INDIANAPOLIS – UTEP Rifle sophomore Kameron Wells has earned a spot in the 2026 NCAA Rifle Championship for air rifle, as announced by the NCAA on Monday.
Wells becomes the second Miner in as many years to compete on the national stage. At the 2025 championships, teammate Carlee Valenta qualified and placed 17th in air rifle, becoming the first individual Miner to qualify since Alix Moncada finished seventh in air rifle in 2011.
Wells has put together an exceptional sophomore campaign, posting a 595.538 average in air rifle this season. She set the UTEP school record with a perfect 600 at the Miners' quad match in Columbus, Ohio, against Ohio State, Murray State and Akron on Nov. 8. Wells has led the Miners in air rifle six times this season and has scored 591 or higher in every match.
A total of 48 competitors will compete at the NCAA Championships, with 40 coming from the top eight teams and eight individuals, including Wells, earning selection based on their scores in the designated qualifier. Wells recorded the highest qualifying score among the four selected individual air rifle competitors with a 598.
Valenta was also named an air rifle alternate.
UTEP's last appearance at the NCAA Championships came in 2012, when the Miners finished fifth as a team.
Hosted by The Ohio State University, the championships will be held March 13-14 on campus at the Covelli Center, Columbus, Ohio. Individual and team competitions in smallbore three-position (60 shots) will be held Friday, March 13, and individual and team competitions in air rifle (60 shots) will be held Saturday, March 14. The overall team champion will be determined by combining the smallbore and air rifle team total scores into one aggregate score for each institution.
NCAA Release
Qualifying Teams and Individuals (listed alphabetically)
| TEAMS |
INDIVIDUAL SMALLBORE |
INDIVIDUAL AIR RIFLE |
|
Alaska Fairbanks
Georgia Southern
Kentucky
Navy
Nebraska
Ole Miss
TCU
West Virginia
|
Addison Antwiler, Army West Point
Katrina Demerle, Memphis
Carlotta Salafia, Murray State
Lea Soule, Murray State
Alternates
Riley Dunn, Ohio State
Alexander Pohlman, VMI
|
Lily Wytko, Air Force
Caroline Martin, Murray State
Lily Miller, Air Force
Kameron Wells, UTEP
Alternates
Abby Ballard, Murray State
Carlee Valenta, UTEP
|
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