Finishing with a bang

No. 5 Ole Miss Rifle beat an 0-10 Memphis team in the regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 12 by a score of 4723 to 4646. 

The scoring leader for the day was Lea Horvath, who shot a strong 1580, including a near perfect 599 score in the air rifle section. With 1 more point, she would have achieved her third career perfect score, a feat now done only 13 times in history. 

Freshman M’Leah Lambdin was on point as she led the team in scoring for both of her events in the second relay. Senior Abby Buesseler also had a strong performance, scoring 1572 total points, but was particularly on target in the smallbore relay as she scored 587 points, which tied with Lea Horvath for the team lead. 

The Rebels’ strong performance enforces their place as the No. 5 team in the country, and sets them up well for playoffs. The victory over Memphis earned Ole Miss a share of the Great America Rifle Conference regular-season championship alongside West Virginia and Kentucky. The NCAA qualifiers will begin onFeb. 19 with a match against Jacksonville State. 

Ole Miss finishes the regular season 9-3, with two of their losses coming in away matches against No. 1 Alaska Fairbanks by scores of 4719-4725 and 4719-4721 respectively. 

The other loss of the season came in the opener against No. 2 West Virginia, but the Rebels have since beaten the Kentucky Wildcats who are now tied with West Virginia in the polls for the No. 2 spot. Ole Miss is a battle tested team which bodes well for their chances as the playoffs near.

Totals

Lea Horvath – 1580 (3 events)

Abby Buesseler – 1572 (3 events)

Kristen Derting – 1568 (3 events)

Jillian “JZ” Zakrzeski – 1564 (3 events)

Martina Gratz – 1549 (3 events)

Claire O’Neal – 1544 (3 events)

M’Leah Lambdin – 966 (2 events)

Erin Walsh – 960 (2 events)

Katelyn Tinsley – 935 (2 events)

Megan Taylor – 931 (2 events)