MURRAY, Ky. – Gracie Dinh and Ole Miss rifle opened the spring season of 2026 on the highest note, besting Murray State 4746-4706, Saturday morning in Murray, Kentucky.
The Rebels (6-2) tied a program record with their aggregate score. It marks the second time during the fiscal year that Ole Miss has reached that aggregate mark, the other being during the 2025 PRC Tournament in February 2025 in Ohio.
Dinh had a career day, securing her spot as the third woman in Ole Miss rifle history to shoot a perfect 600 in air rifle, the others being Lea Horvath (four times) and teammate Audrey Gogniat (two times). She’s the second Rebel, the other being Horvath, to shoot a perfect air rifle score against the Racers (3-3). She finished with an incredible 1196 aggregate score, the second best in program history.
Dinh’s strong shooting did not begin in the second event of the day, as she propelled Ole Miss to its best-ever smallbore tally with 2368 to begin the day. Dinh led the charge for the Rebels in that amazing performance, scoring a career best 596 in the event. Her score is the second best by a Rebel, behind Gogniat’s 597 at the PRC Tournament last season.
The match began with a score-clinching first relay. Student-athletes began in smallbore.
A historic outing from the jump, Ole Miss scored its best-ever smallbore tally with 2368 to begin the day. Dinh and Gogniat began the morning in historic fashion. Both set program records by being the first Rebels to fire perfect scores in the kneeling position during the smallbore event.
Dinh went on to be nearly perfect throughout, finishing with a 596 total in the event. Her score set a career-high by four points and will sit as a tie for the second highest smallbore score in program history, behind Gogniat.
The remainder of Ole Miss’ strong outing in smallbore were Jordan de Jesus and Regan Diamond, who were just behind Dinh and Gogniat in the standings, finishing with a 590 and 588, respectively. De Jesus tied a personal best with her score, which marks a season-high and the first time she’s reached that mark since she did so against Akron and Army on Jan. 19, 2025. The pair finished third and sixth, respectively.
In air rifle, the dominance didn’t cease. Dinh went on to be perfect from the moment she toed the line, and Gogniat’s backup did not relinquish. Gogniat went for 598, a mark she’s dropped beneath only once before this season.
De Jesus didn’t need to play the hero this time out as she secured a 594 score to earn the fourth spot. She was one of four Rebels to finish in the top three of the event.
More Rebels excelled in the second relay, namely Gretchen Schleinkofer, who had a career-high 594 in air rifle. Claudia Muzik also had a stellar outing during the second relay with a personal best 579 in smallbore. The latter had a career-high 1170 aggregate score to finish 10th in the overall scoring, while the former finished ninth.
Up next, Ole Miss will travel to Ohio State for a conference matchup on Jan. 25.