Huskers Repeat as GARC Champions

Oxford, <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Miss. ? The Nebraska rifle team defended its title as Great American Rifle Conference champions today, winning its second straight championship with a combined team score of 4,676.  Defending national champion Army finished second with a score of 4,665, while Kentucky rounded out the top three with a score of 4,650.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

“We are very happy with how we competed this entire weekend,” Head Coach Launi Meili said.  “There is still some work to do on air rifle, but all in all we really feel like we performed well and we’re ready to carry that momentum into the NCAA Championships in a couple weeks.”

 

This is the second consecutive GARC title for the Huskers, who also won the regular-season title after posting an 8-0 season.  However, NU’s team score of 4,676 is 13 points higher this season than the score it shot one year ago to win the first GARC title.  The Huskers are now 2-for-2 in GARC titles since joining the conference for the 2004-05 season.

 

Nebraska started the two-day competition in smallbore where it posted a solid score of 2,335 to lead the pack heading into today’s air rifle competition, where the Huskers once again notched the highest event score with a 2,341 to win the combined team title.

 

Individually, senior Misty Chanek landed NU’s highest smallbore finish in second (589), while sophomore Kim Chrostowski gathered the highest finish in air rifle in third place with career-high mark of 591.  Sophomore Andrea Franz?n shot a 587, junior Kristina Fehlings shot a 579 and Chanek shot a 584 to finish out the Husker air rifle lineup.

 

“Kim (Chrostowski) shot a personal best today, and overall I think that was really one of our better performances of the entire competition,” Meili said.  “She did a terrific job and we’re all very excited for her.”

 

Nebraska placed shooters in the three, four, five and six spots in the combined competition with Chanek finishing third with an aggregate score of 1,173, Chrostowski finishing fourth with a score of 1,170, Franz?n finishing fifth with a score of 1,169 and Fehlings finishing sixth with a 1,168.

 

At the GARC awards banquet, Meili was honored as the 2006 Coach of the Year, while Chanek earned accolades as Senior of the Year.

 

Nebraska’s next challenge is the NCAA Championships on March 10 and 11, where the Huskers will try for their first-ever NCAA team title.