Spotlight on Successful Nebraska Women’s Shooting Team

Shoot like a girl? That’s a source of pride at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The Nebraska Huskers womens’ shooting team, Nebraska Rifle, has a strong tradition of excellence. Led by Coach Stacy Underwood, the Huskers are ranked among the top teams in the country. In the past 10 years, the Huskers have earned four Top-5 finishes in the NCAA Championships, and Nebraska has had over 30 All-American selections, as well as individual national champions.

This video spotlights some of the current members of 2013-14 Nebraska Rifle Team: Alexandrea Lorentz, ReAnn Wilson, Magdalena Mical, Lauren Phillips, Rachel Martin, Denise Martin, Sunny Russell, Marissa Major, Jaycee Carter, and Kelsey Hansen.

Nebraska Rifle Team Member Kelsey Hansen

The 2014 season is going well for the Nebraska Team. Just this past weekend the No. 8-ranked Huskers completed a sweep of two matches against Air Force, scoring a 4,679-4,671 win over the Falcons. Follow the team via the Nebraska Rifle News Page

Here is a more detailed video that shows the Nebraska Training Range, complete with electronic targets. This is one of the most advanced collegiate shooting facilities in the nation.

Getting to Know Coach Stacy Underwood
Q: What is your coaching philosophy?

A: Rifle is the only NCAA sport where you compete against yourself without awareness of how your fellow competitors are doing, until you’re finished. Only then are scores compared. So my athletes have to be totally self-contained — in motivation, discipline, and focus.

Even more, my athletes have to be supremely calm. A minute waver of even hundredths of a millimeter at the rifle barrel end can throw a shot way off a center target that’s the size of a pin head at 10 meters away. Very slight differences in breathing, heart rate, pulse strength, and muscle twitch amplify that waver.

Finally, rifle is a sport of slight differences. A perfect individual match score is 1200 points. A perfect team score is 4800 points. Perform at 96 percent of perfection and you’ll be marginally competitive. Perform at 98 percent of perfection and you’ll be setting NCAA records. It’s in that two percentage point spread that you find greatness in rifle.

So, given these rigors, I’ve organized my coaching philosophy around the idea of “just 1 percent more”. I’m asking each team member to give just 1 percent more in all areas- academics, personal development and performance.

Sounds simple, but think about what’s involved. Every team member has to deliver. To deliver, they’ll have to organize all the areas of their lives so they’re always ready mentally and physically. Any issues that come up can be referenced by “what will get us just 1 percent more”. They can learn from each other what works. Their lives – mind and body – will be in sync and at peace. That will give them calm. So my efforts will focus on helping each one achieve their goal. I expect great individual surprises, and from that, a great team result.