Katrina Demerle, 17, of Hamilton, Ohio, earned the #1 Distinguished Air Rifle Badge from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).
The latest addition to CMP’s Distinguished Badge Program was introduced in early 2022. The Distinguished Badge Program rewards shooters who produce consistent scores at qualifying events where they can earn the Excellence in Competition (EIC) points needed to receive a badge. It is a prominent honor in the marksmanship community and is now available in a variety of adult and youth disciplines, such as the Inside 60 Shot Air Rifle.
“When I found out, I knew I wanted to earn that badge,” Demerle said confidently.
He earned his initial Air Rifle EIC points in January and his final points in September. The first to achieve at least 30 points in the new Air Rifle category, she received an engraved #1 Badge and a place in the history books.
“I wasn’t really focused on getting Badge #1, I just wanted to earn the badge at some point,” she admitted. “But I feel very honored to have achieved Badge #1.”
Demerle’s first experience in marksmanship was when her father, Butch, helped her use his rifle at his friend’s house when she was just six years old. Shortly after her, Butch enrolled her in a local junior small-bore program, which eventually led her into the air rifle as well.
He has been competing for the past seven years and currently uses a Pardini BB and Feinwerkbau 2700 small bore and practices two to three times a week. She tries to compete in three or more matches a month, including CMP’s monthly air pistol matches, where she has won several awards. Typical scores for her are around 596 in air rifle and over 580 in small bore.
Demerle has been a member of the US Junior National Shooting Team for international and three-position air rifle. Throughout his career, he has amassed multiple national records, currently holding over 10. He has competed in over 400 matches and has amassed multiple championship titles, including within WCC competitions and other matches.
In 2021 alone, she earned silver at the Junior Olympic Games in Women’s Air Rifle, the overall title at the CMP/Junior Olympic National Three Positions Championship, gold at the El Salvador Junior Grand Prix, leading international Air Rifle athlete in the Anschutz Open and finished 33rd in Women’s Air at the Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, among other recognitions.
Her talents have also led her to become the CMP Gary Anderson Invitational Three-position Air Rifle Champion for the past four consecutive years, as well as a five-time Ohio Junior Olympic Women’s Champion in Air Rifle and Small Bore. She had previously earned a Junior Distinguished Badge #1201 in Three Position Air Rifle in 2017.
In the future, he would like to compete on an NCAA rifle team and hopefully help lead its members to a national championship.
“I am looking forward to working with a college coach who can help me improve my shooting skills to become the best shooter I can be,” she said.
About the Distinguished Badges Program:
To earn a Distinguished Badge, a competitor must earn 30 or more Excellence in Competition (EIC) points or more in a qualifying competition. Individuals earn the 6, 8, or 10 “stage” points based on score and a percentage of participation in the match, with at least one “hard” stage, worth either 8 or 10 points. Currently, the CMP administers Distinguished Badges for:
- service rifle
- service pistol
- .22 Rimfire Pistol
- junior air rifle
- international shooter
- Small Bore Rifle (3P and Prone)
- Distinguished Marksman Badge
- Distinguished air rifle and air pistol
- service revolver
Those interested in learning more about the Distinguished Badge Program or how to earn one (or more!), can find more information on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/distinguishedbadges/.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearms safety and marksmanship training and the promotion of marksmanship competition for United States citizens. To learn more about the CMP and its programs, log on to www.TheCMP.org.