Rifle Preview: NCAA Championships

Friday, March 13

Lexington, Ky.

TBA

University of Memphis

NCAA Championships

Photo by: © University of Memphis. photo

Mar 11, 2020 | Rifle

Taylor Gibson to represent Memphis at the national match this weekend.

NCAA Championships Live Stats
NCAA Championships Live Stream (Smallbore/Friday)
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – It's March Madness, and the University of Memphis rifle program is a part of it again for a 10^th-straight season. On Friday, Mar. 13, freshman Taylor Gibson represents the Tigers at the 2020 NCAA Championships in Lexington, Ky.

The University of Kentucky is the host of the national match for the first time in NCAA rifle championships history. The Wildcats' Memorial Coliseum, the former home of the men's basketball program, is the site for the two-day event.

Gibson shoots in the smallbore discipline Friday. The smallbore's two relays begin at 9 and 11:45 a.m. (CT), with the final at 2:30 p.m. (CT) that afternoon. The air rifle discipline is set for Saturday.

Friday's match is not the first time Gibson is shooting on the University of Kentucky campus this season. Gibson and her Memphis teammates competed in two matches against Akron and Kentucky in Lexington Feb. 1-2. However, Gibson is shooting at a different venue this time, as the Tigers faced the Zips and Wildcats at the UK Rifle Range in those earlier matches.

Tigers Tidbits

Taylor Gibson posted a 577.6 average in smallbore in 2019-20. She shot 580 or higher smallbore scores in eight of the 14 matches, including at the Great America Rifle Confernece Championships in late February (580). Gibson recorded a career-high 586 in smallbore at both Jacksonville State's Gamecock Invitational and Murray State's Withrow Invitational.
Taylor Gibson posted an aggregate average of 1163.6 in her 14 matches. She posted 1170 or higher aggregates four times this season, including a 1177 score at Jacksonville State's Gamecock Invitational.
Taylor Gibson is the first Memphis freshman to earn a spot as an individual in one of the two disciplines since Dan Hermsmeier did so in 2011. Hermsmeier is in his third year as head coach at Memphis. Hermsmeier also shot smallbore at the 2011 NCAA Championships.
With Taylor Gibson's selection for smallbore, it is the sixth-straight season a Tiger shoots in the discipline at the NCAA Championships. Amy Fister was a smallbore competitor from 2015-17, and Makennon Doran also shot smallbore in 2017. Levi Clark competed in smallbore in 2018 and 2019.
The last two seasons, Levi Clark – who is a teammate of Taylor Gibson this season – placed sixth in smallbore at the NCAA Championships. Clark is the only shooter in Tigers history with two top-10 finishes in a discipline at the NCAA Championships.
Taylor Gibson is one of two freshmen that qualified as individuals for the 2020 NCAA Championships. NC State's Makenzie Sheffield is the other freshman, and she is competing in air rifle.

Memphis At The NCAA Championships/2011-20

Year	Individuals/Team
2020	Taylor Gibson (smallbore)
2019	Levi Clark (smallbore)
2018	Levi Clark (smallbore) Leighton Dempster (air rifle)
2017	Amy Fister (smallbore) Makennon Doran (smallbore)
2016	Amy Fister (smallbore)
2015	Amy Fister (smallbore)
2014	Team (Aggregate: 4^th; Smallbore: 3^rd; Air Rifle: 4^th)
2013	Dan Hermsmeier (air rifle)
2012	Dan Hermsmeier (smallbore)
2011	Kelly Audet (air rifle) Dan Hermsmeier (smallbore)