The Sporter Class National Championship was held June 22-24 at the Gary Anderson CMP Center of Competition in Camp Perry, Ohio. Two matches were held, the WCC and the Three Position Junior Olympic National Championship, and saw more than 150 competitors and 50 teams compete.
Nation Ford High School of Fort Mill, South Carolina won the CMP Sporter National Team title with a score of 2194-69. They received $4,000 from the CMP, and this marks the sixth consecutive national title for Nation Ford.
In second place was Zion Benton Township High School (Ill.) after posting a score of 2169-65. They received a cash prize of $3000 from the CMP. Rounding out the podium was North Brunswick JROTC from Leland, North Carolina. By a score of 2168-74, they outscored Fontana MCJROTC by nine center shots. North Brunswick received $2,000 from the CMP.
The High Club team was the Gallatin Valley Sharp Shooters from Montana. Team members were Natalie Samson, Nicole Berger, Marlie Sampson, and Naya Talarico. The team’s coach was Lee Nelson.
In the individual category, Zion Benton saw Kalinn White win the championship title. Along with her championship medallion, White received a Crossman Challenger donated by the Crosman Corporation. Emma Allen, representing Appling County 4-H placed second, and Hope Dobek representing Des Moines Central High School placed third. The top three finishers each received $1000 from the CMP.
The remainder of the top eight individuals received medals and a $500 cash prize from the CMP.
CMP National Natural Persons:
- Kalinn White, Zion Benton Township High School (Illinois) – 443.1
- Emma Allen, Appling County 4-H (Tennessee) – 442.7
- Hope Dobek, Central Des Moines High School (Iowa) – 423.8
- Riley Vines, Zion Benton Township High School (Illinois) – 409
- Ashley Padilla Cabello, Fontana High School (California) – 393.6
- April DeCastro, Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – 385
- Mekayla Baker, West Forsyth High School (North Carolina) – 373.3
- Kees Vandergriff, Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – 371.4
CMP National Teams:
- Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – Head Coach Col Sean Mulcahy (Kees Vandergriff, Abril DeCastro, Zurisaddai Ricardo, Samantha Zermeno)
- Zion Benton Township High School (Illinois) – Head Coach Dan Hackstein (Kalinn White, Addyson Gustafson, Brianna Benedetto, Brayden Rich)
- North Brunswick JROTC (North Carolina) – Coach 1SG George Williams (Jose Gonzales, Jasmine Lopez, Valeria Alvarado, Hannah Gore)
Nation Ford also placed first in the 3PAR Junior Olympic Championship with a score of 2187-78. Zion Benton Township High School was ranked second and Daniel Boone High School was ranked third.
The High Club team was Trigger Time 4-H from Virginia. Team members were Samantha Seagle, Samantha Erick, Noah Richter, and Lexi Strand.
After posting a 430.7 in the finale, April DeCastro, a rising senior at Nation Ford, clinched the Junior Olympic 3PAR National Championship. She also received a Crosman Challenger donated by the Crosman Corporation. Kiara Hallett, a person from Iowa placed second, and Samantha Zermeno, also from Nation Ford placed third.
Junior Olympic National Individuals:
- April DeCastro, Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – 430.7
- Kiara Hallett, Singles (Iowa) – 427.9
- Samantha Zermeno, Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – 419.4
- Kalinn White, Zion Benton Township High School (Illinois) – 408
- Judson Terry, Wilcox County 4-H (Georgia) – 398.4
- Ashley Carr, Guns R Us 4-H (Nebraska) – 390.8
- Natalie Smith, 133 rifle (Alabama) – 377.3
- Clay Crawford, Roberts Co. (South Dakota) – 374.8
Youth Olympic Teams:
- Nation Ford High School (South Carolina) – Head Coach Col Sean Mulcahy (Samantha Zermeno, Abril DeCastro, Kees Vandergriff, Caroline Audette)
- Zion Benton Township High School (Illinois) – Head Coach Dan Hackstein (Kalinn White, Brianna Benedetto, Riley Vines, Brayden Rich)
- Daniel Boone High School (Tennessee) – Coach Maj Steven Sessis (Jake Moody, Nanchaya Bailey, Zachary Higgins, Connor Rowan)
Thirteen junior shooters received their Distinguished Junior Badges. Earning a Distinguished Badge is an incredible honor, one that requires dedication to the sport and is sought after by junior shooters across the country.
The CMP awarded an additional $1,000 scholarship to each of the top three graduates. This year, those scholarships were awarded to Hope Dobek, Kees Vandergriff, and Ashley Padilla Cabello. These scholarships can be used for college tuition or a vocational school.
Along with all the medalists, the WCC would also like to congratulate Nation Ford Trainer Col Sean Mulcahy on his retirement. After many years of dedicated service, he leaves behind a highly decorated JROTC program and we wish him well in his well-deserved retirement. Stay tuned for a featured article on Col Mulcahy!
See the full results of the event at https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=match&task=edit&tab=results&match=24984. Photos can be viewed and downloaded at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f482480355.
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.