CAMP PERRY, OHIO – In the three team matches of the 2008 National Trophy Rifle Matches, the US Army’s SFC Grant Singley found himself playing an important role in his teams’ capture of the Hearst Doubles, National Trophy Team and National Trophy Infantry Team matches.
Seemingly always in the hunt, Singley along with then Army SFC Lance Hopper, won the 2006 Hearst Doubles Match and he was a member of the winning Army Infantry Trophy team. It was the first year for the newly-created two-member team service rifle match that resurrected the William Randolph Hearst Trophy. In 2007, Singley won the Mountain Man Trophy to become the top overall service rifle shooter in those matches. He was a member of two winning Army teams that year.
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This year Singley and Army teammate SFC Lance Dement returned to top of the Hearst Trophy podium with a team aggregate score of 587-16X, nipping US Marine Reservists GySgt Justin Skaret and SSgt Sean Bell (587-14X) in a tiebreaker. The Army National Guard team of SSgt Leigh Jenks III and SSgt Richard Zolnowsky finished in third position with a team aggregate score of 586-19X.
Last year Singley and Army SGT Brandon Green were edged out of by Marine Reservists GySgt Julia Watson and Sgt Eric Swearingen.
The Hearst Doubles Rifle Team Match is one of the National Trophy Rifle Matches where all competitors fire competition-class service rifles. Today, almost all competitors in these matches fire accurized M16s or commercial equivalents. The Hearst Doubles Match follows the President’s Rifle 30-shot first phase course of fire. Shooters fire 10 shots standing at 200 yards, 10 shots rapid fire prone at 300 yards and 10 shots slow fire prone at 600 yards with no sighters in any stage. A total of 236 teams completed the 2008 match.
Competitors fire on the SR target at 200 and 300 yards and the MR target at 600 yards. Teams must pair fire the standing and prone slow fire stages, where they alternate firing single shots.
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Regarded by many as the most prestigious trophy match, the National Trophy Team Match was won this year by the US Army Marksmanship Unit-Praslick Team (named after the team coach). Firing members were Singley, SPC Ty Cooper, SGT Brandon Green, SFC Lance Dement, SPC Calvin Roberts and SFC Kyle Ward with a combined team aggregate score of 2948-16X.
One of the key features of this match is the requirement that each team include at least one “new” shooter – someone who has not fired in this match before. This mandate places emphasis on training and assimilating the new member into the squad in less than a year’s time. Specialist Calvin Roberts was the Army’s new shooter in this match this year. He fired a 488-15X. USAMU-Praslick was captained by Sgt Walter Craig and coached by SFC Emil Praslick III.
As winners, USAMU-Praslick was awarded the National Trophy, also known as the ‘Dogs of War’ trophy, which was commissioned by Congress in 1903. This team match has each competitor complete a National Match Course consisting of 10 shots standing and 10 shots sitting rapid at 200 yards, 10 shots prone rapid at 300 yards and 20 shots prone slow fire at 600 yards. No sighters are permitted in National Trophy Team matches so a premium is placed on the coaches ability to dope wind.
The US Army Reserve Gold finished second with a combined team aggregate score of 2926-93X and US Marine Corps Gold placed third with a score of 2914-101X.
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New York State Rifle & Pistol Association-Simmons won the Soldier of Marathon Trophy, which honors the top Civilian team in the NTT Match. Firing members were Robert Modica, Mark Laramie, Stanton Noon, Richard Meade, Dwight Becherer and Leonid Kurtich. The team, captained by Evan Jordan and coached by Bruce Kraft, scored a total of 2901-84X.
Illinois State Gold and Coalinga (California) Rifle Club finished second and third, respectively, in the NTT Civilian team rankings.
The Hilton Trophy for the top Reserve Component Team was awarded to US Army Reserve Gold, who fired a combined aggregate score of 2926-93X. Team members were SPC Christopher Atkins, SFC Daniel Dorosheff, SFC Leslie Lewis, MAJ Scott Klawon, SGT Kristoffer Friend and SFC Norman Anderson. USAR Gold was captained by SGM Neal Dickey and coached by 1SGT Mark Bearnson Sr.
All Guard McCollom and USMCR Gold placed second and third respectively.
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The high Junior team, the California Grizzlies, won the Minuteman Trophy with a combined aggregate of 2854-70X. Team members were Kathryn Bugg, Cheyanne Acebo, David Bahten, Chad Kurgan, Anthony Henderson and Melissa Acebo. The Grizzlies were captained by Heather Swenson and coached by Dirk Seeley.
Chattahoochee Rifle & Gun Club (Columbus, Georgia) took second place honors and Wisconsin State Juniors finished third.
Army Specialist Ty Cooper, who fired a 498-21X, won the 2008 Pershing Trophy that is awarded to the competitor who fires the highest individual score in the National Trophy Team Match.
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The USAMU-Praslick team captured its second of the three elite team matches by winning the 2008 National Trophy Infantry Team Match on 1 August.
The NTIT event, commonly referred to as the “rattle battle,” simulates a six-person infantry team that must distribute fire at eight different targets at distances of 600, 500, 300 and 200 yards, using F silhouettes at 600 and 500 and shorter E silhouettes at 300 and 200. Hits at 600 count four points, three at 500, two points at 300 and one at 200 yards.
Each team receives a bonus at each yard line equal to the square of the number of targets with six or more hits. Teams start with 384 rounds and must distribute them among their six team members according to their “fire plan.” Firing stages at each of the four yard lines last 50 seconds. Strategies vary, but with the low recoil, rapid fire capabilities of the M16 rifle, top teams like the Army and Marines now strive to fire all 384 rounds at 600 and 500 yards where hits count the most. That’s an average of 32 accurate shots in 50 seconds for each team member.
USAMU-Praslick won this year’s Infantry Trophy Match and Trophy with a score of 1409, distributing all of their points at 600 and 500 yards. Army team members were SPC Cooper, SFC Dement, SGT Green, SFC Singley, SFC Ward and SSG William Pace. Pace was the new shooter. The Team Captain was SSG Daniel Peters and the team coach was SFC Praslick.
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Virginia Firearms Education & Marksmanship, Inc. (VFEMI) finished second overall with a score of 1355 and captured the Leatherneck Trophy, which is awarded to the top Civilian team. Members of VFEMI are John Badger, John Boynton, Clyde Bryant III, Andrew Lewis, Jack McKinney and Gregory Spitzer. VFEMI was captained by Danny Gray and coached by David Kozikowski.
Oklahoma Rifle Association placed third overall.
All Guard McCollom won the Celtic Chieftain Trophy as the high Reserve Component team with a score of 1238. Their members are SPC John Coggshall, SSG Leigh Jenks III, CW2 David Kerin, MSG George Morgan Sr., CPT J. Treharne and SSG Richard Zolnowsky. The team was captained by CPT Rodney Jenkins and was coached by WO1 Malcolm Hayes.
The Junior Infantry Team Trophy winner was California Grizzlies, with a score of 1233. For a complete list of results, visit
http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=3426. Event photos are posted at
http://www.odcmp.com/Photos.htm.
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