.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Alum Ali Weisz Qualifies for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
2/9/2020 | Rifle
Weisz Secures Spot on the USA Shooting Team Sunday in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Years of hard work and dedication made Ole Miss rifle alum Ali Weisz's dream of making the USA Shooting Team a reality on Sunday as she claimed a spot on the women's air rifle roster traveling to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Weisz finished second among the nation's best shooting athletes at the Air Rifle Olympic Trials, Part II held in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, to secure a spot as one of the top two American women who will represent the United States in Tokyo.
The two-time All-American becomes the first Ole Miss rifle alum to earn an Olympic spot, joining Tony Rosetti as the only former University of Mississippi students to compete for the Stars and Stripes in shooting at the Olympic Games. Rosetti competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics on the shotgun team in trap shooting.
Joining Weisz on the 2020 USA Shooting Team for air rifle is Kentucky freshman Mary Tucker. Tucker had the highest score in both portions of qualifying and finished first in Sunday's final to lead all with 2513.0 points.
Weisz totaled 2507.7 points combined from Part I (1256.0) of the trials competed in December, and Part II (1250.2) held over the weekend. The Belgrade, Montana, native finished sixth in an eight-shooter final round used for additional points in which she added the necessary 1.5 points needed to earn a spot on the national roster.
TCU alum Sarah Beard was right on the heels of Weisz entering the final just 1.7 points back. A fifth-place finish helped Beard cut into the deficit with 2.0 additional points, but it was not quite enough to catch Weisz.
If there was any doubt if nerves would be a factor on the final day of competition, Weisz silenced those worries with nine center shots on her opening 10-shot series. Her lowest shot was a 10.1 and included three 10.8s.
In total, Weisz fired 48 out of possible 60 center shots (10.2 and above) and only recorded three scores below 10. Needing every possible decimal point, Weisz fired eight 10.7s and eight 10.8s on Sunday.
The lead up to the Part II of the Olympic Trials was equally impressive for Weisz. In December 2018, she won her first Gold Medal at the Winter Airgun Championships, which attracts the top American shooters annually.
Weisz then added to her trophy case when she secured the program's first-ever Gold Medal at the Pan American Games in August. Last December, Weisz won the Silver Medal at the Winter Airgun Championships, which doubled as Part I of the Air Rifle Olympic Trials.
Rounding out the top five scorers were Alaska Fairbanks alum Sagen Maddalena and the defending Olympic Gold Medalist in the event, Ginny Thrasher. Maddalena finished with 2504.9 points and Thrasher ended with 2504.5.
On the men's side, Lucas Kozeniesky (2524.3) and Will Shaner (2506.6) earned spots on Team USA. Kozeniesky tied the relay world record score of 633.5 in the event on Sunday.
The USA Shooting Team will consist of eight total athletes for rifle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There will be four shooters for air rifle and four for smallbore, including two for each gender. The Olympics will feature men's, women's, and mixed team competitions in 50-meter smallbore and 10-meter air rifle.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 kick off July 24, 2020 and conclude August 9, 2020. Air rifle shooting will be contested July 25 (women) and July 26 (men), and will be held at the Asaka Shooting Range in Tokyo.
Final selections to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee approval.
Ole Miss has had at least one representative (athlete of coach) at every Olympics since 1988 in Seoul. Weisz will become the 11th Rebel all-time to compete in the Olympics, including eight for track and field, one for women's basketball, and now two for shooting.
RAPID FIRE WITH… ALI WEISZ AND OLE MISS RIFLE HEAD COACH MARSHA BEASLEY
Ali Weisz
On if she knew she made the team after the final:
"I actually didn't know it was official until after everything was said and done and the USA Shooting National Rifle Coach Dan Durben told me. I could have known and followed what scores I needed, but my main goal for the entire match was just to focus on me and what I can control and shoot my match. When I'm working on focusing on that it doesn't matter where I'm at in everything else. I was trying to shoot from a mental space of competing, giving it my all, not getting all emotionally involved and attached. With that and not looking at results I stayed pretty neutral.
I knew it was tight going into our final. I shot a fairly poor final and it was not exactly an outcome I am proud of or pleased with. After that I knew it was going to be tighter and I needed to do decently in the finals for sure. It just depended on how everything else shook out. I waited after the final finished up and the national coach came up behind me and said, 'Well, congratulations. You're on the team.' He shook my hand and I've worked pretty closely with him recently, so he knew how much it meant to me.
I wasn't exactly happy with how I finished, but finding out I teared up a little bit. Basically, all I could say to him was, 'No. No way! How?' Then he said, 'I'm so proud of you!' After that I shook my competitors' hands for putting on a really good match and something to fight for because it was a close match the entire time."
On her feelings during the final day:
"It was a roller coaster of emotions. I think that's really common though for even the top athletes to feel that way. You go through phases of feeling confident or a little bit of doubt, nerves and fear of not accomplishing your goals. I did have a lot of that and nothing that I'm ashamed of. It's really normal and that's what drove me into the match with a mindset of doing everything I can to be neutral with it all and give it my all. Because at the end of the day, if my best wasn't good enough, so be it. I could walk out of the match proud with how I competed."
On when she realized making the Olympic Team was a strong possibility:
"I think I probably had the dream probably almost since I started with rifle, like most young athletes do when they're starting that there's a possibility. Of course, then it was just a dream. I think in high school around age 14 I was thinking about that thought. I'd say in the last two years it especially started to hit me when I started winning or being on the podium at these national matches that I am a contender on the national level here. Once I started winning medals I started realizing even more so, 'This is it. I'm capable of this.' For the last year with selection matches for the Pan American Games and going through all of those I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to make this Olympic Team or do everything I can.' It's been a long road."
On how her time at Ole Miss helped prepare her for where she is today:
"It absolutely did. Naturally with any collegiate team that family I was a part of at Ole Miss with all of their staff, athletes and coaches taught me about the things about the team behind the team. You learn you have constant support no matter what and it really kind of gave me a lot of heart and courage in not only myself, but just the sport as a whole. It made me fall in love with every aspect of it. While I was there, we also went through a coaching change and team dynamics which make you grow as a person. There are things you don't necessarily want to go through, but you still grow. I think without any of those opportunities to learn and to grow I don't think I'd be in the same place that I am today. It laid the future and the groundwork. After I competed for Ole Miss and competed at nationals while I was there really did help me say, 'Now I'm competing for myself (with the national team), but I'm still shooting for my country,' and how to approach all these competitions because of that."
Marsha Beasley
On Ali Weisz's incredible accomplishment:
"I'm very happy for Ali! She's worked very hard since she graduated in 2017 and it has taken that commitment since doing well at Ole Miss. I was fortunate enough to get to coach her during her senior year. During that time, I got to know Ali and I am obviously very excited to see her make the U.S. Olympic Team. I'm also excited Ole Miss will have an alum representing us at the Olympics."
On how the news helps the Ole Miss rifle program:
"Having a former athlete on the team go on and make the U.S. Olympic Team is another step in the right direction for the program. I do think that it says positive things about Ole Miss rifle. Certainly, having one of our alums at the Tokyo Olympics representing the United States will increase awareness of Ole Miss rifle. I do believe this will help recruits look closer at Ole Miss after Ali's success."
2020 Air Rifle Selection Match Final Results
10m Women's Air Rifle – Top Five
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
Weisz finished second among the nation's best shooting athletes at the Air Rifle Olympic Trials, Part II held in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center, to secure a spot as one of the top two American women who will represent the United States in Tokyo.
The two-time All-American becomes the first Ole Miss rifle alum to earn an Olympic spot, joining Tony Rosetti as the only former University of Mississippi students to compete for the Stars and Stripes in shooting at the Olympic Games. Rosetti competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics on the shotgun team in trap shooting.
Joining Weisz on the 2020 USA Shooting Team for air rifle is Kentucky freshman Mary Tucker. Tucker had the highest score in both portions of qualifying and finished first in Sunday's final to lead all with 2513.0 points.
Weisz totaled 2507.7 points combined from Part I (1256.0) of the trials competed in December, and Part II (1250.2) held over the weekend. The Belgrade, Montana, native finished sixth in an eight-shooter final round used for additional points in which she added the necessary 1.5 points needed to earn a spot on the national roster.
TCU alum Sarah Beard was right on the heels of Weisz entering the final just 1.7 points back. A fifth-place finish helped Beard cut into the deficit with 2.0 additional points, but it was not quite enough to catch Weisz.
If there was any doubt if nerves would be a factor on the final day of competition, Weisz silenced those worries with nine center shots on her opening 10-shot series. Her lowest shot was a 10.1 and included three 10.8s.
In total, Weisz fired 48 out of possible 60 center shots (10.2 and above) and only recorded three scores below 10. Needing every possible decimal point, Weisz fired eight 10.7s and eight 10.8s on Sunday.
The lead up to the Part II of the Olympic Trials was equally impressive for Weisz. In December 2018, she won her first Gold Medal at the Winter Airgun Championships, which attracts the top American shooters annually.
Weisz then added to her trophy case when she secured the program's first-ever Gold Medal at the Pan American Games in August. Last December, Weisz won the Silver Medal at the Winter Airgun Championships, which doubled as Part I of the Air Rifle Olympic Trials.
Rounding out the top five scorers were Alaska Fairbanks alum Sagen Maddalena and the defending Olympic Gold Medalist in the event, Ginny Thrasher. Maddalena finished with 2504.9 points and Thrasher ended with 2504.5.
On the men's side, Lucas Kozeniesky (2524.3) and Will Shaner (2506.6) earned spots on Team USA. Kozeniesky tied the relay world record score of 633.5 in the event on Sunday.
The USA Shooting Team will consist of eight total athletes for rifle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There will be four shooters for air rifle and four for smallbore, including two for each gender. The Olympics will feature men's, women's, and mixed team competitions in 50-meter smallbore and 10-meter air rifle.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 kick off July 24, 2020 and conclude August 9, 2020. Air rifle shooting will be contested July 25 (women) and July 26 (men), and will be held at the Asaka Shooting Range in Tokyo.
Final selections to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team are subject to U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee approval.
Ole Miss has had at least one representative (athlete of coach) at every Olympics since 1988 in Seoul. Weisz will become the 11th Rebel all-time to compete in the Olympics, including eight for track and field, one for women's basketball, and now two for shooting.
RAPID FIRE WITH… ALI WEISZ AND OLE MISS RIFLE HEAD COACH MARSHA BEASLEY
Ali Weisz
On if she knew she made the team after the final:
"I actually didn't know it was official until after everything was said and done and the USA Shooting National Rifle Coach Dan Durben told me. I could have known and followed what scores I needed, but my main goal for the entire match was just to focus on me and what I can control and shoot my match. When I'm working on focusing on that it doesn't matter where I'm at in everything else. I was trying to shoot from a mental space of competing, giving it my all, not getting all emotionally involved and attached. With that and not looking at results I stayed pretty neutral.
I knew it was tight going into our final. I shot a fairly poor final and it was not exactly an outcome I am proud of or pleased with. After that I knew it was going to be tighter and I needed to do decently in the finals for sure. It just depended on how everything else shook out. I waited after the final finished up and the national coach came up behind me and said, 'Well, congratulations. You're on the team.' He shook my hand and I've worked pretty closely with him recently, so he knew how much it meant to me.
I wasn't exactly happy with how I finished, but finding out I teared up a little bit. Basically, all I could say to him was, 'No. No way! How?' Then he said, 'I'm so proud of you!' After that I shook my competitors' hands for putting on a really good match and something to fight for because it was a close match the entire time."
On her feelings during the final day:
"It was a roller coaster of emotions. I think that's really common though for even the top athletes to feel that way. You go through phases of feeling confident or a little bit of doubt, nerves and fear of not accomplishing your goals. I did have a lot of that and nothing that I'm ashamed of. It's really normal and that's what drove me into the match with a mindset of doing everything I can to be neutral with it all and give it my all. Because at the end of the day, if my best wasn't good enough, so be it. I could walk out of the match proud with how I competed."
On when she realized making the Olympic Team was a strong possibility:
"I think I probably had the dream probably almost since I started with rifle, like most young athletes do when they're starting that there's a possibility. Of course, then it was just a dream. I think in high school around age 14 I was thinking about that thought. I'd say in the last two years it especially started to hit me when I started winning or being on the podium at these national matches that I am a contender on the national level here. Once I started winning medals I started realizing even more so, 'This is it. I'm capable of this.' For the last year with selection matches for the Pan American Games and going through all of those I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to make this Olympic Team or do everything I can.' It's been a long road."
On how her time at Ole Miss helped prepare her for where she is today:
"It absolutely did. Naturally with any collegiate team that family I was a part of at Ole Miss with all of their staff, athletes and coaches taught me about the things about the team behind the team. You learn you have constant support no matter what and it really kind of gave me a lot of heart and courage in not only myself, but just the sport as a whole. It made me fall in love with every aspect of it. While I was there, we also went through a coaching change and team dynamics which make you grow as a person. There are things you don't necessarily want to go through, but you still grow. I think without any of those opportunities to learn and to grow I don't think I'd be in the same place that I am today. It laid the future and the groundwork. After I competed for Ole Miss and competed at nationals while I was there really did help me say, 'Now I'm competing for myself (with the national team), but I'm still shooting for my country,' and how to approach all these competitions because of that."
Marsha Beasley
On Ali Weisz's incredible accomplishment:
"I'm very happy for Ali! She's worked very hard since she graduated in 2017 and it has taken that commitment since doing well at Ole Miss. I was fortunate enough to get to coach her during her senior year. During that time, I got to know Ali and I am obviously very excited to see her make the U.S. Olympic Team. I'm also excited Ole Miss will have an alum representing us at the Olympics."
On how the news helps the Ole Miss rifle program:
"Having a former athlete on the team go on and make the U.S. Olympic Team is another step in the right direction for the program. I do think that it says positive things about Ole Miss rifle. Certainly, having one of our alums at the Tokyo Olympics representing the United States will increase awareness of Ole Miss rifle. I do believe this will help recruits look closer at Ole Miss after Ali's success."
2020 Air Rifle Selection Match Final Results
10m Women's Air Rifle – Top Five
| # | Name | ST | Part 1 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Part II | Part II Final | Olympic Total |
| 1 | Mary Tucker* | FL | 1256.4 | 624.9 | 627.7 | 1252.6 | 4.0 | 2513.0 |
| 2 | Ali Weisz* | MT | 1256.0 | 624.9 | 625.3 | 1250.2 | 1.5 | 2507.7 |
| 3 | Sarah Beard | GA | 1254.6 | 622.7 | 627.2 | 1249.9 | 2.0 | 2506.5 |
| 4 | Sagen Maddalena | GA | 1254.6 | 625.9 | 623.9 | 1249.8 | 3.0 | 2504.9 |
| 5 | Ginny Thrasher | VA | 1250.0 | 626.5 | 624.4 | 1250.9 | 3.5 | 2504.4 |
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
Shootin' The Breeze with Ole Miss Rifle's Susan Carter and Regan Diamond
Tuesday, October 21
HOT SHOTS: Audrey Gogniat and Emma Holtz
Thursday, March 20
Rifle Air Rifle Runners-Up NCAA
Saturday, March 15
Audrey Gogniat Air Rifle Individual ChampionPodium
Saturday, March 15