Rifle Preview: Kentucky, Akron

Saturday, February 1

Lexington, Ky.

8 am CT

University of Memphis

Kentucky

Photo by: © University of Memphis. photo

Jan 31, 2020 | Rifle

Tigers are back in the Bluegrass State for a second-straight weekend.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The 2020 postseason is closing in for the University of Memphis rifle squad, and the best preparation is to face the best down the stretch of the regular season. The Tigers are doing just that this weekend when they battle No. 1 Kentucky and No. 4 Akron in Lexington, Ky.

Memphis, ranked No. 6 in this week's College Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) poll, meets the top-ranked Wildcats Saturday at 8 a.m. (CT) at the UK Rifle Range. Then, on Sunday, the Tigers and Zips shoot in a neutral-site match at the same facility. Match time is 8 a.m. (CT).

It is the second-straight trip to the state of Kentucky for the Tigers. Last weekend, Memphis finished second to Kentucky at Murray State's Withrow Invitational in Murray, Ky. The Tigers defeated five ranked programs with their second-place performance.

Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Poll

Rank	Team	Rank	Team
1.	Kentucky	11.	Murray State
2.	TCU	12.	NC State
3.	West Virginia	13.	Ohio State
4.	Akron	14.	Alaska-Fairbanks
5.	Air Force	15.	Morehead State
6.	*Memphis*	16.	Jacksonville State
7.	Nebraska	17.	UT Martin
t.	Ole Miss	18.	North Georgia
9.	Navy	19.	UTEP
10.	Army	20.	UAB

Tigers Tidbits

Last season, Memphis split its matches with Kentucky and Akron. The Tigers fell to then-No. 1 Kentucky at home, but shot a 4674 aggregate. At the time, the 4674 score was the program's best since the 2014-15 season. A week later at the Gamecock Invitational, Memphis set a program aggregate record with a 4689 score. Later in the 2018-19 schedule, Memphis defeated Akron in Lexington.
This is the third-consecutive year the Tigers are making back-to-back weekend trips to the Bluegrass State. Last year, Memphis shot at the Withrow Invitational before meeting Akron in neutral-site match in Lexington. In 2017-18, the Tigers competed in the Withrow Invitational and the following weekend faced Kentucky in Lexington.
Memphis closes out its regular season on the road this semester. Last weekend, the Tigers shot in Murray State's annual Withrow Invitational and travels to Lexington, Ky., for two matches this weekend. Memphis wraps up the regular season at Ole Miss Feb. 15. This is the second time in three seasons under head coach Dan Hermsmeier that the Tigers held no home regular-season matches in the spring portion of their schedule.
Memphis is shooting the eighth-best aggregate average (4661.333) nationally. The Tigers are shooting the sixth-best smallbore average (2313.333) in the nation.
Four Tigers hold aggregate averages of 1160 or better, and they are Levi Clark (1167.666), Matt Dorey (1162.333), Taylor Gibson (1162.111) and David Crenshaw (1161.778). Clark's aggregate average is No. 24 in the nation.