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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rifle Readies for NCAA Qualifiers
2/16/2024 | Rifle
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss rifle hosts Memphis for the second time in two weeks; however, this time, it is for the NCAA Qualifiers. The qualifiers determine 50 percent of the team's final score for NCAA Championship selection.
Teams competing in qualifiers must choose five individuals to counter smallbore and air rifle, and those same five must compete in the same relay.
On the Line
2023 Fall Recap
Ole Miss fired high marks and competed against some of the best teams in the nation in the fall. The Rebels went 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the GARC to begin their 2023-24 campaign. The team started strong with two straight wins in back-to-back days. Fell to No. 1 West Virginia but scored tied for the fifth-highest mark in program history. The team rattled off two more victories over Navy and Akron. Ole Miss took on two top-10 teams, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 4 Georgia Southern, to wrap up the fall.
The Rebels are sixth in the nation, averaging a match aggregate of 4717.86. Smallbore was the Rebels mainstay in the fall, averaging 2343.57, third in the country. Lea Horvath led the team with an 1181.29 aggregate, a 595 air rifle, and a 586.29 smallbore average. Sophomores Julianna Hays and Emma Pereira are significant reasons for the high smallbore scores, averaging 585.43 and 585.14, respectively. The two are also second and third in aggregate scoring.
Coach Rachel Martin
Scouting the Opponent
Memphis
The Tigers, led by Morgan Phillips in his 2nd season, are 7-6 overall and 2-4 in GARC. A slight improvement from last year's 4-8 record. Memphis averages a 2322.3 smallbore and 2371.3 air rifle averages for a combined 4693.5 aggregate match average. The team is on a three-match win streak, including two top-10 teams.
After an outstanding freshman season, earning a CRCA All-American Honorable Mention and qualifying for NCAA Championships, Gabriela Zych leads the Tigers with an 1181.5 aggregate average. The sophomore also tops the team in smallbore and air rifle average. Memphis consists of four players who average above 590 in air rifle.
Series History
Ole Miss and Memphis are long-standing rivals, having faced each other 17 times. The Rebels own the Tigers, winning 14 meetings.
QUALIFIED
Ole Miss rifle has dominated in NCAA Qualifying matches. The Rebels are a perfect 6-0 in the last six seasons. In the program's history, the Rebels average a score of 4628.2 in NCAA Qualifiers in years of the new scoring system (since 2004). The squad also fired the highest program score during the qualifier last season with a 4724.
Discovery Schammel
Against Memphis, the freshmen improved her personal records for smallbore, air rifle, and aggregate. Schammel shot a 573 in smallbore, which included a 198 prone score, then fired a 587 in air rifle. Schammel hopes to build on her performance in the NCAA Qualifiers.
Making it Count
Katie Tedeschi countered smallbore for the first time all season against Akron and made it count. The junior transfer fired a season-high 582 in smallbore and 595 in air rifle for an 1177 aggregate. The air rifle score was just one below her career-high 596 when she played for N.C. State.
SEC Legend Ali Weisz
Two-time All-American Ali Weisz competed all four years as an individual qualifier at the NCAA 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. As a junior, Weisz qualified for the NCAAs once again in air rifle and went on to finish third, earning a bronze medal with a 593. An active-duty member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit since 2020, Weisz posted her first international victory at the 2019 Pan American Games, and two years later, she had a solid showing in the Tokyo Olympics. Weisz won the women's 10-meter air rifle event at the 2022 ISSF World, becoming the first U.S. woman to win an individual world title in a rifle event since 1979. She also secured the United States a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Hot Air
The Rebels have been consistent regarding air rifle during the spring season. Ole Miss has fired a 2370 or higher in the discipline in four out of the five matches in the spring. The team is coming off its highest spring score, 2376 against Akron, and is tied for second highest of the season.
Seven of the 11 Rebels are averaging above 590 in air, and Horvath and Derting are both averaging over 593.
CRCA Rankings
Ole Miss ranks seventh in the latest CRCA rankings based on its current NCAA Team Standings. The standings are determined by the average of the three top scores at three different locations—the 4730 against West Virginia, 4729 against Akron, and 4715 against Murray State, averaging 4724.67.
Rebs on Socials
For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle), and at OleMissSports.com.
Teams competing in qualifiers must choose five individuals to counter smallbore and air rifle, and those same five must compete in the same relay.
On the Line
- The 11-member roster is the largest since the 2020-21 season.
- Olivia Schammel broke career highs in all three disciplines against Memphis.
- Emma Pereira broke her smallbore career-high with a 591 against Georgia Southern.
- Shot a team air rifle score of 2370 in four of the last five matches.
- Julianna Hays broke career records in smallbore, air rifle, and aggregate in a win over Akron.
- Regan Diamond and Gretchen Schleinkofer shot personal bests against No. 1 West Virginia in all three disciplines.
- Kristen Derting tied her career-high air rifle score of 598 against Army.
- Shot two top-five program marks in match score, two in smallbore and another in air rifle during the fall.
- 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 men's air rifle gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2023 Fall Recap
Ole Miss fired high marks and competed against some of the best teams in the nation in the fall. The Rebels went 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the GARC to begin their 2023-24 campaign. The team started strong with two straight wins in back-to-back days. Fell to No. 1 West Virginia but scored tied for the fifth-highest mark in program history. The team rattled off two more victories over Navy and Akron. Ole Miss took on two top-10 teams, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 4 Georgia Southern, to wrap up the fall.
The Rebels are sixth in the nation, averaging a match aggregate of 4717.86. Smallbore was the Rebels mainstay in the fall, averaging 2343.57, third in the country. Lea Horvath led the team with an 1181.29 aggregate, a 595 air rifle, and a 586.29 smallbore average. Sophomores Julianna Hays and Emma Pereira are significant reasons for the high smallbore scores, averaging 585.43 and 585.14, respectively. The two are also second and third in aggregate scoring.
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
Scouting the Opponent
Memphis
The Tigers, led by Morgan Phillips in his 2nd season, are 7-6 overall and 2-4 in GARC. A slight improvement from last year's 4-8 record. Memphis averages a 2322.3 smallbore and 2371.3 air rifle averages for a combined 4693.5 aggregate match average. The team is on a three-match win streak, including two top-10 teams.
After an outstanding freshman season, earning a CRCA All-American Honorable Mention and qualifying for NCAA Championships, Gabriela Zych leads the Tigers with an 1181.5 aggregate average. The sophomore also tops the team in smallbore and air rifle average. Memphis consists of four players who average above 590 in air rifle.
Series History
Ole Miss and Memphis are long-standing rivals, having faced each other 17 times. The Rebels own the Tigers, winning 14 meetings.
QUALIFIED
Ole Miss rifle has dominated in NCAA Qualifying matches. The Rebels are a perfect 6-0 in the last six seasons. In the program's history, the Rebels average a score of 4628.2 in NCAA Qualifiers in years of the new scoring system (since 2004). The squad also fired the highest program score during the qualifier last season with a 4724.
Discovery Schammel
Against Memphis, the freshmen improved her personal records for smallbore, air rifle, and aggregate. Schammel shot a 573 in smallbore, which included a 198 prone score, then fired a 587 in air rifle. Schammel hopes to build on her performance in the NCAA Qualifiers.
Making it Count
Katie Tedeschi countered smallbore for the first time all season against Akron and made it count. The junior transfer fired a season-high 582 in smallbore and 595 in air rifle for an 1177 aggregate. The air rifle score was just one below her career-high 596 when she played for N.C. State.
SEC Legend Ali Weisz
Two-time All-American Ali Weisz competed all four years as an individual qualifier at the NCAA 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. As a junior, Weisz qualified for the NCAAs once again in air rifle and went on to finish third, earning a bronze medal with a 593. An active-duty member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit since 2020, Weisz posted her first international victory at the 2019 Pan American Games, and two years later, she had a solid showing in the Tokyo Olympics. Weisz won the women's 10-meter air rifle event at the 2022 ISSF World, becoming the first U.S. woman to win an individual world title in a rifle event since 1979. She also secured the United States a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Hot Air
The Rebels have been consistent regarding air rifle during the spring season. Ole Miss has fired a 2370 or higher in the discipline in four out of the five matches in the spring. The team is coming off its highest spring score, 2376 against Akron, and is tied for second highest of the season.
Seven of the 11 Rebels are averaging above 590 in air, and Horvath and Derting are both averaging over 593.
CRCA Rankings
Ole Miss ranks seventh in the latest CRCA rankings based on its current NCAA Team Standings. The standings are determined by the average of the three top scores at three different locations—the 4730 against West Virginia, 4729 against Akron, and 4715 against Murray State, averaging 4724.67.
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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