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The University of Mississippi Athletics
My First Year with Ole Miss Rifle: Sophia Cuozzo
3/29/2018 | Rifle
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss Rifle brought in seven freshmen at the beginning of the 2017-18 season, all of whom contributed to the team's success this year. Freshman Sophia Cuozzo (Orange, Connecticut) let us in on her first year competing in college for the Rebels.
Sophia's Highlights
• Highest career air rifle Score: 588, 4x, MR at GARC Championships (2/23/18)
• Highest career smallbore Score: 576, at Navy (1/28/18)
• Highest career aggregate Score: 1163 at GARC Championships (2/23/18)
Favorite Moment(s)…
"My favorite moments were definitely having the chance to travel with the team throughout the entire season. Experiencing traveling changed how I see college athletics, and I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to travel to countless places in two short semesters. I will forever remember all of our traveling struggles from missing equipment to cancelled and delayed flights. Our trip to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks was a trip to remember that I will always share with others."
On Growth and Improvement…
"Now that my first season is over in college athletics I feel that I have grown more in the past several months than I have in previous years combined. Not only do I feel more confident in my athletic ability, but I feel more confident in my ability to be a successful college student. Going into college was most certainly a stressful experience, but I feel that now that I have finished nearly all of freshman year, I can get the next three years under my belt with less stress and more assurance that I can be a successful student-athlete."
Best Teammate…
"I love Em (Emily Cock)! We are so similar in personalities and interests that I think we just click together. I have definitely gotten very close with every one of my teammates, but Em's wildness and good spirits always puts a smile on my face. I also love Hayley (Carroll), too. Our common love of food and being the smallest people on the team have brought us closer together."
On the Coaches…
"Everything our coaches say to us is advice and tips that I will remember for years to come. There is no question why both Marsha and JP won coach and assistant coach of the year in our conference (GARC). They're both not only amazing coaches but amazing people too. There's nothing that we as a team can't talk to them about. I'm thrilled to be able to still have three more years with them, and I am beyond excited to see where they take this program!"
On the Freshmen Class as a Whole…
"I'm not saying this because I am a freshman, but we were able to rise to the occasion when the time came. I think we handled the season extremely well and continuously showed our coaches that we had a valid place on this team. Our freshmen class is very competitive within ourselves and with the other classes. I think that pushes us to be better teammates, athletes, and students too. Overall, my first season was a success and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the team and myself."
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissRifle, on Facebook at OleMissRifle and on Instagram @OleMissRifle.
Players Mentioned
