Oct. 24, 2008
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Despite a match-high 592 score in air rifle from junior Ashley Jackson, the Kentucky rifle team suffered its first defeat of the season at the hands of the two-time NCAA Champion Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks, on Friday at the E.F. Horton Rifle Range.
“Overall, I felt like the team worked hard we just did not have the right mindset going into the second half of the match,” Kentucky head coach Harry Mullins said. “It seemed we were too tight and that got us in smallbore. With the makeup of the team, we need to do better in smallbore, this was one of our lowest smallbore scores in the past few years.”
Jackson’s 592 in air rifle marked the bright spot, a match-leading total, two points ahead of Alaska’s Patrick Sartz’s 590. Jackson posted a 571 in smallbore, with veteran Tom Csenge leading the way in smallbore for UK, with a 578. Csenge totaled a 584 in air rifle, while freshmen Megan English and Ethan Settlemires checked in with a 586 and 583 in air rifle, respectively.
Junior Leslie Angeli added a 585 in air rifle as a highlight from the white squad.
Kentucky (1-1) lost its first match of the season to the tradition-rich Nanooks, 4651-4635. UK’s 4635 total marked a drop from its season-opening 4643 in a win over Ohio State. In 10 of UK’s 15 matches a year ago, the Wildcats posted a score above 4635. UK handed Alaska-Fairbanks its first loss in a dual-meet match in the last three seasons, in Lincoln, Neb., a year ago.
Alaska (2-0) outshot UK in smallbore 2319-2290, but the Wildcats posted a 2345-2332 advantage in air rifle.
UK returns to action on Saturday, facing Nebraska in Fairbanks.
“The good thing that came out of today is that we get to do it again tomorrow,” Mullins said. “That will be our real test to rebound after today. Ashley put up a very good air rifle score and she was certainly the highlight of the day. We need to come out tomorrow and put up a real good effort against a good Nebraska team.”
