MARENGO, Ohio (Jul. 21, 2026) — The 2026 NRA National Smallbore Championship opened at the Cardinal Shooting Center with the three-position metallic sight matches, and the day belonged to the juniors. Young shooters turned out in force, a surge credited to the $500 stipend put up by 1970s junior shooter Bill Thomas and to the return of the Ruger-sponsored Whistler Boy Match.
They backed up the turnout on the scoreboard. Junior Ruby Harris won the metallic sight championship with an 1185-60X out of 1200, anchored by the day’s best standing aggregate, a 390-16X. Denying the juniors a podium sweep was Erin Gestl, who finished runner-up at 1181, also firing the top kneeling score of the day, a 397-20X out of 400. Junior Avery Hines took third overall with 1171. additionally, Michelle Bohren claimed the prone metallic match with a 400-33X.
Day one carried extra weight this year. The metallic sight aggregate doubled as the selection event for the inaugural Hands Across The Sea Match, a new three-position postal competition against Australia debuting at the 2026 championship. Its top eight finishers earned the nod, split into two four-person squads with postal scores to be drawn from the team matches. Gestl, Hines, Marissa Hughes and Gianna Albright make up the first squad; Aimee Ridinger, Mike O’Connor, Denise Loring and Michelle Bohren the second.
The 2026 NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championship continues at the Cardinal Shooting Center through July 28. Stay tuned for more coverage from the match.
