Above: The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit International Rifle squad was among many that teamed up with junior shooters for the Mentor Match at the 2017 NRA National Smallbore Prone Rifle Championships in Bristol, IN. Photo courtesy of the AMU.
The final day of the NRA National Smallbore Prone Rifle Championships featured a trio of fired matches and an unfired team aggregate.
The Black Hawk Ladies, Michelle Bohren, Michele Makucevich, Nancy Tompkins, Ginger McLemore and Coach Dani Makucevich―burst from the starting gate, shooting a 1599-115X to win the Metallic Sight Championship. The team bested the AMU by a single point, which was critical, since the AMU had a 16-point advantage in the X column. The Black Hawk Chiefs were in third shooting a 1597-117X.
The ladies did not slacken and posted a 1600-131X (the only clean of the day), winning the Any Sight Championship, and also setting a new National Record for women on the Dewar Course. They bested a 38-year-old standard by 16 Xs. The Black Hawk Chiefs fired a 1599-129X for second while the Black Hawk Veterans, all former service members, came in third with a 1598-121X.
As would be expected, the Black Hawk Ladies additionally won the Team Aggregate Championship with a score of 3199-246X. The Black Hawk Chiefs scored 3196-246X to finish in second, followed by Murray State―a team made up of the college’s alumni.
Mentor Morgen Dietrich teamed up with Eric Hazelton to win the Randle Mentor Match.
With the conclusion of the team matches, in the evening competitors enjoyed a family-style dinner at the awards ceremony. The ceremony was highlighted by an awards table full of great prizes―with each competitor having a chance to pick one based on the order of finish.
For more coverage of the 2017 NRA National Smallbore Prone Rifle Championships, go to: www.ssusa.org/articles/2017/7/14/2017-nra-national-smallbore-prone-rifle-championships-any-sights-and-grand-aggregate-results.
