Skyhawk Rifle Alum Alayna Walther To Take Over Program As Interim Head Coach
4/7/2025 8:45:00 AM | Rifle
MARTIN, Tenn. – University of Tennessee at Martin Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Kurt McGuffin has tabbed Alayna Walther as the interim head rifle coach for the 2025-26 season.
Walther just wrapped up a phenomenal career on the Skyhawk rifle program under head coach MJ Vowell, who announced her retirement on March 4 after eight seasons at the helm. Walther becomes the 10th individual to lead the UT Martin rifle program and just the fourth Skyhawk head coach since 1982.
"Alayna showed heavy interest in the position and comes highly recommended amongst her peers," McGuffin said. "Her career as a UT Martin student-athlete speaks for itself and we are looking forward to Coach Walther stepping up to lead the program next season."
An Avella, Pa. native, Walther won a combined seven All-Ohio Valley Conference postseason awards during the course of her Skyhawk career (2021-25). She nabbed OVC All-Newcomer accolades in both smallbore and air rifle as a freshman and followed that with air rifle first-team and smallbore second-team honors during her sophomore campaign. As a junior, she earned All-OVC first team status in smallbore and second team recognition in air rifle. This past season, she claimed another spot on the All-OVC second team in smallbore.
In 46 career collegiate matches, Walther topped UT Martin in scoring 22 times in smallbore and 14 times in air rifle to go along with 19 separate occasions in aggregate points. Her career-high of 593 points in air rifle occurred at the Gamecock Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. on Nov. 18, 2023 while she set a career-best tally of 586 points in smallbore three times (at Morehead State on Nov. 2, 2024; against Memphis in Murray, Ky. on Jan. 28, 2024 and at Jacksonville State on Nov. 17, 2023) as a Skyhawk upperclassman.
"It's an honor and a privilege to serve as the interim head coach of my alma mater," Walther said. "I'd like to thank our Chancellor Dr. Yancy Freeman and Kurt McGuffin for this exciting opportunity. I am ready for the challenge and can't wait to get started."
Outside of the range, Walther honed her leadership skills by serving as an athletic liaison for the UT Martin Student Government Association as well as serving as president of the Skyhawks' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She was also part of a UT Martin rifle program that won three consecutive OVC Team Sportsmanship Awards (2022-25)
A Skyhawk Athletic Director's Honor Roll recipient this past fall, Walther is set to graduate from UT Martin with a degree in agricultural engineering in May.
Walther just wrapped up a phenomenal career on the Skyhawk rifle program under head coach MJ Vowell, who announced her retirement on March 4 after eight seasons at the helm. Walther becomes the 10th individual to lead the UT Martin rifle program and just the fourth Skyhawk head coach since 1982.
"Alayna showed heavy interest in the position and comes highly recommended amongst her peers," McGuffin said. "Her career as a UT Martin student-athlete speaks for itself and we are looking forward to Coach Walther stepping up to lead the program next season."
An Avella, Pa. native, Walther won a combined seven All-Ohio Valley Conference postseason awards during the course of her Skyhawk career (2021-25). She nabbed OVC All-Newcomer accolades in both smallbore and air rifle as a freshman and followed that with air rifle first-team and smallbore second-team honors during her sophomore campaign. As a junior, she earned All-OVC first team status in smallbore and second team recognition in air rifle. This past season, she claimed another spot on the All-OVC second team in smallbore.
In 46 career collegiate matches, Walther topped UT Martin in scoring 22 times in smallbore and 14 times in air rifle to go along with 19 separate occasions in aggregate points. Her career-high of 593 points in air rifle occurred at the Gamecock Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. on Nov. 18, 2023 while she set a career-best tally of 586 points in smallbore three times (at Morehead State on Nov. 2, 2024; against Memphis in Murray, Ky. on Jan. 28, 2024 and at Jacksonville State on Nov. 17, 2023) as a Skyhawk upperclassman.
"It's an honor and a privilege to serve as the interim head coach of my alma mater," Walther said. "I'd like to thank our Chancellor Dr. Yancy Freeman and Kurt McGuffin for this exciting opportunity. I am ready for the challenge and can't wait to get started."
Outside of the range, Walther honed her leadership skills by serving as an athletic liaison for the UT Martin Student Government Association as well as serving as president of the Skyhawks' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She was also part of a UT Martin rifle program that won three consecutive OVC Team Sportsmanship Awards (2022-25)
A Skyhawk Athletic Director's Honor Roll recipient this past fall, Walther is set to graduate from UT Martin with a degree in agricultural engineering in May.
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