Round One of JROTC Championships Completed - The first of three championship weekends took place 12-14 February at Camp Perry, Ohio when the Civilian Marksmanship Program played host to the 2009 National Army JROTC Air Rifle Championship. 215 individual high school age Cadets representing 65 different schools from the Continental USA, Alaska and Department of Defense Schools in Europe competed in the event.

CMP Accepting Applications for JROTC/ROTC Scholarships - CAMP PERRY, OHIO - If you are or know of a JROTC high school senior or ROTC college underclass cadet in good standing who participates on a competitive rifle club or varsity team, it's time to spread the word that applications are available to apply for a one-thousand dollar CMP ROTC scholarship. The deadline for applications is 5 March 2009.

Ups and Downs for Two NCAA Rifle Programs - The NCAA has gained one new rifle program just as a long established program is potentially shutting down. First, there was great news in December from Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia when the school’s athletic department announced that it would add four new athletic programs for the 2009-2010 school year, one being a Co-Ed Varsity Rifle Team. This was exciting news for both the NCAA and for high school athletes in Georgia, where Rifle is a varsity sport sanctioned by the Georgia High School Association. Before CSU added its new program, North Georgia College and State University and Mercer University were the only NCAA shooting programs in Georgia. NGSU is the only one of those two programs that competes in both air rifle and smallbore; Mercer is exclusively an air rifle program. These limited options have resulted in many of Georgia’s top shooting athletes venturing to other parts of the country to pursue college shooting careers. With the addition of CSU’s program, high school athletes have one more option to entice them to stay closer to home.

Third Annual Camp Perry Open Hits New Marks - In 2007 the first Camp Perry Junior Open took place at the CMP North Headquarters in Camp Perry, OH. At the time, CMP staff had no idea if they would be able to generate interest for a new match held in the middle of the Ohio winter. Plans had not even been developed yet for the CMP Competition Center-North, so the match was to take place on a temporary 20-point range. To CMP’s pleasant surprise all three relays of the 3x20 air rifle match filled and the event earned a permanent slot on the CMP Events Calendar. The opening of the new CMP Competition Center-North in the summer of 2008 meant there would be plenty of room for growth in the 2009 Camp Perry Open program. The decision was made to expand the weekend from a 3x20 junior match and clinic to an entire weekend of shooting that included a two-day International Standing event.

CMP Tests New National Match Air Rifle Match - CAMP PERRY, OHIO - In the most ideal firing conditions ever experienced by competitive shooters in the dead of winter at Camp Perry, about three dozen shooters broke ground on what is designed to become a valuable new type of off-season training and competition for highpower, smallbore and recreational competitors.  On 10 January 2009, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) conducted its first test firing of two National Match Air Rifle events at the Camp Perry Marksmanship Center with its 80-firing point, all equipped with electronic targets. Competitors fired two standing position events and one three-position prone, sitting or kneeling and standing event.

New 2-Person Junior Team Match Coming in 2009 National Trophy Rifle Matches - Junior service rifle shooters will have the opportunity to compete in a new two-person team match during the 2009 CMP National Trophy Rifle Matches at Camp Perry. The new match will replace the Whistler Boy Junior Service Rifle Team Match. The new event, to be fired on Wednesday, 5 August, will be named the National Trophy Junior Team Match. A striking new trophy called “Freedom’s Fire” will be awarded to the winning team.

Registration Opens for 2009 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches - The Official Program for the 3rd 2009 Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches that will take place at Camp Butner, North Carolina on 2-10 May, is now posted and available at http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/
EasternGames.htm. Competitors who want to compete in either the CMP Games Matches or the Creedmoor Cup Matches can register for on-line at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/matchInfo.cgi?matchID=4147.  In 2007, the inaugural Eastern CMP Games and Creedmoor Cup Matches drew over 300 competitors to Camp Butner, North Carolina for the nine-day shooting extravaganza. In 2008, the Eastern Games competitor count increased to 350. With three new events on the 2009 program, the total number of competitors is expected to go up again.

2009 Achievement Medal and Achievement Pin Cut Scores - One of the most popular goals for competitors in CMP As-Issued Military Rifle and Rimfire Sporter Matches is to fire a score good enough to earn a Gold, Silver or Bronze Achievement Medal or Pin. Competitors in the CMP Games Matches at the National Matches are awarded medals with neck ribbons when they fire scores that exceed Achievement Medal cut scores. Competitors in the Eastern and Western CMP Games Matches also are awarded medals with neck ribbons. Clubs that sponsor As-Issued Military Rifle or Rimfire Sporter Matches can award, Gold, Silver and Bronze Achievement Pins for scores fired in CMP sanctioned matches.