Recently, rifle and pistol athletes of all ages gathered at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio, at the Gary Anderson Competition Center and Petrarca Range to compete in the 18th Annual Camp Perry Open. The event attracts athletes of all skill levels, giving new competitors the opportunity to compete side by side with some of the best in the North America.
The Camp Perry Open began in 2007, featuring one day of precision and sporter three-position air rifle competition with 77 athletes from six states. Fast forward to 2024, and we have 186 competitors with four days of events including three-position air rifle competition, a 3x20 smallbore match, a 60 Shot Standing air rifle event, and a 60 Shot Air Pistol event.
The event was attended by individuals and teams from 19 states. The turnout for Canadian competitors was significant this year with 26 competitors from six different provinces.
Although from different corners of the country, rifle and pistol athletes share similar tendencies. They are disciplined, and, at times, intense, but it’s because they are doing what they love, which will always leave some room for good old-fashioned fun.
The Camp Perry Open is home to the Super Final, where the top 40 competitors in rifle and pistol don their silliest hats and costumes and go head-to-head in a start from zero elimination-style event. This year’s winners were Xiaobu Meng of British Columbia, Canada, for rifle and Igor Kozic of Ontario, Canada, for pistol.
Competitors from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) dominated the open category, with all five members making the finals in an ISSF air rifle elimination final. SSG Brandon Muske took home the gold in the 60 Shot Standing Open category with a 250.8, beating his teammate SP4 Jared Eddy by only 1.4 points in the final.
Additionally, the USAMU Gold won the rifle team category with a score of 3,746.8 consisting of team members SP4 Jared Eddy, SGT Patrick Sunderman and SGT Levi Clark.
Hailey Singleton was victorious in the 60 Shot Standing Junior air rifle final with a 247.4, edging out Jack Ogoreuc by 2.8 points. The pair also went toe to toe in the three-position air rifle final, with Singleton again claiming victory with a margin of 2.2 points over Ogoreuc.
The Zion Benton Team 1 dominated the field and won the Sporter Team Championship, with all four members competing the sporter final. Brianna Benedetto of the Zion Benton Team was sitting in first place going into the final, but it was Bethany Shirley who earned the overall win at the end of the final with 1.5 points over Benedetto.
In the Open air pistol category, Aakashdeep Purba was sitting in third place after two days of competition. She was able to stay solid and consistent during the final and earned her gold medal with a final score of 242.3. In the Junior category, Hejia Wang was able to fend off the other competitors to maintain her early lead and secure the top spot.
The smallbore competition rounded out four days of competition at Petrarca Range, with a consistent easterly cool breeze causing the athletes to make adjustments to their equipment. The smallbore matches also included electronic targets.
After a morning of competition, all five USAMU members made the Open finals again. The winner this time was SGT Levi Clark with a score of 445.3. The second, third and fourth places in the open finals went to junior competitors Griffin Lake, Jack Ogoreuc and Jacob Wisman, who also filled out the top three spots in the Junior category.
Next year, the competition will return to its original January timeline, so mark your calendars for Jan. 17-19, 2025! Events will include the 3x20 air rifle competition, 60-shot air pistol and air rifle competitions and the favorite Super Final.
View full results at https://ct.thecmp.org/24CPO.
