MARENGO, Ohio — Erin Gestl finished the metallic day four points down. He made it up in a morning.
Gestl fired 1179-76X in Wednesday’s any sight aggregate, 14 points clear of anything else in the match, and closed the 2026 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Three-Position Championship at the Cardinal Shooting Center with a grand aggregate of 2360-137X out of a possible 2400. The title carried the Frank Parsons Trophy plaque, a Walther pistol and a commemorative Daisy Red Ryder made for this year’s championship. Gestl also took High Civilian, Intermediate Senior and High Master honors.
Ruby Harris had set the pace Monday, winning the metallic aggregate at 1185-60X. Gestl actually held the X-count advantage that day, 61 to 60, and still trailed by four on score. Harris’ 2350-111X held second overall and made her High Woman, High Junior and High Expert, landing the Cobb Trophy plaque, the Mary C. Camp Trophy plaque, Lapua ammunition testing and a Ruger 10/22, plus multiple NRA National Championship medals.
Juniors took two of the top three places. Avery Hines finished third at 2331-83X and won the Intermediate Junior category, the Byron Putnam International Trophy and a brick of Eley ammunition. Marissa Hughes was fourth at 2327-92X and Aimee Ridinger fifth at 2316-95X.
James Eu of Australia placed sixth at 2314-90X and won the Visitor category. He and Harris both fired 1165 in the any sight aggregate, and Eu took the placing on center shots, 56 to 51.
Denise Loring claimed the Veteran category and the D.I. Boyd Memorial Trophy plaque with a 2311-87X, along with two NRA national records.
Then came the closest finish on the board. Gianna Albright and Mike O’Connor both landed on 2304, and X-count separated them again—Albright’s 94 to O’Connor’s 92. Albright took eighth and the High Sharpshooter award with a brick of SK ammunition. O’Connor, who won the NRA Lones Wigger Iron Man Trophy a year ago, was ninth and won the Senior championship, the Robert K. Moore Trophy plaque and ammunition from match sponsor Lapua.
Gestl’s week also included a share of the team aggregate title. He and Joe Graf shot 2324-113X for Black Hawk on Tuesday’s team day.
Hands Across the Sea
The U.S. won the inaugural Hands Across the Sea postal match against Australia, entering two four-person teams that finished ahead of the field. Gestl, Hines, Hughes and Albright posted the high score, with Ridinger, O’Connor, Loring and Michelle Bohren next. Graf captained and John Thurnheer coached. H.A.T.S. team members received crying towels designed and made by Chief Statistical Officer Mary Furr.
Scholarship Money for the Juniors
Every junior who completed the NRA Three-Position Grand Aggregate collected a scholarship check from Bill Thomas, presented during the awards ceremony. Thomas shot this championship as a junior himself in the 1970s and funded the program to pull younger shooters into the same camaraderie and sense of history that the NRA National Championships gave him.
2026 NRA National Smallbore Three-Position Championship Leaderboard
| Grand Aggregate — Match 200 | ||
| COMPETITOR | SCORE | |
| 1 | Erin Gestl | 2360-137X |
| 2 | Ruby Harris | 2350-111X |
| 3 | Avery Hines | 2331-83X |
| 4 | Marissa Hughes | 2327-92X |
| 5 | Aimee Ridinger | 2316-95X |
| 6 | James Eu | 2314-90X |
| 7 | Denise Loring | 2311-87X |
| 8 | Gianna Albright | 2304-94X |
| 9 | Mike O’Connor | 2304-92X |
| 10 | Jacob Manley | 2285-95X |
| Metallic Aggregate — Match 210 | ||
| COMPETITOR | SCORE | |
| 1 | Ruby Harris | 1185-60X |
| 2 | Erin Gestl | 1181-61X |
| 3 | Avery Hines | 1171-43X |
| 4 | Marissa Hughes | 1170-50X |
| 5 | Gianna Albright | 1162-49X |
| Any Sight Aggregate — Match 211 | ||
| COMPETITOR | SCORE | |
| 1 | Erin Gestl | 1179-76X |
| 2 | James Eu | 1165-56X |
| 3 | Ruby Harris | 1165-51X |
| 4 | Denise Loring | 1161-54X |
| 5 | Avery Hines | 1160-40X |
The 2026 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championship continues at the Cardinal Shooting Center through July 28 with the Prone and F-Class trophy matches. Learn more about NRA National Championships at competitions.nra.org.
