Cook Inlet Conference Rifle season ends with a bang.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - For the fifth straight season the Eagle River Wolves have won the Cook Inlet Conference regional meet.

This comes after Eagle River beat the South Wolverines by just one point to win the regular season, bringing back to Eagle River not only the regular season title but a trophy the high school rifle community has dubbed the ‘Big Ugly’ trophy.

All eight of the Anchorage area schools that participate in rifle competed in relays at West Anchorage High School for the title. It ended up being very close in the end.

Team Scores:

1) Eagle River 3,261

2) Service 3,258

3) West 3,186

4) Dimond 3,178

5) Chugiak 2,168

6) South 3,168

7) East 1,237

8) Bartlett 1,173

The top 12 shooters from each school set up 10 meters away from a target. Then shooters had 10 minutes in the prone position, 10 minutes in the kneeling position, and 15 minutes in the standing position to hit 10 targets. The shooters then retrieve their targets and hand them in where they are put through a scanner to grade the proximity to the middle of each target. On the surface, it can look pretty easy to aim and pull the trigger but the sport is almost entirely mental.

“It’s a longer season for prep sports. It also requires efficiency and analysis of technique, focus, critical thinking, and being willing to learn from your mistakes, and come back. Then it becomes kind of robotic. Then it’s a question of I’m a bright kid, and I like to think and solve the problems but maybe could I be getting too heady about it now,” West Rifle head coach Adam Cooley said.

The individual overall leader was Isabelle Greidanus of Eagle River who shot a score of 286, four points higher than second and third place. Greidanus has been one of the top shooters over the past couple of years. She placed second at regionals last year. Greidanus says that rifle is a great sport for anyone.

“I’d say if you really like to be a part of a team that is really close with each other then rifle is a really good sport. It’s a calm sport. If your not into all the crazy running, athletics, weight lifting — I mean there is a little physical and mental aspect to it, but it’s a sport for anyone really. Anyone can do it,” Greidanus said.

There was only one perfect 100 score throughout the entire meet. Iris Rowland of West High School was able to get the perfect score in the prone position.

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