Post date: May 20, 2014 12:41:16 PM
By Tim O’Donnell TODONNELL@NEWSMINER.COM
FAIRBANKS — Current and former Alaska Nanooks shine at the 2014 USA Shooting Rifle/Pistol World Championship Selection match in Fort Benning, Georgia. Four current and former Nanooks placed in the top-nine in the prone discipline.
Former Nanooks and Olympic gold medalist Matt Emmons took first overall and qualified for the International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship. Emmons shot for the Nanooks from 1999-2003.
Emmons was in second place after the first day of the competition but won the individual final on the second day to take the lead by 1.2 points. He expanded the lead to 2.5 points on the final day.
Outgoing senior Mike Liuzza finished fourth overall thanks to a strong showing on the final two days of the competition. Liuzza sat in 12th after the first day but had the second highest score on the second day to jump to eighth place. A fourth place showing on the final day gave Liuzza fourth overall.
Former Nanook Joe Hein, who shot for the program from 2001-05, finished seventh overall.
Junior Ryan Anderson took ninth overall.
Anderson finished third in the air rifle match on Wednesday to earn a spot on the World Championship team.
Anderson, Liuzza, Emmons, Hein and sophomore Tim Sherry are shooting the three-position, smallbore match beginning today and running through Thursday.