University of Alaska Fairbanks Athletics

Results

RENO – The Alaska Nanooks rifle team completed their weekend road trip with a sweep, defeating the University of Nevada Wolfpack 4,666-4,654 on Sunday afternoon. Official results were not posted until Monday morning. Co-captains Sagen Maddalena and Soren Butler placed first and second overall, respectively, for the second-straight match.

"It was good to be back in Reno, we haven't shot here in a few years," interim head coach Layne Lewis said on Sunday night. "Despite some equipment malfunctions, the match went quite well. Sagen and Soren both shot great today and Robert had a personal-best day in air rifle."

Maddalena's aggregate score of 1,183 on Sunday was her fourth-straight first-place finish after shooting a 1,175 against UTEP on Friday, a 1,186 against Ohio State on Oct. 15 and a 1,183 against Ohio State on Oct. 14. Maddalena's aggregate score was 11 points higher than Butler, who placed second overall, and a full 18 points ahead of Nevada's Emily Capaul, who placed third overall with an aggregate of 1,165.

Maddalena shot a 591 in smallbore to rank first in the individual category, a full ten points ahead of Butler, who placed second in smallbore. Maddalena's 591 also tied her career personal-best as a Nanook, a feat she set on Feb. 8, 2015 at the Patriot Rifle Conference Championships.  Nevada's Mitchell Van Patten bested Maddalena in air rifle, edging her out for first place in the air rifle standings with a 593 to Maddalena's 592.

Butler posted impressive day on the range, collecting an aggregate score of 1,172 with a smallbore score of 581 and an air rifle score of 591. Butler's aggregate score was a full seven points ahead of third place, as the co-captain duo paced the competition throughout the day. The Casselton, North Dakota native ranked second overall in smallbore and third overall in air rifle for a very consistent day of shooting in Reno.

Junior Luke Johnson placed fourth overall with an aggregate score of 1,161, giving the Nanooks the three out of the top-five individual overall finishes on the day. Johnson shot a 577 in smallbore for fourth place and a 584 in air rifle for eighth place.

Redshirt sophomore Robert Scott was the only other Nook to finish in the top-10 overall on the day, posting a smallbore score of 565 and a career personal-best air rifle score of 588 to combine for an aggregate score of 1,153.

The Nanooks take a break from competition before returning the E.F. Horton Rifle Range at the Patty Center for back-to-back days of action, hosting the University of Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 19 before facing NC State on Sunday, Nov. 20. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 9am AKST.  

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle team page on Facebook.