Four Alaska rifle team members are All-Americans

Post date: Mar 18, 2014 1:15:37 PM

By Tim O’Donnell TODONNELL@NEWSMINER.COM

FAIRBANKS — After placing second at the NCAA Rifle Championships this past week, the Alaska Nanooks had four shooters earn a combined 10 All-American Awards at the post-championships banquet Saturday night at Murray State University in Murray, Ky.

Junior Ryan Anderson, junior Mats Eriksson, sophomore Tim Sherry and sophomore Lorelie Stanfield were all honored by the National Rifle Association Collegiate All-America Team and the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association All-America Team.

All four shooters were named NRA First Team All-Americans in smallbore while Anderson and Sherry were also named to the NRA First Team in air rifle.

Eriksson was a selected to the NRA Second Team in air rifle.

In its first year naming All-American teams, the CRCA selected Anderson and Sherry to the First Team while Eriksson was named to the Second Team.

The CRCA combines air rifle and smallbore into one team.

Anderson and Sherry were also named to the United States Shooting National Development Team. Anderson earned his spot after having the highest smallbore average in the nation during the college season.

Sherry qualified after winning the smallbore individual national championship in his first appearance at the NCAA Championships on Friday.

While the Nanooks season is over, Anderson, Sherry, Mike Liuzza and Eriksson are all competing at the World Cup USA on March 26-April 3 in Fort Benning, Ga.

Anderson is scheduled to compete in air rifle and the three-position events while Sherry will compete in the three-position match and Liuzza in the prone match.

Eriksson, competing for his home country of Sweden, will shoot in the three-position and air rifle matches.