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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Sunday, October 11
Murray, Ky.
9 AM
Ole Miss
vs
UT Martin
Photo by: Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletic
Rifle Begins Season with Matchup Against UT Martin
10/9/2020 | Rifle
Rebels to Face Skyhawks in Neutral-Site Match
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss rifle team is set to compete against UT Martin in a neutral-site match on Oct. 11 in Murray, Kentucky. It will mark the second-straight year that the Rebels have opened their season against the Skyhawks.
"We are truly grateful to be competing," said head coach Marsha Beasley. "The pandemic has changed so much, and starting the season is bringing a sense of normalcy. Even though this is the regular time for us to start, it feels like it has been a very long time since we last competed. The pandemic resulted in the cancelation of most spring and summer competitions, events like Junior Olympics and USA Shooting Nationals, so our team members have had a much longer break from competition than normal. That being said, I would emphasize that everyone has been working very hard, and I believe this match will be quite interesting."
Led by seniors Abby Buesseler, Emily Cock, Sophia Cuozzo and Kamilla Kisch, Ole Miss has its sights set on qualifying for the 2021 NCAA Rifle Championships after narrowly missing out on a qualification spot last season. Overall, the Rebels bring back nine shooters and welcome in two newcomers.
Buesseler is coming off a standout year in which she earned a trio of All-American honors and broke the program records for season smallbore and aggregate average, finishing with marks of 582.7 and 1171.8, respectively. She capped off her junior season ranking 12th in the nation in smallbore and had qualified to compete as an individual at the NCAA Rifle Championships.
The Rebels return a pair of sophomores in Claire O'Neel and Kristen Derting, who were a key part of last season's success. O'Neel brings back the third-best air rifle and fourth-best smallbore averages from a year ago. As a freshman last season, she shot as a counter in all 14 matches and posted career-highs across the board against Kentucky, firing a 582 in smallbore and a 594 in air rifle. Derting is also back after a breakout freshman campaign. The Salem, Oregon, native served as a counter in 11 matches during the 2019-20 season, averaging a 1161.9.
Erin Walsh also served as a counter in 12-of-14 matches for the Rebels last season. A year ago, she ranked fifth on the team in smallbore with an average mark of 574.8 and sixth in air rifle with a 585.6. The junior from Newark, Delaware, aims to improve on those numbers in 2020.
Looking to factor into the mix is a talented freshman duo. Martina Gratz and Lea Horvath will both be competing in their first collegiate match this weekend. Gratz was a two-time Eley High School All-American, while Horvath hails from Komarom, Hungary, and brings plenty of international experience to the Rebels.
Ole Miss downed UT Martin 4668-4591 almost a year ago to the day (Oct. 13, 2019). Buesseler paced the field in that match, turning in a strong smallbore performance en route to a 1174 aggregate score.
The Skyhawks are coming off a loss in their first match of the season against Murray State. They posted an aggregate score of 4577 (2257 in smallbore and 2320 in air rifle) and were led by Rachel Sprague in both smallbore and air rifle.
"We are very much looking forward to shooting with UT Martin, and we appreciate Murray State hosting, which gives us a chance to compete at an excellent facility," said Beasley.
The first relay is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT Sunday. Fans are encouraged to follow along on Twitter for live results.
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at (olemisssports.com).
"We are truly grateful to be competing," said head coach Marsha Beasley. "The pandemic has changed so much, and starting the season is bringing a sense of normalcy. Even though this is the regular time for us to start, it feels like it has been a very long time since we last competed. The pandemic resulted in the cancelation of most spring and summer competitions, events like Junior Olympics and USA Shooting Nationals, so our team members have had a much longer break from competition than normal. That being said, I would emphasize that everyone has been working very hard, and I believe this match will be quite interesting."
Led by seniors Abby Buesseler, Emily Cock, Sophia Cuozzo and Kamilla Kisch, Ole Miss has its sights set on qualifying for the 2021 NCAA Rifle Championships after narrowly missing out on a qualification spot last season. Overall, the Rebels bring back nine shooters and welcome in two newcomers.
Buesseler is coming off a standout year in which she earned a trio of All-American honors and broke the program records for season smallbore and aggregate average, finishing with marks of 582.7 and 1171.8, respectively. She capped off her junior season ranking 12th in the nation in smallbore and had qualified to compete as an individual at the NCAA Rifle Championships.
The Rebels return a pair of sophomores in Claire O'Neel and Kristen Derting, who were a key part of last season's success. O'Neel brings back the third-best air rifle and fourth-best smallbore averages from a year ago. As a freshman last season, she shot as a counter in all 14 matches and posted career-highs across the board against Kentucky, firing a 582 in smallbore and a 594 in air rifle. Derting is also back after a breakout freshman campaign. The Salem, Oregon, native served as a counter in 11 matches during the 2019-20 season, averaging a 1161.9.
Erin Walsh also served as a counter in 12-of-14 matches for the Rebels last season. A year ago, she ranked fifth on the team in smallbore with an average mark of 574.8 and sixth in air rifle with a 585.6. The junior from Newark, Delaware, aims to improve on those numbers in 2020.
Looking to factor into the mix is a talented freshman duo. Martina Gratz and Lea Horvath will both be competing in their first collegiate match this weekend. Gratz was a two-time Eley High School All-American, while Horvath hails from Komarom, Hungary, and brings plenty of international experience to the Rebels.
Ole Miss downed UT Martin 4668-4591 almost a year ago to the day (Oct. 13, 2019). Buesseler paced the field in that match, turning in a strong smallbore performance en route to a 1174 aggregate score.
The Skyhawks are coming off a loss in their first match of the season against Murray State. They posted an aggregate score of 4577 (2257 in smallbore and 2320 in air rifle) and were led by Rachel Sprague in both smallbore and air rifle.
"We are very much looking forward to shooting with UT Martin, and we appreciate Murray State hosting, which gives us a chance to compete at an excellent facility," said Beasley.
The first relay is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT Sunday. Fans are encouraged to follow along on Twitter for live results.
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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