Oct. 2, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss rifle team has come so close to making the NCAA Championships as a team the past two years, and this year, they’re aiming to hit the target. The quest begins this week.

The Rebels will kick off the 2012-13 season Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Tiger Invitational, which will be held at the Rangemaster Shooting Facility in Memphis.

“We are excited to kick off the season. This team has been focused on making the most of this year, and I think their work will show in these matches,” head coach Valerie Boothe said.

The Rebels, led by senior Kim Coffey and juniors Melissa Quartarone and Abbey Stanec, are ranked No. 6 in the 2012 Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) preseason poll.   

Stanec finished runner-up at the NCAA Championships in air rifle with a 693.5 score, to complete a successful sophomore season, while Quartarone earned second team All-American honors in smallbore.

On Friday, the Rebels will host their first home event, the Ole Miss Invitational, at the Patricia C. Lamar National Guard Readiness Center in Oxford.  

First on the line for the Rebels will be Coffey and Quartarone in smallbore at 8 a.m. against Murray State.  They will follow up with air rifle from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.  MaryAnn Banks, Rena Goodwin, Stanec and Alivia Yeager will be on the line in smallbore from 1-3 p.m., versus Memphis, followed by air rifle from 3:30-5:30 p.m. against the Tigers.

Admission to all Ole Miss rifle home events is free.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissRifle and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/olemissrifle.