Claire O’Neel Earns Automatic Invite to Junior Championship Tryouts

 

OXFORD, Miss. – A pair of sophomore Rebels are making a splash in the shooting community as Kristen Derting was called up to the National Futures Team, and Claire O’Neel earned an automatic invitation to try out for a pair of ISSF Junior Championship events.

 

Derting had a standout season for the Rebels, improving her season average by 16.4 points, from 1161.9 in 2020 to 1178.3. The Salem, Oregon, native received a trio of All-American honors, ranking among the nation’s top performers in both smallbore and air rifle. She highlighted an Ole Miss team that made its first appearance at the NCAA Rifle Championship in 15 years and helped them secure third-place overall, their highest finish in program history.

 

As a member of the Futures Team, Derting will be eligible to represent the United States in upcoming ISSF Junior Championships events and train with the national team coaches.

 

Additionally, sophomore teammate O’Neel will have a chance to join Derting on the team. After recording an eighth-place finish at USA Shooting’s National Junior Olympics, O’Neel is in the final stages of the selection process to join the Futures Team at the 2021 Junior Pan Am Championship and the 2021 Junior World Championship.

For more information on Ole Miss rifle, follow the Rebels on Facebook (OleMissRifle), Twitter (@OleMissRifle), Instagram (@OleMissRifle) and at OleMissSports.com.