Oct. 23, 2008
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — After dispatching Ohio State in its season-opener, the Kentucky rifle team travels to face the two-time defending national champion Alaska-Fairbanks – a team UK handed its first dual-meet loss in two seasons a year ago – on Friday at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range.
Kentucky (1-0) is the only team to lay a dual-meet blemish on the back-to-back NCAA champions in nearly two years, edging the Nanooks 4662-4651 on Oct. 27, 2007. UK was led by a strong smallbore score in the match in Lincoln, Neb., as Andrew Roland (585) and then-senior Ray Geyer (583) paced the way. UK posted a 2332 smallbore total and a 2340 air rifle total in the match with Alaska in 2007-08.
The Wildcats pounded Ohio State 4643-4564 in the season opener, getting solid scores from freshmen starters Ethan Settlemires and Megan English in their first collegiate match.
“I think the biggest thing is putting up good numbers as a team,” UK head coach Harry Mullins said. “It is all about making the numbers in order to get us ready for the next part of the season, which is the critical phase, and it will be a chance to really evaluate what direction we are going. We are working hard and now we will be put to the test, as far as seeing what our training and attitude is getting us. It is going to be under different conditions, they are the No. 1 team in the nation, so we are going to have to really compete.”
Alaska-Fairbanks (1-0) is coming off a season-opening win over UTEP, 4662-4599. The Nanooks have been led by a roster consisting of six men and four women, including Fairbanks natives Ida Petersen and Amy Steiner. Considered the top program in the nation, Alaska-Fairbanks has finished as the NCAA champions nine times or runner-up four times in the last 16 years. Since 1988, 42 Alaska competitors have earned a total of 163 All-America honors.
“Lineup wise, it is going to be interesting to kind of see who we put in the lineup,” Mullins said. “Unlike last week, we will wait until the last minute to pick a lineup. We have so many good shooters and the team is excited about being here and keeping the focus. Six out of the 10 shooters have never been here before, so we are hoping for several of them to step up and perform well.”
Kentucky will face Nebraska on Saturday in Fairbanks, a team it dispatched a year ago, 4673-4607.
