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Zurek Wins President’s Pistol Trophy and Hullings Captures Junior Title at 2011 National Pistol Trophy Matches

By Steve Cooper, CMP Writer


CAMP PERRY, OHIO – John Zurek, a 25-year veteran pistol competitor and invitee to the 2011 USA Shooting national development team in May, won the prestigious President’s Pistol Trophy Match on Sunday, 17 July with an aggregate score of 390-12X, which included a 100-0X in the timed-fire stage.
John Zurek of Tucson, Arizona captured the 2011 President’s Pistol Trophy with a score of 390-12X, which included a 100-0X in the timed-fire stage.

Zurek, 47, of Tucson, Arizona, is also the coach and shooting member of the winning Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association team that captured the civilian team championship (Oglethorpe Trophy). He is also the high-ranking service pistol shooter in combined scoring in the President’s, National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team matches.

Afterward Zurek commented on his success in the matches. “It was great; it was easy – shooting good is easy,” he explained. He said when shots fall according to plan, it feels easy.
Brigadier General Michael W. McHenry, Ohio Army National Guard, presents the President’s Pistol trophy plaque to John Zurek at the CMP’s pistol awards ceremony, Sunday, 17 July at Camp Perry’s Hough Auditorium.

“You know, I was just coaching myself, that’s all it was, through every shot, just kept coaching myself. It’s not that I don’t know how to shoot a shot – I do, I was walking myself through every shot,” he added.

Zurek commented that his clean timed-fire stage was unusual because none of his shots were center shots.

Surprisingly I had a timed-fire match that was 100 with no X’s. None. All the way around it. It looked like a donut. I wanted to save it - it was such a cool target, because the “X” was unscathed.

“It was exciting, but it means I wasn’t watching my sights. If you’re watching your sights, they go in the middle. I had a phenomenal X-count on the long line with nine X’s out of 20, which means almost every other shot was an X.

“So that was reinforced when I got into rapid so I wasn’t thinking about how good I was shooting. I was thinking that I wanted to watch the sights, so if there was any pressure, and there really wasn’t, because all I was doing was watching the sights. And then they all went right in the middle, so it was really cool,” he said.

U.S. Marine SSG Jason Hedrick placed second in the President’s Match, firing a 385-15X. Hedrick fired a pair of 99’s in the timed and rapid-fire portions of the match, giving up five points to Zurek in the slow-fire stage. SFC Keith Sanderson, U.S. Army Reserve, was a point behind at 384-9X, good for third place.

Kimberly Hullings, 19, of Matawan, New Jersey, was the overall high aggregate junior shooter in the pistol matches, winning the Junior President’s Pistol Match with an aggregate score of 359-5X.

Kimberly Hullings, 19, of Matawan, New Jersey, was the overall high aggregate junior shooter in the pistol matches, winning the Junior President’s Pistol Match with an aggregate score of 359-5X. Hullings’ 905-12X aggregate was comprised of Junior President’s, NTI and NTT matches.

Director of Civilian Marksmanship, Emeritus, Gary Anderson presents the Junior President’s Pistol trophy plaque to Kimberly Hullings, winner of the 2011 match.

Hullings also contributed to her New Jersey Awesome Jr. team, which finished second with an aggregate team score of 513-4X.

Joseph Totts, 19, of Mogadore, Ohio, won the Junior Individual Pistol Match (.22 caliber), with an aggregate score of 276-5X and was awarded the G.P. Perry DeFino trophy plaque.

Joseph Totts, 19, of Mogadore, Ohio, won the Junior Individual Pistol Match (.22 caliber), with an aggregate score of 276-5X. Totts was awarded the G.P. Perry DeFino Trophy. Hullings placed second with a 274-4X and Walker Buckman, 15, of Lovettsville, Virginia, placed third with an aggregate score of 269-1X.

SFC Keith Sanderson, U.S. Army Reserve, was the high shooter using the M1911 pistol in the President’s Match.

SFC Sanderson was the high shooter using the M1911 pistol in the President’s Match. Kathy Chatterton, 60, of Glen Rock, New Jersey, was the high woman shooter, topping Judy Tant, 61, of East Lansing, Michigan by six points with a 359-5X. Robert McIlhaney, 62, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was the high senior in the match with an aggregate of 375-13X.

SFC Thomas Rose, U.S. Army, was the high shooter in the National Trophy Individual Match, winning the General Custer Trophy, scoring an aggregate of 292-11X.

SFC Thomas Rose, U.S. Army, was the high shooter in the National Trophy Individual Match, winning the General Custer Trophy, scoring an aggregate of 292-11X. Rose’s AMU teammates, SSG Lyman Grover and SSG Adam Sokolowski tied for second with Grover defeating Sokolowski on X-count 288-12X to 288-11X, respectively.

The following NTI trophy winners are broken out by classification:
 
Susan Fries   National Woman’s Trophy (high woman)    277-3X
Philip Hemphill     Ancient Archer Trophy (law enforcement)  284-9X
Col. Mark Hays General Curtis LeMay Trophy (Air Force) 275-5X
SFC Steve Swisher National Guard Assn. Trophy (N. Guard) 274-4X
SFC Keith Sanderson  U.S. Army Reserve Memorial Trophy

284-7X

David Lange Citizen’s Military Pistol Trophy (Civilian) 287-7X
Steve Reiter Senior Pistol Trophy  283-9X

                                     
The Glock Pistol Award was presented to Kevin Kelly, 48, of Chardon, Ohio for being the highest overall scoring law enforcement officer with combined scores from the President’s, NTI and NTT matches. Kelly fired an 883-18 aggregate. Susan Fries, 48, of Laingsburg, Michigan and Charles Byrd, 68, of Haymarket, Virginia placed second and third with scores of 881-11X and 871-12X, respectively. Kelly received a Glock pistol donated by Glock GmbH.

U.S. Army Blue team won the Gold Cup Trophy with an aggregate score of 1126-33X. U.S. Army Blue is composed of, from left, SSG Lyman Grover, SFC James Henderson, SFC Greg Wilson and SSG Patrick Franks, Jr.

In team competition, the Gold Cup Trophy, which signifies the top overall team ranking, U.S. Army Blue placed first with an aggregate score of 1126-33X. U.S. Army Blue is composed to SFC James Henderson, SSG Lyman Grover, SSG Patrick Franks, Jr. and SFC Greg Wilson. Team captain is SPC Matthew Sawallis and the team is coached by SSG Jean-Noel Howell. USMC Scarlet placed second with a score of 1115-25X and Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. took third with a 1066-17X.

The Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Association team won the Oglethorpe Trophy as the top civilian team. Ohio National Guard Fort Ohio Commander Colonel Dean Brown presented the team with Oglethorpe Trophy plaques.

Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Assn. won the Oglethorpe Trophy as the top civilian team. Firing members are John Zurek (capt.), Steve Reiter, 69, of Tucson, Michael McShea, 67, of Prescott and Timothy Copley, 41, of Phoenix. Maryland State Rifle & Pistol Assn. placed second with an aggregate of 1058-17X. Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Assn. finished third with a total score of 1053-14X.

The All Guard Gold team won the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial Trophy, representing all reserve component teams. All Guard Gold (Army National Guard) is comprised of coach SFC Russell Gerhardt, SFC Millard Butler, SFC Steve Swisher, SGT Joseph Sellers, SSG Eric Lawrence, and captain SFC Mitchell Henson.

The All Guard Gold team won the U.S. Coast Guard Memorial Trophy, representing reserve component teams. All Guard Gold (Army National Guard) is comprised of SFC Mitchell Henson, SSG Eric Lawrence, SGT Joseph Sellers and SFC Steve Swisher and they compiled a score of 1054-17X. The team is captained by SFC Millard Butler and coached by SFC Russell Gerhardt. U.S. Army Reserve Black took second place (1052-31X) and U.S. Navy Reserve placed third with an aggregate of 916-6X.

The Junior Team Trophy Match Riding the High Places Trophy was awarded to Ohio Rifle & Pistol Assn. Jr. Orange with an aggregate score of 530-14. Firing members are, from left, Joseph Totts and Ryan Nichols. The team is coached by Fred Totts.

The Junior Team Trophy Match Riding the High Places Trophy was awarded to Ohio Rifle & Pistol Assn. Jr. Orange with an aggregate score of 530-14. Firing members are Joseph Totts and Ryan Nichols, 19, of Rootstown, Ohio and the team is coached by Fred Totts. New Jersey Awesome Jr. placed second with a total score of 513-4 and ORPA Junior Black placed third with an aggregate of 512-4X.

The Law Enforcement Trophy Team Match was won by the Federal Bureau of Investigation which was awarded the American Indian Trophy for shooting an aggregate of 522-9X. Team members are Charles Byrd and George Sinclair, Jr.

The Law Enforcement Trophy Team Match was won by the Federal Bureau of Investigation which was awarded the American Indian Trophy for shooting an aggregate of 522-9X. Michigan State Police Blue and Gold teams followed with aggregate scores of 514-7X and 489-3X, respectively.

For complete results of the 2011 National Pistol Trophy Matches, log onto http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=6543.

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