Rifle ties Nebraska, loses tie-breaker
October 8, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
The No. 4 Alaska Nanooks improved upon their season-opening winning score but it wasn't enough for their second straight victory as they tied the No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers 4,641-4,641 and lost the tiebreaker based on total number of center shots. The Nanooks were edged 255-249 in their first loss of the year, dropping them to 1-1 on the season.
Alaska beat NU in the smallbore compeition 2,302-2,297 but the Huskers recorded the top three scores in air rifle en route to a five-point victory 2,344-2,339 in that discipline, pulling them even in the aggregate score and forcing the tiebreaker.
First-year shooter Soren Butler led the match in smallbore, firing a 581. Sophomore Ryan Anderson was second with a 577, while junior Michael Liuzza and sophomore Mats Eriksson followed with 576 apiece. Rookie Tim Sherry (573) and senior Cole Bures (571) rounded out the scoring team.
Anderson was the Nanooks' top gunner in air rifle, posting a 586 behind NU's Denise Martin (588), Janine Dutton (587) and Sunny Russell (587). Eriksson was second for Alaska with a 585, Bures and Liuzza tied for third with matching 584's and Butler shot a 583 to round out the scoring squad. Sherry combined for 581 in his lane.
The Nanooks return to Fairbanks to train on the E.F. Horton Rifle Range, where they will host the University of Texas El Paso next month (Nov. 3-4) for their first home matches of the season.