NU Rifle Team Takes Third at NCAA Championships

Lexington, Va. - The Nebraska rifle team, in only its second year of collegiate competition, took third in the team competition at the NCAA Rifle Championships held at the Virginia Military Institute over the weekend. The Huskers compiled a total aggregate score of 6,122 points on the strength of a second-place finish in the air rifle (1,545 out of 1,600) and a fourth-place finish in the smallbore (4,577) to place them third overall in the team competition.

In the smallbore, the Huskers were led by freshman Nicole Allaire, who shot a team high 1,164 out of 1,200. On Friday, Allaire claimed the individual smallbore title firing a 1,183 and finished 15th (383) in the individual air rifle competition. Freshmen Amanda Trujillo fired a 1,153, while Victoria Ridge fired a season high 1,139. Sophomore Rachel Spiry, a graduate of Lincoln East, finished with 1,121. On Friday, Trujillo finished seventh in the individual competition with a 1,163. Alaska Fairbanks took the team title firing a championship record 4,707.

In the air rifle, sophomore Terim Richards, a Louisville, Neb., native, led the Huskers firing a 390 out of 400. Richards, who has only been competing with air rifle for 18 months, finished fifth in the individual air rifle competition on Friday shooting a 391. Both Allaire and Trujillo fired a 388, while Ridge shot a 379. Alaska Fairbanks took the air rifle title with an NCAA record team total of 1,578. The Nanooks captured their third NCAA team title with an NCAA record aggregate score of 6,285.

Head Coach Karen Anthony was recognized, along with Alan Joseph of Xavier, as the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Coach of the Year.