MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Freshman Alec Patajo (Pa-Tahoe) placed 30^th in the air rifle competition at the NCAA Championships that concluded today at West Virginia, shooting a score of 580.  Senior Mitchell Van Patten ended his college career with a 14th place finish in the smallbore on Friday.
 
Patajo posted a career-high 593 at the NCAA Qualifier to earn his first trip to the NCAA Championships.  In his previous two competitions he has posted his top scores of the season, 588 at the Patriot Rifle Championships and the 593 at the NCAA Qualifier.
 
Nevada last had a representative at the NCAA Championships in 2015 when Emily Capaul was the last freshman to earn a spot.  The last time the Pack qualified as a team was in 2012.
 
In the history of the program the Pack sent nine individuals.  Previous Nevada individual representatives were; Lee Lemenager (2008), Meghann Morrill (2008), Dempster Christenson (2012), Olivia Pennell (2013), Emily Capaul (2015), Mitchell Van Patten (2019) and Alec Patajo (2019).
 
Eight times Nevada's rifle team has qualified for the NCAA Championships; 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2012.  The Pack placed in the top 10 all eight times they qualified for the NCAA Championships with the best finish being second to Alaska in 2004.  In 2005 Nevada hosted the NCAA Championships.
 
As a freshman in 2002 Ryan Tanoue claimed the NCAA Championship winning the air rifle posting a score of 392.   Tanoue is currently the head coach at Ohio State.