Opalewski Wins O-Class, Boord Wins T-Class and Villanueva Wins Tactical at 2011 National Rimfire Sporter Championship

CAMP PERRY, OHIO - Calm conditions and sunny skies prevailed as three previous champions set new national records in all three classes in the 2011 National Rimfire Sporter Championship fired here Sunday, 24 July.

CMP’s Brad Donoho conducted the 2011 National Rimfire Sporter Clinic on Saturday, 23 July. Despite an electrical outage, Donoho covered the highpoints of Rimfire Sporter competition and helped describe three-position shooting to clinic attendees.

Charles J. Opalewski II, Lucas Boord and Ron Villanueva, all past champions, once again reached the top of the podium at this year's event which also brought out a record number of 480 match entries.

Charles J. Opalewski II receives the O-Class winning plaque, presented by CMP North General Manager, Christie Sewell at the awards ceremony following the matches.

Opalewski, 21, of Vicksburg, Michigan, won the open sights class with a national record aggregate score of 586-21X in the six-stage, 600-point, three-position match. He fired a clean 100-3X in the standing slow-fire stage en route to the win.

The 2010 champion, CSM Steven Slee, U.S. Army Reserve, 47, of Dimondale, Michigan, finished one point behind Opalewski with a 585-19X performance and three-time O-Class champion Robert Elka 47, of Willis, Michigan placed third with an aggregate of 581-21X. Opalewski surpassed Slee's 2010 record score of 584-25x.

Lucas Boord defended his 2010 telescopic class championship with a total score of 597-39X, smashing his own national record of 593-34X in the process. Boord, 21, of New Stanton, Pennsylvania, fired perfect 100s in prone slow-fire and rapid-fire, sitting slow-fire and standing slow-fire, dropping one point in sitting rapid-fire and two in standing rapid-fire.

Theodore James, 32, of Gibsonburg, Ohio, placed second in T-Class with an aggregate score of 596-45X and Ron Villanueva, 46, of Parma Heights, Ohio, placed third, one point behind James, with a total score of 595-30X.

Ron Villanueva captured the Tactical Rimfire Class title at the 2011 National Rimfire Sporter Championship. Villanueva, a perennial rimfire finalist, also ranked third in this year’s T-Class.

Villanueva wasted no time climbing back to the top, winning his first tactical rifle class championship with a new national record aggregate score of 590-27X. It was the second year for the tactical class at the national event, won last year by Mike Krites of Cridersville, Ohio with a score of 566-18X.

Villanueva cleaned his first three stages of fire and also fired a 99-4X in standing rapid-fire.

Jake Perry, 26, of Rossford, Ohio, won second place with an aggregate score of 588-21X and Andy Miller, 37, of Coshocton, Ohio, captured third place with a score of 584-24X.

The tactical rimfire category is growing rapidly, as this year's entry of 55 shooters more than doubled last year's 22. Legal tactical rimfire rifles must comply with the requirements for overall weight and trigger pull and have a configuration that is similar to common AR and modern military rifles. Tactical rimfire rifles may have either aperture or optical sights (no higher than 6X). If the length of pull on the butt-stock is adjustable, the length adjustment must remain the same for all three positions in the Rimfire Sporter course of fire.

Amos Peck, 18, of Leslie, Michigan, won the junior O-Class competition with an aggregate score of 570-5X.

In junior shooting, Amos Peck, 18, of Leslie, Michigan, won the overall O-Class competition with an aggregate score of 570-5X, followed by Aaron Ward, 18, Ypsilanti, Michigan (554-8X) and Stephenie Sabin, 17, of Curtice, Ohio (542-7X). Peck was awarded a Savage Mark I-FVT or II-FVT donated by Savage Arms.

Ward was also the high 4-H junior shooter in the O-Class, followed by Joe Herman, 15, of Clinton, Ohio (510-1X) and Owen Smith, 11, of Lindsey, Ohio (505-2X).

The high T-Class overall junior shooter was Jacob Guay, 16, of Nashville, Georgia, who fired a 591-29X. Guay was also the high 4-H junior shooter in the T-Class division.

The high T-Class overall junior shooter was Jacob Guay, 16, of Nashville, Georgia, who fired a 591-29X. Guay was followed by Natalie Harper, 19, of Dublin, Georgia (585-27X) and Isaac DeAngelis, 13, of Koppel, Pennsylvania (583-23X). Guay received a Remington M597 donated by Remington.

The high 4-H juniors in T-Class were Guay, Rebecca Young, 19, of Dublin, Georgia (577-19X) and Hallie Caifano, 17, of Concord, Virginia (572-17X).

The overall junior tactical rimfire class was led by Aaron Abernathy, 16, of Akron, Ohio, who fired an aggregate of 567-14X. Abernathy fired a clean prone slow-fire stage en route to his victory. He was followed by Steven Stewart, 17, of Troy, Michigan (546-10X) and Alexander Myers, 19, of Indianapolis, Indiana (537-9X).

The high 4-H juniors in tactical rimfire were Brian Wyss, Jr., 16, of Graytown, Ohio (521-7X) and David Boller, 12, of Roanoke, Indiana (516-12X).

Stephenie Sabin led all O-Class women shooters (542-7X) in the 2011 championships, followed by Rene Baldwin and Justine Schedler.

In women's shooting, Stephenie Sabin led all O-Class shooters (542-7X), followed by Rene Baldwin, 46, of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania (537-4X) and Justine Schedler, 14, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio (522-2X).

The top woman in T-Class was Natalie Harper of Dublin, Georgia, who fired a 585-27X.

The top women in T-Class were Natalie Harper (585-27X), Ashley Young, 20, of Dublin, Georgia (584-21X) and Justine Schedler (582-26X).

In tactical rimfire, Patricia Rebol, 39, of Madison, Ohio, led all women with an aggregate of 573-15X. She was followed by Lorri Andrew, 55, of Whitehouse, Ohio (550-6) and Jennifer Butcher, 43, of Grafton, Ohio (548-14X).

The senior O-Class was headed by Ernest Oelker, 64, of Youngstown, Ohio who fired a 570-16X.

The senior O-Class was headed by Ernest Oelker, 64, of Youngstown, Ohio (570-16). In second and third place were Nick Takacs, 62, of Monroeville, Ohio (568-9X) and Jan Hill, 54, of Lakewood, Ohio (566-14X).

The top T-Class senior was Don Moore, 61, of Chattanooga, Tennessee (586-21X), who won in a 3X tie-breaker over Steve Gossage.

The top T-Class senior was Don Moore, 61, of Chattanooga, Tennessee (586-21X), in a 3X tie-breaker over Steve Gossage, 65, of Wooster, Ohio (586-18X), followed by Ronald Springsteen, 74, of Otsego, Michigan (583-29X).

Mark Montgomery, 59, of Gibsonburg, Ohio (564-17X) topped Timothy South, 59, of Mentor, Ohio (561-9X) and John Kerrigan, 60, of Annapolis, Maryland (554-12X) in the tactical rimfire senior division to place first, second and third.

In the Youth Teen-Adult Partner matches, Donald and Justine Schedler combined to win the O-Class championship with a team aggregate score of 1087-24X.

In the Youth Teen-Adult Partner matches, Donald and Justine Schedler combined to win the O-Class championship with a team aggregate score of 1087-24X. Maj. Gregory Patyk (U.S. Army Ret.) and Matthew Knop placed second (894-4X) placed second followed by Jeffery and William Knop (890-11X).

The T-Class team winners were Robert Medvitz & Michaela Ripley with an aggregate of 1168-44X.

The T-Class team winners were Robert Medvitz & Michaela Ripley with an aggregate of 1168-44X, followed by Donald and Justine Schedler (1161-57X) and Matthew Wieczorek and Brian Bursley (1141-34X).

In tactical rimfire, Aaron and Larry Abernathy teamed up for a total score of 1133-24X to win first place.

In tactical rimfire, Larry and Aaron Abernathy teamed up for a total score of 1133-24X to win first place, while Brian Wyss Jr. and Jake Perry combined on an 1109-28X for second and David and Kurt Boller grabbed third (1067-24X).

A special thanks goes out to Lapua for donating ammunition for the 2011 National Rimfire Sporter match and Remington and Savage Arms for donating a rifle awarded to the High Juniors in the O-Class and T-Class.

The 2011 Western CMP Games Rimfire Match will be held on Sunday, 16 October at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, Arizona. Visit http://www.odcmp.com/Competitions/WesternGames.htm for additional information.

For complete results of the 2011 National Rimfire Sporter Championships, log onto http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=7138. To view photos and order prints of the matches, log onto http://cmp1.zenfolio.com.

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