Huskers Return to Action Against TCU

The Nebraska rifle team will return to the range Saturday, Nov. 6, to face the TCU Horned Frogs in an 8 a.m. match at the NU Rifle Range.  The Huskers enter the match riding the momentum of a strong opening weekend in which the squad swept Air Force.

TCU enters the match with four matches under its belt. The team lost its previous shoot against UMKC on Oct. 23 (2,253-2,178 in air rifle).  Prior to the head-to-head loss, the team had placed third in their five team Horned Frog Invitational, placed 11th out of 14 in the Ole Miss Open and 14th out of 18 in the Memphis Tiger Open.

The Horned Frogs will join Nebraska in the Great America Rifle Conference next season, and are a team that Nebraska Head Coach Launi Meili views as very comparable to Nebraska.

“TCU is a team now that is very much like us a few years ago,” Meili said.  “They have a new coach in Karen Monez who is a really good friend of mine and was a shooting teammate of mine for many years.  Much like my situation, she came into an already established program and it will take her a couple of years to make it her own.”

Last Action: Huskers Sweep Air Force

The Nebraska rifle team opened the season Oct. 22 with a 4,614-4,559 victory over the Air Force Academy. After narrowly edging the Falcons 2,288-2,287 in smallbore, the Huskers turned in a strong performance in air rifle, outshooting Air Force 2,326-2,272.

Sophomore Kristina Fehlings shot a 582 in smallbore to set the pace for the Huskers in the team competition, and freshman Kim Chrostowski shot a 584 to lead the Nebraska squad in air rifle.

The squad returned to the range Oct. 23 and again picked up a victory over the Falcons, 4,605 to 4,565. The Huskers again relied on a strong performance in air rifle to carry them to victory, outshooting the Falcons 2,319-2,291 in the event. Nebraska also took the smallbore crown, winning 2,286-2,274.

Junior Misty Chanek and freshman Kristen Weiss turned in the top performance for the Huskers in the smallbore team competition, each recording a 577. Fehlings lead the way for the squad in the air rifle team competition, shooting a 592.

Head Coach Launi Meili was very pleased with the effort.

“I think that it was a very good start for us,” Meili said. “I am really trying to mix up the team so that some of the new kids get match experience representing the university early in the season and get to feel the pressure that comes with that. As we progress, the matches are going to get continually harder and I’ll feel that this early experience will allow whoever is competing to succeed.”

New this Season: Olympic Final

This season, collegiate rifle has added an Olympic final to add further excitement to the matches.  In addition to the shortened regulation shoot, there is a 10-shot shootout at the conclusion of the match where each shot is timed and scored and the score of each shooter is continually updated.

“The Olympic final makes the shooters better prepared for what international competition will be like, and it makes our competition here much more exciting,” Meili said.  “It used to be just a four-hour shoot and then we were done and the scores were totaled.  Now the shooters are on the line and they are shooting shot-by-shot to determine the winner.”

While team scores are based upon only the regulation shoot, final’s scores are added to regulation scores to determine individual winners.  This allows shooters to influence their final standing with strong final’s performances.

Meili: Baby Steps

Head Coach Launi Meili is slowly easing her way back to the range.  She and her husband, NU cross country assistant coach Kevin Geddes, became first-time parents on Oct. 18.  Their newborn son, whom they named Bryce Owen Geddes, weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 21 inches long.

“Bryce is now two weeks old, and we are just so thrilled to have him,” Meili said.  “He is happy, healthy and hungry about every other hour.  We feel really blessed and very happy.”