 in Columbus, Ohio alongside the Buckeyes and Alaska Fairbanks.
Results…
10m Air Rifle Women Results (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1)
* New national record
10m Air Rifle Team Women Results (Dec. 2)
10m Air Rifle Team Men Results (Dec. 2)
Open Rifle Team Final Results (Dec. 2)
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
Weisz, a two-time All-American and 2017 Ole Miss graduate, set an event-breaking score of 630.9 on day two of 10m air rifle women's individual competition. Her two-day total 1257.4 easily advanced her to the six-person final where she won with a 1259.9.
Senior Harley Gardner finished 43rd out of 205 total competitors in the event with a 1224.7, just ahead of sophomore teammate Abby Buesseler (1224.5, 45th). NLI signee Claire O'Neel ended the weekend in 50th place behind 1221.9 points. Also cracking the top 60 were sophomore Emily Cock (1221.0, 54th) and freshman Jillian Zakrzeski (1219.8, 59th).
Lucas, a nine-time All-American and captain on two national title teams at West Virginia, captured second overall in the 10m air rifle men's team event. He fired a 416.8 behind Dempster Christenson's 419.4. Weisz also finished second in the 10m air rifle women's team competition with 419.0 points. Lucas and Weisz advanced and teamed up to earn second place in the mixed team air rifle event. This mixed competition will debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Notes…
Each year the Winter Air Gun Championships are the largest air gun competition held in the United States. This year there were 313 competitors in rifle and an additional 108 competing in air pistol, as well as several Para-Olympic shooters. The Winter Air Gun Championships utilize the U.S. Olympic Training Center's 70-point state-of-the-art air rifle range, and a 45-point "mobile" or temporary range constructed in a large gym on the OTC complex.
The first two days of the Winter Air Gun Championships served as a selection match for shooters who will represent the U.S. in the India World Cup slated for March of 2019. The third day saw a demonstration of two Olympic events, mixed team air rifle and mixed team air pistol, both of which will debut in 2020. Since scores from Day 3 were not used for team selection, the date was not an exempt date for NCAA competitors so Ole Miss could not participate.
Decimal scoring is used for air rifle in international competition. The highest possible score on each shot is a 10.9. A perfect score would be a 654 after 60 shots. The best shooting rifles and pellets typically group a little better than a 10.7. Decimal scoring is a better measure of performance – the shooter with the shots closer to the center will have the higher score.
Marsha's minute...
On strong performances in a tough environment…
"I was pleased to see Harley Gardner (616.4) and Jillian Zakrzeski (614.8) fire personal-bests on the first day. Everyone was above a 613 on one of their days which was nice to see. Colorado Springs is a tough place to shoot due to the altitude. Most shooters find themselves running out of breath before they can execute the shot. This match is a bit harder since it is just so big and they use three different ranges."
On Weisz's national record…
"Every year there are some outstanding performances in this competition. It was exciting to see Ole Miss 2017 graduate Ali Weisz not only win the competition but establish a new national record on the second day."
On gaining valuable experience…
"Our participation in this competition will help us down the road. The team members performed well under challenging conditions. We learned a lot and can build on this experience."
Up Next…
Three Rebel athletes (Sophia Cuozzo, Kamilla Kisch, Erin Walsh) will compete in the Mississippi State USA Shooting Junior Olympic Air Rifle and Smallbore Rifle Championships. Ole Miss will resume NCAA competition on Saturday, Jan. 12 in Columbus, Ohio alongside the Buckeyes and Alaska Fairbanks.
Results…
10m Air Rifle Women Results (Nov. 30 – Dec. 1)
| D1 | D2 | Match | F2 | FP | Score | ||
| 1. | Alison Weisz | 626.5 | 630.9* | 1257.4 | 207.6 | 2.5 | 1259.9 |
| 2. | Mary Tucker | 624.7 | 625.4 | 1250.1 | 250.2 | 4.0 | 1254.1 |
| 43. | Harley Gardner | 616.4 | 608.3 | 1224.7 | |||
| 45. | Abby Buesseler | 613.9 | 610.6 | 1224.5 | |||
| 50. | Claire O'Neel | 610.0 | 611.9 | 1221.9 | |||
| 54. | Emily Cock | 607.6 | 613.4 | 1221.0 | |||
| 59. | Jillian Zakrzeski | 614.8 | 605.0 | 1219.8 | |||
| 205 | Total Competitors |
10m Air Rifle Team Women Results (Dec. 2)
| 1. | Sagen Maddalena | 419.5 |
| 2. | Alison Weisz | 419.0 |
| 3. | Emily Stith | 418.4 |
| 125 | Total Competitors |
10m Air Rifle Team Men Results (Dec. 2)
| 1. | Dempster Christenson | 419.4 |
| 2. | Jean-Pierre Lucas | 416.8 |
| 3. | Matthew Rawlings | 416.0 |
| 99 | Total Competitors |
Open Rifle Team Final Results (Dec. 2)
| Individual | Team | ||
| 1. | Dempster Christenson | 247.8 | 495.5 |
| Sagen Maddalena | 247.7 | ||
| 2. | Matthew Rawlings | 245.4 | 492.6 |
| Emily Stith | 247.2 | ||
| 3. | Sarah Beard | 215.1 | 431.6 |
| George Norton | 216.5 | ||
| 4. | Alison Weisz | 198.6 | 389.8 |
| Jean-Pierre Lucas | 191.2 | ||
| 5. | Virginia Thrasher | 175.8 | 348.2 |
| Ivan Roe | 172.4 |
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
Players Mentioned
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