Post date: Feb 20, 2015 11:58:10 PM
Tim O'Donnell Todonnell@newsminer.com
FAIRBANKS—The Alaska Nanooks rifle shooters have one more chance to show head coach Dan Jordan why he should pick them for the NCAA championships.
The Nanooks host Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, an NCAA Division III school, on Saturday in an NCAA qualifying match on Saturday at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range.
“As long as we do what we normally do, we’ll qualify first or second,” Jordan said by cellphone on Thursday.
The shooting begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Every collegiate rifle team in the country shoots this weekend so at the end of the match on Saturday, the Nanooks will know who has qualified for the NCAA Championships.
The Nanooks, ranked No. 2 in the College Rifle Coaches Association poll, host the NCAA Championships on 13-14 at the Patty Center.
The Nanooks last shot on Feb. 7-8 when they claimed the Patriot Rifle Conference team title at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
“There’s not a whole lot of pressure,” Jordan said of Saturday’s match, “but it’ll be a good test.
“It’s kind of a stepping stone on the way to championships,” Jordan added.
Only five Nanooks shooters will shoot at the national championships but Jordan said there are seven who could potentially shoot.
“They’re all working hard, knowing that two of them won’t be shooting,” Jordan said.
The match will be last for the Fightin’ Engineers, whose program is being cut at the end of the season.
The Fightin’ Engineers finished third at the Western Intercollegiate Rifle Championships in their last match on Feb. 14.