The fifth-ranked Murray State rifle team shot a program record 2341 in smallbore and tied its air rifle season-high with a 2352 en route to another program record and a total score of 4693, Saturday at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range in Murray. Despite the two records, Kentucky was able to nip the Racers and take the match 4702-4693.
“I am proud of this team for taking a step forward today,” said head coach Alan Lollar. “We have been training for some time now at a high level and I think this should really help our confidence going forward. Kentucky came ready and we always expect their best. Coach Mullins has one of the top programs in the country and it was anyone’s match down to the end. That is the way we want it and the way it should be.”
Sophomore Ivan Roe had a career day in smallbore, shooting a 588 to lead Murray State in the discipline. Sophomore Ben Estes followed with a 586 in the event, to go along with a 586 in air rifle to finish the day with a consistent 1172.
Senior Tessa Howald followed with a season-high 584, while freshman Barbara Schläpfer shot a 583 in her debut as a Racer. Freshman MacKenzie Martin rounded out the squaded shooters for MSU by tying her career-high with a 581.
In air rifle, Howald led the way for the squaded shooters with a season-high 591 and was joined at the top by freshman Eric Sloan, who also shot a 591. Roe followed by tying his season-best on the gun at 590, while Schläpfer showed what she will add to the team by shooting a 586.
Martin shot another career-best on the day with a 585 in the discipline, while freshman Alathea Sellars was the final countable shooter for MSU at 584. Roe tied his personal best aggregate score Saturday with an 1178, while Howald finished just one off her personal best at 1175.
“Ivan and Tessa were solid today in both guns and are doing a great job becoming consistent, while Ben had a fine smallbore and his air is getting better all the time,” said Lollar. “For Barbara, she had a good match for her first NCAA competition, but it is different shooting back-to-back smallbore and air rifle. So as she does that more, I expect her to get even better. Kenzie was also solid on both guns and all the hard work she is putting in is beginning to pay off. Wrapping up the day for us was just a great job by Eric, who has really been working hard.”
The Racers will return to the Spurgin Rifle Range next Saturday when they host a pair of OVC opponents in Jacksonville State and Morehead State.
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