AKRON, Ohio -- The 2015-16 season comes to a head this weekend for the No. 3-ranked Alaska Nanooks rifle team at the 2016 NCAA Rifle Championships in Akron, Ohio. The two-day event is scheduled to begin on Friday, March 11, with the smallbore, and conclude on Saturday, March 12, with the air gun. Relays for both days are set for a 6 a.m. AKT start time.
The Nanooks will not only be on the prowl for their 11th NCAA National Championship, but they'll also look for redemption after losing to No. 1-ranked, and three-time defending champion, West Virginia in last year's National Championship by just two points, 4,702-4,700.
The 2016 NCAA Championship will be held at the University of Akron. The Nanooks have already shot two meets at this year's NCAA Championship site. Alaska defeated the Zips, 4,661-4,598, back on Nov. 5, and then placed fourth with a 4,680 at the NCAA Rehearsal Meet on Nov. 7 in Akron.
| Dates & Time | March 11 & 12 | 6 a.m. AKT |
| Location | Louis & Freda Stile Athletics Field House
Akron, Ohio |
| NCAA Championship Page | Live Targets | Click Here | Click Here |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook |
Alaska surges into the NCAA Championships with a head of steam, as the team has posted back-to-back 4,700-plus aggregated scores. The Nanooks collected a 4,709 in a tri-meet win over Nevada and UTEP back on Feb. 18 at the E.F. Horton Range, and then tallied a 4,700 in the NCAA Qualifier two days later against the same two teams.
"Things have been going really well lately, and we're peaking at the right time," said head coach Dan Jordan. "We figured out a few things to bring up our consistency, which we've kind of been lacking this season, and everything is clicking at the right time. We just had our best practice of the year this past Saturday, so we're ready to go."
The head coach said the past month has been huge for his team. Earlier in the season, there was a consistency problem. Jordan says that issue has been corrected, and getting more consistency from his team has led the late season charge.
"We had different people hitting at different times for us early in the year, and that led to some lower team scores. It's never been a question of talent for us, it's just getting more consistent. We've been seeing that a lot more of it in this past month, and that will give our team a ton of confidence going into this weekend."
The weekend kicks off with the smallbore on Friday, where All-American Tim Sherry looks to add another individual title to his impressive collegiate resume. Sherry took the top spot in the smallbore in 2014, and he is poised for another run at an individual championship.
Sherry is averaging a 585.8 in the smallbore through 11 meets this season, and he has posted four of the team's top five individual scores in the event. Sherry hit a season-best 590 in the season-opening meet against No. 9 Ohio State, and has posted a 586-or-better in six meets this season.
Saturday's finale will feature the air gun, where the Nooks are led by redshirt sophomore Sagen Maddalena. Maddalena enters the NCAA Championship as one of the top air gun shooters in the nation, and will be considered one of the favorites to win the event in Akron.
The Groveland, California native is averaging a 593 score in the air gun this season, and has won six individual titles. She has shot a 597-or-higher in six meets, which includes a personal-best 598 on four separate occasions.
"Sagen and Tim have put up some impressive numbers this season," Jordan expressed. "Tim is a senior, so he has some pretty high goals, and we're looking for Sagen to continue to perform well on the big stage for us. We're also looking to get a lot out of the other shooters we're bringing. Soren Butler has been here before, and has been putting up some great scores. Luke Johnson is peaking at the right time and we're looking forward to seeing what he can do, and freshman JT Schnering has performed well in all of our big meets this season."
Jordan stats that this weekend's championship will feature a heap of dead-even competition, and he could see any of the top four teams standing atop the first place podium on Saturday night.
"It's really a tossup on who has the better day. People have been shooting some monster scores this season, so it will be a fun event."
The heads on favorite will be the three-time defending champion, West Virginia. The Nanooks have went head-to-head with WVU twice this season, falling both times, but Jordan's team is embracing the role of an underdog, a position that the 10-time NCAA Championship program is unfamiliar with.
"I think it is neat going in as the underdog. The struggle we had earlier in the season really showed our character, because we had to fight and put in more work to get better. West Virginia has been putting up some high scores all year, and they've been No. 1 all season, so the pressure is on them to perform. We are coming in with no pressure, so we can just let loose and see where it goes this weekend."
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like Alaska Nanooks Rifle on Facebook.
