Deena Wigger McDorman Tops 2025 NRA National Smallbore Prone Championship Leaderboard

Deena Wigger McDorman delivered a dominant performance at the 2025 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship, taking home the top honor after posting a score of 6397-531X at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio.

Winners at the 2025 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship are Deena Wigger McDorman for Prone and Sam Pagliari for F-Class. (Photo courtesy Edie Fleeman)

She earned both the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship grand aggregate and Iron Sight titles.

McDorman’s final score of 6397-531X was two points higher than the mark posted by 2024 champion Nick Mowrer, who won last year’s title with a 6395-550X performance.

Held from July 20-25, this year’s championship marked the first time the NRA Smallbore Rifle Prone Nationals took place at the Cardinal Center, which also hosted the NRA Pistol Nationals earlier in the month. With four days of matches, the competition tested nearly every aspect of marksmanship under pressure.

McDorman’s performance stood out in a field of elite smallbore competitors, with her consistent X-ring accuracy propelling her to the top. In addition to a $1,000 prize package, she received the prestigious Critchfield Trophy Plaque, an honor awarded each year to the NRA Smallbore Rifle Conventional Prone Champion.

Deena Wigger McDorman is congratulated by NRA Director Patti Clark during the awards ceremony after capturing the 2025 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championship title. (Photo courtesy of Black Hawk Rifle Club)

While McDorman took the top spot in Prone, Sam Pagliari emerged as the Smallbore F-Class winner, rounding out a week of solid shooting across all categories.

The competition now turns to the 2025 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Three-Position Championship, underway through July 29 at the same venue. After the firing is complete, the prestigious Lones Wigger Iron Man Trophy—awarded to the competitor with the highest combined score across both the Prone and Three-Position championships—will be presented, with McDorman firmly in contention, along with Cameron Zwart, the 2023 Iron Man Trophy winner.

A foggy Ohio morning greets shooters during the 2025 NRA Smallbore Three-Position Nationals this week. The Cardinal Shooting Center’s debut as host of the NRA Smallbore Rifle Nationals has proven successful, providing a first-class stage for one of competition shooting’s most storied tournaments. (Photo courtesy Edie Fleeman)

With its first year at the Cardinal Shooting Center already a success, the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships have found a new home in Ohio—one capable of hosting the sport’s most elite and enduring traditions.

Be on the lookout for a full match report from the 2025 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships in a future issue of the digital magazine. Subscribe for free here.