CAMP PERRY, Ohio – On the 2024 Nationwide Trophy Pistol Matches, John Bickar, 47, of Menlo Park, CA, grew to become solely the third competitor in historical past to earn back-to-back wins within the President’s Pistol Match.
The occasion, a staple on the century-old Nationwide Matches since 1981, was facilitated by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and noticed a complete of 414 rivals on the historic ranges of Camp Perry. Bickar fired an general rating of 384-17X over the day – only one level above the second and third place finishers.
“Truthfully, my confidence stage was fairly low,” he stated of coming to Camp Perry this 12 months. “I’ve not been taking pictures properly. I’ve been taking pictures and coaching and dry firing lots – however, I understand how to shoot right here, and I understand how to place a match collectively.”
He’s initially from Canton, only a brief drive from Camp Perry, and competed on the Nationwide Matches as a junior. He comes from a line of pistol fanatics – together with his mother, Judy, a competitor till her passing in 2003, and his dad, John, the president of the Canton McKinley Rifle and Pistol Membership for 17 years earlier than his passing in 1994.
John, together with his mother and father’ steering, earned his Distinguished Pistol Badge in 1993 on the age of 16 – the youngest on the time – and went on to compete in faculty in addition to internationally inside World Championships and Pan American Video games, all whereas coaching on the Olympic Coaching Heart in Colorado. He even earned his Distinguished Worldwide Badge in 2001 and his Distinguished Rifleman Badge in 2018.
When life took over and new pursuits emerged, Bickar racked up a 22-year hiatus from the Nationwide Matches earlier than deciding to return in 2023, utilizing his mother’s hardball pistol.
He shot on Staff Ultradot in addition to the California Rifle & Pistol Affiliation Staff – the 2023 champions of the Oglethorpe Trophy, awarded to the best scoring civilian group within the Nationwide Trophy Pistol Staff (NTT) Match. This 12 months, the California group completed in second behind the North Carolina Rifle & Pistol Affiliation Staff.
“I had no expectations coming into this 12 months. I’m right here to shoot group matches,” he stated. “I’m actually simply right here to assist my teammates.”
Nonetheless, whether or not with others or alone, he got here to compete.
The situations on the day of the President’s Match have been supreme – presenting hardly any challenges of nature on the firing line. Once more, Bickar saved his expectations easy.
“I used to be identical to, ‘Let’s simply be certain I’ve zeroes. I’m going to shoot as finest as I can – I believe I’ve bought every thing collectively,’” he stated. “I walked off the road, and I assumed I had an honest rating.”
As he packed up his gear and waited for everybody else to complete the match, good friend and member of the U.S. Military Marksmanship Unit, SSG Christopher Hudock informed him, “That’s the best rating I’ve seen up to now.”
“And I assumed, ‘I would’ve gained this once more,’” Bickar recalled with a smile.
He had. And, identical to final 12 months, he was proud to do it together with his mother’s 1911.
“Glad to hold on the custom,” he stated.
Discovering second behind Bickar was 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak, 28, of Colorado Springs, who claimed the Excessive Lady honor within the occasion. She went on to additionally earn the Nationwide Lady’s Trophy as the highest scoring girl within the Nationwide Trophy Particular person Match (NTI), garnering a rating of 280-14X, and the Rose Krelstein Trophy as the best scoring girl within the President’s/NTI Mixture for her skillful performances in every occasion.
Tanya Chowdary, 18, of Belle Mead, NJ, discovered her personal success within the junior class – claiming the highest rating with 359-9X within the President’s Match.
Jonathan Shue, 43, of Liberty, NC, was the general competitor of the NTI with a rating of 293-15X. It was Shue’s second time incomes his identify on the Normal Custer Trophy, having beforehand gained the match again in 2019. He additionally claimed the Excessive Civilian title together with his win and went on to earn the Anheuser Busch Trophy because the main competitor within the NTI/NTT Particular person Mixture, with a rating of 584-24X. Shue is the present nationwide file holder within the combination occasion.
Incomes the G.P. Perry DeFino Trophy as the best inserting junior within the NTI was Elie Arkin, 16, of Falls Church, VA, who gathered a rating of 274-8X.
Different main rivals of the Nationwide Matches included Travis Jorgenson, 46, of Dent, MN, who overtook the Service Revolver EIC Match, renamed the Philip Hemphill Memorial Match for 2024, with a rating of 383-11X.
Profitable the M9 EIC Pistol Match that accompanied the Pistol Small Arms Firing Faculty, together with incomes his first Excellence-In-Competitors (EIC) factors, was Cpl Max Musselman, 36, of Apple Creek, OH, with a rating of 275-3X.
In group competitors, AMU Black (SFC Ryan Adams, SGT Daniel Byrd, SFC Joshua Kingery and SSG Anthony Heinauer) led the NTT with a rating of 1113-29X.
For a whole record of outcomes of the 2024 Nationwide Trophy Pistol Matches & Nationwide CMP Pistol Championships, go to https://ct.thecmp.org/24NMPistolResults. Images of all occasions of the 2024 Nationwide Matches could also be considered and downloaded at no cost at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f456222492.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit company. It’s devoted to firearm security and marksmanship coaching and to the promotion of marksmanship competitors for residents of the US. For extra details about the CMP and its packages, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
