Ole Miss Rifle’s Alison Weisz to Compete in NCAA Championships

Alison Weisz
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

For the fourth consecutive year, Ole Miss senior Alison Weisz earned a bid to the NCAA Rifle Championships as she will shoot this weekend in air rifle. The championships are hosted by Ohio State University at the French Field House on the OSU campus in Columbus, Ohio.

Weisz as a Rebel
Weisz was one of four individuals selected to compete in air rifle for the 2017 championships. In 2014, Weisz became the first freshman in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships and competed in air rifle finishing 16th out of 48 shooters with a 587.  She qualified for smallbore as a sophomore in 2015. Last year, Weisz qualified for the NCAA’s once again in air rifle after shooting a 591 in the NCAA Qualifier and went on to finish third, earning a bronze medal with a 593.
Weisz owns an average of 592 in air rifle this year and has posted a 590 or better in 9 of 12 matches, including a season-best 597 against Nebraska, breaking the previous school air rifle record, that she too set. In addition to her near perfect score, Weisz holds the top five all-time air rifle scores at Ole Miss. While she may have qualified solely in air rifle, Weisz too holds the smallbore school record, 589, and the school record for the two events combined, 1178. 
In her last outing at the GARC Championships in Akron, Ohio, the All-American finished second in air rifle (her second consecutive top-three finish at the GARC Championships) to lead the Rebels in their final team competition of the 2016-17 season. To add to her 595 second place score, Weisz earned second team all-conference in air rifle with a season average of 592 and honorable mention honors in combined aggregate with a season average of 1167. In addition to shooting her way to the top of the team on the range, Weisz excelled in the classroom as she was recognized as a scholar-athlete.
NCAA Championships Breakdown
A total of 48 competitors will compete in the championships, with 40 competitors coming from the top eight teams selected. The remaining eight shooters were selected based on the scores submitted from the designated qualifier.
Weisz will compete as one of those eight as she shot a 592 at the NCAA Qualifier in Oxford last month. She joins NC State’s Lucas Kozeniesky and Caitlyn Ford along with the U.S. Military Academy’s Nathan Brewer on Saturday as individuals competing alongside the members of the eight qualifying teams. They will shoot 60 shots using integer scoring, and the top eight will then compete in a final round of 20 shots utilized by decimal scoring.
Weisz’s Words
“I hope I have a successful weekend but more importantly I just want to truly enjoy it and soak it all in,” Weisz said. “It’s been difficult for me to understand how big of an accomplishment it is to be there four years in a row because I’ve always just expected it of myself. I’m trying to focus on the fact that it is a huge honor, it’s not something everyone gets to do and it is something to be proud of.”
“I’m ready to go have fun and give it everything I have. There are so many people who made it possible for me in so many different ways. My family for getting me here, for always wanting me to do my best and for being proud of me no matter what happens. My teammates for pushing me and supporting me in good and bad performances. My coaches both old and new for giving me advice, resources, and so much more. My friends for always wanting me to succeed and supporting me and my team. And finally, God for giving me the talent, ability, and passion for rifle, couldn’t do it without Him. I have been beyond blessed for four years as an Ole Miss Rebel and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
Marsha’s Minute
“We are looking forward to the NCAA National Rifle Championships.  It is always an excellent competition and we are so glad Ole Miss will be represented by Ali. She has worked very hard all season and I do believe she is one of the top air rifle shooters in the country,” Beasley said. “This will be Ali’s fourth NCAA Championship –– a remarkable achievement for an individual competitor as only four slots in each event are available to individuals. The remaining 40 places in the championship field go to members of the top eight teams. Further, while selection of the top teams utilizes scores fired on four different occasions, individual selection is based off scores fired on a single day.”
Live Scoring
Fans can follow Ali Weisz online with live scoring provided by Megalink and available to access through OleMissSports.com.  For in-depth information regarding the NCAA Championships, Ohio State has provided a breakdown of the event here.
For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissRifle, on Facebook at OleMissRifle and on Instagram @OleMissRifle. 

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports 
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