FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks rifle team returns to action as they welcome Akron, Army, and Ole Miss for a four-team matchup at the Tanana Valley Sportsman Association on Saturday.

Saturday, Jan. 18
Vs. Akron/Army/Ole Miss | 8 a.m. AKST
Fairbanks | TVSA

Live Targets

Last Time Out
This is the first match of 2025 for the Nanooks. The Nanooks have not been in NCAA action since Nov. 21-22 when they faced The Citadel and Georgia Southern. Against The Citadel, the Nanooks defeated the Bulldogs 4742-4564. The following day, the Nanooks defeated No. 3-ranked GSU 4738-4715. 

#NookNotes

• Cecelia Ossi is seventh in the nation for average aggregate with a season average of 1185. Sára Karasová follows in ninth with an 1184.25 average aggregate score this season. 
• Three other Nanooks have an average aggregate score of 1183 or better as Rachael Charles has a season average of 1183.33, Lucie Kissenberger has an average of 1183.167, and Amanda Pettersen holds an 1183 average. 
• Elli Spencer is the sixth Nanooks shooter with an 1180 average, posting an average aggregate of 1180.166.
• Three Nanooks are averaging a 596 in air rifle. Pettersen leads the way with a 596.5 air rifle average. Spencer follows with a 596.33, and Karasová has a 596.
• In smallbore, Ossi leads the way with a 589.5 average. She is currently sixth in the nation in smallbore average.
• Karasová follows with a 588.25, and Charles and Kissenberger are tied for third on the team with a 587.667. 

Cream of the Crop
The Nanooks lead the nation in aggregate average this season. Alaska is averaging 4739.667 aggregate points through the first half of the year. West Virginia follows with a season aggregate of 4738.286 and Kentucky is third with a 4732.875 average. Alaska's 286.167 in air rifle also leads the NCAA with West Virginia in second and Georgia Southern in third. 

Alaska's 2353.5 average in smallbore is second in the nation, behind just West Virginia's 2354. The Nanooks are above Kentucky, which is in third with a 2350.25.

Training Trip
Over the holiday break, the Nanooks took an international training trip to Greece.

The team brought in the New Year on planes to Athens, Greece. We had four athletes meet in D.C. to head overseas, while our internationals and another USA athlete met us in Athens on Jan. 1! Arriving on the first, we got checked into our first AirBnB and settled in before a week of training and exploring.

Day 2 - Gear Drop at Range and Ferry Ride to the Island Aegina 
The team saw Greece from the sea and was able to explore a monastery as well as an ancient temple site of Aphaia. Highlights were the town being right on the water as well as the friendly cats around the Island.

Day 3 - First Day of Training
The Nanooks dusted off the guns and shot air rifles for the first time since Winter Air Gun. After three hours on the range, we left for our first stop in Athens at the Acropolis overlooking the entire city. We saw the Parthenon dedicated to the goddess Athena and visited the Prison of Socrates.

Day 4 - Outdoor Training and Panathenaic Stadium
Training outdoors 50 meters and then went and saw the Panathenaic Stadium where it hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Also a highlight was Athens being the host of the 2004 Olympics, head coach Will Anti was able to see the city his father competed in. 

Day 5 - Training both air rifle and smallbore and then a stop at the beach for volleyball and a chilly dip in the ocean. 

Day 6 - Epiphany - National Holiday.
No shooting that day but the team split, one group taking a short flight to the Island of Santorini and the other group getting checked into the new AirBnB and exploring Athens for the afternoon. Highlights from the day were the Santorini group saw the diving for the cross. The other group in Athens found their way into the National Archaeological Museum and the War Museum!

Day 7 - Practice Match and an Evening Hike on Mount Lycabettus 
The new AirBnB was just a 10-minute walk to museums as well as this awesome hike that rose up even higher than the Acropolis with a panoramic view of all of Athens. 

Day 8 - Air Rifle practice competition and free afternoon for the athletes to explore in the last few hours of the trip! 

What's to Come
After hosting this weekend's four-team matchup, the Nanooks will be at home back-to-back weekends as they welcome Air Force to Fairbanks next weekend on Jan. 25-26, and then they'll wrap up their 2024-25 home schedule with Kentucky on Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Following Kentucky, the Nanooks will hit the road for a matchup at Ohio State, the PRC Championships, their NCAA Qualifier at UTEP, and the 2025 NCAA Rifle Championships in Lexington, Ky. 

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