CMP to Host JROTC National Championship at Camp Perry

By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer/Editor

CAMP PERRY, OH – Top junior shooters from around the country will compete for the gold at the 2014 JROTC Three-Position National Championships, held March 20-22 at the new Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Gary Anderson Competition Center. There, high school cadets from Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) units will meet on the firing line to complete a journey that has been months in the making.

A record-breaking 8,025 junior shooters participated in the 2013-2014 CMP Postal Match back in October 2013, with the highest-scoring shooters in each branch qualifying for the JROTC Regional Service Championships in February 2014. Top shooters and teams from each Regional location then earned a spot at the National Championship, where the overall winners will finally be determined.

MidwayUSA is the official sponsor of the JROTC Championships – donating over $454,000 in endowments and operating costs. Over $300,000 of that amount will inevitably go to top teams in all three phases of the Championships. MidwayUSA is a leading U.S. firearms products retailer, committed to helping sustain junior shooting programs across the country.

Not only will the weekend etch champions into air rifle history, but it will also mark the first National event held within the newly expanded CMP air gun facility.

The Gary Anderson Competition Center is the completed result of the $1.1 million-dollar expansion to the formerly known CMP North Marksmanship Center, located inside Camp Perry in Port Clinton, OH. The expansion includes an open reception and common area, fully equipped classrooms, cylinder filling room and CMP retail store. The impressive addition also includes projection screens and flat-screen television sets throughout the building.

Connected to the new expansion is the existing 80-point air gun range, equipped with 10-meter firing points and state-of-the-art electronic targets to accommodate air rifle, air pistol or National Match Air Rifle shooting. The electronic targets, used in some of the most elite ranges in the world, update scores automatically and are displayed on large television monitors within the range – allowing spectators to keep track of the intense competition.

For those unable to attend the event, scores for the National Championships are also available for viewing online through the CMP website.

Gary Anderson, the range’s namesake, will be in attendance during the JROTC National Championships on Friday and Saturday from 10:00-1:30 p.m. to sign copies of his new book, “Coaching Young Rifle Shooters.”

Gary Anderson is the director of Civilian Marksmanship Emeritus. During his marksman career, Anderson won two Olympic gold medals, seven World Championships and 16 National Championships. In June 2012, the International Olympic Committee awarded him its highest honor – the Olympic Order “for outstanding services to the Olympic Movement.” He is also a current resident of Oak Harbor, OH.

The JROTC National Championships are free and open to the public. All are encouraged to come witness this unparalleled display of young talent.

For more information on the JROTC National Championship and a link to live target images, visit http://www.thecmp.org/3P/JROTC.htm.

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