The University of Mississippi Athletics

Rifle Crowned GARC Co-Champs; Dominates Qualifier
2/20/2021 | Rifle
Rebels Well Positioned for Postseason Action
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 3 Ole Miss rifle dominated its NCAA Qualifier match and earned a share of the Great America Rifle Conference regular season title after firing a team score of 4721.
Shooting for both a spot in the NCAA Rifle Championship and a GARC Championship the Rebels turned in an impressive performance. They bested Jacksonville State in the qualifier, 4721-4652, and outshot Army in a virtual match simultaneously.
With the victories, Ole Miss was crowned GARC regular season co-champions along with Kentucky and West Virginia after trading losses during competition in January. It marked the first Conference Championship in program history for the Rebels who are also well positioned to earn a spot in the championship match for the first time in 15 years. The Rebels unofficially sit in second with a selection score of 9446.67.
The eight teams that will advance to the NCAA Rifle Championships in March will be decided at qualifiers across the country this weekend, with the official announcement coming on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Fans can tune in and watch the rifle selection show at 2 p.m. CT, streamed directly on the NCAA's website.
Breaking down the match, Lea Horvath led Ole Miss for the ninth match this season, firing a score of 1189. Erin Walsh finished second in the match trying her career-high mark of 1181 set a week ago.
In smallbore, the Rebels turned in a solid team score of 2338. Horvath posted the top mark, a 590, and junior Walsh was just behind her with a 588. The two fired perfect prone scores in the discipline. Jillian Zakrzeski ranked third with a 581. Kristen Derting and Abby Buesseler closed out the scoring with marks of 579 and 576, respectively.
Ole Miss was firing on all cylinders in air rifle, breaking the program record with a mark of 2383. Horvath fired a 599 for the second consecutive week and Zakrzeski turned in a career-high mark of 597. Martina Gratz followed with an impressive 594, while Derting and Walsh finished a point behind her with identical scores of 593. Abby Buesseler rounded out the top individuals with a 592.
Not factoring into the scoring, Kamilla Kisch and Claire O'Neel tied their career-best scores with marks of 597 and 594, respectively.
Jacksonville State finished with a team score of 4652 (2304 in smallbore and 2348 in air rifle). Mackenzie VanPatten paced the Gamecocks with an 1167.
Postseason action begins next weekend for Ole Miss, which will shoot in the GARC Championship match.
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
Shooting for both a spot in the NCAA Rifle Championship and a GARC Championship the Rebels turned in an impressive performance. They bested Jacksonville State in the qualifier, 4721-4652, and outshot Army in a virtual match simultaneously.
With the victories, Ole Miss was crowned GARC regular season co-champions along with Kentucky and West Virginia after trading losses during competition in January. It marked the first Conference Championship in program history for the Rebels who are also well positioned to earn a spot in the championship match for the first time in 15 years. The Rebels unofficially sit in second with a selection score of 9446.67.
The eight teams that will advance to the NCAA Rifle Championships in March will be decided at qualifiers across the country this weekend, with the official announcement coming on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Fans can tune in and watch the rifle selection show at 2 p.m. CT, streamed directly on the NCAA's website.
Breaking down the match, Lea Horvath led Ole Miss for the ninth match this season, firing a score of 1189. Erin Walsh finished second in the match trying her career-high mark of 1181 set a week ago.
In smallbore, the Rebels turned in a solid team score of 2338. Horvath posted the top mark, a 590, and junior Walsh was just behind her with a 588. The two fired perfect prone scores in the discipline. Jillian Zakrzeski ranked third with a 581. Kristen Derting and Abby Buesseler closed out the scoring with marks of 579 and 576, respectively.
Ole Miss was firing on all cylinders in air rifle, breaking the program record with a mark of 2383. Horvath fired a 599 for the second consecutive week and Zakrzeski turned in a career-high mark of 597. Martina Gratz followed with an impressive 594, while Derting and Walsh finished a point behind her with identical scores of 593. Abby Buesseler rounded out the top individuals with a 592.
Not factoring into the scoring, Kamilla Kisch and Claire O'Neel tied their career-best scores with marks of 597 and 594, respectively.
Jacksonville State finished with a team score of 4652 (2304 in smallbore and 2348 in air rifle). Mackenzie VanPatten paced the Gamecocks with an 1167.
Postseason action begins next weekend for Ole Miss, which will shoot in the GARC Championship match.
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 14
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
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