Rifle Returns Home for Match Against No. 13 NC State

On the Line

• After two weeks on the road, Ole Miss rifle are back at home to face No. 13 NC State on January 28, starting at 8 a.m. The Rebels are coming off a two top- 10 wins over No. 9 Navy and No. 10 Akron.
• The Rebels lead in the all-time series against NC State with a 9-1 record. Ole Miss holds a five-match win streak over the Wolfpack. The Rebels also are 6-1 playing NC State at home.
• Ole Miss are 4-2 in GARC matches this season and are 16-3 in the conference the last three seasons. NC State is also 1-5 in the conference this year
• The Rebels win over UT Martin earned Coach Marsha Beasley her 200^th career win.
• Ole Miss posted their best aggregate score in program history and a season-high against No. 12 Memphis with an aggregate score of 4743.
• The team averages the fifth best aggregate score of 4717.1 in the nation. The Rebels are fourth in smallbore (2344.3) and seventh in air rifle (2372.9).
• Ole Miss is one of two teams with two players averaging in the top-10 at air rifle. Derting averages 595.6 and Horvath averages 595.3.
• Senior Kristen Derting broke her career-high air rifle score with a 598 against UT Martin. Derting broke her career-high in aggregate score against No. 12 Memphis with an 1187.
• Freshmen Julianna Hays and Emma Pereira both have a score of 590 or higher in smallbore. Ole Miss is the only program in the nation with two freshmen to score 590 or higher in smallbore.
• Horvath’s 1194 aggregate score is tied fourth highest in the nation with Julie Johannessen and behind only Peter Fiori and Mary Tucker.
• Claire O’Neel had a season-best 1180 aggregate score against No. 10 Akron. She also had season-high in smallbore and air rifle.
• Ole Miss rifle remained ranked No. 5 this week by the College Rifle Coaches Association.

Last Time on the Range
AKRON, Ohio – Ole Miss rifle edged No. 10 Akron by one point, 4708-4707. The Rebels tying their 10th best smallbore performance in program history made the difference.
 
Ole Miss (6-2, 4-2 GARC) outperformed the Zips (8-5, 4-2 GARC) in smallbore, firing a 2344 compared to Akron’s 2330. The difference was enough to withstand the Zips outscoring the Rebels, 2377-2364.
 
The Rebels placed three of the top five overall individuals in the match. Once again, Lea Horvath led everyone with an 1184 aggregate score. Claire O’Neel shot her best match of the season, shooting a season-high 1180 aggregate score. The senior finished as the third-best overall individual. Ole Miss rounded out the top five, with Kristen Derting firing an 1177 aggregate score.
 
 The Rebels’ top three individuals previously mentioned also finished with the top three smallbore scores. Horvath led the field as the only competitor to score above 590 with a 592. Horvath’s perfect 200 in prone helped her total. O’Neel and Derting both shot a 586 in smallbore. O’Neel’s smallbore score marked a new season-high for the Maryland native. Emma Pereira rounded out the top five for smallbore with a 584.
 
Ole Miss rifle did enough in air rifle to hold onto the victory. Martina Gratz scorched a season-high 595 and finished with the third-best air rifle score. Despite not being a counter, O’Neel shot the fourth-best with a 594. Horvath and Derting made it into the top 10, firing a 592 and 591.
 
The Zips fell behind in smallbore but almost came back in air rifle. Akron lost by just one point, scoring 4707 (2330 in smallbore and 2377 in air rifle). Gavin Perkowski performed the best overall with an 1180 aggregate score. Perkowski was the only Zip to finish in the top 5 of smallbore with a 584. However, Perkowski and Alexis Kirk finished one and two in air rifle after both shooting 596
 
Ole Miss head back home to start a three-match home stand to finish the season. The Rebels first host No. 12 NC State on Saturday, January 28, starting at 8 a.m.

Coach Marsha Beasley

• Eight-time NCAA Championship head coach
• Sixth season coaching the Rebels
• Earned her 200^th victory against UT Martin this season
• Two-time College Rifle Coaches Association Coach of the Year with Ole Miss, has guided six Rebels to All-American honors and 12 to All-GARC honors
• Inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 after coaching at the school for 16 seasons
• Drafted the bylaws to create the Mid-America Rifle Conference (now GARC) and was a staff member at the (then) national governing body of shooting (the NRA) and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games

Scouting the Opponent
The Wolfpack are coached by interim coach Edie Fleeman, taking the reigns in October. NC State is ranked 13th in the nation by the College Rifle Coaches Association with a 2-5 record. The team has had stiff competition, playing seven top-20 programs and two top-5 programs. The Wolfpack performed the best against No. 19 Citadel, shooting a 4695 aggregate and a season-high 2331 in smallbore. They look to break a three-match losing streak.
 
NC State averages an aggregate score of 4672.0 per match. The Wolfpack’s average smallbore of 2315.3 is good for 12th in the nation and their average air rifle of 2356.7 is 14th in the nation. Ben Salas leads the NC State roster in all three disciplines based on average. The junior averages 1175.8 aggregate, 584.2 smallbore and 591.7 air rifle. Following closely behind is Katie Tedschi with her 1171.8 aggregate average. The sophomore is close behind Salas with a 591.3 air rifle but has a lower smallbore average of 580.5.
 
Series History
The Rebels lead in the all-time series against NC State with a 9-1 record. Ole Miss holds a five-match win streak over the Wolfpack. The Rebels are playing NC State at home for the fifth straight meeting, they are 6-1 overall at home in the series.
 
Tough Competition
The Rebels’ schedule has been far from easy, competing against seven ranked opponents already this year and two left on their schedule. Ole Miss rifle shot against a top-5 team and six top-10 opponents.
 
The Rebels are 5-2 against nationally ranked teams.
 
January Jubilee
In the last four season, Ole Miss rifle is a combined 15-5 during the month on January. The Rebels compete in three matches this season in January. The team secured more January victorie with the wins over No. 9 Navy and No. 10 Akron
 
Horvathing A Good Time
Lea Horvath became the only women in NCAA history to score a perfect 600 in air rifle three times in their career. The junior has scored perfect in every season of her career as a Rebel. She is one of four to shoot perfect this season.
 
Horvath also broke some school records. She tied the match smallbore score with a 594 and shatter the record for match aggregate score, which she previously held with a 1194.
 
Innocent Until Proven Tinsley
Sophomore Katelyn Tinsley steadily improved her scores throughout the season to the point of breaking career-highs in the win over No. 12 Memphis. She surpassed her career-high is smallbore with a 580 after topping her season-high in every match but one.
 
The Indiana native also bested her career-high in aggregate scoring with a 1166. She posted back-to-back 586’s in air rifle. Her 591 in air rifle in the win over Murray State was also a career high.
 
GRATZCIOUS
Sophomore Martina Gratz put up a 595 air rifle score in the Rebels win over No. 10 Akron which was her season-high. It is also one point below Gratz’s career-high of 596.
 
Gratz was a huge reasons Ole Miss pulled of the one-point victory over No. 10 Akron. Since the top two air rifle performances of the match were on the Zips, Gratz’s performance was needed to secure the victory.
 
Freshman Duo
In their first year at Ole Miss, Julianna Hays and Emma Pereira are making significant impacts in the lineup. They are two of the 34 different shooters to score a 590 or above in the nation in smallbore. Hays, from Maplewood, Minnesota, has been a counter for the team in both smallbore and air rifle all season. She shot 591 and twice shooting a 593 in air rifle this season. She is third on the team for smallbore average, air rifle and aggregate score.
 
Pereira is one of Ole Miss’ five smallbore counters. She shot a 594 in air rifle against No. 3 Kentucky. She also scored a 590 in smallbore and an 1183 aggregate against No. 12 Murray State. All were season and career highs.
 
TIGHT VICTORIES
The Rebels have needed to win some tight matches since coming back from break. After multiple high-scoring marks earlier in the season, Ole Miss rifle is outscoring their last two opponents by just 19 points. The Rebels defeated No. 9 Navy by 18 and No. 10 Akron by one.
 
Ole Miss have fought through adversity to win matches they shot their two lowest air rifle scores of the season. However, have fired great in smallbore to get past stiff competition.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports