Shooters to Face Army, Navy this Weekend

Lincoln -- The Nebraska women's rifle team heads east to Palmyra, Pa., this weekend to face Army on Saturday and Navy on Sunday. Both matches begin at 8 a.m. (CST). The Huskers, 6-3 on the season, are coming off the most impressive performances in school history. In its last competition Jan. 9-10, NU topped the 6,200-point mark for the first time in school history, firing scores of 6,219 and 6,206.

"It will be tough to beat our scores from last week," Head Coach Launi Meili said. "But everyone should come very close.

"We view this as our last dress rehearsal before our qualifying match and we hope to keep maintaining a high level of competition."

This weekend's matches mark the final road matches of the season before the NCAA Championships in Murray, Ky., on March 13 and 14.

Huskers Continue to Post High Scores
The 2003-04 Nebraska rifle team is shaping up to be one of the best in school history. After finishing 14th at last year's NCAA Qualifier, NU is poised for an even better finish this season.

In the Huskers' last competition, the team recorded its two best aggregate scores of the year, totaling a school-record 6,219 points against UTEP and defending national champion Alaska-Fairbanks on Jan. 9, and 6,206 against Air Force on Jan. 10. These scores marked the first time Nebraska had ever eclipsed the 6,200-point plateau.

Totaling 6,200 is a rare feat in collegiate rifle. In fact, at the 2003 NCAA Championships, only Alaska-Fairbanks topped the 6,200 mark.

NU has also posted some of the top team scores in individual events this season. The Huskers recorded the nation's second-highest smallbore score on Jan. 9, finishing with a school-record 4,673. The previous school record was 4,641, set Nov. 11, 2000. Alaska-Fairbanks has the highest smallbore total this season, with a score of 4,758.

In air rifle, Nebraska fired a 1,552 on Oct. 26, which is the eighth highest total in the nation this season. Alaska-Fairbanks is again the leader with a total of 1,572.

Chanek Sets Record
Sophomore Misty Chanek set a new school record for the highest smallbore score when she fired a 1,184 against Alaska-Fairbanks and UTEP on Jan. 9.

The previous record was held by Nicole Allaire, who shot a 1,183 at the 2000 NCAA Championships. The previous high score in a team competition was also held by Allaire, set Feb. 13, 2000, when she fired a 1,180.

Chanek is in her first year at NU after competing at Tennessee Tech in 2002-03, where she finished 12th in smallbore at the 2003 NCAA Championship.

Looking Ahead
Following this weekend's matches, Nebraska will play host to its final regular season match of the season on Friday, Feb. 13, against UTEP. NU will face the Miners again on Feb. 14, which will serve as the Huskers' NCAA qualifying match.