Complete Match Scores Quotes from head coach Dan Jordan
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Two days after tying their season high air rifle score the No. 6 Alaska Nanooks achieved a new level of success, setting a new season-high aggregate score of 4,672 in Saturday's NCAA Qualifier at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range.
The effort helped the Nanooks beat the visiting No. 9 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (4,645) and No. 12 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4,596) and helped to shore up their chances of landing one of the eight team spots for the NCAA Championships next month in Columbus, Ohio.
The Nanooks bested their previous team-high of 4,667, fired in a home win over Air Force on November 18, 2011. Alaska shot a 2,347 in air gun and a 2,325 in smallbore as they beat their guests and improved to 8-5 on the year and 4-1 at home.
JSU combined for a 2,341 in air rifle and a 2,304 in smallbore, while the Cornhuskers notched 2,325 and 2,271, respectively.
Sophomore Michael Liuzza's season-high 589 tied Nebraska's Janine Dutton for the best of the match, while Alaska sopohomore
Anna Hjelmevoll shot a 588 and freshman
Ryan Anderson had a 587 as the top-four shooters on the day.
Junior
Scott Franz was fourth best for Alaska, but as a non-starter his 584 didn't count in the team scoring. Rounding out the scoring shooters was sophomore
Julia Redzia who was right behind Franz with a 583. The Nanooks' fifth starter,
Mats Eriksson, shot a 581 and
Robert Williams fired a 566.
Hjelmevoll led the way for the Nanooks in smallbore, with a match-high 587, while Anderson's new season-high of 584, Liuzza's 579 and Redzia's 575 fell just shy when combined of the team's best smallbore score of 2,326, achieved at TCU on Noveber 1, 2011.
Rounding out the Nanooks competing in the relays were Franz (573), Eriksson (571) and Williams (559).
The Nanooks will await the announcement of the team and individual selections for the NCAA Championships, scheduled to be announced next week.
