Ole Miss rifle shoots a strong 4724 during NCAA Qualifiers on Saturday. The Rebels also honored senior Claire O’Neel following the match.
The eight teams that will advance to the NCAA Rifle Championships in March are decided this weekend. Selections are determined by the three-score average and the score fired in the team’s qualifier match. Ole Miss (9-2, 5-2 GARC) hopes to have solidified its spot with a 9456 average total. The field of eight will be revealed Monday, February 20, at 2 p.m. CT by the NCAA.
Rebels finished with four of the top five shooters of the match. Kristen Derting was on top of her game, getting top marks in both disciplines. The Oregon native had the top score of 1188. Of course, right behind her was Lea Horvath with a 1186 aggregate score. In third place, Martina Gratz had the best match of her career, ending with a 1183 combined score. Then rounding out the top five was Emma Pereira. The freshman shot a 1174 for the match.
In smallbore, Derting and Horvath got it started by both shooting a 591. Gratz had the third best smallbore score with a career-high 586. The Rebels outshot the Tigers in smallbore, 2341-2320.
It was a tight race in air rifle as Ole Miss edged Memphis (4-8, 2-6 GARC), 2383-2381. The Rebels placed the top two in air rife after both Derting and Gratz hitting a 597. That score surpassed Gratz’s previous career-high in air rifle. Horvath finished fifth, shooting a 595.
The Tigers scored a 4701 for their NCAA qualifying score. Memphis fell behind with a 2320 smallbore score. The Tigers turned it around with a 2381 air rifle score but it was not enough. Gabriela Zych finished fourth overall with a 1181 aggregate score. Zych shot a 585 in smallbore and a 596 in air rifel, which were fourth-best in both disciplines.
Ole Miss travels to Morgantown, West Virginia, starting on February 25 for the GARC Championships.
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
