EL PASO, Texas – The No. 10 UTEP Rifle team is set to compete at the Patriot Rifle Conference (PRC) Championship at The X Count in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from February 7-8. The Miners will face an elite field, with five of the seven teams in the conference ranked in the nation's top 10.
Competition will begin with the smallbore event on Saturday, February 7, starting at 6:45 a.m. MT (8:45 a.m. ET), followed by the air rifle event on Sunday, February 8, beginning at 5:45 a.m. MT (7:45 a.m. ET). Both days will consist of two relays and a final round.
Live results for both days can be found
here.
| SCHEDULE |
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 |
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 |
RELAY 1
6:45 AM - Call to Line
7:00 AM - Preparation & Sighters
7:15 AM - Match Fire
RELAY 2
9:00 AM - Call to Line
9:15 AM - Preparation & Sighters
9:30 AM - Match Fire
FINALS
11:45 AM - Call to Line
^ All Times Mountain Standard |
RELAY 1
5:45 AM - Call to Line
6:00 AM - Preparation & Sighters
6:15 AM - Match Fire
RELAY 2
7:45 AM - Call to Line
8:00 AM - Preparation & Sighters
8:15 AM - Match Fire
FINALS
10:00 AM - Call to Line
^ All Times Mountain Standard |
LAST MATCH
UTEP enters the PRC Championship coming off a pair of strong road performances in Fort Worth, Texas. The Miners posted a 4705 team aggregate against host TCU, marking their fifth straight match with a 4700-plus score and the sixth such total in program history, all achieved this season under fourth-year head coach
Andrea Palafox.
Carlee Valenta led UTEP with an 1185 aggregate, finishing third overall, while
Julia Czernik and
Kennedy Wells each tied career bests in smallbore.
UTEP closed the weekend with a 4706 aggregate in a neutral-site victory over Schreiner University, controlling both disciplines.
Kameron Wells paced all shooters with a match-best 1179 aggregate, while Czernik highlighted the day with a personal-best 584 in smallbore and
Xan Keel led the field in air rifle with a 596.
MINER RANKINGS
- Team Rankings: No. 10 CRCA| No. 14 Smallbore | No. 10 Air Rifle | No. 11 Aggregate
- Individual Smallbore, Top 100: Valenta (#42), Ka. Wells (#43), Ke. Wells (#78), Keel (#85), Czernik (#97)
- Individual Air Rifle, Top 100: Valenta (#17), Ka. Wells (#31), Ke. Wells (#64), Keel (#72)
- Individual Aggregate, Top 100: Valenta (#27), Ka. Wells (#37), Ke. Wells (#67), Keel (#80)
LEADING THE WAY
Throughout the season,
Kameron Wells and
Carlee Valenta have led the charge for the Miners. The duo has each been UTEP's top smallbore shooter four times and top air rifle shooter five times, while also serving as the team's top aggregate scorer in five matches apiece. Both have led the team in multiple categories in a single match three times this season and have been the all-around leader twice.
About the PRC
The Patriot Rifle Conference has held a championship every year since 2014 after its inaugural season in 2013. TCU has a conference-high seven championships, Alaska Fairbanks has claimed four PRC Championships, and Air Force has one, winning the 2019 championship. Seven teams make up the PRC: Air Force, Alaska, Nebraska, Ohio State, Ole Miss, TCU, and UTEP.
- NCAA Top 10 Ranked: No. 3 TCU, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 7 Alaska, No. 10 UTEP
- Other PRC Teams: No. 12 Ohio State, No. 13 Air Force
- PRC Leaders in NCAA Rankings:
- TCU's Katie Zaun – No. 3 in Smallbore
- Ole Miss' Audrey Gogniat –No. 3 in Aggregate, No. 5 in Air Rifle
- Nebraska – No. 1 in Smallbore & Aggregate
- TCU – No. 3 in Air Rifle
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