CAMP PERRY, Ohio – The 2022 National Games Matches, part of the annual Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) National Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, belonged to the women, as they posted national record scores in four of the seven main events offered within the calendar.
Kerri Lewis, 46, of Middletown, Rhode Island, broke High Woman’s previous record in the Vintage Military Match at 271-4X, cleaning up the scoreboard by a whopping 13 points.
Not to be outdone, Meghann Beaver, 23, of Indianapolis, Indiana, achieved her own national record in the High Woman category of the Springfield Match by beating the previous record score (held by Lewis) by five points, reaching 287-9X in the event.
Also, Maisey Loucks, 27, of Mechanicville, New York, earned the High Woman in the Carbine match along with a new national record score, beating the previous record by three points, while Madelynn Schnelle, 15, of Crawfordsville, Indiana, set a score of 283-5X (one point above the previous record) in the John C. Garand Match to claim the High Woman honor.
The National Games matches are CMP’s own lineup of modern and vintage arcade-style rifle competitions. The events provide unique challenges to competitors while celebrating the legacy of each notable firearm on the historic grounds of Camp Perry, home of the National Matches for more than a century.
Among many fun and challenging events, the Games series includes four main groups of rifles (Garand, Springfield, Vintage and Modern Military), as well as added prizes for those who shoot multiple types of rifles. Accolades are also given to High Junior, High Senior, High Garand Senior and High Woman from each match.
Brian Williams, 48, of Granby, Massachusetts, is no stranger to National Games events. He is the current national record holder in the Vintage Military Match and is a previous winner of the three-gun aggregate and also claims the four-gun aggregate in four of the last five years.
“I have some goals for these games every year, and this year I was able to stay consistent enough to get all three,” Williams said.
His conquests for 2022 were the M1 Carbine Match and comeback wins in both Three-Gun and Four-Agregates, all of which he won.
Williams led the Carabina Match by more than 10 points, achieving a score of 375-10X. Merton Emery, 66, of Auburn Hills, Michigan, came in second at 364-7X and claimed the High Senior title. Other notable performers during the Carbine event included Cole Aussieker, 16, from Wenona, Illinois, who was a High Junior, and Dean Wilkening, 71, from Decatur, Indiana, who marked High Grand Senior status.
Nick Till, 48, of Howell, Michigan, nearly hit his own national record but fell short with a score of 291-6X for the overall victory in the Garand Match as Williams placed second. High Senior Doug Armstrong, 62, of Lexington, North Carolina, placed third.
Allison Schultze, 20, of Elmore, Ohio, scored 280-5X for the High Junior title, while Robert Steketee, 72, of Haslett, Michigan, scored 277-2X for the High Grand spot. Senior.
In the Springfield Match, James Schonke, 48, of Pepin, Wisconsin, led the overall with a score of 292-9X. Schnelle won the High Junior title again, while James Martin (66, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Frank Gill (71, from Oil City, Pennsylvania) respectively earned High Senior and High Grand Senior honors.
Matthew Slocum, 41, of Springfield, Pennsylvania, not only led the Vintage Military event, but was also the top contender shooting a 1917 Enfield, posting an overall score of 288-8X. Also holding general categorical titles were Alex Becker (17, from Monticello, Indiana), Thomas Morley (62, from Washington, Pennsylvania) and Robert McKenzie (73, from Vineland, New Jersey).
Sergeant Jonathan Wood, 37, of Kennar, Louisiana, took first place in the Modern Military Match with a score of 293-12X. High Senior was Steven Dekich, 65, of Auburn, Alabama, while Michael Larkin, 70, of Sugar Land, Texas, earned Grand Senior. Kyle Schloemer, 20, of Cleveland, Ohio, was named a High Junior.
A Springfield M1A Match, organized by the Springfield Armory, was also held during the National Games Matches. Out of more than 200 competitors in the event, Brian Appel, 33, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, came out on top with a score of 377-5X.
Also earning recognition were High Senior Servicemember Major Richard Martinez of the U.S. Marine Corps, High Junior Thomas McGowan of Hortonville, Wisconsin, High Senior Robert Steketee of Haslett, Michigan, High Grand Senior John Kurek of Jacksonville, North Carolina and Senior Civilian Dwayne Lewis of Greenville, South Carolina. Kerri Lewis got High Woman.
In the Vintage Sniper Match, Rudd’s Rough Riders (Michael Korff and Paul Jackson) topped the Manual category with a score of 391-12X, while Team Tater (Liam McEvoy and Robert Boxler) mustered a score of 369-4X to claim the Semi – Automatic gain.
Find a complete list of match results from the 2022 National Games at https://ct.thecmp.org/22nmrifleresults. Photos from these matches and more can be viewed and downloaded for free at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f194425065.
And if you missed the Games events at Camp Perry, don’t worry! These matches and more can be found across the country throughout the year at the CMP Competition Games. The next round of competitions will take place in Jericho, Vermont, during the New England CMP Games, beginning on September 18. Learn more about CMP Games events on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-travel-games/. CMP affiliated clubs also organize CMP Games events throughout the year. Visit https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php do=matchRegistrationListUpcoming&filter=event_type&filter_value=GARAND|SPRINGFIELD|VMILITARY for upcoming matches.
The Civilian Aim Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearms safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of competitive marksmanship for United States citizens. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log on to www.TheCMP.org.