The No. 15-ranked Akron rifle team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky, on January 31, 2026, to face the talented No. 1-ranked Wildcats. Evidently, the Zips brought out the best Kentucky had to offer, as the Wildcats fired a dominant 4762 to Akron’s 4690. In the process, Kentucky tied the national record in air rifle (2395) and set a new national aggregate record with the 4762 score.
Think about that for a moment—the entire Kentucky team dropped just five points in air rifle. That remarkable performance included a perfect 600 fired by Elizabeth Probst. Absolutely astonishing and a joy to watch.
Turning to Akron, Matthew Kimball led the squad by tying his smallbore career high with a 588 out of a possible 600—an outstanding performance by the freshman standout. Rounding out Akron’s top four shooters were seniors Natalia Siek (584), Joseph Hahn (581) and Rachael Paddock (580), with Hahn posting the team’s only perfect 200 in the prone position. All in all, the Zips’ 2331 smallbore score was respectable.
Air rifle featured a hard-fought battle between Kimball and junior Kaleb Santiso, both firing 591s. Using the center-shot tiebreaker, Kimball emerged on top with 42 centers to Santiso’s 39. Siek (589) and Paddock (588) rounded out Akron’s top four in the event. Notable performances also included Kimball, Siek and junior Diane Heschel, each recording at least one 10-shot air rifle series totaling a perfect 100—a significant achievement in the unsupported standing position. Well done, team!
The top individual shooter at the match was Kentucky junior Braden Peiser, who posted an aggregate score of 1195-98X.
Akron vs. Kentucky Scorecard
You can view the full match results at the NCAA rifle website.
The Zips rifle team now have a week to prepare for their second and final doubleheader of the season. Akron will travel to MIT for the Beanpot Invitational on Saturday, February 7, at 1:15 p.m., followed by another match against MIT at the Reading Rifle and Revolver Club near Woburn, Massachusetts, on Sunday, February 8, at 8:00 a.m. Targets at both locations may be viewed at shooteronline.net.
