MOREHEAD, Ky. – The University of Tennessee at Martin rifle team set new program records for aggregate scoring and smallbore points as the 2024 OVC Championships finished up today at Button Rifle Range.
A year after the Skyhawks set a school record for most air rifle points in an OVC Championships event since the current format was implemented in 2005, UT Martin’s aggregate tally of 4,624 points topped the previous high mark of 4,615 in 2015. The Skyhawks’ Day 1 score of 2,306 points shattered the school smallbore record of 2,287 in 2019.
UT Martin came away with 2,318 points in air rifle today. Alayna Walther produced a team-high score of 588 points (97-99-97-98-98-99) and was followed by Nick Fares’ 586 (99-95-96-99-97-100). Joey Kovach recorded a 576 (95-97-95-96-96-97) while Jeffrey Bourassa’s 568 points (93-95-94-98-92-96) was good enough for the Skyhawks’ final countable score.
Aubrey Summers additionally tallied 563 points (93-93-92-94-94-97) in her OVC Championships debut for UT Martin today.
Walther’s 1,172 aggregate points were the most of any Skyhawk as she was followed by Fares (1,161), Kovach (1,156) and Bourassa (1,125).
Murray State (4,708 aggregate) won its fourth consecutive OVC team championship after registering scores of 2,333 in smallbore and 2,375 in air rifle. Morehead State finished second (4,655 points including 2,307 in smallbore and 2,348 in air rifle) while UT Martin placed third.
Individually, Murray State’s Matias Kiuru was the smallbore champion (587 points) while Caroline Martin of the Racers compiled an event-high 596 points. Kiuru and Murray State teammate Scott Patterson shared top aggregate honors with 1,175 points apiece.
Following the conclusion of the event, four Skyhawks dialed up five All-OVC postseason honors. Walther was named to the smallbore first team and air rifle second team for her fifth and sixth career All-OVC medals. Fares also compiled his sixth all-time All-OVC nod as he was named to the air rifle second team. Dialing up his fourth career All-OVC accolade was Kovach, who achieved smallbore second team status. Capping off UT Martin’s successful OVC Championships appearance was an OVC All-Newcomer award in air rifle for Summers.
The Skyhawks will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 17 when they appear in an NCAA Qualifier event held in Murray, Ky.
