CHARLESTON, S.C. – The 2017-18 season comes to an end this weekend for the No. 5-ranked Alaska Nanooks coed rifle team, as the Nooks are set to compete in the 2018 NCAA Rifle Championships in Charleston, South Carolina. The two-day event is scheduled to begin on Friday, Mar. 9 with the smallbore discipline and conclude Saturday, Mar. 10 with air rifle. Relays for both days are scheduled to begin at 6am AKST and will take place at the McAlister Field House on The Citadel campus.
The Nanooks are not only in the hunt for their 11th NCAA National Championship title, but this year also continues Alaska's streak of having the most consecutive NCAA appearances of any other collegiate rifle program. Alaska has attended the NCAA Championships every year since the 1991 National Championships, making it their 27th consecutive appearance.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks were last in action in February, as the team defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham Dragons 4688-4519 in an NCAA National Championship qualifying match at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range on Feb. 16. The Nooks were outshot by their opponent in both disciplines, shooting a 2327 in smallbore and a 2361 in air rifle. Individually, Alaska swept first through ninth place with redshirt-senior
Sagen Maddalena registering an aggregate score of 1187 to lead all shooters.
#HuntFor11
Since the program's first NCAA National Championship appearance in 1991, the Alaska Nanooks have recorded 10 national championship titles and have been the runner-up on seven occasions. Alaska has won the NCAA Championship title in 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and most recently 2008. The Nooks were runners-up in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2010, 2014 and most recently 2015.
Individually, Alaska has produced 16 NCAA Champions, most recently, former Nanook
Tim Sherry ('16), who won the smallbore individual title in 2014.
Back Again
Like this season, the Nanooks entered the 2017 NCAA Championships ranking fifth out of eight teams. The Nanooks closed-out the 2016-17 season finishing fifth as a team, with senior
Luke Johnson being the only Alaska shooter to qualify for the finals, competing in smallbore.
Scouting the Competition
The Championships will feature the top-eight teams in the nation: five-time defending national champion No. 1 West Virginia, No. 2 TCU, No. 3 Murray State, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 6 Air Force, No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Nebraska. Also competing are the top smallbore qualifiers from Navy, NC State, Memphis and UT Martin, as well as the top air rifle qualifiers from Ole Miss, Memphis, Army and Navy.
Schedule of Competition
Thursday, Mar. 8
- 8:45-10:00am EST Air Rifle Practice Relay 1
- 10:30-11:45am EST Air Rifle Practice Relay 2
- 12:45-2pm EST Smallbore Practice Relay 1
- 2:30-3:45pm EST Smallbore Practice Relay 2
Friday, Mar. 9
- 9:45am EST Air Rifle Relay 1 Sighting
- 10:15am-12pm EST Air Rifle Relay 1
- 12:15pm EST Air Rifle Relay 2 Sighting
- 12:45-2:30pm EST Air Rifle Relay 2
- 3pm EST Air Rifle Individual Finals Sighting
- 3:30-4:30pm EST Air Rifle Individual Finals
Saturday, Mar. 10
- 9:45am EST Smallbore Relay 1 Sighting
- 10:15-11:30am EST Smallbore Relay 1
- 11:45am EST Smallbore Relay 2 Sighting
- 12:15-1:30pm EST Smallbore Relay 2
- 2pm EST Smallbore Individual Finals Sighting
- 2:30-3:45pm EST Smallbore Individual Finals
Record Breakers
This season, the Alaska Nanooks broke all three team program records in smallbore, air rifle and aggregate total… all in one week's time. Alaska set a new program record in aggregate total (4725) and smallbore (2350) against the Ole Miss Rebels on Jan. 19 before breaking the program's team record in air rifle (2378) against Nevada on Jan. 27.
Career-Bests
Of the five Alaska Nanooks who will be competing in the National Championships this weekend, below is their career-best scores in smallbore, air rifle and aggregate total.
| Shooter |
SB Career High |
Date & Opponent |
AR Career High |
Date & Opponent |
AG Career High |
Date & Opponent |
| Liam Eberhart |
588 |
Jan. 19, 2018 vs. Ole Miss |
587 |
Jan. 19, 2018 vs. Ole Miss |
1175 |
Jan. 19, 2018 vs. Ole Miss |
| Luke Johnson |
588 |
Jan. 10, 2017 vs. West Virginia |
599 |
Jan. 27, 2018 vs. Nevada |
1184 |
Jan. 19, 2018 vs. Ole Miss |
| Sagen Maddalena |
591 |
(4x) Most recently: Feb. 17, 2018 vs. Ohio State |
599 |
(5x) Most Recently: Feb. 2, 2018 vs. AF/UTEP |
1189 |
(3x), Most Recently: Jan. 19, 2018 vs. Ole Miss |
| JT Schnering |
586 |
(3x) Most Recently: Jan. 21, 2018 vs. West Virginia |
594 |
(2x) Most Recently: Feb. 17, 2018 vs. UAB |
1180 |
Jan. 21, 2018 vs. West Virginia |
| Robert Scott |
583 |
Jan. 8, 2018 vs. Jacksonville State |
595 |
Oct. 15, 2017 vs. Air Force |
1169 |
Jan. 8, 2018 vs. Jacksonville State |
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle team page on Facebook.
