The high level of nationally-ranked competition for the rifle team continues this weekend when it faces a competitor from last year’s NCAA Championships.As the team caps off its fall season, head coach Karen Monez’s team faces another nationally-ranked team in Kentucky.

It will be a dual meet that will have the teams shooting against one another Saturday in Lexington, Ky. This will mark the first time the squad has competed in a dual match against the Wildcats and the first time the team has faced Kentucky since last year’s NCAA Championships.

Monez said, the team has had to compete against the top three teams in the nation — West Point, Alaska and Kentucky – in what will be three consecutive matches. The team dropped its matches against Alaska and Army.

Monez said the team’s goal is not to necessarily win, but to work on making their aggregate score one of the top eight scores in the nation, allowing them to once again compete in the NCAA championships.

Sophomore Emily Paper said the team is hoping for a good weekend of shooting against a quality opponent.

“We’ll just try to get a good aggregate score,” Paper said, “and use that to help qualify for nationals.”

Unfamiliar territory will be a factor heading into this weekend’s competition, with the team not having shot at the Wildcats’ home range before, junior Tanya Gorin said.

“I’m excited to go to their home range and see the conditions they practice in and shoot there, because I’ve never shot there before,” Gorin said.

Monez said with the team shooting in the 570 to 580 range on almost a daily basis at home, the next objective is to keep those high scores consistent on the road.

“Our goal is that every time we shoot the trigger, we shoot a good solid ten,” Monez said.