FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks rifle team kicks their 2023-24 regular-season with the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14. 

Friday, Oct. 13
vs. Ohio State | Live Targets
TVSA - 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, Oct. 14
vs. Ohio State | Live Targets
E.F. Horton Rifle Range - 9:00 a.m.

National Champions
The Nanooks are shooting for the first time since the 2023 National Championships at Akron last season. In smallbore, the Nanooks won the gold with a team score of 2349. In air rifle, they won the gold after shooting a 2380. Those scores combined for a 4729, and national championship. Rylan Kissell grabbed an individual title as well as the team title, winning the air rifle national championship. He fired the first-ever perfect score in air at the NCAA Championships before taking the crown in the finals. His teammate, and returning Nanook, Rachael Charles, joined him in the finals round and brought home the bronze medal.

Returning Talent
The Nanooks are returning four from last season's team. Tobias Bernhoft-Osa, Rachael Charles, Marina Gonzalez Mazo and Sára Karasová all look to carry-on last season's momentum. 

All-Americans
The Nanooks celebrated a number of CRCA All-American awards last season. Two returners were awarded All-American status as Sára Karasová and Charles both earned the awards. Karasová was named a CRCA Aggregate All-American Second Team selection with First Team Smallbore and Second Team Air Rifle honors. Charles was named a CRCA Aggregate All-American Honorable Mention choice as a freshman. She also added a CRCA Smallbore Second Team honor. 

Newcomers
Alaska welcome four newcomers to the team for the 2023-24 season. Elli Spencer was the first newcomer for the new year and is a freshman coming from Boise, Idaho. The freshman is a member of the USA National Development Team and won plenty of honors before joining the Nanooks. She is the 4-H smallbore 3P national record holder, was a 2022 USAS National Championships U18 silver medalist in air, a 2022 Junior Olympics U18 smallbore champion and air rifle silver medalist while also becoming a 2022 4-H national smallbore champion and 2022 CMP nationals air rifle U18 champ. "Elijah was our first signee of the year. After an impressive Junior Olympic showing her Junior year of highschool she was quickly thrust into the forefront of most every top colleges recruiting conversations. She burst onto the scene after being relatively unknown by many. Elijah brings an impressive shooting resume to Fairbanks. She is a member of the US Development Team and has long term Olympic aspirations. Elijah has a distinct intensity and competitive edge. Elijah was also coached by former Nanook and Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Corkish, a multi time National Champion with the Nanooks both as an individual and team." said head coach Will Anti. 

Akihito Shimizu is the next addition. He joins the Nanooks after spending the previous years with West Virginia. He comes to Fairbanks as a graduate-transfer. Shimizu was a Mountaineer from 2019-2023 and while at WVU, garnered All-GARC honors alongside two All-American First Team Air Rifle honors, two Aggregate All-American Second Team honors and a pair of All-American Second Team Smallbore honors. "Akihito is a graduate transfer from West Virginia University. Akihito has been one of the most impressive shooters in the NCAA for years. Along with being extremely kind and respectful he is known as one of the hardest working athletes in the NCAA. I am excited to work closely with Aki as he works to have his most successful season yet. When you work with a shooter of that caliber the learning really becomes a two way street - we will definitely improve as coaches as he improves as a shooter. Aki was a late addition for us but his impact will be huge, not only his results but his infectious work ethic. He'll set the standard for newcomers as to what a day of work looks like." said head coach Will Anti.

The third addition is Katrina Demerle. Demerle is a freshman from Hamilton, Ohio and was a 2021 El Salvador Grand Prix air rifle gold medalist. She competed in the 2021 Junior World Cup in Lima, Peru, has a CMP distinguished badge #1 and is a four-time Junior Olympic Championship medalist. "Katrina is another extremely accomplished shooter out of highschool. Her resume, specifically in CMP matches, could fill this press release. Katrina is coming to UAF with a fresh outlook. She has already proven to be a great teammate and a fun presence in the range. She certainly will be one to watch for; I'd say she may have a bit of a chip on the shoulder mentality. We have had a number of team members like that and they are typically dangerous - most recently I'd say Rylan Kissell came in with a similar mentality: an excellent shooter but something to prove to the other teams and coaches that passed them by. I like to work with that personality type. Additionally Katrina has competed for the US Team on multiple occasions, most recently at the 2021 Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru so the big stage is nothing new to her. " said head coach Will Anti. 

The final addition for the Nanooks in the 2023-24 season is Matthew Stout. Stout is an incoming freshman and is from Poquoson, Va. "Matt Stout is coming to us on the rise. He has had some strong airgun matches recently and solid smallbore given his relative lack of access to training over the last year. Thematic of this class, he is an all-around good guy. I was excited we got a chance to recruit him and further excited when he decided the 'Nooks were the right fit for him. He will improve quickly. He is already a good shooter - as soon as he realizes that he'll be in business. That first year of college is usually where that confidence and self efficacy grows - it will be fun to watch and be a part of that process." said Anti. 

Overall Class
Coach Anti had this to say when speaking about the overall incoming class, "This is our most comprehensive class of recruits since I have joined the team. It's the widest range of personalities, experience levels, and even ages that we have ever recruited. I felt it was quite necessary to bring in a big diverse class as we look to make a run at a title defense. I think it shows some evolution in our coaching and recruiting that we are moving away from a homogeneous single mindset shooter but rather trying to get a well rounded diverse group that will bring new ideas and energy to the table. Getting stale in our recruiting and coaching is something we want to continue to avoid and this class is indicative of that goal. We were extremely fortunate to have this new group of 'Nooks choose Fairbanks as home. Now that they have all arrived in one piece it's time for the work to begin."

2023-24 Schedule
The Nanooks open up their season this Friday and Saturday against Ohio State. Friday's matchup will be held at the Tanana Valley Sportsmans Association before holding Saturday's matchup at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range in the Patty Center. After opening-weekend, the Nanooks won't shoot until Nov. 4-5 when they head to TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. After TCU, the Nanooks will welcome Akron and Kentucky to TVSA for a three-team matchup on Nov. 19, finishing up their 2023 portion of the schedule. 

Alaska will open up 2024 on Jan. 20-21, 2024 at Navy. Their first matchup against Navy will come in Annapolid, Md. before they face-off again the next day in Centreville, Va. The final regular-season matchup for the Nanooks will come on Feb. 1, 2024 at Ohio State. There, they'll face Ohio State and Air Force before the PRC Championships on Feb. 3-4, 2024 in Fort Wayne, Ind. at The X Count. The 'Nooks will welcome UTEP to town on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 for their 2024 NCAA Qualifier before the NCAA Championships on Mar. 8-9, 2024 at West Virginia. 

Volleyball Pregame
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the Nanooks will have coffee and donuts available for those in attendance. The 'Nooks will have their NCAA Championship trophies on display as well. Come grab some breakfast, enjoy the Nanooks rifle match and then head upstairs to the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium to catch the Nanooks volleyball team in action at 2:00 p.m.!