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Smallbore Match Results]
FAIRBANKS, AK - The 10-time NCAA Champion Alaska Nanook rifle team got off to a solid start on the first day of their NCAA qualifiers, posting an aggregate team score of 2322. Seniors
Patrik Sartz (Stora Sundby, Sweden) and
Jace Bures (Odell, NE) tied junior
Cody Rutter (Palmyra, PA) for the match-high score, notching 581 apiece. Rounding out the starting team was senior
William Galligan (Eagle River, AK), who was just two points shy of his teammates with a 579.
"Everybody shot pretty well today," said head coach
Dan Jordan. "We have three weeks before we head to Championships so we are in a good place right now."
Alaska freshman
Aaron Holsopple (Pennsylvania) tied Galligan's mark (579) and senior
Layne Lewis (Fairbanks, AK) was close behind with a 578. Other Nanooks scores included
Taylor Beard's (Parker, CO) 576,
Dustin Chesebro's (Laramie, WY) 575,
Cole Bures' (Odell, NE) 574,
Scott Franz's (Livermore, CO) 568, and
Charles Whitmer's (Fairbanks, AK) 551.
"Our smallbore team should qualify for NCAAs," said Jordan. "Aaron and Layne will be close to qualifying as individuals, who usually get in around the 578/579 score range."
In total, six Nanooks marked perfect 10s in at least one of their prone shots, and Holsopple was the only shooter on the day to repeat the feat in another position. He hit a 10 on his last kneeling shot to tie for fourth among the matches' high scorers.
Their guests, the University of Alabama-Birmingham only had one shooter take the line as they specialize in the air rifle discipline. SirLinda Gee had a solid showing in her two prone shots (96/94), but wavered on her final four shots ending up with a 497.
The Blazers and the Nanooks will look to qualify a team and individuals in Sunday's air rifle competition scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. in the Patty Center's main gymnasium. A fan friendly 10-shot final will begin at 2 p.m. following special recognitions for Faculty & Staff Appreciation and the Nanooks' four-member senior class.
