Alaska Fairbanks claimed its eighth team title and seventh in the last eight years at the National Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Rifle Championships March 10-11 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Nanooks won six straight championships beginning in 1999 until Army interrupted the skein in 2005. Alaska Fairbanks won its first rifle crown in 1994, stopping a six-year streak by West Virginia. The Mountaineers, though, won the next four and still lead the field with 13 overall team titles.

The Nanooks scored 2,353 points in air rifle and 2,329 in smallbore for a first-place total of 4,682. Senior Jamie Beyerle won the smallbore title, and she and junior Matt Rawlings finished second and third, respectively, in the individual finals of that event to pace the Alaska Fairbanks attack.

The championship capped a perfect season for the Nanooks, who were 12-0 in dual matches this season and won several of those in dominating fashion.

At the championships, though, Alaska Fairbanks had to battle back after a second-place finish in the team smallbore competition.

“Nobody shot outstanding in that event, but everyone shot exceptionally well,” said the Nanooks’ first-year head coach Dan Jordan. “I’m really happy for them, they worked hard all year and they earned it. I think it’s better that they re-took the championship having to earn it, than just walking away with it.”

Beyerle won the smallbore title with a final score of 691. Mississippi’s Shannon Wilson tied a school record with her score of 587 to finish second in the event.

Nebraska’s Kristina Fehlings won the air rifle national title to help the Cornhuskers finish second in the team standings. Army finished third, followed by Navy, Murray State, Mississippi and Kentucky.

Fehlings was exhilarated about being a champion, but her first priority was the team, she said.

“Being in first came second,” said Fehlings. “It’s exciting to be in first place, but I just wanted to do my best for my team.”

Team results

1. Alas. Fairbanks, 4,682 (smallbore 2,329; air rifle 2,353); 2. Nebraska, 4,666 (smallbore 2,322; air rifle 2,344); 3. Army, 4,650 (smallbore 2,332; air rifle 2,318); 4. Navy, 4,625 (smallbore 2,322; air rifle 2,303); 5. Murray St., 4,621 (smallbore 2,311; air rifle 2,310); 6. Mississippi, 4,616 (smallbore 2,321; air rifle 2,295); 7. Kentucky, 4,600 (smallbore 2,304; air rifle 2,296).

Individual results

Smallbore

1. Jamie Beyerle, Alas. Fairbanks, 690.5; 2. Shannon Wilson, Mississippi, 688.5; 3. James Hall, Jacksonville, 685.3; 4. Joseph Hall, Jacksonville, 683.9; 5. Kristina Fehlings, Nebraska, 683.3; 6. Christopher Abalo, Army, 682.6; 7. Cameron Hicks, Murray St., 681.6; 8. Michael Dickinson, Jacksonville, 680.7.

Air rifle

1. Kristina Fehlings, Nebraska, 692; 2. Jamie Beyerle, Alas.-Fairbanks, 690.4; 3. Matthew Rawlings, Alas.-Fairbanks, 690.2; 4. Misty Chanek, Nebraska, 689.8; 5. Matthais Dierolf, Alas.-Fairbanks, 689.6; 6. John Fiddes, Army, 687.6; 7. Sarah Smith, Nevada, 687.2; 8. Josh Albright, Navy, 684.5.