Alaska rifle team ranked No. 1 again

Post date: Dec 3, 2013 5:34:31 AM

By Danny Martin DMARTIN@NEWSMINER.COM

Fairbanks — The Alaska Nanooks rifle team’s recent sweep of the University of Kentucky helped it return to the No. 1 ranking in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Poll on Wednesday.

The Nanooks, 6-0, this season downed the Wildcats with a record-setting 4,702-4,671 victory Saturday in the E.F. Horton Range in the Patty Center. On Sunday, the Nanooks won 4,695-4,689 to take the series.

Sophomore Tim Sherry paced Alaska with a scores of 588 and a season-high 590 in the smallbore competition and match his season best in the air rifle with 595.

His top smallbore and air rifle rifle scores are ranked second and third, respectively, in the NCAA.

The Nanooks are off until a Jan. 9 match against the Air Force Academy in Colorado. It’s also the Patriot Rifle Conference opener for Alaska.

Kentucky is No. 2 in the current poll while West Virginia and Jacksonvlle State (Ala.) are tied for third. Nebraska is fifth, followed by Texas Christian, Air Force, Ohio State, Army and Navy rounding out the top 10.

Memphis is 11th, and the rest of the top 20 consists, respectively, of Murray State, Mississippi, Tennessee-Martin, Akron, North Carolina State, Nevada, Morehead (Ky.), Columbus State (Ga.) and North Georgia.