[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6745]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to honor students 
from my home State of Alaska who have garnered a host of honors 
recently--all very well deserved.
  As an avid outdoorsman and hunter I have more than passing skill with 
a rifle, but I am in awe at the accomplishments of the University of 
Alaska Fairbanks Rifle Team. On Friday, March 12 the team won the NCAA 
national title in team rifle competition during the annual 
championships held at Norwich University in Northfield, VT.
  While the Nanooks won the team Rifle Championships, the students had 
several other firsts. Ms. Kelly Mansfield, a junior at the University, 
became the first person ever to win both the small-bore and individual 
titles in the same year. And the Nanooks set a record with eight team 
members earning All-American status, record number of All-Americans in 
rifle competition from a single University. Of the team's eight All-
Americans six earned honors in both the small-bore and air rifle 
disciplines, another record.
  Besides Ms. Mansfield, I would like to congratulate the other seven 
All-Americans who competed with such distinction during the national 
collegiate championships. Earning praise are sophomore Dan Jordan, 
freshman Johan Lindberg and sophomore Melissa Mulloy, all double All-
Americans first team in both events. Also earning praise are junior 
Joacim Trybom, who earned first-team, small-bore and second team air 
rifle honors; Grant Mecozzi, who earned second-team honors in both 
categories; and Amber Darland, who made the second team in small-bore.
  I also would like to mention senior Kelly Bushong, who won honorable 
mention on the small-bore squad.
  All of the students from the University's Fairbanks campus performed 
wonderfully, an obvious reflection on their coach, Randy Pitney, who 
has done a sensational job of teaching and preparing his team this 
year. All Alaskans wish to offer our praise and our thanks for the 
team's hard work and dedication. Excellence in marksmanship takes skill 
and discipline. It also takes desire--the desire to practice, the 
desire to be the best. That was particularly hard this past January in 
Fairbanks when the temperature was often -50 degrees F.
  I can't say enough for the accomplishments of these young women and 
men. Everyone in Alaska is very proud of the Nanooks' achievements 
during the 1998-99 season. Again, congratulations on a great 
year.

                          ____________________