Beyond the Bullseye: Sisters, Shooters, Scholars 

August 2025
By Tanya Torres '18, '21

When Kameron Wells first joined UTEP Women’s Rifle in 2024, she didn’t just find a team. She found a support system that embraced her individuality and supported her growth as a teammate and person. While Kameron was learning the ropes at UTEP as a student-athlete, her sister Kennedy was preparing to join her after finishing her final year in high school. Now, the sisters will be reunited and competing together at UTEP starting this fall. 

Born and raised in Weatherford, Texas, the sisters were introduced to rifle through a patient at the VA clinic their mother runs near Granbury. That moment led them to join their high school rifle team and continue competing in college. 

“One of her patients had a daughter on the team, so our mom encouraged us to give it a try. I joined the team and the next year my sister did as well,” Kameron said. 

Shooting for Success 

UTEP wasn’t originally on the sisters’ radar. They first learned about the University when their high school coaches, Lieutenant Colonel Casey and Mr. John Becker, told them about Coach Palafox, who leads UTEP Women’s Rifle. After an official visit, Kameron shared that they both fell in love with the campus and the city. 

Kameron first stepped onto campus with quiet determination—focused on excelling in matches and finding her place as a student. In high school, she spent long days in class followed by practices with a much larger team. At the college level, the rifle range gave her space to breathe and focus on personal goals. She realized college life was different from high school in the best ways. 

“I felt instantly welcomed. Everyone brings something different to the table, and I found a place where I could be myself,” Kameron said. “I think [the team] is very supportive and understanding,” Kameron said. 

Kameron found herself in a new community that meditated and stretched together before matches and wore silly socks as a team tradition. Feeling accepted in a tight-knit group helped her feel at ease as a freshman and newcomer to El Paso. 

The Stillness Behind the Challenges on and off the Rifle Range 

Beneath the lighthearted rituals was a rigorous discipline that was both mental and physical. Though some may think the sport lacks physicality, it demands precision, focus, and emotional control. Sitting still for an extended time while holding a rifle can take a toll. To prepare for matches, the team does yoga, stretching, and lifting exercises that help them on the range. 

“At the beginning, you are more physical but as you progress and become more competitive, it becomes more mentally tough. A lot of compartmentalization goes into it when it comes to moving and taking it one shot at a time,” Kameron said. “Being able to regulate your heart rate and emotions and keeping yourself in one place at a time is pretty difficult but that's the biggest part of it,” said Kameron. 

A Bond Sharpened by Competition 

The sisters, only a year apart, are extremely close. But as rifle teammates, their dynamic includes friendly competition. They know how to push each other as well as how to support one another. Their sibling bond will only strengthen as they continue to grow at UTEP as students and athletes. 

“There's a lot of encouragement and understanding of each other's emotions, being able to be there for each other, while learning how to be teammates to other people as well,” Kameron said. 

Before Kameron left for UTEP, she had a standout senior year in high school, winning the Marine Corps Service Championship. Despite some slumps after Kameron left for college, Kennedy performed at her best whenever Kameron came home to watch her matches. 

“When Kameron left for college, I wasn’t doing great. But every time she came down and watched my shoot, I felt like I shot a personal record every single time. And then I won the JRTC National Champions, too,” Kennedy said. 

Being teammates created a whole new relationship between the sisters. Their competitions revealed new sides to each other. Kameron has a quiet competitiveness, while Kennedy’s emotional intuition and their shared resilience have only grown stronger in every match. Now that Kennedy will be joining UTEP Women’s Rifle, the duo will continue to push each other to their highest potential on the range, in the classroom, and in the quiet moments that only sisters truly understand. 

Sisters Reunite 

With Kennedy starting classes this fall, the sisters will once again share the same team. Kennedy has kept up with Kameron’s experience, often visiting and getting to know the team and campus. 

“I think having somebody who has already experienced that dynamic and who is super close to me will help me because the team already pretty much knows me. I have watched them shoot and watched how they interact with each other. I am a little nervous, but they are all really sweet, but it'll be easy to fit in,” Kennedy said. 

For both sisters, the rifle team supports their athletic and academic goals. At UTEP, Coach Palafox created a schedule that emphasized balance. 

“We had a great program set up by coach Palafox to have us in the library eight hours a week studying. It felt like a lot in the beginning, but when we started getting heavier in the classes, it was nice to have that time set aside to do your homework or study for exams," Kameron said. 

Kameron, who is on the pre-med track, recently earned a spot on the 2025 Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholastic All-American Team. “I’ve earned a 4.0 and I want to keep it above a 3.75, since I'm a pre-med major, to be competitive. Continuing to prioritize academics is important. I want to earn my degree and then go to physician assistant school to be able to become a physician's assistant or work in the healthcare field,” Kameron said. 

Meanwhile, Kennedy is entering UTEP to pursue a criminal justice degree and is equally focused on maintaining strong academics. 

“Off the range, I want my GPA to stay high. I don't want to fall behind in any classes. I know coach wouldn't allow that and I am pushing to get my degree in criminal justice, and then figure it out from there,” she said. 

You can catch the home opener on October 4, when they host Ole Miss.