CAMP PERRY, Ohio – On the weekend of May 19-22, Suman Sanghera, 17, of Great Falls, VA, returned to the Camp Perry Open to top the pistol portion of the annual air pistol competition for second year in a row. Last year, Sanghera led the Junior class, but in 2023 he showcased his strengths by claiming the open match and overall victory in the Super Final event.
The Camp Perry Open features small-bore three-position sporting/precision air rifle competitions, as well as 60-shot air rifle and air pistol competitions, divided into Open and Junior categories. The event is hosted by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) at the indoor Gary Anderson CMP Competency Center and outdoor Petrarca Range, both located on the grounds of Camp Perry. Each event includes qualifying rounds, followed by an elimination final that determines the overall winners. Team events were also held simultaneously with the 3×20 air rifle and 60-shot qualifying matches over the weekend.
A senior athlete, Sanghera is a member of the NOVA Sharpshooters team and is the top female 10m air pistol athlete in the US. Among other accolades, she holds a national record and has won numerous gold medals throughout of his career. This fall she will attend Ohio State University as a member of the pistol team and will study to become a medic. With her success, in 2023, the CMP Scholarship Committee chose her as one of the top 4 athletes to receive a recurring $5,000 over the next four years ($20,000 total) through the CMP Scholarship Program.
A family affair, Sanghera’s brother Bhavjeet, 20, placed third in the Junior and Open categories after taking third place in the Junior match at last year’s event.
Molly McGhin, 21, of Griffin, GA, also earned victories at the 2023 Camp Perry Open and claimed the Open 60 Shot Rifle event, while 18-year-old Katrina Demerle of Hamilton, Ohio led the competition. youth. Demerle had taken first place overall in the 3×20 match in the precision class on the opening day of the Camp Perry Open, with 18-year-old Charles Bratton of Clover, SC leading the sport class.
The 2023 Camp Perry Open marked a new beginning for the CMP Smallbore program, using the new 50-meter KTS (Kongsberg Target Systems) E-Score system for the first time. The targets are set to be used in future CMP small-bore competitions, including the upcoming domestic small-bore matches in July.
“I think the Camp Perry Open went really well for the first time with these targets,” said Brad Donoho, CMP small drilling manager. “We learned a lot and identified a few things to fix before Nationals.”
“Overall, I am very satisfied with how the match went and I am confident that the 2023 National Matches will be very successful,” he added.
Leading the Smallbore 3×20 elimination event at the Camp Perry Open was Olympic medalist Mary Tucker, 21, of Sarasota, FL. Gavin Barnick, 20, of Appleton, WI, was the junior athlete in high school.
Another exclusive event at the Camp Perry Open is the early Super Final, which includes costumes, music and other dazzling effects that add fun to the game. During the Super Final, the top 38 competitors from each day’s air rifle and air pistol qualification round gather on the firing line to compete in an intense elimination event. The competition continues until only one athlete is left standing.
Elijah Spencer of Boise, Idaho won the 2023 rifle Super Final, while Sanghera led the pistol side. They each won $200 for their first place. Following Spencer was Angeline Henry from Fort Worth, Texas, while McGhin placed third. Matthew Lemmon of Clyde, Ohio, and Sam Gens of Greenwood Village, Colo., followed Sanghera in the pistol duel, taking second and third place, respectively. Second place took home $150, while third place won $100.
The best athletes of the Camp Perry Open 2023:
Small 3×20 gauge:
Open:
- Mary Tucker, 21, of Sarasota, Florida – 459.2
- SPC Jared Eddy, 22, of Midland, GA – 455.9
- Gavin Barnick, 20, of Appleton, WI – 445.3
Junior:
- Gavin Barnick, 20, of Appleton, WI – 582-29X
- Gabriela Zych, 18, Anchorage, AK – 579-23X
- Elijah Spencer, 18, Boise, ID – 579-19X
3×20 air rifle:
sportsman:
- Charles Bratton, 18, of Clover, SC – 425.8
- Riley Vines, 17, of Zion, IL – 418.8
- Kalinn White, 17, of Zion, IL – 409.9
Precision:
- Katrina Demerle, 18, of Hamilton, Ohio – 466.2
- Natalie Welter, 13, of Parker, Pennsylvania – 464.2
- Jacob Wisman, 17, of Independence, WV – 451.1
General air rifle equipment:
Athlete: Zion Benton High School Navy JROTC (Illinois) – 2185-68X
Accuracy: American Legion Post 295 (Ohio) – 2348-171X
60 Shot Rifle Finale:
Open:
- Molly McGhin, 21, of Griffin, GA – 249.6
- Peter Fiori, 23, of Lebanon, NJ – 246.9
- Angeline Henry, 22, of Fort Worth, TX – 226.3
Junior:
- Katrina Demerle, 18, of Hamilton, Ohio – 247.6
- Bremen Butler, 18, of Fort Wayne, IN – 246.2
- Brandon Evans, 18, of Poquoson, VA – 224.6
60 Shot Pistol Finish:
Open:
- Suman Sanghera, 17, of Great Falls, VA – 234.7
- Sam Gens, 23, of Greenwood Village, CO – 233.5
- Bhavjeet Sanghera, 20, of Great Falls, VA – 212.2
Junior
- Suman Sanghera, 17, of Great Falls, VA – 241.6
- Blaine Simpson, 17, of Sidney, Ohio – 229.5
- Bhavjeet Sanghera, 20, of Great Falls, VA – 211.5
60-shot rifle equipment:
Open: USAMU (Jared Eddy, Molly McGhin, SPC Levi Clark) – 3738.1
Junior: Two Bears and a Bird (Bremen Butler, Elijah Spencer, Katrina Demerle) – 3711.5
60-shot pistol equipment:
Open: We Luv Emil Milev (Sam Gens, Katelyn Abeln, Anthony Lutz) – 3384-75X
Junior: Shooting Stars (Suman Sanghera, Bhavjeet Sanghera, Larissa Seiler) – 3259-65X
See a complete list of results on the CMP Competition Tracker page at https://ct.thecmp.org/2023CPOresults. Photos from the event can be viewed and downloaded for free at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f127146484.
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.