Ole Miss Rifle Wins Smallbore Title at NCAA Championships, Leads After Day One

Columbus, Ohio — The University of Mississippi’s fifth-ranked rifle team made history Friday by winning its first team gold in smallbore at the NCAA Championships. The Rebels scored a 2,356 in the event, finishing ahead of TCU and Nebraska by two points, according to tournament officials.

First-year head coach Will Shaner led Ole Miss to its best finish ever at the national tournament. The team now holds the overall lead after day one, with the air rifle competition scheduled for Saturday. Ole Miss’s combined score gives the Rebels a strong chance to claim their first overall NCAA rifle title.

Rebels Gracie Dinh and Audrey Gogniat led the way, scoring 593 and 592, respectively. Gogniat finished second overall in smallbore, earning her second career medal at the NCAA Tournament and becoming the first Ole Miss athlete to medal in smallbore at nationals. Dinh placed eighth, her highest collegiate finish.

Gogniat, Diamond, and Carter opened the day in the first relay. Gogniat excelled in kneeling and prone positions, missing only two shots out of 40. She scored a perfect prone round and finished with a total of 592 in the event. Dinh’s performance, with a 593, earned her a spot in the individual medal round, where she was the third-best scorer of the day.

In the final individual round, Gogniat maintained momentum and advanced to the podium after surpassing Kentucky’s Elizabeth Probst and West Virginia’s Griffin Lake. She secured at least a silver medal with a shot of 10.7, beating Lake for second place.

The Rebels will compete in the air rifle event Saturday at 8 a.m. CT, aiming for their first overall team title. Ole Miss’s social media accounts and website provide updates and coverage of the championships.

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