LEXINGTON, Ky. — Wildcat Mary Tucker is taking home an Olympic medal after she and USA shooting star Lucas Kozeniesky earned silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics mixed air rifle competition. Fellow University of Kentucky star Will Shaner placed sixth overall with teammate Alison Marie Weisz.

In the first stage of qualifying, Tucker/Kozeniesky finished seventh and earned one of eight spots in the second stage. The pair then advanced to the gold medal match by 0.5 points to face off against Yang/Yang from China. Yang/Yang outlasted the USA duo 17-13 in the gold medal match, giving Tucker/Kozenisky the silver medal. Shaner/Weisz finished fifth in stage one to advance to stage two, where they placed sixth overall, just missing out on the bronze medal match.

This marks the second medal of these Olympic games for a current member of the UK rifle team after Shaner won gold in the men's air rifle Sunday. On day one of the games, Tucker made her Olympic debut, finishing sixth overall in the women's air rifle final. Shaner's event schedule is complete; however, Tucker will compete in the women's three-position smallbore on July 31. She became the first Kentucky rifle athlete to qualify for the Olympics in both smallbore and air rifle earlier this year.

The Olympics haven't been Tucker's only time to shine in recent months. In May, she won gold in smallbore and finished fifth in air rifle at the USA Shooting Junior Olympic Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She also led the Wildcats to their third national championship, posting the highest ever team score in the modern format at the NCAA Rifle Championships earlier this year.

In April, Tucker won the International Shooting Sport Federation Women's Air Rifle 10m Gold Medal — but it doesn't stop there. She also earned the most outstanding performer honor at the NCAA Championships in March. The sophomore earned every top crown possible at the championships, winning smallbore individual gold, air rifle individual gold and the overall crown.

Before heading to Tokyo, Shaner won the gold medal in men's air rifle 10 meters at the ISSF World Cup in Croatia in late June. He led from start to finish, ending with 250.5 points. He also won gold in smallbore and silver in air rifle at the 2021 National Junior Olympic Championships.

Earlier this year, Shaner led the Wildcats to their third national championship, posting the highest ever team score in the modern format at the NCAA Rifle Championships. The national championship capped a season that included a new school-record team score and a share of the Great America Rifle Conference Regular-Season Championship.

Former Wildcat Henrik Larsen, competing for Norway, finished in 10th at the mixed air rifle event. During his only season in Lexington, he won the individual air rifle national title at the 2018 NCAA Championships and led the Wildcats to their second national championship. Throughout the season, Larsen posted the highest aggregate score of any Wildcat in every match. He also set school records across the board in smallbore, aggregate, and air rifle and was named a first team All-American in all three disciplines.