Huskers Drop First Matches Against Ohio State and TCU Despite Record Air Rifle Score

Columbus, Ohio- The No. 7 Nebraska Rifle team dropped a pair of matches to top-11 teams, falling to No. 11 Ohio State, 4,708-4,699. NU also lost to No. 2 TCU with a score of 4,737-4,699.

Nebraska dropped to 4-2 on the season with the losses.

Despite dropping the matches, the Huskers beat the team air rifle score record, posting a mark of 2,379. It broke the previous record of 2,376 set in the 2017 GARC conference championships. 

Junior All-American Cecelia Ossi placed fifth overall with a score of 1,181, while freshman Vittoria Watts was seventh overall with a score of 1,177.

In the air rifle, Ossi and Watts earned spots in the top five. Ossi was fourth with a score of 595, and Watts came in fifth with a score of 595. The tiebreaker was broken by the number of 10-point shots. Junior All-American Madelynn Erickson shot her personal best at a 595, and placed sixth. Sophomore Mackenzie Strauch was 12th while shooting her personal best at a 592. 

"Some good things came out of smallbore, but as a team, we really struggled," said Head Coach Mindy Miles. "They will know what needs work in the next week and a half before we travel to Alaska. Kenzie (Mackenzie) Strauch shot a 580 smallbore and a 592 air, which is a personal best for her. The team beat the team air score and shot a 2,379. That is a huge accomplishment. The next few matches, I'm hoping we put the two guns together."

In the smallbore, Ossi finished in fifth with a score of 586. Strauch also shot a personal best in the smallbore at 580. 

Nebraska will have a break next weekend, before traveling to Fairbanks, Alaska to take on the Alaska Nanooks on Nov. 12-13.