The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rifle Inks Five Signees On National Signing Day
11/13/2023 | Rifle
OXFORD, Miss. – First-year head coach Rachel Martin announced the addition of five signees to the Ole Miss rifle program on Saturday bolstering their 2024-25 roster.
One of the most decorated recruiting classes the program has signed, the Rebels' 2023 National Signing Day class features a National Junior Air Rifle Championship, five Junior Olympians, three Junior Olympic championships for their state, three state championships, two NJROTC national championships and five other championships.
"This year we have arguably the best recruiting class in the nation. The young ladies that have committed to Ole Miss are not only among the best shooters in the United States but are genuinely amazing people who care about building a healthy and successful team," said Martin. "Our goal is to build a National Championship caliber team with individuals who are willing to put in the work it takes, while building their teammates up and holding to our values of accountability and grace. Coach Shaner and I are incredibly excited for next year and Ole Miss Rifle will achieve."
Ole Miss' first signee, Susan Carter has shown this past summer to be a top shooter in the class, posting high scores at the USA Shooting National Championships. Carter finished in 46th for air rifle and 57th in smallbore. She also took first place in the Junior Olympics Precision Air Rifle Team Championships with future Rebel teammate de Jesus.
"Being around Susan is so enjoyable, and our team already loves her. She is very coachable, but her biggest achievement is her ability to separate who she is from the scores she shoots," said Martin. "That type of perspective leaves her room to perform and compete without fear of failure. This type of attitude is present in many great athletes, and I am looking forward to seeing what she will achieve."
The Rebels' next signee excelled individually and guided her teams to success. Team captain Jordan de Jesus led Camden County's marksmanship team to its first-ever GHSA Riflery State Championship with a state-record team score of 1,175 in three-position air rifle. The team then grabbed its second straight national championship for the NJROTC season with a new record score of 4,646.
Individually, the Woodbine, Georgia native, was named Junior Olympics State Champion for Georgia in 3PAR, smallbore and air rifle. At the CMP National Matches, de Jesus finished 13th overall. Her 1144 over the two matches qualified her for the junior smallbore finals as well.
"Jordan is not only an impressive athlete but an impressive student as well. She has been able to balance academics and athletics in a way where she succeeds at both, which I think will serve her very well as she enters her time at Ole Miss," said Martin. "She is a great example of what a true student-athlete is capable of, and I am very excited for her to bring those skills and perspectives to our team."
As reigning 2023 National Junior Air Rifle Women's Champion, Gracie Mae Dinh was one of the top recruits in the signing class. The Huntsville, Arkansas native shot for Team Winning Solutions and Starkville Gun Club.
The four-time Junior Olympian led the Starkville Gun Club to two State Championships in 2021, one organized by the American Legion and the other by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP). Dinh's efforts were recognized with a State Games of Mississippi Female Athlete of the Year award in 2021. In 2022, she earned a spot on the USA Shooting Junior World Championship Team.
At the 2023 USA Shooting National Rifle Championships, Dinh grabbed the junior title in air rifle and third place in smallbore. In air rifle, she fired a top-five overall of 1252.5 in two matches, then took the tile with a 249.7. In smallbore, she shot 1161 for 14th place overall and later hit 439.3 for third place in the junior finals.
Recently, Dinh competed at the first Paris Olympic Qualifier in Fort Moore, Ga. She fired top-10 scores in air rifle and smallbore, just missing the air rifle finals by three points; however, she advanced to the smallbore finals with an 1162. Dinh grabbed the final spot over reigning NCAA Smallbore Champion Cecelia Ossi and went on to finish the finals in seventh place, shooting a 396.9.
"Gracie has already had a very impressive career and is an individual who never stops working and is always striving to reach her full potential," said Martin. "She really thrives under pressure and will bring the intensity and resilience that we are looking to have on our team. I believe she will contribute to our scoring team right out of the gate."
Claudia Muzik, a native of Green Springs, Ohio, also comes to Oxford with a list of accolades. Muzik is a three-time State Junior Olympics medalist, including two air rifle championships in 2022 and 2023. The team captain of the American Legion Post 295 Marksmanship Team earned the silver in smallbore the last three years.
As part of the marksmanship team and Team Winning Solutions, Muzik is a three-time gold medalist in three different tournaments and championships. In 2023 alone, her team won gold twice at the CMP 3PAR Regional Championships and the Camp Perry Open, along with a bronze medal at the National 30 Air Rifle Championships.
Muzik showcased her talents to the Rebel coaches at the 2023 Ole Miss Open back in September, shooting the best air rifle score of the 24 participants and the best in smallbore.
"Claudia is a powerhouse in Air Rifle, something which we are in current need of on our team," said Martin. "She is a hard worker and has big goals, which I think inspires others. Claudia is a very positive person and will fit very well into our team and the atmosphere we are working so hard to build."
Coached by Ron Haffner, Kayla Riewe and the Texas Hill Country Shooting team won the last three AMU National Championships and a 2021 and 2022 Junior Olympic 3P National Championship. The Lubbock, Texas native is a four-time National Junior Olympic qualifier in air rifle and a three-time qualifier in smallbore. In 2021, Riewe finished third in Texas in smallbore at the Junior Olympics. She has also won the District 2 Texas 4H for smallbore for five consecutive years.
Riewe shot her personal best air rifle score of 591 at the National Army Marksmanship and personal best smallbore score of 578 at the Ole Miss Open in September. Mentored by Lucas Kozeniesky, one of the top shooters in the world, with Team Winning Solutions, Riewe has seen rapid success and looks to bring it to Oxford next fall.
"Kayla is one of the kindest individuals I have ever met and embodies the very essence of what a teammate should be," said Martin. "She has a lot of potential on the range and has a strength for building relationships with those around her and bringing out the best in others. Kayla is going to be a real asset to our team and a great leader."
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at OleMissSports.com.
