Huskers Host Alaska-Fairbanks on Senior Day

The No. 8 Nebraska rifle team concludes the regular season on Thursday when it welcomes seventh-ranked Alaska-Fairbanks to the NU Rifle Range at 8 a.m.

The match will serve as Senior Day for All-Americans Jaycee Carter and Rachel Martin. The duo has been influential to the team’s success both on and off the range according to Head Coach Ashley MacAllister.

“Rachel and Jaycee are co-captains this year and without a doubt, this is the best internal leadership that I have had,” MacAllister said. “The two of them work hard to be sure that the team is on the same page at all times. Both of our seniors are the best at listening to whatever you have to say and giving you feedback. They want to help you grow and be the best you can be on the range and off the range. They lead by example, not by force or might. They convince everyone around them that doing the right thing is necessary.”

Carter and Martin combine for a total of eight All-America awards and five NCAA Championships appearances. Additionally, Martin claimed the 2015 Smallbore Individual Title. Both Carter and Martin are two-time Academic All-Big Ten honorees and three-time members of the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Last Time Out
The Huskers traveled to Memphis, Tenn., on Jan. 28 to face Memphis and JSU.  By the end of the day the Huskers had added two more wins to their record, defeating both teams with a score of 4,656.  Memphis placed second with a score of 4,650, while JSU earned a score of 4,628 to finish third.

Martin led the Huskers in smallbore with a score of 582. Samantha Peterson fired a 574, while Dacotah Faught and Nina Radulovic earned 574 and 573, respectively. Nebraska was in second after smallbore, trailing Memphis 2,303 – 2,301.

The Huskers mounted a comeback in air rifle. Faught led the way with 593, while Martin and Carter notched a 590 and 589, respectively. Nebraska’s air rifle score of 2,355 was enough to vault them into the lead ahead of both Memphis and JSU at the end of the competition.

Huskers Ranked No. 8
The Huskers remain eighth in this week’s CRCA Top 20 Poll. The top spot still belongs to TCU, while West Virginia holds the second spot.  Murray State is in third, followed by Air Force, with Kentucky rounding out the top five.

Series History
The Huskers have struggled against Alaska-Fairbanks in the past, only winning two matches out of 29 attempts, dating back to 2000. The last time Nebraska defeated the Nanooks was in 2012. Alaska-Fairbanks has won that last five meetings, but the team is looking to break the streak on Thursday.

Scouting Alaska-Fairbanks
Alaska-Fairbanks cruised to a 4,666-4,381 victory over Coast Guard on Jan. 28. The Nanooks are 6-4 on the season, which included a 0-3 start, losing to Air Force, TCU and Ohio State. The team bounced back though to win five straight competitions, before falling to West Virginia. Shooters to watch include redshirt junior and five-time All-American Sagen Maddalena and All-American Soren Butler. Maddalena is one of the few athletes in the country to earn a near-perfect score of 600. The Groveland, Calif., native fired 599 in air rifle against Nebraska in 2014.

For the Fans
Fans can view live stats by visiting the following link:  http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=205688706. Also, look for updates on twitter (@NebraskaRifle) and Facebook (facebook.com/NebraskaRifle).

There will also be an equipment display and a free continental breakfast catered by Hy-Vee, beginning at 9 a.m. for all fans in attendance.