Just two weeks before the start of the 1998 National Matches program, Camp Perry faced an unprecedented challenge when a tornado ripped through the facility on June 24, leaving extensive damage to buildings, landmarks, trees, and ranges. The destruction prompted many competitors to question whether the matches, hosted consecutively at Camp Perry for 45 years, could go on. However, the Ohio National Guard, the CMP, and the professionals and volunteers of the NRA mounted a monumental recovery effort.
According to NRA National Match Coordinator M.S. Gilchrist, CMP Director Dave Willis was resolute in his determination to see the matches through. Their combined resolve paved the way for a program characterized by a "can do" mantra, culminating in a series of competitive highlights and significant firsts.
In the National Pistol Championship, Staff Sgt. Brian Zins secured his second national title, picking up where he left off in 1996 after missing the 1997 matches. His 2635 tally, while lower than his 1996 score, reflected generally lower scores across the board that year. Zins maintained consistent performance across the three aggregates, with a rapid-fire victory keeping him within striking distance. Despite an 868 in center fire when an 877 topped the field, he entered the .45 phase with a five-point lead. Zins ultimately locked up the championship by finishing just one point shy of civilian Al Dorman's winning .45 score of 879. Zins’ five-point margin of victory placed him ahead of runner-up James Henderson of the Army Reserve and civilian champ Jerry Chaney. Ruby Fox earned her 16th women's title, Arthur Monahan was high senior, and Adam Sokolowski claimed high junior honors.
The CMP phase saw Zins continue his strong showing. After finishing 32nd in the President's Match, won by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jim Bob McCarty with a 380, Zins clinched the General Custer Trophy in the National Trophy Individual Match by a single point over Gunnery Sgt. Randall Lawless. Team honors went to USAMU Blue, which bested 31 other teams to win the National Team Trophy Match, earning the Gold Cup.
Moving to Smallbore Position, calm conditions early in the event provided an unusual advantage. The Army dominated the metallic matches, highlighted by Sgt. Troy Bassham's record-setting championship score of 1156-43X, nine points above the previous high set by teammate Michael Anti in 1994. Capt. David Johnson secured both the iron prone and any-sight prone matches, while Bassham took the standing match. Collegiate All-American Vincent Pestilli prevented a complete Army sweep with his kneeling victory. Bassham, after building a substantial lead with iron sights, finished with a 2295-85X to claim the national title—an accomplishment that had eluded his two-time Olympic medalist father, Lanny Bassham. Shane Barnhart secured high civilian and second overall, while Emily Caruso earned her second women's crown in three years, and Fred Cole won his third consecutive senior title.
The Smallbore Prone Championship began with many 400s, but scores dwindled as conditions deteriorated. Defending national champ Lones Wigger, Jr., held an early lead, closely pursued by Cory Brunetti. Barnhart won the second day, and Air Force Capt. Doug Clark ultimately secured the Hoppe Trophy as metallic sight champion. Army's Lt. Col. Boyd Goldsby claimed the any-sight championship. Collegiate All-American Brunetti, with seven previous category titles at Perry, achieved the national prone title with 6387-475X, a nine-X margin over service champion Clark. Barnhart finished third overall, also securing collegiate and junior titles in both prone and position—a feat previously accomplished only by Brunetti in 1992. Carolyn Millard-Sparks earned her sixth Remington Trophy, Ron West his fifth as senior champion, and Barry Smith ended Lones Wigger's five-year run as intermediate senior champ.
Perhaps the most significant achievement in High Power competition was Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher becoming the first woman in National Match history to win the overall national title. This followed Marine Sgt. Julia Watson's win in the National Trophy Individual Match a week prior, another first for a woman shooter. Watson also placed as the third highest service shooter in the NRA Championship. Tompkins-Gallagher's winning score of 2378-94X was five points better than defending champion G. David Tubb's second-place tally. Despite not winning a single match or aggregate, her consistent performance, with highest finishes including third in three trophy matches and first high master in the Clarke Aggregate, steadily built her winning score. Reports indicated that the Marines, following the Army's lead, transitioned from M14s to M16s for service rifle matches. Service champ Grant Singley of the Army placed third overall and contributed to USAMU Bentson's victories in the National Team Trophy Match and the NRA Enlisted Men’s Trophy Match. Marines also excelled in other National Trophy events, with Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Gilbert winning the President's Match. Bert Medina secured his third consecutive police category win, and Mid Tompkins topped the seniors for the first time. Tompkins-Gallagher also claimed civilian and women’s honors for her overall win.
Extending the family's success on the firing lines, Michelle Gallagher won the Tompkins Trophy Match, emblematic of the Long-Range Championship, setting a new record. Her mother, Tompkins-Gallagher, had previously held the title. Stepfather Mid Tompkins also set a record in the Palma Individual Trophy Match.
