No. 5 Kentucky rifle (3-0) scored a season high in its narrow defeat of No. 12 Navy (5-3) by a score of 4,727-4,692.

Kentucky excelled in both disciplines, securing a season-high 2,355 points in smallbore while scoring 2,372 in air rifle. Navy followed closely with 2,331 points in smallbore and 2,361 points in air rifle.

Junior Sofia Ceccarello emerged as the top individual shooter for the Wildcats with an impressive aggregate score of 1,189, comprising a 592 in smallbore and a 597 in air rifle, totaling 93 centers on the day.

Kentucky’s Braden Peiser and Navy’s Isabella Baldwin followed closely with aggregate scores of 1,185 and 1,182 respectively.

Freshman Sam Adkins also played a significant role in the Cats’ team success, hitting 79 centers on his way to an 1,182-aggregate score.

In the smallbore event, Ceccarello and Peiser led with identical scores of 592. Ceccarello posted a 196 in kneeling, a perfect 200 in prone and 196 in standing. Peiser notched a 198 in kneeling, 199 in prone and 195 standing. 

Martin Voss contributed in smallbore with a score of 588 while hitting 35 centers. Navy’s Marleigh Duncan also performed well, securing a 585 with 34 centers. Freshman Liz Probst contributed a 584 to the team’s smallbore score, shooting a 195 in kneeling, a 197 in prone, and a 192 in standing. Probst also accumulated 25 total centers.

Switching over to air rifle, sophomores Baldwin and Adkins tied for the best score of the day with 598. Navy’s Baldwin hit 49 centers as Adkins totaled 48 for the Cats. Adkins 598 was his personal best, and he also had four perfect sets of 100 during the match.

Ceccarello scored a match-high 54 centers and finished the match with four flawless 100 sets before recording a 597 in air rifle. Voss achieved three flawless 100 sets and a 592 with 42 centers. Peiser recorded a 593 with 40 centers. 

In air rifle, Probst hit a 590 precisely, which included 44 centers. Buesseler earned 33 centers and finished with a 579 to complete the score.

Brandon Evans, a freshman, led Kentucky with 29 centers and a 575 score in the second relay. Evans scored a perfect 200 in prone, a 190 in kneeling and a 185 in standing.

With 22 centers, junior AJ Hotko scored 583, with 198 in the kneeling position, 196 in the prone position and 187 in the standing position. Hotko tied his career high with an outstanding 593 in the second air rifle relay. 

Evans recorded a 582, sophomore Emily Marne posted a 580 in air rifle, while freshman Hannah Todd recorded a 577.

The Wildcats will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 2, when they will travel to Oxford, Mississippi, to take on No. 4 Ole Miss.