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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, November 4
Lexington, Ky.
9 AM
Ole Miss
vs
Akron
Rifle Hits the Road for Two Matches in Lexington
11/3/2023 | Rifle
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ole Miss rifle hits the road for the final time during the fall season. The Rebels will face Akron on Saturday, November 4, and Kentucky on Sunday, November 5, in Lexington.
On the Line
The Rebels are coming off their third straight top-four placement at the NCAA Championships. On their way to fourth place, the team also finished second in smallbore for the first time in program history. Lea Horvath and Emma Pereira guided Ole Miss with their fifth and seventh-place finishes in smallbore. Ole Miss went 9-2 on the season and 5-2 in conference play.
It was a record-breaking year for the Rebels as a team and for individuals. The team posted a program-high match score of 4743 against Memphis. The Rebels were runner-ups at the GARC Championships for the program's highest placement ever. Individually, Horvath became the first woman in NCAA history to fire a perfect 600 in air rifle three times in a career. The senior also tied her own school record in smallbore of 594 and broke her match aggregate score of 1194.
Coach Rachel Martin
Akron
The Zips, led by Newt Engle in his 46th season, are ranked No. 12 in the nation by the CRCA. Akron comes into the match with a 2-1 overall record and 2-1 in GARC after winning their last two matches against Memphis and Navy. The team shot a 4695 in both matches.
Kentucky
The Wildcats, led by four-time national championship coach Harry Mullins, are ranked fourth in the nation by the CRCA. Kentucky won their first two matches against Morehead State and Navy.
Series History
Ole Miss holds a 7-3 all-time record over Akron, playing every season since 2013. The Rebels have won six in the last seven meetings, including three straight matches. The Rebels ended with a tight one-point road win at Akron last season, 4708-4707. Ole Miss has also won all four neutral site matches.
Against the Kentucky Wildcats, Ole Miss is 2-12 all-time. However, the Rebels' two wins have come in the last three meetings. The last time in Lexington, the Rebels took the match, 4716-4675.
Last Time in Lexington
The last time the Rebels traveled to Lexington, the Navy and Red took down No. 2 Kentucky, 4716-4675, for the program's second win over the Wildcats. Derting and Horvath made the biggest impacts, shooting the best aggregate score for both teams of 1184.
Martina Gratz also landed in the top-5 with an 1160, helped by her match-leading 595 in air rifle.
Flourishing Freshmen
All three Rebel freshmen broke personal records against No. 1 West Virginia. Schleinkofer and Diamond surpassed career bests in all three disciplines. Olivia Schammel smashed her previous air rifle score by 18 points for a 586.
Diamond in the Rough
The freshman started her first-ever collegiate match against Jacksonville State as a smallbore counter. She fired a 577, which tied for the seventh-best smallbore performance. While Diamond was not a counter for air rifle, she still put up a whopping 594, securing fifth place in the discipline. It marks the highest air rifle score by a freshman in their first match since Horvath in 2020.
The Keenesburg, Colorado, native's stellar outing earned her a counter spot in smallbore and air rifle the next day in a win over Murray State. Diamond delivered an 1180 aggregate score, which tied for second place overall. She shot a personal best 587 in smallbore and a 593 in air rifle. She went on to top her 594 air rifle score with a 595 against No. 1 West Virginia on Saturday.
Rebs on Socials
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.
On the Line
- The Rebels' roster has seven returning players, including all five NCAA Championship counters.
- The team also brought in four newcomers, three freshmen, and a transfer.
- The 11-member roster is the largest since the 2020-21 season.
- The second match against Akron on January 20 will count towards conference play.
- Ole Miss went 2-0 in its opening weekend against Jacksonville State and Murray State.
- M'Leah Lambdin countered her first match in air rifle against West Virginia.
- Regan Diamond and Gretchen Schleinkofer shot personal bests in all three disciplines against No. 1 West Virginia.
- Shot top-five program marks in smallbore and aggregate in the match against No. 1 West Virginia
- One of three programs to have shot a score of 4730 or higher
- Coach Martin earned her first win as the Rebels' head coach against Jacksonville State and her first overall since January 24, 2021, as the Nebraska coach.
- New assistant coach Will Shaner won the gold medal for men's air rifle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- Ranked No. 6 in the nation according to the CRCA.
The Rebels are coming off their third straight top-four placement at the NCAA Championships. On their way to fourth place, the team also finished second in smallbore for the first time in program history. Lea Horvath and Emma Pereira guided Ole Miss with their fifth and seventh-place finishes in smallbore. Ole Miss went 9-2 on the season and 5-2 in conference play.
It was a record-breaking year for the Rebels as a team and for individuals. The team posted a program-high match score of 4743 against Memphis. The Rebels were runner-ups at the GARC Championships for the program's highest placement ever. Individually, Horvath became the first woman in NCAA history to fire a perfect 600 in air rifle three times in a career. The senior also tied her own school record in smallbore of 594 and broke her match aggregate score of 1194.
Coach Rachel Martin
- First season as the Rebels head coach, promoted after one season as assistant coach
- Two years of head coaching experience at Nebraska, guiding them to the NCAA Championships in both seasons
- Coached three All-Americans
- Former collegiate shooter with Nebraska from 2014-17
- NCAA Individual Smallbore Champion in 2015
Akron
The Zips, led by Newt Engle in his 46th season, are ranked No. 12 in the nation by the CRCA. Akron comes into the match with a 2-1 overall record and 2-1 in GARC after winning their last two matches against Memphis and Navy. The team shot a 4695 in both matches.
Kentucky
The Wildcats, led by four-time national championship coach Harry Mullins, are ranked fourth in the nation by the CRCA. Kentucky won their first two matches against Morehead State and Navy.
Series History
Ole Miss holds a 7-3 all-time record over Akron, playing every season since 2013. The Rebels have won six in the last seven meetings, including three straight matches. The Rebels ended with a tight one-point road win at Akron last season, 4708-4707. Ole Miss has also won all four neutral site matches.
Against the Kentucky Wildcats, Ole Miss is 2-12 all-time. However, the Rebels' two wins have come in the last three meetings. The last time in Lexington, the Rebels took the match, 4716-4675.
Last Time in Lexington
The last time the Rebels traveled to Lexington, the Navy and Red took down No. 2 Kentucky, 4716-4675, for the program's second win over the Wildcats. Derting and Horvath made the biggest impacts, shooting the best aggregate score for both teams of 1184.
Martina Gratz also landed in the top-5 with an 1160, helped by her match-leading 595 in air rifle.
Flourishing Freshmen
All three Rebel freshmen broke personal records against No. 1 West Virginia. Schleinkofer and Diamond surpassed career bests in all three disciplines. Olivia Schammel smashed her previous air rifle score by 18 points for a 586.
Diamond in the Rough
The freshman started her first-ever collegiate match against Jacksonville State as a smallbore counter. She fired a 577, which tied for the seventh-best smallbore performance. While Diamond was not a counter for air rifle, she still put up a whopping 594, securing fifth place in the discipline. It marks the highest air rifle score by a freshman in their first match since Horvath in 2020.
The Keenesburg, Colorado, native's stellar outing earned her a counter spot in smallbore and air rifle the next day in a win over Murray State. Diamond delivered an 1180 aggregate score, which tied for second place overall. She shot a personal best 587 in smallbore and a 593 in air rifle. She went on to top her 594 air rifle score with a 595 against No. 1 West Virginia on Saturday.
Rebs on Socials
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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