 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
With just the NCAA tournament remaining for the Nebraska women’s rifle team, the two seniors on the squad are now faced with the task of preparing for the last match of their collegiate careers.
For senior Christine Costello, it’s not just about the end of her career as a Husker, but it’s the end of a nearly lifelong hobby.
“It’s like dealing with my own personal seven steps of grieving,” Costello said. “I don’t even want to think about what it’s going to be like when I don ’t have any more competitions to go.”
This weekend, the NU rifle team will look to finish its season strong at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. The two-day competition begins Friday on the campus of Texas Christian University and will feature the top eight rifle teams across the nation.
With the end in sight for Costello and fellow senior Amanda Jeffries, NU head coach Morgan Hicks said she is hoping her seniors can help the team properly prepare for the biggest competition of the season.
“Hard work is contagious, and I think the example they set helps the younger girls know what it takes,” Hicks said.
Although this weekend’s tournament is the biggest event of the year, the Huskers have already dealt with shooting under pressure this season.
Coming into the NCAA qualifiers almost a month ago, NU was ranked eighth in the nation and needed to maintain its spot to earn a trip to nationals. Using a strong performance by the two seniors in smallbore, NU put up a solid number and earned a trip to the national finals.
Hicks said the motivation of the seniors as the season winds down is something that has made for a more productive practice environment.
“I feel like the pressure isn’t necessarily getting to them, b ut the team is definitely more focused than they have been all season, especially the seniors,” Hicks said. “You can really tell they want this.”
Even though they enter the tournament as the eighth ranked team, recent strong performances have shown the Huskers are capable of making some noise. Costello said the positive performances toward the end of the season have helped her deal with the end of her collegiate career.
Overall, Costello said she just wants to make sure her last event as a Husker is one she can be proud of.
“It just makes us more focused on doing our best to make sure we go out with a good performance,” Costello said.
patradigan@
dailynebraskan.com
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