COLORADO SPRINGS, CO-The University of Alaska Fairbanks' rifle team fell just a bit short in their bid for a record seventh consecutive NCAA rifle title at the 2005 NCAA Rifle Championships at the United States Olympic Training Center.
Four points separated the Nanooks from successfully defending their championship.
UAF finished with 4656 points, and the Nanooks finished in fourth place overall, three points behind Army. Jacksonville State finished second, a point behind the Cadets with 4658 points, while Nebraska was third with 4657. Navy was fifth with 4637 points, and Kentucky sixth with 4627.
The Nanooks, who were in first place after Friday's small-bore competition, shot a score of 2322 in air rifle. JSU and Nebraska each shot 2338, Army shot 2331, Navy shot 2323 and Kentucky shot 2317.
Sophomore Matt Rawlings (Wharton,TX) and junior Jamie Beyerle (Lebanon, PA) each shot scores of 586. Rawlings advanced to the individual final, where he shot a scoe of 102, good for third place. He led the Nanooks on both days of the competition, winning the small-bore individual title Friday. Senior Matt Wallace (Fairbanks, AK) shot 585, while senior Joe Hein (Mason, MI) shot 565.
"It was disappointing," said UAF Head Coach Glenn Dubis. "Jamie was ill yesterday, and she wasn't at 100 per cent today, but none of us shot very well. I don't know if it was the pressure, but everyone was a little bit off in air rifle, and that certainly hurt us, no question about it. We shot as poorly in air rifle as we've shot all year, and if we had shot a little better in small-bore, it would have made up for it."
The competition was the final action of the season for the Nanook rifle team.
--UAF RIFLE-
