The University of Kentucky rifle team won three out of four individual titles at the 2026 USA Shooting Junior Olympics, according to an April 15 announcement.
This achievement highlights the strength and depth of the Kentucky Wildcats’ current roster and incoming recruits in collegiate shooting sports.
Braden Peiser led the Wildcats by winning both the men’s smallbore and men’s air rifle competitions. He secured first place in regular smallbore competition before taking victory in the eight-person final, making him overall champion. In air rifle, Peiser narrowly defeated Griffin Lake from West Virginia University to claim another top spot.
Liz Probst also excelled for Kentucky, finishing first in women’s air rifle by more than a point after strong performances in both regular competition and finals. She placed fifth in women’s smallbore as well. Other notable results included Samuel Adkins finishing fifth in smallbore and fourth in air rifle, Jacob St. Hilaire placing ninth in smallbore and fifth in air rifle, and incoming signee Noah Abzug earning seventh place in smallbore and sixth place in air rifle while winning under-18 championships for both events.
On the women’s side, Elisa Boozer finished 40th in smallbore but reached fourth place—and made the individual final—in air rifle. Signees Maggie Palfrey placed 29th (smallbore) and 15th (air), while Briley Sralla was 72nd (smallbore) and 23rd (air).
The Wildcats’ success at this event reflects positively on their program as they prepare for future collegiate seasons.
