Opalewski Defends Open Championship as Guay Wins Telescopic and Villanueva Defends Tactical Class Title at 2012 National Rimfire Sporter Match

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – Three shooters, none of whom are strangers to the awards ceremony at CMP rimfire sporter competitions, turned in strong performances Sunday, 22 July, at the 2012 CMP National Rimfire Sporter Match. The event drew 553 entries from the Midwest, South, Atlantic Coast, New England and as far away as Anchorage, Alaska. The Rimfire Sporter Match is an introductory competition which is fired using standard off-the-rack, non-competition type .22 caliber rifles that may be semi-automatic or bolt action. Shooters may compete in Open Sights (O-Class), Telescopic Sights (T-Class) and Tactical Rifle classes. They may also re-enter in another class as range space and time allocation allows. A total of 600 points may be earned in prone, sitting (or kneeling) and standing positions and each position is comprised of slow-fire and rapid-fire phases worth 100 points each.

U.S.M.C. Sgt Luis Esparza Wins President’s Pistol, U.S. Army SSG Patrick Franks Jr. Captures the
National Trophy Individual Pistol Match and USAMU Blue repeats National Trophy Pistol Team Match Victory

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – To the applause and shouts of “Oo-Rah” from fellow Marines at the National Trophy Pistol Match Awards ceremony at Hough Auditorium on 15 July, Sgt Luis Esparza charged up the stairs to the stage and was recognized for winning the 2012 President’s Pistol Trophy, among a field of 544 competitors. Esparza, 23, fired a 386-12X aggregate of a possible 400, in a highly-competitive match among many of the nation’s top service pistol shooters. Esparza held off three U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit competitors, SFC James Henderson, 45, SFC Thomas Rose, 36, and SPC Greg Markowski, 38, all of whom were tied for second at 384, separated by X-ring tiebreakers.

Joseph Totts Wins Junior President’s Pistol Match and Leads Juniors in Aggregate Scoring at Camp Perry

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – Joseph Totts, 20, of Mogadore, OH, the defending 2011 Junior Individual Pistol champion, won the 2012 Junior President’s Pistol Match with an aggregate score of 366-3X on a warm, sunny, yet breezy Sunday, 15 July. While Totts did not repeat as Junior Individual champ, he finished four points behind the winner, Alexander Chichkov. All junior matches are fired using .22 caliber pistols.

Rick Sten wins top prize in the 30 Shot Pistol Center Shot Re-Entry Match and John Zurek is the 2012 National Matches Air Pistol Champion

The CMP’s National Match Air Gun Events take place every year during the National Matches at Camp Perry. The air gun events started in 2009 and offer national match competitors and area visitors an opportunity to shoot on the CMP’s high-tech indoor range which features 80 MegaLink electronic targets.

MSgt Craig Shepard Wins Overall and Non-Distinguished M9 EIC Match in First Shot Opener in 2012 Pistol Matches at Camp Perry

CAMP PERRY, OHIO – Air National Guardsman, MSgt Craig Shepard, 49, of Dearborn Heights, MI, was the overall winner of the M9 EIC Service Pistol Match and was also the high non-Distinguished shooter, which earned him his first EIC leg points toward his Distinguished Pistol Badge in the opening match of the 2012 National Matches.

Target Explodes as LTG William Ingram Jr. Fires Ceremonial First Shot of the 2012 National Matches

CAMP PERRY, OHIO - The traditional First Shot Ceremony took place July 9, 2012, marking the opening of the National Matches, held annually by the Civilian Marksmanship Program, the National Rifle Association, and the Ohio National Guard. The ceremony marks the beginning of the national pistol, smallbore rifle, and highpower rifle championship and CMP Games events.

CMP Welcomes Competitors to the 2012 CMP National Trophy and CMP Games Matches

CAMP PERRY, OHIO - The CMP National Trophy Matches began on 9 July, with the First Shot Ceremony and Pistol Small Arms Firing School. The official program and registration information for the CMP National Trophy and CMP Games Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, are posted on the CMP website at http://www.thecmp.org/NM.htm.

Participation Continues to Grow at CMP Eastern Games & DeMille Wins Three-Gun Aggregate Title

CAMP BUTNER, NC – The CMP Eastern Games, held at Camp Butner, a North Carolina Army National Guard training center, grew by five percent in 2012 as 341 participants took part in traditional games events including historical military rifle, rimfire sporter and pistol competitions.

CMP Games - Georgia Debut at American International Marksmanship Academy

BLAKELY, GEORGIA – With 3,000 acres of former cotton and peanut fields, it might seem impossible to fill them all with shooting ranges, but the newly-opened American International Marksmanship Academy is finding ways to do it. The complex contains rifle, pistol and sporting clay ranges, plus a host of military and law enforcement specialty ranges and facilities. The AIM Academy played host to CMP’s first-ever Georgia CMP Games 26-29 April and shooters from as far as south Florida and Wisconsin were treated to four days of clinics, rifle sales, CMP games matches and warm, sunny weather.

OKC Rolls Out the Red Carpet for CMP at Oklahoma Games

ARCADIA, OKLAHOMA – The membership of the Oklahoma City Gun Club opened its arms, ranges and barbecue grill to the staff of the Civilian Marksmanship Program at the introductory CMP Oklahoma Games, 12-15 April. The event was held at the club, just northeast of Oklahoma City near Arcadia. “Our friends in Oklahoma certainly know how to put on a shooting event,” said Christie Sewell, General Manager of CMP Programs. “We felt very welcome by the folks at the Oklahoma City Gun Club and they made our games event a great experience,” she said.