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The University of Mississippi Athletics
My Freshman Year with Ole Miss Rifle: Claire O’Neel
4/10/2020 | Rifle
Rebel Rookie Was a Counter in Every Match in 2019-20
OXFORD, Miss. – It was a season to remember for Ole Miss Rifle freshman Claire O'Neel in her first collegiate campaign as a Rebel. She was a major factor in powering the program's continued upward trajectory in 2019-20.
O'Neel ended the season with the third-highest average on the team in air rifle and fourth best for smallbore. The Frederick, Maryland, native was a counter in every match for air rifle, and all but the first match for the three-event discipline. She was the top Rebel shooter on two occasions, including a stellar season-high 594 air rifle and 1176 aggregate at Kentucky on Nov. 8.
She looks back at her memorable rookie season at Ole Miss.
Claire's Highlights
Highest Career Smallbore Score: 582, 2x, (Last vs. Akron at Kentucky: Nov. 9, 2019)
Highest Career Air Rifle Score: 594 at Kentucky (Nov. 8, 2019)
Highest Career Aggregate Score: 1176 at Kentucky (Nov. 8, 2019)
Favorite Moment
"After having an amazing first season, picking my favorite memory was hard. My favorite moment this season was when we went to Annapolis to shoot against Navy and Nebraska. Even though our match against Nebraska got postponed, we still had a really fun weekend. My house is about an hour away from the Naval Academy, so we were able to spend the second day with my family and my pets. We ate pizza from my favorite pizza place in my hometown and it was a lot of fun!"
Transition to College
"The transition to college was a lot easier than I expected. Ole Miss felt like home right away so adjusting was very easy for me. It was really nice having the support of my team and my coaches to help me throughout the first few weeks. Being so far away from home made me nervous at first, but I had the best support system to make my transition as easy as possible."
Best Coaching Advice
"The best coaching advice I got this year is to keep things simple. In our sport, it is so easy to get wrapped up in every little thing but reminding myself to keep things simple has really helped me. Before every match, assistant coach Jean-Pierre Lucas gives all of us a little match pep talk, and he said keep things simple to me before each match. Whenever I am struggling, I go back to what he tells me and it helps keep me grounded."
Funniest Moment
"The funniest moment for me this year was when the team found out that I like mayonnaise. We were at our first team dinner of the year and I asked for mayo to dip my fries in and the whole team was disgusted. After that, I earned the nickname "Mayo" by JP and every time he calls me that it always makes me laugh."
"I could not have asked for a better first season and I am so thankful that I go to this amazing school."
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at olemisssports.com.
O'Neel ended the season with the third-highest average on the team in air rifle and fourth best for smallbore. The Frederick, Maryland, native was a counter in every match for air rifle, and all but the first match for the three-event discipline. She was the top Rebel shooter on two occasions, including a stellar season-high 594 air rifle and 1176 aggregate at Kentucky on Nov. 8.
She looks back at her memorable rookie season at Ole Miss.
Claire's Highlights
Highest Career Smallbore Score: 582, 2x, (Last vs. Akron at Kentucky: Nov. 9, 2019)
Highest Career Air Rifle Score: 594 at Kentucky (Nov. 8, 2019)
Highest Career Aggregate Score: 1176 at Kentucky (Nov. 8, 2019)
Favorite Moment
"After having an amazing first season, picking my favorite memory was hard. My favorite moment this season was when we went to Annapolis to shoot against Navy and Nebraska. Even though our match against Nebraska got postponed, we still had a really fun weekend. My house is about an hour away from the Naval Academy, so we were able to spend the second day with my family and my pets. We ate pizza from my favorite pizza place in my hometown and it was a lot of fun!"
Transition to College
"The transition to college was a lot easier than I expected. Ole Miss felt like home right away so adjusting was very easy for me. It was really nice having the support of my team and my coaches to help me throughout the first few weeks. Being so far away from home made me nervous at first, but I had the best support system to make my transition as easy as possible."
Best Coaching Advice
"The best coaching advice I got this year is to keep things simple. In our sport, it is so easy to get wrapped up in every little thing but reminding myself to keep things simple has really helped me. Before every match, assistant coach Jean-Pierre Lucas gives all of us a little match pep talk, and he said keep things simple to me before each match. Whenever I am struggling, I go back to what he tells me and it helps keep me grounded."
Funniest Moment
"The funniest moment for me this year was when the team found out that I like mayonnaise. We were at our first team dinner of the year and I asked for mayo to dip my fries in and the whole team was disgusted. After that, I earned the nickname "Mayo" by JP and every time he calls me that it always makes me laugh."
"I could not have asked for a better first season and I am so thankful that I go to this amazing school."
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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Tuesday, October 21
HOT SHOTS: Audrey Gogniat and Emma Holtz
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Rifle Air Rifle Runners-Up NCAA
Saturday, March 15
Audrey Gogniat Air Rifle Individual ChampionPodium
Saturday, March 15