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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Abby Buesseler Qualifies for NCAA Rifle Championships
2/25/2020 | Rifle
Ole Miss Junior Tallied 583 Points at NCAA Qualifier to Advance to Nationals
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ole Miss rifle junior Abby Buesseler will get her shot to compete against the nation's best after being named an at-large individual for the NCAA Rifle Championships in smallbore, announced by the NCAA on Tuesday.
"I'm just so excited to go and it's been my dream since high school that I wanted to go to NCAAs," said Buesseler. "I've been working with the coaches really hard just to get those extra points this year to push it over the edge and achieve that goal."
The top eight teams and 48 individuals will compete at the Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky, March 13-14. The smallbore portion will be held on Friday, March 13. A total of nine at-large athletes not on an NCAA qualifying team earned a spot in the national competition (five in smallbore, four in air rifle).
"I am thrilled Abby (Buesseler) qualified for an individual slot for the NCAA Rifle Championships," head coach Marsha Beasley said. "Abby has been working very hard and shooting well all season. She definitely belongs in the NCAA Championship field having consistently been among the top 20 in the country."
Buesseler fired a team-high 583 during the Rebels' NCAA Qualifier match on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Stacy, Minnesota, native has remained steady all season long, averaging 582.7 points per match in the event and ranking 11th nationally.
"I am very excited to see Abby go to nationals," assistant coach Jean-Pierre Lucas said. "She has definitely been working extremely hard, putting in all the time and shooting a lot of good matches, including school records. She put together a good match on Qualifier day and she will represent Ole Miss well."
She tallied a season-high 588 total on Feb. 1 at TCU, which sits one point shy of the team record set by Ali Weisz in 2015. Buesseler is also on pace to surpass the program's single-season smallbore average set by Shannon Wilson (2005-06, 579.2 average). Additionally, Buesseler tied the team air rifle record with a 597 and bettered the aggregate Rebel mark with an 1183 on Nov. 2.
There were 12 qualifier matches held across the country this past weekend, and individuals were determined based off of those scores. Completing the smallbore field as at-large individuals were Kellen McAferty (587, Alaska Fairbanks), Taylor Gibson (585, Memphis) as well as Army Cadets Clayton Hanson (584) and Kaitlyn Kutz (583).
"I'm glad she was able to put together a solid score at NCAA Qualifiers," Beasley said. "The NCAA selection process for individual qualification uses scores from just one day so anything can happen and I'm very glad she got in."
The Ole Miss rifle program has had at least one student-athlete appear in 13 of the last 15 championships, dating back to the 2005-06 season when the Rebels advanced as a team. Buesseler will do her best to keep things in perspective.
"I'll just continue to focus on the process and keep things simple ahead of NCAAs," said Buesseler. "Once I arrive there, I'll keep reminding myself of what I've done all season. I'm confident in my abilities and will go out there and use what I've worked for."
Ole Miss will next travel to Memphis, Tennessee for the Great America Rifle Conference Championships, Feb. 28-29 before Buesseler heads to the national match. Matches begin at 8 a.m. CT. both days on the University of Memphis campus.
OLE MISS NCAA QUALIFIERS
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
"I'm just so excited to go and it's been my dream since high school that I wanted to go to NCAAs," said Buesseler. "I've been working with the coaches really hard just to get those extra points this year to push it over the edge and achieve that goal."
The top eight teams and 48 individuals will compete at the Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky, March 13-14. The smallbore portion will be held on Friday, March 13. A total of nine at-large athletes not on an NCAA qualifying team earned a spot in the national competition (five in smallbore, four in air rifle).
"I am thrilled Abby (Buesseler) qualified for an individual slot for the NCAA Rifle Championships," head coach Marsha Beasley said. "Abby has been working very hard and shooting well all season. She definitely belongs in the NCAA Championship field having consistently been among the top 20 in the country."
Buesseler fired a team-high 583 during the Rebels' NCAA Qualifier match on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Stacy, Minnesota, native has remained steady all season long, averaging 582.7 points per match in the event and ranking 11th nationally.
"I am very excited to see Abby go to nationals," assistant coach Jean-Pierre Lucas said. "She has definitely been working extremely hard, putting in all the time and shooting a lot of good matches, including school records. She put together a good match on Qualifier day and she will represent Ole Miss well."
She tallied a season-high 588 total on Feb. 1 at TCU, which sits one point shy of the team record set by Ali Weisz in 2015. Buesseler is also on pace to surpass the program's single-season smallbore average set by Shannon Wilson (2005-06, 579.2 average). Additionally, Buesseler tied the team air rifle record with a 597 and bettered the aggregate Rebel mark with an 1183 on Nov. 2.
There were 12 qualifier matches held across the country this past weekend, and individuals were determined based off of those scores. Completing the smallbore field as at-large individuals were Kellen McAferty (587, Alaska Fairbanks), Taylor Gibson (585, Memphis) as well as Army Cadets Clayton Hanson (584) and Kaitlyn Kutz (583).
"I'm glad she was able to put together a solid score at NCAA Qualifiers," Beasley said. "The NCAA selection process for individual qualification uses scores from just one day so anything can happen and I'm very glad she got in."
The Ole Miss rifle program has had at least one student-athlete appear in 13 of the last 15 championships, dating back to the 2005-06 season when the Rebels advanced as a team. Buesseler will do her best to keep things in perspective.
"I'll just continue to focus on the process and keep things simple ahead of NCAAs," said Buesseler. "Once I arrive there, I'll keep reminding myself of what I've done all season. I'm confident in my abilities and will go out there and use what I've worked for."
Ole Miss will next travel to Memphis, Tennessee for the Great America Rifle Conference Championships, Feb. 28-29 before Buesseler heads to the national match. Matches begin at 8 a.m. CT. both days on the University of Memphis campus.
OLE MISS NCAA QUALIFIERS
| SEASON | ATHLETE/TEAM | DISCIPLINE(S) |
| 2019-20 | Abby Buesseler | Smallbore |
| 2017-18 | Kamilla Kisch | Air Rifle |
| 2016-17 | Alison Weisz | Air Rifle |
| 2015-16 | Alison Weisz | Air Rifle |
| 2014-15 | Alison Weisz | Smallbore |
| 2013-14 | Alison Weisz | Air Rifle |
| 2012-13 | Abbey Stanec | Air Rifle/Smallbore |
| 2011-12 | Abbey Stanec | Air Rifle |
| Keely Stankey | Air Rifle | |
| 2009-10 | Keely Stankey | Air Rifle/Smallbore |
| 2008-09 | Meredith Holman | Air Rifle |
| Colleen Tillson | Air Rifle | |
| 2007-08 | Shannon Wilson | Air Rifle |
| 2006-07 | Jennifer Lorenzen | Smallbore |
| Shannon Wilson | Air Rifle | |
| 2005-06 | Ole Miss | Air Rifle/Smallbore |
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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