FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks rifle team will open up Nanooks athletics and their season on Saturday, Nov. 14 when they hit the road to face-off with the Memphis Tigers in Memphis, Tenn.
According to the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA), the Nanooks come into the 2020-21 season ranked T-10
th with Akron, while Memphis is next in line at 12
th in the NCAA. The matchup will be the first between the two programs in a head-to-head matchup.
| Opponent |
#12 Memphis Tigers |
Dates & Times |
Saturday, Nov. 14 at 4:00 a.m. AKT
Smallbore 3x20 followed by Air Rifle
Sunday, Nov. 15 at 4:00 a.m. AKT
Smallbore 3x20 followed by Air Rifle
(Potential of two groups each day) |
| Location |
R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range – Memphis, Tennessee |
| Follow Along Live |
Live Stats |
Last Time Out
This will be the opening weekend for the 2020-21 Alaska Nanooks rifle team following a season that was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Despite not qualifying for the NCAA Rifle Championships in the team category, the 'Nooks sent Kellen McAftery to the Championships after he shot a 587 in smallbore at the NCAA Rifle Qualifiers, hosted by UTEP. That score was the top qualifiers score. Unfortunately for McAferty, the NCAA Championships were canceled before he could shoot in Lexington, Kentucky.
New Era
Nanooks rifle enters into a new era. Not only is it a new decade, but it is now the
Will Anti-era. Layne Lewis carried the interim head coach title before being named the official head coach of the rifle team on Sept. 6, 2017. After three full seasons, Lewis stepped down following the 2020 NCAA Championships, opening the door for Anti, a recent graduate of West Virginia and a part of two national championship teams (2016/2017) and two national runner-up teams (2018/2019).
Alongside Anti, the 'Nooks welcome
Daniel Enger, a transfer from Navy,
Marina Gonzales Mazo, a freshman from Logroño, Spain,
Rylan Kissell, a R-Fr. from Denver, Colo. and
Tiffany Larcom, a freshman from Valdez, Alaska.
Location
Memphis, Tenn. will be the location of Saturday and Sunday's match. They will be shooting at the R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range on the campus of the University of Memphis. Officially opened in April of 2019, the R.F. Fogelman Rifle Range helped bring Memphis back to campus after 20 years of off-campus competition.
Quotes from Coach
Coach Anti when asked about his team's preparation through the preseason,
"The team has made a lot of progress in the preseason. They have been extremely open-minded and willing to try out new ideas. They've worked extremely hard and been extremely motivated."
Coach Anti when asked about expectations and what he is most excited about for this weekend,
"I expect some good performances and some learning opportunities along the way. Certainly the season is taking a different shape than any of us may have expected so we need to continue to be flexible and nimble to changing circumstances. The team has already done a great job of that this year, and I expect that to continue. We are taking on a tough slate of competitors for the first road trip of the year; I'm excited that we get to hit the ground running with a great challenge. I know the entire team could not be more eager to get a match under their belts and showcase the work they have been putting in this fall."
Itinerary
The Nanooks and Tigers will get started on Nov. 14-15 at 4:00 a.m. AKT.
- Smallbore 3x20 (20 shots at standing, kneeling, prone) followed by air rifle
- If two groups, small break following air rifle
- Group two would follow same structure, smallbore 3x20 followed by air
Follow Nanooks Rifle
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks rifle team, follow @NanooksRifle on Twitter or IG, and like the Alaska Nanooks Rifle team page on Facebook. Results will be posted as soon as received from host team.
