Huskers Open 2003-04 Season This Weekend

The Nebraska women's rifle team has high expectations for the 2003-04 season, which opens this Saturday, Oct. 11, against Air Force at the Nebraska Rifle Range. The team returns three shooters from last year and welcomes an outstanding recruiting class that includes the top three individual performers at the 2003 Junior Olympics.

NU has already competed in practice matches and the team scores have been impressive, to say the least.

"In our practice matches, the team has performed extremely well," said Head Coach and former Olympic Gold Medal winner Launi Meili. "Our scores from these matches have already exceeded the team goals we had for last season."

Given that the Huskers finished last season ranked 14th, the improvement of the early-season team scores from this year's team compared to last year proves the 2003-04 rifle season will be a memorable one.

Returning shooters for NU include seniors Melissa Downsbrough and Karen Aspden and junior Laura Johnson.

Downsbrough was one of Nebraska's top shooters last year, finishing with a season high smallbore score of 1,171, the second highest season score on the team. In air rifle, Downsbrough recorded a season-high of 394, which tied for highest total on the team. Downsbrough, a three-time letterwinner, was team captain last season and will serve as captain again this season. She also set a career-best match average with an average score of 1,157 in smallbore. She finished the season with a match average of 387 in air rifle and 1,154 aggregate score.

Karen Aspden continued to improve last season, setting career-bests in smallbore (1,132), air rifle (385) and aggregate score (1510). Aspden has raised her match average in all three categories in every single year of her career. Last season's averages of 1,109 in smallbore, 377 in air rifle, and 1,486 aggregate score, were 15, six and 22 points better, respectively, than her averages for the 2001-02 season.

Johnson, a junior, set personal-bests in smallbore with 1,133, in air rifle with 384 and in aggregate score with 1,507. Johnson improved upon her match averages from her freshman year, by averaging 1,112 in smallbore, 376 in air rifle and 1,488 aggregate score. These averages were raised 35 points, seven points and 41 points, respectively, from her match average of 2001-02.

"The team has a lot more depth this year," Meili said. "We should be able to set a good pace and build on that as the season progresses."

Huskers Open 2003-2004 Season at Home
NU's women's rifle team opens the 2003-04 season against Air Force Saturday, Oct. 11 against Air Force at the Nebraska Rifle Range in the Military and Naval Sciences Building.

In 2002-03, Nebraska competed head-to-head against Air Force on two different occasions, with the Huskers winning both times. NU opened the season at home against Air Force last season as well, sweeping the events, winning 1,540-1,527 in smallbore, 4,613-4,546 in air rifle and 6,153-6,073 in aggregate score. The Huskers are 6-1 all-time in head-to-head competition against Air Force, although the Falcons edged Nebraska 6,108-6,089 at last year's NCAA Qualifier.

Competing in smallbore for NU will be Aspden, Downsbrough, sophomore Misty Chanek and freshman Kristina Fehlings. In air rifle, Downsbrough, Chanek, Fehlings and freshman Sarah Quinn will compete for the Huskers. Johnson and sophomore Stacy Underwood will shoot in both events as unatttached competitors.

NU Welcomes Five Newcomers
The Nebraska women's rifle team welcomes two true freshman and three transfers to the 2003-2004 team.

Each newcomer brings impressive individual accolades to the Huskers program.

Sophomore Misty Chanek comes to NU from Tennessee Tech. A member of the U.S. Development Team, Chanek took second place at the 2003 Junior Women National Championships, third place at the 2003 Junior Olympics and was the 2000 Texas 4-H Rifle Champion. Chanek also brings an impressive academic record to NU, being named Who's Who Among American High School Students, Texas Scholar and was also a member of National Honor Society at Ganado (Texas) High School.

Kristina Fehlings joins the Huskers from James W. Robinson High School in Fairfax, Va. A four-time letterwinner in rifle, Fehlings' club team finished first at the National Rifle Association (NRA) National Championship. Fehling's team also won the three-pair Junior Olympic Smallbore National Championship and the three-pair NRA Air Rifle National Championship. She also excels in the classroom, earning three academic letters and being selected to National Honor Society.

Sophomore Sherri Gallagher, from Prescott, Ariz., makes her way to Nebraska after a one-year stint at Texas Christian. Gallagher brings a very impressive resume to the Huskers. She holds 12 national records, earned first-place at the World Championships in Bisley, England, took second at the 2003 Junior Olympics and was captain of her club team which won the Great Britain World Under-25 Championships and placed second at the World Under-21 Championships. In addition to her athletic achievements, Gallagher was Valedictorian and Student Council President of Prescott Chritian High School in 2002.

Sarah Quinn comes to Nebraska from Franklin High School in Somerset, N.J. This summer, Quinn competed at the Nationals Camp in Perry, Ohio, where she helped her team earn first-place in the three-pair Air Rifle Championships and she also competed in the American Legion Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Quinn was also a National Honor Society member at Franklin.

After one year at Fullerton College, sophomore Stacy Underwood has made her way to Lincoln. In 2003, her Los Angeles club team won the California State Championship in English Prone, three-pair rifle, three-pair juniors and the team set five national team records. As a student, Underwood was recognized as an Honor Student Athlete and was named to the President's Honor Roll.

With the experience and talent level of this incoming class, head coach Launi Meili is looking forward to a great season.

"Our expectations for quality shooting are higher than they were last year," Meili said.

"The newcomers bring a lot of momentum to the team with their goals for college and nationals, and I think that momentum will carry over into the season."

Coach's Corner
Head Coach Launi Meili enters her second season at the helm of the Nebraska women's rifle team.

Before coming to NU, Meili was an assistant coach on the U.S. National Team from 1997 to 2000 and was a Junior and Elite level coach. Meili sits on the USA Shooting Board of Directors and was the creator of the International Coach Certification program, the highest level of coaching credential recognized by USA Shooting and the NRA.

Meili earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Eastern Washington in 1989 and a Master's Degree in Sports Psychology from Idaho in 2001. While at Eastern Washington, she was on the rifle team, earning NRA All-American in Air Rifle and in Smallbore.

Meili has achieved numerous honors in the sport of rifle, highlighted by her gold medal in three-position smallbore at the 1992 Olympics. A seven-time national champion in three-position rifle, she set three world rcords and numerous national records.

Looking Ahead
After hosting Air Force this weekend, the Huskers will take two weeks off before competing facing Kentucky, on Friday, Oct. 24, at Noon (cst) and Alaska-Fairbanks Sunday, Oct. 26, at Noon in Fairbanks, Alaska.