Gratz Finishes On Top At National Smallbore Rifle Conventional Position Championship

The 2018 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships, and the marathon to win the coveted Lones Wigger Trophy and title of “Ironman,” began with the Conventional Position Championship at the Wa-Ke'-De Rifle Range in Bristol, IN.


Daniel Martz, of Columbia, MO, won the prone stage of the Metallic Sight Championship with a 400-38X, the best of the 13 perfect score posted. West Virginia University’s Elizabeth Gratz took the standing match, shooting a 394-17X. The final match of the day, kneeling, went to Marksman Jaden Thompson who posted a 398-23X—giving him an aggregate score of 1190-74X for the metallic sight championship and the William Krilling Trophy. It was quite an achievement as he outshot two Master class shooters for the win: Gratz, 1190-73X, and William Marciniak, 1190-66X. Thompson also picked up high civilian and intermediate junior laurels.


Mandy Otero was presented the Meister Trophy as senior champion, Mike O’Connor was the top intermediate senior, and Marciniak was collegiate champion. The George Alves Trophy went to junior shooter Richard Clark of Jackson, MI, while Katrina DeMerle was top sub junior.

Day two of the championship was any sights and Megan Hilbish of Emporia, KS, posted a 400-37X prone for the win in the first match. She continued, with a full head of steam, to win standing with a 397-24X on a tie breaker with Gratz who tied in integer score but only mustered 16 Xs. Clark broke Hilbish’s stranglehold on any sight wins when he shot a 397-24X to win kneeling. Having quietly been below the radar all day, a consistent performance by Gratz saw her win the any sight and civilian titles with an 1193-68X, besting Clark, 1189-80X, who was also was high junior, and Lisette Grunwell Lacy, 1188-77X.


Otero, Marciniak, and DeMerle repeated as senior, collegiate, and sub junior winners. Paula Lambertz of Streamwood, IL, was the intermediate senior title winner. Thompson grabbed the intermediate junior win.

Gratz, with a score of 2383-141X, emerged as the conventional position and civilian champion. Thomson and Marciniak were locked at 2378 but Thompson had 142X, two more than Marciniak who earned the aggregate collegiate win.

Otero, O’Connor, Clark, Thompson, and DeMerle held on to category wins in senior, intermediate senior, junior, intermediate junior, and sub junior competition.

2018 NRA Conventional 3-Position Grand Aggregate Leaderboard

1. National Champion     Elizabeth Gratz, 2382-141X
2. Second Place              Jaden Thompson, 2378-141X
3. Third Place                 William Marcinak, 2378-140X
4. Fourth Place                Richard Clark, 2375-150X
5. Fifth Place                   Lisette Grunwell-Lacey, 2371-144X
6. Sixth Place                  Malori Brown, 2368-121X
7. Seventh Place              Megan Hilbish, 2364-130X
8. Eighth Place                Daniel Martz, 2360-139X
9. Ninth Place                 Rachel Engels, 2356-114X
10. Tenth Place                 Martina Gratz, 2353-104X

Day three of the National Smallbore Championships will mark the start of the National Metric Smallbore Rifle Position Championship. For the latest match coverage, check back with SSUSA often. For the most up to date results, please visit competitor.nra.org/ChampionshipResultsSmallbore.aspx