By Kyle Arensdorf | @KyKernelSports

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The UK rifle team will compete in the 2013 NCAA National Rifle Championship at Ohio University’s Converse Hall and French Field House in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday and Saturday.

The Cats are hoping to bounce back from a second-place finish at the GARC Conference Championship to top seed West Virginia.

Head coach Harry Mullins was not disappointed with the team’s efforts, however, and thought that the loss could be a learning experience for his team.

“I’m happy for the team. Obviously we wanted to win but I’m happy,” Mullins said to UK Athletics. “You always want the athletes to reap the rewards they work for but there is the potential for the team to learn from this and finish the season strong at (the) NCAA Championships.”

The Cats will travel to Columbus with hopes to imitate their championship form of 2011 and bring home the national title.

The team’s five-player roster for the tournament consists of seniors Henri Junghänel and Heather Greathouse, freshman Connor Davis and juniors Emily Holsopple and Aaron Holsopple

Sophomore Elijah Ellis and senior Stacey Wheatley were also selected to compete in the tournament as individuals, based on their scores submitted from the designated qualifier.

This will mark the last time that All-American seniors Junghanel, Greathouse and Wheatley will compete in a UK uniform.

Competition will begin on Friday with individual and team smallbore relays at 8 a.m. and individual finals at 4:30 p.m.

Tournament play will resume Saturday with individual and team air rifle relays at 8 a.m. and individual finals at 1:45 p.m.

The overall team champion will be determined by combining the smallbore and air rifle team total scores into one aggregate score for each school.

The award ceremony will begin upon completion of the individual finals.