Huskers to Cap Season at NCAA Championships

The No. 7 Nebraska Rifle team will compete in its final matches of the season at the NCAA Championships on Friday, March 10 and Saturday, March 11. Both days of the championships will take place at the James A. Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio. 

Day one (March 10) will be the smallbore relays and day two (March 11) will be the air rifle relays. Both days are slated to start at 8:15 a.m. (central). 

This is the 19th time since 2000 that the Huskers have qualified for the championships, and the team will be looking for a strong finish to the season. The last time Nebraska finished in the top five of the NCAA Championships was during the 2014-15 season, under Head Coach Ashley McAllister.

"It's been a long season for the Huskers," said Head Coach Mindy Miles, who will not be traveling with the team due to health reasons. "The NCAA Championships is one of the most fun matches in an athlete's career."

Assistant Coach JT Schnering will step in as head coach for the Huskers in Miles' absence.

NU will take five athletes to the championships: Junior All-Americans Cecelia Ossi and Madelynn Erickson, sophomore Mackenzie Strauch and freshmen Emma Rhode and Vittoria Watts. All five have been significant contributors for the Huskers this season. 

Team captain Ossi has competed in 11-of-13 matches for Nebraska and has notched 10 top-five overall finishes in those matches, including one at the PRC Championships. She has finished in first place in three of those 10 matches. She has also added a top-10 finish against Alaska-Fairbanks on Nov. 13. Her smallbore (587.73) and aggregate (1,181.82) averages top the team.

Erickson has shot in all 13 matches for the Huskers. Her smallbore average of 584.15 is second on the team, and she has posted six top-five aggregate finishes, including two first-place, and four top-10 finishes.

Strauch has also competed in all 13 of NU's matches. She has contributed four top-10 overall finishes and a top-five finish. 

Rhode earned seven top-five finishes, including two first-place showings, and three top-10 finishes this season while shooting in all 13 matches for the Huskers. Her air rifle average of 594.38 leads the team, and she didn't shoot below 590 once in the discipline. Her aggregate average (1,178.00) is second on the team and her smallbore average (583.62) is third.

Watts has competed in 12-of-13 matches this season. Her air rifle (594.08) and aggregate (1,177.00) averages are third on the team, and she has not scored below a 592 in the air rifle. She has notched six top-five finishes and five top-10 finishes for the Huskers.

Ossi and Erickson have both competed in the NCAA Championships before – Ossi qualified as an individual last year in the smallbore event and placed ninth out of 45 shooters. Both athletes were part of the Nebraska team that qualified in 2020-21 and finished sixth.

NU will be joined by No. 1 TCU, No. 2 Alaska-Fairbanks, No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 5 Ole Miss, No. 6 Murray State and No. 8 Air Force. 

The Huskers have lost to both the Horned Frogs and the Nanooks twice, but have defeated the Falcons twice. NU recorded its season-high aggregate score the last time it faced Alaska-Fairbanks. 

"Akron does a great job hosting championships, and it should be a well-run match," said Miles. "The team has one more chance to shoot a score that represents this season. I'm proud they have continuously listed Nebraska records, but I would love to see them post scores they are each proud of at the end of the match."

One-stop results for the matches are available here and an overview of the championships, including a livestream, is available here. Live video will also be available on the NCAA's rifle home page.