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The Nebraska rifle team is tied for seventh on the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Preseason Poll.
We are so excited for this upcoming season,” head coach Ashley MacAllister said. “Being tied for seventh is always a big honor. There are a lot of teams out there and we are happy to be at the top."
The Huskers finished eighth nationally at the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Akron, Ohio. This year, the team's roster includes three All-Americans in Rachel Martin, Jaycee Carter and UT-Martin transfer Dacotah Faught, along with five additional returners and four freshmen.
MacAllister and assistant coach Rick Johnson look to lead the team back to the NCAA Championships for a fifth consecutive year in 2017 and tie the program record for most consecutive trips to the NCAA Championships.
“Our goal for this year, as always, is to make a run for a national championship,” MacAllister said. "In some years it is harder than others. I expect many of the teams will continue to shoot well, but our goal will be to shoot the way we know how. We are going to work and love the grind day in and day out on the range. When we fall in love with the process and the steps we need to get to the top, then getting to the top seems easier.”
Defending national champions West Virginia clinched the top spot on the poll, while Murray State is ranked second. TCU comes in at No. 3 and Kentucky is ranked fourth. Ohio State ranks fifth, Alaska ranks sixth and Air Force is tied for seventh with Nebraska to close out the top eight teams in the poll.
All of the Huskers’ opponents this season are ranked in the Top 20, including three (West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio State) in the top five.
The Huskers begin the 2016-17 season on Oct. 15 when the team travels to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss, who holds the No. 15 spot on the poll. The match is set to begin at 8 a.m. Check huskers.com for more information.
CRCA Preseason Top 20 Poll
1. West Virginia
2. Murray State
3. TCU
4. Kentucky
5. Ohio State
6. Alaska
7. Nebraska
Air Force
9. NC State
10. Memphis
11. Jacksonville State University
12. Army West Point
13. Nevada
14. Navy
15. Ole Miss
16. Akron
17. Morehead
18. UTEP
19. UTM
20. North Georgia