EL PASO, Texas – After a two-week delay, the No. 12 UTEP women's rifle team will officially open the 2026-27 season Saturday, Oct. 17, when the Miners welcome Schreiner University for a head-to-head match at the Military Science Building. UTEP home rifle matches are free and open to the public.
Saturday's competition was originally scheduled for Oct. 3 but was postponed due to weather concerns and in the interest of safe travel for Schreiner to El Paso.
| SCHEDULE OF EVENTS |
| SMALLBORE |
AIR RIFLE |
7:45 AM - Prep and Sighters
8:00-9:30 AM - Match Fire
9:30 AM - Break |
10:15 AM - Prep and Sighters
10:30-11:45 AM - Match Fire
|
| Live Targets: Megalink Live |
IN THE MINE SHAFT
UTEP enters the 2026-27 season under the direction of head coach
Andrea Palafox, who begins her fifth year at the helm of the program. Palafox, a former Miner and five-time All-American, was named the 2024-25 Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Coach of the Year after guiding UTEP to a record-breaking campaign. She became the second coach in program history to earn a national coaching award, joining George Brenzovich (2012).
The Miners return an experienced core featuring
Julia Czernik,
Paige Hildebrandt,
Xan Keel,
Kameron Wells and
Kennedy Wells.
UTEP welcomes three newcomers in freshmen
Alessandra Cleveland and
Gracie Robinson and sophomore transfer
Molly Mitchell.
A LOOK BACK AT 2025-26
UTEP continued its rise last season, sending an individual to the NCAA Rifle Championships for the second consecutive year while producing two CRCA All-Americans for the first time in 14 years.
Carlee Valenta earned second-team All-America honors in air rifle, while
Kameron Wells garnered honorable-mention recognition in the discipline.
The Miners also reached the podium at the Patriot Rifle Conference Championships, placing third in air rifle behind a school-record score of 2386. Earlier in the season, UTEP set another program record with a 4720 aggregate in a victory over No. 16 Ohio State.
UTEP remained ranked throughout the campaign and climbed as high as No. 10 in the final poll.
WELLS RETURNS AFTER NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP APPEARANCE
Kameron Wells returns following a standout 2025-26 campaign that culminated with an individual appearance at the NCAA Rifle Championships. She became the third Miner since 2011 to qualify individually for the national meet and finished 15th in air rifle.
Wells averaged 595.5 in air rifle and 584.1 in smallbore for an aggregate average of 1179.6. She also established the UTEP air rifle record with a perfect 600 during the Miners' quad match at Ohio State on Nov. 8. Wells recorded a score of 591 or better in air rifle in every match she competed in, including 10 performances of 595 or higher.
SUCCESS IN THE CLASSROOM
The Miners also enjoyed a strong academic year in 2025-26.
Paige Hildebrandt,
Carlee Valenta and
Kameron Wells earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Women's At-Large Team honors, while Hildebrandt, Valenta,
Kameron Wells and
Kennedy Wells were named to the 2026 CRCA Scholastic All-America Team. Valenta added College Sports Communicators Women's At-Large Academic All-America Third Team honors.
All six members of the team earned spots on the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, with Hildebrandt, Valenta and
Kameron Wells also receiving Commissioner's Academic Medals.
SCOUTING SCHREINER
Schreiner enters Saturday's matchup after earning recognition as the Most Improved Team in Air Rifle in the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference last season. The match will also feature a familiar connection between the programs, as UTEP newcomer
Molly Mitchell spent her freshman season at Schreiner before joining the Miners. Mitchell was named the MAC Rookie of the Year, earned the Smallbore Achievement Award and collected All-MAC First Team honors in both smallbore and air rifle.
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