CAMP PERRY, Ohio – Ask any traveler to the annual Nationwide Rifle Matches which competitors is probably the most important and also you’re prone to discover the identical repeated reply: the President’s Rifle Match.
It’s a contest steeped in historical past – a staple on the century-old Nationwide Matches that pulls among the greatest marksmen and girls to the grounds of Camp Perry every year, all hoping to earn the celebrated President’s Rifle Trophy that has been awarded since 1894.
The match has turn out to be extra of a spectacle in latest a long time with the addition of a 10-shot shoot-off for the highest 20 opponents. All the time meant to collect a crowd of observers to cheer on their friends, the 2025 occasion was much more spectator-friendly with the inclusion of Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) line of out of doors digital targets and a big jumbotron display positioned on the firing line – immediately displaying every particular person’s pictures in actual time.
The jumbo display additionally allowed full-view of one other thrilling first for the President’s Rifle Match – a tie-breaking closing shot to find out the victor.
On the finish of the shoot-off, SSG Jared Desrosiers, 28, of the U.S. Military Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), was neck-and-neck with Conrad Younger, 50, of San Antonio – every ending with the identical rating of 395-17X to power one closing shot.
Each males had been pretty new to the President’s Match, every having solely fired within the match twice earlier than (with 2025 marking their first shoot-off expertise).
Desrosiers comes from a 15-year profession of air rifle and smallbore rifle competitions, many at Camp Perry. He additionally hung out on the U.S. Olympic Coaching Middle in Colorado Springs as a part of the Nationwide Group. His time there helped lead him to a profession with the USAMU, the place he has spent the final eight years – with 2025 marking his first 12 months with the Service Rifle group.
The format of the President’s Shoot-off resembles the international-style finals utilized in air rifle and smallbore, making Desrosiers really feel somewhat extra assured on the firing line.
“It felt like I used to be at dwelling, nearly,” he mentioned with a smile.
“My coronary heart was racing a bit, however I attempted to dig into my smallbore background capturing finals and pulled by way of,” he went on. “I knew I needed to make the most effective wind name I might and make the most effective shot I might.”
In the long run, an “X” by Desrosiers to Conrad’s unbelievable 10.9 shot formally etched Desrosiers into the historical past books as the general particular person.
“I like the ambiance of service rifle,” Desrosiers mentioned, wanting again on the day. “Whether or not service rifle or smallbore, I simply like to be outdoors, and I like to shoot.”
“It was all sort of a blur,” Younger added. “The clock began ticking down – I used to be utilizing one piece of grass to learn the wind, and I assume I used to be off a bit.”
Although touchdown wanting the final word title, Younger wasn’t discouraged. He thought again to the true cause he was capable of make it to the shoot-off this 12 months, crediting greater than his personal expertise on the firing line.
“I’ve been working quite a bit, and I’ve been getting lots of assist from my buddies,” he mentioned. “It is a actually cool neighborhood. They actually exit of their manner to assist, and I’ve simply been taking all of it in and making use of it to my coaching.”
Excessive Junior of the occasion was Anna Behnke, 18, of Black Creek, WI, with a rating of 291-11X, as Christopher Wyatt, 60, marked the Excessive Senior title and seventh total with a rating of 393-15X.
SPC Amber Kingshill, 22, of the USAMU, claimed the Excessive Girl honor and third total with a rating of 395-13X. Although falling simply wanting the win within the President’s Match, Kingshill went on to turn out to be simply the second lady in historical past to overhaul the equally celebrated Mountain Man Trophy as the best scoring competitor within the President’s Match, Nationwide Trophy Particular person (NTI) Match and the Nationwide Trophy Group (NTT) Match.
Discover a full checklist of outcomes of the 2025 Nationwide Matches at https://ct.thecmp.org/nmrifle25results. Photographs of all rifle occasions are additionally out there free of charge viewing and obtain on the CMP’s Zenfolio web page at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f98188817.
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit company that locations its highest precedence on firearms security and marksmanship actions, with a concentrate on youth. CMP’s applications encourage private development and construct life expertise, with such initiatives as its junior coaching and competitors applications, Affiliated Membership program and scholarships offering assist to residents of all backgrounds throughout the nation. Study extra in regards to the CMP at https://thecmp.org/.
