Nebraska rifle delivered a consistent performance at the 2026 Patriot Rifle Conference Championship, finishing with a 4758‑340X aggregate to secure the title at the X‑Count in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, on February 7‑8. The win marks the program’s first conference championship since 2006 and its first in the PRC.
Seven teams competed, including five ranked inside the national top 10. At the top was No. 3 TCU, while Nebraska entered at No. 4 and Ole Miss close behind at No. 5, plus No. 7 Alaska‑Fairbanks and No. 10 UTEP. No. 12 Ohio State and No. 13 Air Force rounded out the field.
Nebraska led both guns with a 2364 smallbore score and a 2394 air rifle finish. The 13-point margin offered enough separation to hold off Ole Miss, which placed second at 4745‑350X. TCU was five Xs behind the Rebels in the aggregate at 4745, finishing in third place with 4745-345X.
The Cornhuskers benefited from several strong individual outings. Sophomore Alivia Perkins posted a 1190‑91X aggregate, the third‑highest of the match, while senior Emma Rhode was not far behind her with 1190-80X. Nebraska’s depth helped maintain its lead through both days of competition.
Individually, TCU senior Katie Zaun topped the aggregate leaderboard with a 1194‑93X performance and led smallbore with 596‑39X. Ole Miss Rebels team sophomore Audrey Gogniat delivered the top air rifle score of the weekend with an eye-opening 600‑58X and finished one point behind Zaun in the overall race.
2026 Patriot Rifle Conference Championship Leaderboard
| Rank | Athlete | Team | Smallbore | Air Rifle | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Katie Zaun | TCU | 596 | 598 | 1194-93X |
| 2 | Audrey Gogniat | Ole Miss | 593 | 600 | 1193-94X |
| 3 | Alivia Perkins | Nebraska | 592 | 598 | 1190-91X |
| 4 | Emma Rhode | Nebraska | 591 | 599 | 1190-80X |
| 5 | Regan Diamond | Ole Miss | 590 | 597 | 1187-87X |
| 6 | Katlyn Sullivan | Nebraska | 588 | 599 | 1187-87X |
| 7 | Gracie Dinh | Ole Miss | 590 | 596 | 1186-88X |
| 8 | Rylie Passmore | TCU | 592 | 594 | 1186-87X |
| 9 | Maddy Moyer | Nebraska | 588 | 598 | 1186-80X |
| 10 | Carlee Valenta | UTEP | 587 | 598 | 1185-88X |
For Nebraska, the result caps a long stretch of work to return to the top of a conference championship field. With NCAA qualifiers approaching, the Cornhuskers left Fort Wayne with a measured but meaningful boost.
See the full results of the match at the NCAA rifle website.
More about the Patriot Rifle Conference
The Patriot Rifle Conference (PRC) might not be a household name across college sports, but within NCAA rifle circles, it’s a powerhouse. Formed in 2013, the PRC brought together universities that field NCAA rifle teams but compete in primary conferences that don’t sponsor the sport. The result: a competitive home built specifically for the country’s top rifle programs.
The conference wasted no time establishing its marquee event. The inaugural PRC Championship was at Ohio State University on February 8-9, 2014, setting the tone for what has become one of the key weekends on the collegiate rifle calendar. Since then, the championship has taken place annually around the first weekend of February, serving as a high‑stakes tune‑up ahead of NCAA Tournament qualifiers.
