CAMP PERRY, OHIO – One could argue that Monday’s shoot-off amongst the top 20 finalists in the President’s Rifle Match didn’t make much difference. After all, the lead of GySgt Ron Fuchs, USMCR, coming out of the first three stages didn’t change at all.
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GySgt Ron Fuchs, USMCR, won the President's Trophy by maintaining the slimmest of margins over SFC Norman Anderson, USAR, and MSG George Morgan, ARNG, in the President's Shoot-Off on Monday, 2 August.
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Pretty boring stuff – boring that is if you walk a tightrope between skyscrapers for a living.
For everyone else, there was a bit more excitement as he maintained a razor-thin lead through the 10-shot final, mirroring a shot-for-shot press by former President’s shoot-off winner SFC Norman Anderson, USAR. Both shooters finished with a score of 99-4X allowing GySgt Fuchs to carry his 2X lead to victory.
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SFC Norman Anderson, USAR pressed GySgt Fuchs in the President's final without success as Fuchs maintained his 2X-lead for the victory.
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GySgt Fuchs, who qualified with a 297-12X and SFC Anderson with 297-10X, each led off with nines and then traded 10s and Xs the rest of the way like prizefighters dropping bombs until the final bell, finishing at 396-16X and 396-14X, respectively. GySgt Fuchs’ score set a new record in the four-year-old 10-shot shoot-off era. SFC Anderson set the former record of 393-13X in 2008.
“I’m speechless right now; it just hasn’t sunk it yet,” GySgt Fuchs said immediately after the match.
“Actually I shot pretty well today, my standing went well – it was the first clean I’ve ever shot in a match, so that started out my day pretty good. The 300 was a little bumpy – I lost two there but shot 99 back here, so it all worked out.
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The President's Match shoot-off provides an opportunity for the match's top 20 shooters to showcase their talent in an exciting post-match final event.
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The final is fired shot for shot in the prone position from 600 yards on Rodriguez Range. The firing line is positioned close to the shooters memorial plaza and provides spectators a great vantage point. Each scorer uses an oversized scoring target that’s easily viewed by the audience.
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Army National Guardsman MSG George Morgan fired a clean shoot-off final score of 100-6X to finish third.
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While the leaders were duking it out, MSG George Morgan, ARNG, who trailed by just two points coming into the final at 295-10X, quietly cleaned his target with a group that could have been covered by a mouse pad. It was the kind of performance that frequently vaults a shooter from third to first, but not this time.
Despite his third place finish, MSG Morgan was swarmed by well-wishers at the conclusion of the match and later said he will be retiring in November.
Earlier in the day he said he threw away a point at 300 yards.
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MSG George Morgan's firing line scorecard displays a tight group in the 10-ring
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“I was anticipating that I was running out of time and I didn’t quite level and knew it was going to be a nine out of the bottom. Why I pulled the trigger, I don’t know. Other than that everything went where it was supposed to.”
“I was keeping an eye on the flags and trying to guess. I had to add a minute and a half from earlier in the day. The speed was the same but I saw the direction had changed so it was becoming more full value.”
“In the final I backed some off a couple of times because the flags were beginning to tail down a little bit. A couple of years ago I shot in the shoot-off and my first shot was out the top and I knew coming in that I’d have to back it down and it fell right in this time,” MSG Morgan said.
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SGT Sherri Gallagher was the high woman shooter of the President's Match and finished fourth overall. A member of the US Army Marksmanship Unit, Gallagher was promoted to the rank of Sergeant two days prior to the match.
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Newly promoted USAMU SGT Sherri Gallagher placed fourth with an aggregate score of 394-21X which also made her the High Woman in the event. The High Civilian shooter was Jared Perry, 29, of Porterville, California, who placed fifth with a combined score of 394-11X. The High Senior in the match was Larry Remsnyder, 62, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, who shot an aggregate of 291-7X.
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Jared Perry, of Porterville, California, was the high civilian shooter and placed fifth.
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The President’s Match High Junior was Sagen Maddalena, 16, of Groveland, California, who fired an aggregate of 291-8X, beating Tyler Rico, 16, of Tucson, Arizona, by two center shots, 291-6X.
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Sagen Maddalena of Groveland, California, was the high junior competitor and placed 36th overall.
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The top 100 shooters in the match are designated as the “President’s Hundred” and receive President’s Rifle Match Medallions and certificates.
For complete results of the President’s Rifle Match, log onto
http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=5690. View pictures at
http://cmp1.zenfolio.com/.
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