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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Kentucky
Rifle Hits The Road For Top-5 Matchup
11/5/2021 | Rifle
Rebels Take on Defending National Champions Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After three-straight matches eclipsing the 4700-mark, No. 5 Ole Miss rifle hits the road for a match with defending national champion No. 2 Kentucky on Saturday.
The Rebels are coming off an impressive homestand where they fired scores of 4719 (twice) and 4725. All three marks ranked in the top-10 in program history. Heating up at the right time, Ole Miss looks to continue that streak on the road and continue to build its three-score average.
Lea Horvath leads the Rebels and ranks third in the nation with an aggregate average of 1187.0. Further, in her last three matches, the sophomore has tied the school record twice with a blistering 1190. Junior Kristen Derting ranks inside the top-10 in smallbore, checking in at No. 9 with a 587.25 average. Over in air rifle, Claire O'Neel owns a 594.6 average, the 12th best mark in the NCAA this season. O'Neel is also coming off a weekend in which she posted career highs in smallbore (591) and aggregate score (1184).
Counters Abby Buesseler, Erin Walsh and Jillian Zakrzeski are also coming off a strong match against NC State. Buesseler turned in her best performance of the season with an 1176, while Zakrzeski has remained very consistent on the season averaging an 1171.8.
No. 2 Kentucky is coming off a big weekend, firing a 4736 in its win over Navy. The Wildcats won't be at full strength this weekend with 2021 Tokyo Gold Medalist Will Shaner and Silver Medalist Mary Tucker off competing at the ISSF President's Cup in Poland. Nonetheless, Kentucky still boasts a formidable lineup featuring Richard Clark, Jaden Thompson and Mitchell Nelson.
The first smallbore relay is set to begin at 7 a.m. CT. Fans can follow along on social media for live updates throughout the match.
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
Players Mentioned
