Juniors Prove Future of Marksmanship is Bright During 2015 National Matches

As part of our mission, the CMP is dedicated to teaching youth the fundamentals of marksmanship and gun safety. With growing participation in our numerous clinics and matches designed towards advancing their knowledge and celebrating their talents, juniors across the country have proven the future of marksmanship in the United States is undoubtedly progressing.

The following is a list of some of the exceptional juniors of the 2015 National Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches who certainly deserve special recognition and praise.

• High junior of the President’s Rifle Match was Matthew Lovre, 18, of Jeannete, PA, with an exceptional aggregate score of 391-14x – a new National Record. After missing the President’s Hundred last year by one point, Lovre did more than make up for that point lost by finishing this year in eighth place overall.
• Lisa Emmert, 19, of Houghton, Mich., was the overall winner in the Junior President’s Pistol Match and set a new record with her score of 374-8x.
• Sam Kwon, 15, of New York, N.Y., was the overall winner of the Junior Individual Pistol Match with a score of 270-4x.
• Winning the National Junior Pistol Team competition was New Jersey State Jr. Gold with a score of 52307x. The two-member team consisted of Michael Soklaski, 18, of Ringoes, NJ (captain); and Nick Bova, 17, of Edison, NJ. The team was coached by Richard Bogath.
• Gabe Rampy, 17, of Bremen, GA, was the high junior of the Garand Match with a score of 287-8x.
• High junior of the Springfield Match was Joseph Albany, 20, of High Point, NC, who fired a score of 282-2x.
• Sean Stuckey, 16, of Van Wert, OH, was the high junior of the Vintage Military Match, firing a score of 271-2x with his K31.
• High junior of the Carbine Match was Mark Stout II, 17, of Waterford, MI, with a score of 362-5x. Stout set a new National Record with his performance.
• Claiming the Golden Eagle Trophy as the highest ranking junior in the rifle National Trophy Individual Match was Forrest Greenwood, 19, of Ceres, CA, with a score of 484-16x. The talented young competitor finished in 33rd place out of 1,017 competitors.
• Winning the National Junior Rifle Team match was the Pennsylvania Skragglies with a score of 954-25x. The team consisted of Matthew Lovre, 18, of Jeannette, PA, and Joseph Hendricks, 19, of Wexford, PA. Hendricks also fired the highest individual score during the match – 480-12x. Captain of the team is Dwight Briggs, and the team is coached by Ken Roxburgh.
• Earning the Minuteman Trophy, for the highest ranking junior team in the National Trophy Team Match, was PRPA (Pennsylvania Rifle & Pistol Association) Junior #1, with a score of 2821-56x. Team members are Matthew Lovre (captain), Joseph Hendricks, Alexander Thomas, Kevin Kerin, Jack Graw and Wyatt Thomas. The team is coached by Ken Roxburgh.
• The highest ranking junior team in the National Trophy Infantry Team Match was Arizona Juniors with a score of 870 – leading over the second place team by nearly 70 points. Team members Zachery Clark, Jessica Fallenbeck, Kade Jackovich (captain), Morgan Langdon, Sarah Nguyen and Donnie Smith performed for the win. The team is coached by Thomas Kirby.
• Jaren Nofzinger, 11, of Fremont, OH, won the Novice Prone Sporter Match – cleaning the phase with a score of 200-5x. The event is designed for young shooters aged 8-12 who are just beginning their shooting careers. Novice Prone introduces them to the exciting world of competitive shooting in a safe and fun way.
• Robert Yarrito, 18, of Phoenix, AZ, shot a 520-6x to earn the spot as high junior during the 60 Shot Air Pistol Match.
• The following individuals also received their Distinguished Rifle Badges at the National Match awards ceremony: Ryan Hayes, 15, of Glendale, AZ (Badge #2225); Joseph Albany, Jr., 19, High Point, NC (Badge #2228); Luke Rettmer, 16, Ferndale, WA (Badge #2238); Robert McClain, 17, Walkersville, WV (Badge #2241); Hana Kieger, 17, Boulder, CO (Badge #2242); Kade Jackovich, 16, Mesa, AZ (Badge #2245); Josh Hanrahan, 17, Green Bay, WI (Badge #2250); Hana Kieger, 18, Boulder, CO (Badge #2242).
• Samuel Payne, 16, of Kingston, GA, was the match winner of the T-Class during the Rimfire Sporter Match, with an exceptional score of 599-46x. He was also the high junior, the high 4-H junior and set a new National Record with his score. Additionally, Payne was the second place finisher in the O-Class and the high 4-H junior, with a score of 583-23x.
• High junior of the Tactical Class in the Rimfire Sporter Match was Brianna Toikkanen, 17, of Conneaut, OH, with a score of 563-24x.

For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org for more information and program descriptions.