Huskers Open 2021-22 Season against Ohio State Saturday

Lincoln -- The Mindy Miles era for the Nebraska rifle program begins on Saturday, Sept. 25, as the Huskers welcome Ohio State to the Nebraska Rifle Range.  Competition at the NU Rifle Range, located in the basement of the Military and Naval Science Building (the NW corner of 14th and Vine Streets), begins at 8 a.m., and admission is free. All fans in attendance are required to wear a mask.

Saturday's match is the first of eight matches during the fall portion of the schedule.

"It is a quick takeoff to the season and we have a lot of matches in the fall," Miles said as the Huskers have been training for the past couple of weeks. "After last season (with the reduced schedule and virtual meets for part of the season), the girls are looking forward to being able to compete at home and having fans again."

Saturday's match with the Buckeyes is the first meeting in Lincoln since the 2016-17 season and the first of five home matches during the 2021-22 season. Nebraska holds a 14-8 lead in the all-time series with the Buckeyes and has won the last two meetings, including a 4,670-4,658 win in the 2021 season opener last January.  

The Huskers and Buckeyes are in the same conference this fall, as both schools are in the Patriot Rifle Conference. The Big Ten does not sponsor rifle. 

Miles had served as assistant coach for the Huskers the past two years before being named head coach this past May. A former All-American at TCU and USA Shooting National Team member until her retirement in 2020, Miles helped the Huskers to back-to-back NCAA Championship appearances, including a sixth-place showing in 2021.  She is joined on the staff this season by assistant coach JT Schnering, who earned All-America honors at Alaska Fairbanks in 2018 and 2019.

The Huskers welcome back nearly its entire roster in 2021-22, including all five shooters that competed at the NCAAs last spring. NU returns senior All-Americans Emily Cheramie and Elena Flake, along with Kinga Aletto, Cecelia Ossi and Madelynn Erickson. The Huskers also added a pair of freshmen in Payton Fry and Mackenzie Strauch.

Cheramie is a five-time all-conference honoree and placed sixth at the NCAA smallbore finals in 2021. Last season, she paced the Huskers in smallbore (584.44), air rifle (591.44) and aggregate (1,175.88). Flake, a second-team All-American in 2020, was third on the team in both smallbore and air rifle average last season.

Aletto, Ossi and Erickson all competed in nearly every match last season, and Miles expects the trio to make significant contributions to the success of the Huskers this season. Aletto has competed in 25 matches as a Husker, including all 10 meets last season. Ossi ranked second on the team in both smallbore and aggregate, while Erickson was second in air rifle last season.

Of the returnees, Miles has been impressed with the efforts of Ossi, who was named captain for the upcoming season. The Annadale, N.J., native has made significant strides in training and is poised for a breakout sophomore campaign.

"Cecelia has done a really nice job of guiding the team," Miles said. "I want the team captain to be the voice of the team, and she is very level headed and communicates well. She puts the work in on the range as well as in the weight room and in her classes."

The Huskers also enjoyed a strong 2020-21 year in the classroom, taking home the Herman Team GPA award with a 3.744 GPA over the previous two semesters. It was not only the first time the rifle program had won the award since 2007, but also the second-highest Husker team GPA – men's or women's since 1995.

"We had the highest GPA on campus last year, and one of our goals is to keep the award this year," Miles said. "It is something we are pushing toward and showing that our program can excel in all aspects."
Following Saturday's match, the Huskers will travel to UTEP on Saturday, Oct. 9. The match with the Miners is slated for a 9 a.m. (central) start.