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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rifle Alum Weisz Wins Silver at Winter Airgun Championships
12/9/2019 | Rifle
Ali Weisz Sits Second in Olympic Team Qualification after Stage 1
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Ole Miss rifle alum Ali Weisz put herself one step closer to earning a spot on the USA Shooting Team after claiming the Silver Medal at the 2019 Winter Airgun Championships over the weekend in Colorado.
The match doubled as the Olympic Trials Part I for air rifle, which was contested Dec 7-8 inside the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
Team USA has already earned a maximum eight quota spots in rifle for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, including two women's air rifle and two in men's air rifle. The top two athletes in each gender will be named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team following the second stage, which will return to Colorado Springs, Feb. 7-9. Scores from Part I will be added to February's Part II qualifier.
Weisz ended Sunday with a 1256.0, which was right behind Kentucky freshman Mary Tucker's 1256.4 points. Sarah Beard, a former four-time air rifle All-American at TCU, finished with a 1255.1 for the Bronze. West Virginia alum Ginny Thrasher, the 2016 Olympic champion, was sixth with 1250.0 points.
Weisz, a two-time All-American and 2017 graduate, finished fourth after day one (624.4) but posted the top score on the second day (629.6) to take a narrow lead going into the eight-person finals. Tucker finished first in the finals to earn an additional four points, and Weisz survived three cuts to finish fifth for two more points.
Weisz has produced quite an impressive run over the past year, claiming the Gold Medal at the 2018 event while setting the American women's 60-shot qualification record (630.9). She also became the first Ole Miss Rebel to win Gold in Women's Air Rifle at the Pan American Games in August. Weisz has now posted five consecutive Top 10 finishes at the Winter Airgun Championships.
Five current and future Rebels finished in the top 60 of 215 total competitors. 2019 signee Martina Gratz, who will be joining Ole Miss in the fall, finished 31st overall with 1233.6 points. Junior Abby Buesseler (35th, 1232.2), freshman Claire O'Neel (44th, 1229.3), sophomore Jillian Zakrzeski (47th, 1228.5), and junior Kamilla Kisch (59th, 1222.9) all competed against the nation's best. Gratz (20th), O'Neel (29th), Zakrzeski (31st), and Kisch (42nd) finished high amongst Juniors (ages 20-younger).
Ole Miss assistant coach J.P. Lucas finished stage one in 15th place with a 1241.8 on the men's side of competition.
The Rebels return to action on Jan. 11 against Alaska Fairbanks in dual match at Columbus, Ohio. Ole Miss will have five NCAA contests before it returns for Part II of the Olympic Trials for air rifle in February.
OLE MISS RESULTS
2019 Winter Airgun Championships /
Olympic Team Trials for Air Rifle Part I
10m Women's Results, Dec. 7-8
10m Men's Results, Dec. 7-8
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
The match doubled as the Olympic Trials Part I for air rifle, which was contested Dec 7-8 inside the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center.
Team USA has already earned a maximum eight quota spots in rifle for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, including two women's air rifle and two in men's air rifle. The top two athletes in each gender will be named to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team following the second stage, which will return to Colorado Springs, Feb. 7-9. Scores from Part I will be added to February's Part II qualifier.
Weisz ended Sunday with a 1256.0, which was right behind Kentucky freshman Mary Tucker's 1256.4 points. Sarah Beard, a former four-time air rifle All-American at TCU, finished with a 1255.1 for the Bronze. West Virginia alum Ginny Thrasher, the 2016 Olympic champion, was sixth with 1250.0 points.
Weisz, a two-time All-American and 2017 graduate, finished fourth after day one (624.4) but posted the top score on the second day (629.6) to take a narrow lead going into the eight-person finals. Tucker finished first in the finals to earn an additional four points, and Weisz survived three cuts to finish fifth for two more points.
Weisz has produced quite an impressive run over the past year, claiming the Gold Medal at the 2018 event while setting the American women's 60-shot qualification record (630.9). She also became the first Ole Miss Rebel to win Gold in Women's Air Rifle at the Pan American Games in August. Weisz has now posted five consecutive Top 10 finishes at the Winter Airgun Championships.
Five current and future Rebels finished in the top 60 of 215 total competitors. 2019 signee Martina Gratz, who will be joining Ole Miss in the fall, finished 31st overall with 1233.6 points. Junior Abby Buesseler (35th, 1232.2), freshman Claire O'Neel (44th, 1229.3), sophomore Jillian Zakrzeski (47th, 1228.5), and junior Kamilla Kisch (59th, 1222.9) all competed against the nation's best. Gratz (20th), O'Neel (29th), Zakrzeski (31st), and Kisch (42nd) finished high amongst Juniors (ages 20-younger).
Ole Miss assistant coach J.P. Lucas finished stage one in 15th place with a 1241.8 on the men's side of competition.
The Rebels return to action on Jan. 11 against Alaska Fairbanks in dual match at Columbus, Ohio. Ole Miss will have five NCAA contests before it returns for Part II of the Olympic Trials for air rifle in February.
OLE MISS RESULTS
2019 Winter Airgun Championships /
Olympic Team Trials for Air Rifle Part I
10m Women's Results, Dec. 7-8
| Rank | Name | ST | Cat | Day1 | Day2 | Match | Final | FP | Total |
| 1 | Mary Tucker | FL | J1, C | 625.9 | 626.5 | 1252.4 | 249.8 | 4.0 | 1256.4 |
| 2 | Ali Weisz | MT | 624.4 | 629.6 | 1254.0 | 184.0 | 2.0 | 1256.0 | |
| 3 | Sarah Beard | GA | 623.9 | 627.7 | 1251.6 | 226.8 | 3.5 | 1255.1 | |
| 31 | Martina Gratz | IL | J2 | 616.7 | 616.9 | 1233.6 | |||
| 35 | Abby Buesseler | MN | C | 619.2 | 613.0 | 1232.2 | |||
| 44 | Claire O'Neel | MD | J1, C | 613.1 | 616.2 | 1229.3 | |||
| 47 | Jillian Zakrzeski | MS | J1, C | 613.4 | 615.1 | 1228.5 | |||
| 59 | Kamilla Kisch | MN | J1, C | 611.0 | 611.9 | 1222.9 | |||
| 215 | Total Competitors |
10m Men's Results, Dec. 7-8
| Rank | Name | ST | Cat | Day1 | Day2 | Match |
| 15 | J.P. Lucas | MS | 621.6 | 620.2 | 1241.8 | |
| 146 | Total Competitors |
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
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