No. 1 Kentucky rifle (6-0, 4-0) continued its impressive run to start the 2024-25 season, clinching victory in a tri-match against No. 8 Air Force and No. 12 Akron with a 4,728-team aggregate score, outscoring Akron 4,696 and host Air Force 4,692.

The Wildcats scored 2,346 in smallbore and followed it up with a 2,382 in air rifle. On Saturday, Kentucky had 333 centers across both disciplines.

Individually, freshman Sam Adkins and sophomore Braden Peiser led the Wildcats in smallbore, each shooting scores of 589. Adkins achieved a remarkable 198 in kneeling, 196 in prone and 195 in standing, while Peiser posted scores of 193 in kneeling, 198 in prone and 198 in standing while earning a team-best 39 centers in smallbore. 

Junior Sofia Ceccarello contributed with a score of 586, including a perfect 200 in prone. Senior Allison Buesseler and freshman Liz Probst each scored 582, while junior Martin Voss added a score of 580.

In air rifle, Ceccarello led the way with a stellar score of 599, shooting five perfect rounds of 10 to secure the impressive score. Adkins followed closely with a score of 597, while freshman Brandon Evans shot 594. Both Peiser and Voss scored 593, while Probst and Buesseler both scored 589 to round out the scoring.

Adkins narrowly claimed the top individual performer title at the tri-match, achieving an aggregate score of 1,186, just surpassing Ceccarello’s 1,185. Peiser followed closely in fourth place with an aggregate score of 1,182.

For Air Force, their top individual scorer was Lauren Hurley, who shot a 586 in smallbore with a 597 in air rifle, tying Kentucky’s Peiser with the most total centers on the day with 88. For Akron, it was Gavin Perkowski who earned the top spot. Perkowski scored a 586 in smallbore and a 592 in air rifle. 

On Saturday, seven Wildcats competed in two relays on the campus of the United States Air Force Academy. Kentucky will compete against the same two teams in a tri-match on Sunday, Nov. 24, with both relays competing concurrently beginning at 10 a.m.