All-Americans Lead Huskers to Successful 2007-08 Season

The Nebraska rifle team made head coach Morgan Hicks’ inaugural season a successful one, qualifying to its fifth straight NCAA Championships appearance. The Huskers, who have appeared at a total of seven NCAA Championships, finished fourth nationally with an aggregate score of 4,625 and a season record of 14-12.

 

Senior Kirsten Weiss closed the book on her accomplished NU career with a sixth-place individual showing in NCAA smallbore finals, notching a 90.9 (674.9). The Cornwall, Pa., native was honored as a second-team All-American in smallbore by the National Rifle Association, giving her a career total of three All-America awards.

 

Sophomore Amanda Jeffries and freshman Elisha LaFond also had outstanding showings at the national competition, as the duo also took home a pair of second-team All-America accolades in air rifle.

 

Four Huskers combined to win a total of 12 individual event titles in 2007-08, including six from Jeffries, who had four in air rifle and two in smallbore. Weiss added three in smallbore, while Costello claimed a pair in smallbore and McGough had one in air rifle in her first-year campaign.

 

The Huskers opened the 2007-08 season with a challenging two-match weekend, facing Kentucky and defending NCAA Champion Alaska-Fairbanks at the Nebraska Rifle Range. NU was unable to post a win in its first weekend of competition, falling 4,673-4,607 to UK and 4,654-4,614 to the Nanooks.

 

Nebraska then traveled to West Point, N.Y., posting a second-place finish (4,484) in a triangular with Army (4,660) and North CarolinaState (4,505). Two weeks later, the Huskers earned their first win of the season with a 4,619-2,299 routing of Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo. Three Huskers swept the individual titles, with Costello taking top honors in smallbore (574) and Jeffries and McGough tying for first in air rifle with a pair of 588 marks. McGough’s score also set a career high for the freshman.

 

After a six-week hiatus, NU returned to competition the weekend of Jan. 12, suffering a pair of narrow losses to West Virginia and Navy. On Saturday, the Huskers fell to the Mountaineers, 4,615-4,599. Weiss starred for the Huskers, capturing a share of the smallbore title with WVU’s Tommy Santelli, as both totaled a 579 on the event. Sunday’s match in the Palmyra Invite with Navy saw Nebraska defeated again by just one point, 4,583-4,582. Weiss provided another bright spot for the weekend, tying with defending NCAA champion Josh Albright with a 574 in smallbore.

 

On Jan. 26, the team returned home for the first time in nearly three months, but TCU bested the Huskers, 4,641-4,627. Weiss took home top honors in smallbore for the third straight match with a 583 and was just one point shy of a perfect score in kneeling.

 

Nebraska then rebounded with three consecutive wins, beginning with a score of 4,606 over Ole Miss (4,573) and UAB (1,989). Jeffries dominated the individual standings, winning both the air rifle and smallbore titles with scores of 589 and 578, respectively. In the team competition, NU topped the charts in both disciplines, notching scores of 2,272 in smallbore and 2,334 in air rifle. The Huskers earned their second win of the weekend with a victory over Memphis, defeating the Tigers 4,636-4,496. Jeffries captured the air rifle title with a score of season-best 590, while Weiss took top honors in smallbore with a season-high 585.

 

On Feb. 17, NU finished its regular season with a solid win, defeating Air Force 4,616-4,509. With their second win over the Falcons in 2007-08, the Huskers propelled themselves to the NCAA Championships for the seventh time in program history. Individually, Jeffries claimed her third consecutive air rifle title with a score of 589, while Costello topped the smallbore charts with a season high of 580.

 

At the GARC Championships in Oxford, Miss., Nebraska put up a fourth-place team performance with a score of 4,611. In the individual combined standings, Jeffries took third (1,167) and also earned runner-up honors in smallbore (680) and placed sixth in air rifle. LaFond added a fifth-place finish in air rifle finals.

 

For her top-four placing, Jeffries earned first-team All-GARC accolades for smallbore and overall, as well as a second-team award for air rifle. LaFond was named to the air rifle second team, and Weiss took honorable mention All-GARC status in smallbore.

 

In addition to numerous national and conference athletics honors, Nebraska also boasted academic success to its credit, as six current athletes were named to both the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall and Spring Honor Rolls. Weiss, McGough and senior Katie Harrington led the impressive contingent of Husker shooters with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages both semesters. Weiss, Harrington and fellow senior Kim Chrostowski made their eighth straight appearances on the list, while Jeffries was included for the fourth time in her career, and sophomore Christine Costello earned her third honor.

 

 

2008 Season Highlights

• NU finished with a 14-12 record and placed fourth at the NCAA Championships after making its fifth consecutive and seventh overall NCAA postseason appearance in program history.
• Three Huskers earned three All-America awards at the NCAA Championships: senior Kirsten Weiss (SB), sophomore Amanda Jeffries (AR) and freshman Elisha LaFond (AR).
• The All-American trio also earned five All-GARC awards at the GARC Championships: Jeffries (1st ? SB and overall, 2nd ? AR), LaFond (2nd ? AR) and Weiss (Honorable Mention ? SB).
• Seven Huskers were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Fall and Spring Honor Rolls: Weiss, Jeffries, seniors Katie Harrington and Kim Chrostowski, sophomore Christine Costello, freshman Ryann McGough and former Husker Kristina Fehlings.

   

 

Nebraska’s Individual Event Titles in 2007-08

Christine Costello (2)

Smallbore: 574 (at Air Force, 11/29/07), 580 (vs. Air Force, 2/17/08)

Amanda Jeffries (6)

Air Rifle: 588 (at Air Force, 11/29/07), 589 (at Ole Miss with UAB, 2/2/08), 590 (vs. Memphis, 2/3/08), 589 (vs. Air Force, 2/17/08)

Smallbore: 578 (at Ole Miss with UAB, 2/2/08), 585 (vs. Memphis, 2/3/08)

Ryann McGough (1)

Air Rifle: 588 (at Air Force, 11/29/07)

Kirsten Weiss (3)

Smallbore: 579 (at West Virginia, 1/12/08), 574 (vs. Navy at Palmyra Invite, 1/13/08), 583 (vs. TCU, 1/26/08)