RENO, Nev. – The University of Nevada rifle team knocked off No. 3 Alaska 4643-4641 over the weekend in a Patriot Rifle Conference matchup between two top 20 schools.   The Wolf Pack entered the match tied for 15^th in the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association poll.
 
"Mitchell and Alec both shot a good combined score," head coach Fred Harvey said. "Mitchell again
had a world class air rifle score and Alec had a very good smallbore score."
 
Nevada's next event is the National Winter Air Gun Trials in Colorado Springs, Nov. 20 through Dec. 2.
 
Senior Mitchell Van Patten once again led the way shooting a career-high 596 in air rifle as Nevada had four of the top six competitors in the event and all five shooters were in the top 10.  Rachel Benesh tied her season high with a 587 to place third and Andrew Pham was fourth with a 585.  Freshman Alec Patajo took sixth with his 582 and Eli Larimer returned from injury to post a 581 to earn ninth in his first match of the season.
 
Patajo's 583 in smallbore was the top score of the day and second best of the season by a Pack shooter.  Van Patten posted a 578 to place third.  Pham's 567 was good for eighth and Larimer posted a 565 to finish ninth.  Benesh (559) and Tio Brody (557) were 11th and 12th respectively.
 
In the aggregate, that combines the two events Van Patten had the top score of 1174.  Three other Pack shooters placed in the top 10 with Pham earning sixth with a 1152, followed by Benesh with her 1146 and Larimer took 10th also shooting 1146.