Never Out of Sight - Morgan Hicks is no stranger to big competition. In 2004 she was the NCAA Smallbore Champion and an Olympian at the Athens Games. But the Olympics were the last event she fired until the World Championship Try-Outs at Fort Benning, GA in April 2006. For even a seasoned veteran like Hicks, nearly two years could seem like an overwhelming lay-off to return from.

Reading Rifle & Revolver Club, Massachusetts Junior Highpower Clinic - On April 22, 2006, Reading Rifle and Revolver in Reading, MA hosted a Junior Highpower Clinic. Registration was interesting; I had more phone calls from adults who wanted to take the clinic than I had juniors. I even had one who wanted to know if I could push the age up to 28 to qualify as a junior so he could attend. I did not have to worry though about filling the junior slots, all 40 filled very quickly. All in all, I was really impressed that there was that much interest by both juniors and adults for the highpower sport. We were also very lucky that Nashua Fish & Game Assoc., Merrimack, NH, was running a clinic the same weekend that I could refer the adults rather than flatly turning them down.

New Rimfire Sporter Guide and National Rimfire Sporter Match Program Available - The 2006 version of the CMP Guide to Rimfire Sporter Shooting is now available. The new guide includes the official 2006 CMP Rimfire Sporter Rules, detailed instructions on how to shoot Rimfire Sporter, instructions for match sponsors on how to conduct Rimfire Sporter Matches and the official match program for the 2006 National Rimfire Sporter Match at Camp Perry.

Training the Trainers - Providing qualified marksmanship instruction is a top priority for the Civilian Marksmanship Program, and this begins at the top with the CMP’s Master Instructor Training Programs. The CMP Master Instructor certification program trains and certifies advanced shooters and instructors as Master Instructors who are then qualified to teach specific marksmanship instructional topics. The CMP already has two of these programs in place, the JROTC Marksmanship Master Instructor Course which trains instructors who then teach marksmanship instruction to JROTC instructors, and the CMP Military Rifle Instructors course which trains instructors to teach U.S. Army Squad Designated Marksman instructor courses. This past weekend the CMP added a new class of instructors to their list as the first Garand-Springfield-Military Rifle Master Instructor clinic was completed by 30 participants.

Camp Perry Recreational Park Construction is Underway - Construction of 40 self-contained recreational vehicle spaces has started at Camp Perry, and team reservations for the sites are now being taken. The Park is located on the eastern side of Camp Perry where they will replace a helicopter landing area, which has been relocated. This project is part of a combined effort by the Ohio National Guard, Ohio General Assembly and Civilian Marksmanship Program to improve facilities at Camp Perry. The CMP contributed $190,000 to augment state funds and fund this project.

2006 National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches Programs Released, On-Line Entry System Open - The First Shot Ceremony for the 2006 National Matches is now just 95 days away. Most shooters and competitors who will come to Camp Perry for this summer’s Nationals are now making plans to attend. If you are one of those people, CMP Programs for the National Matches are now posted on the CMP web site to give you the information you need to make your plans and the CMP Competitor Tracker On-Line Entry System for all of the National Matches events is now turned on so you can enter the matches and schools. The on-line entry system was turned on this past weekend in anticipation of this week’s official announcement; 250 competitors have already registered for the matches.

2006 Small Arms Firing Schools Open for Entry Now - The 2006 Small Arms Firing Schools (SAFS) will again provide outstanding marksmanship instruction to nearly 1000 students. This year, however, SAFS students also will be able to compete in two exciting new matches. SAFS instruction provided by Army Pistol and Rifle Teams and supported by coaching from Army, Air Force, Marine, Navy and Coast Guard team members has long been regarded as some of the best available anywhere. This year, this great instruction will be accompanied by a new M9 Pistol EIC Match at the end of the Pistol SAFS and the M16 EIC Match at the end of the Rifle SAFS.

2006 JROTC National Air Rifle Championship - For 124 individual JROTC cadets and 23 Army, Marine Corps, and Navy JROTC teams March Madness took on a whole new meaning as they went shoulder-to-shoulder in the JROTC National Air Rifle Championship at Fort Benning, Georgia, 23-25 March. Like the teams competing in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the road to the Championship was grueling for all those who advanced to the final round. The field began with 5,358 competitors and 974 teams, competing in their respective JROTC Service Postal Matches which concluded in December. From these Postals each Service advanced their top Sporter and Precision teams and at-large individuals to JROTC Region Championships. These competitors qualified by brigades/area commands, districts or areas to JROTC Eastern and Western Region Competitions held in February at Fort Benning (Eastern) and the Olympic Training Center in Colorado (Western).

On Track - Many sporting events offer real time tracking of scores over the internet. Fans who cannot watch the event live or on television can still track their team with a simple click of their mouse. Did you know this can also be done for CMP shooting events? This has been made possible by CMP’s innovative system called Competitor Tracker, which provides live feeds on the internet as scores are entered into the system.