COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 12 UTEP rifle team put together a historic performance on Sunday, setting a school-record aggregate score of 4717 to finish second in a tri-match hosted by Ohio State. The reigning national champions and No. 3-ranked West Virginia took first with a 4723 aggregate, while No. 10 Murray State followed the Miners with a 4703.
UTEP fired a 2339 in smallbore and a 2378 in air rifle, both contributing to the record-breaking team total. West Virginia led the field in all three scoring categories, but it was the Miners' precision and consistency that stole the spotlight.
Record-Breaking Individual Performances
Two Miners rewrote the program record book on Sunday.
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Carlee Valenta set a new school record in smallbore, firing a 592 to surpass the previous mark of 590 held for more than 20 years by Leah Wilcox.
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Kameron Wells matched Wilcox's previous record with a 590 of her own.
Both Valenta and Wells also shattered Valenta's earlier-season school record in aggregate (1185). Valenta fired an 1190 aggregate to lead all shooters, while Wells followed closely behind with an 1188, placing second overall.
In smallbore, Valenta topped the leaderboard with her record-setting score, and Wells finished third. The duo also shined in air rifle — both shooting 598s, but Wells edged Valenta for first place with 52 centers to Valenta's 51.
Strong Team Depth
The Miners' lineup showcased impressive depth across the board:
Czernik posted personal bests in smallbore and aggregate, while K. Wells matched her career high in smallbore.
| SMALLBORE |
AIR RIFLE |
Czernik - 577
Hildebrandt - 576
Keel - 577
Valenta - 592
Ka. Wells - 590
Ke. Wells - 580
* Counter |
Czernik - 590
Hildebrandt - 580
Keel - 592
Valenta - 598
Ka. Wells - 598
Ke. Wells - 588
* Counter |
UP NEXT
UTEP will return home to the UTEP Rifle Range for its final two matches of the fall slate. The Miners will host Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 15, before wrapping up the semester against Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 22.
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