In a tightly fought contest, No. 2 Kentucky rifle prevailed against No. 5 Georgia Southern by a score of 4,717-4,716 to secure a top five road win. 

The Wildcats scored 2,337 in smallbore, while Georgia Southern achieved 2,341 in the same category. 

Kentucky secured the overall victory, however, by scoring 2,380 in air rifle, compared to Georgia Southern’s score of 2,375 to come out on top by one singular point.

In smallbore, Braden Peiser, a sophomore, led the Wildcats with a noteworthy 590, where his 39 centers tied for the highest score in the smallbore discipline for the match. His performance was consistent, scoring 197 in the prone and kneeling positions and 196 in the standing position.

True freshman and Texas native Liz Probst achieved the second-highest score for Kentucky in smallbore shooting, with scores of 193 in the kneeling position, 195 in the prone position and 198 in the standing position, resulting in a total score of 586 with 34 centers. 

While in air rifle, junior Sofia Ceccarello, who did not participate in smallbore, led the team with a score of 598, matching the highest score in the match. Her impressive performance included 55 centers, the most achieved by any athlete on Saturday, and five perfect 100s out of six 10-shot rounds.

Probst achieved a score of 596, accompanied by 45 centers, in the air rifle event. Peiser closely followed with a score of 595, boasting 48 centers, and concluded the match with three flawless 100 rounds. 

Meanwhile, Allison Buesseler finalized Kentucky’s scoring with a 591, featuring 46 centers, and Martin Voss completed the relay with a 587, accompanied by 39 centers.

On the other side, Georgia Southern’s freshman Emme Walrath had an outstanding performance, shooting an 1,185 aggregate score, including a 594 in air rifle and the match-best 591 in smallbore rifle on her way to 90 total centers. 

Sophomore Ella Goldfaden also had a standout performance for the Eagles, shooting an 1,183 aggregate score. She excelled in air rifle, tying for the highest score of the day with a 598, matching Kentucky’s Ceccarello. Goldfaden also shot a respectable 585 in smallbore rifle, hitting a total of 83 centers throughout the competition.

The Wildcats return to Lexington on Oct. 26 for a tri-match with Navy and North Georgia at the UK Rifle Range.