[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 39 (Wednesday, March 7, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S2790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     2007 NCAA RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIPS

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I am pleased to report the 2007 National 
Collegiate Men's and Women's Rifle Championships will be held in 
Fairbanks, AK on March 9 and 10. Forty-eight student-athletes will 
participate in this exciting competition.
  Although rifle is relatively new as an NCAA sport, 44 colleges and 
universities now sponsor rifle teams. Nationwide, hundreds of student-
athletes compete in this sport. These young men and women are 
tremendously skilled--to score a bull's-eye in the smallbore 
competition, for instance, shooters must strike a target the size of 
the period at the end of this sentence. Remarkably, they are able to 
consistently hit this mark from a distance of 50 feet.
  Like more traditional sports, rifle has a positive impact on its 
participants. Marsha Beasley, the former head coach of West Virginia 
University's team, once observed: ``Rifle provides a wonderful 
opportunity to learn many life skills such as self-discipline, 
concentration, the ability to relax under pressure, goal-setting, 
sportsmanship and teamwork.'' Just as important, rifle teaches 
participants how to handle guns in a safe, responsible manner. It is 
also one of the few sports where men and women compete against each 
other as equals.
  Rifle competition has a great history in our State, and Alaskans are 
honored the NCAA has chosen Fairbanks as this year's host. The timing 
of this event is particularly fitting--2007 marks the 70th anniversary 
of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' first rifle team.
  Over the years, UAF has found great success in this sport. The 
university is the NCAA's reigning rifle champion and has claimed the 
national title in 7 of the past 8 years. Since 1988, 39 Nanooks have 
been selected as All-Americans in rifle. Seven of these competitors 
have won individual rifle championships.
  Rifle's popularity is also apparent throughout our state. Today, 
Fairbanks is one of several Alaska cities with a robust rifle 
community, and many high schools in our state now sponsor rifle teams 
as well.
  Mr. President, while I will be rooting for the home team, the 
University of Alaska Fairbanks, I wish each participant the best in 
this competition. The names of each team and individual selected for 
the 2007 National Collegiate Men's and Women's Rifle Championships are 
as follows:


       Team Qualifiers: Jacksonville State University, Murray 
     State University, Texas Christian University, United States 
     Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, University of 
     Alaska Fairbanks, University of Kentucky, University of 
     Nebraska.
       Individual Qualifiers (Smallbore Three-Position): Matthew 
     Hamilton--United States Military Academy, Lee Lemenager--
     University of Nevada, Reno, Layne Lewis--University of Alaska 
     Fairbanks, Jennifer Lorenzen--University of Mississippi, 
     Meghann Morrill--University of Nevada, Reno.
       Individual Qualifiers (Air Rifle): Erica Burnham--Tennessee 
     Technological University, Wesley Hess--United States Military 
     Academy, Ashley Jackson--University of Kentucky, Keegan 
     Singleton--University of Memphis, Leah Wilcox--University of 
     Texas at EI Paso, Shannon Wilson--University of Mississippi.

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