The final National Match program of the 20th century closed with a notable increase in attendance, drawing nearly 3,800 competitors. This significant year crowned a slate of distinguished marksmen, with Steve Reiter securing his fourth national pistol title, Troy Bassham defending his smallbore position crown, Lones Wigger, Jr. earning his seventh smallbore prone title, and G. David Tubb capturing his eighth high power championship. Defending national high power champion Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher also claimed her third long-range title.
The National Pistol Championship saw a dramatic finish where Army Reserve Master Sgt. Steve Reiter surged from fourth place entering the .45 stage to win his fourth national title. Reiter posted a field-topping 887 in the final stage, culminating in an aggregate score of 2638-133X. Civilian Al Dorman, who had led the championship race, fired an 867 in the .45 stage, finishing with a 2625 total and placing fourth among high master civilians. Center-fire champion Sgt. Keith Sanderson secured second overall, eight points behind Reiter, while Army Maj. Steven King took third. Perennial title contender Darius Young, known for his record .45 aggregate six years prior, earned high civilian and senior honors. Young also won the first CMP-sponsored President’s Pistol Match and contributed to a rare civilian victory in the NRA Team Aggregate Match as a member of Team Ultra Dot. The women’s championship was claimed by Army Reservist Ruby Fox through a late surge against Kimberly Hobart, marking Fox's sixth consecutive title and 17th overall across 24 years. Former collegiate champion John Bickar topped his category, and 19-year-old Pvt. Adam Sokolowski repeated as junior champion, winning all three junior aggregate titles. Sokolowski also claimed the Gen. Custer Trophy in the National Trophy Individual Match and joined his U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit teammates in the winning Gold Cup effort.
This year’s Smallbore Championship was symbolic, marking the 80th anniversary of the initial matches. The event highlighted Lones Wigger, Jr.’s enduring legacy, though he had retired earlier in the decade after accumulating 21 national position titles over 30 years.
In the smallbore position matches, Army Staff Sgt. Troy Bassham made history in the post-Wigger era by securing back-to-back position wins. Bassham’s title defense began with a kneeling match victory and a metallic-sight championship score that put him ahead by a slim two-X margin. In any-sight competition, Bassham followed a prone match win by 1994 national champion Maj. Michael Anti with victories in standing—achieved in record fashion—and kneeling. His combined score of 2301-83X earned him his second consecutive position title and service championship. Jean Foster claimed both the civilian and women’s titles with a 2286-90X. Fred Cole retained the senior crown, while Shane Barnhart once again took the collegiate title, and Nicole Allaire led the junior field.
The prone championships were held amidst scorching temperatures, yet shooting conditions proved favorable, leading to numerous perfect scores and high X counts. Lones Wigger, Jr. won his seventh national prone title with a blistering 6398-533X. He set the tone early with a perfect 1600-134X in the metallic sight stage, with his son, National Guard Maj. Ron Wigger, as his closest challenger at 1599-122X. Lones Wigger, Jr. also won the 50-yard match. Paul Nordquist secured the Dewar, and Trevor Gathman and Geoffrey Regan achieved perfect scores in the 100-yard and 50-meter matches, respectively. The second day’s metallic sight aggregate went to 1993 national champion Carolyn Millard-Sparks with a 1600-125X. Despite dropping two points, Wigger maintained his lead with a two-day total of 3198-267X. Wigger’s consistent performance, attributed to his rock steady hold, McMillan-barreled Anschutz, and Federal Ultra Match ammunition, produced groups so tight that a challenge was required to verify a bullet hole, ultimately securing him the Hoppe Memorial Trophy. Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Leone led the any-sight contests with a 3200-277X, winning the U.S. Cartridge Company Trophy and earning third overall with a final score of 6396-525X. Women’s champion Carolyn Millard-Sparks placed second overall with 6396-531X, six Xs ahead of Leone. Jim Hinkle was awarded the Sam Bond Trophy as high senior, Barnhart repeated as collegiate champ, and Mike Beyerle topped the juniors.
G. David Tubb marked a decade of dominance by capturing his eighth high power championship since 1985, securing half of the 10 possible national titles in that decade. Firing a Winchester Model 70 in 6.5 mm-08, equipped with a stock of his own design, Tubb established an early lead by winning the Vandenberg Cup. His score of 2377-115X, combined with runner-up finishes in both the Clarke and Nevada Aggregates, outpaced Bert Medina’s second-place tally by nine points. Medina was awarded the Erdman Trophy for the high aggregate score from the standing matches, while Tubb received the McCann Trophy for the high rapid-fire aggregate. Five-time champion Carl Bernosky, who held the championship record score of 2385 since 1992, finished third, 10 points behind Tubb. Six-time champion Mid Tompkins earned his second consecutive senior title. Bert Medina also successfully defended his police category title for the fourth consecutive time. Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher, who won the overall prize the previous year, defended her women’s match rifle title, though Marine Staff Sgt. Julia Watson fired a higher service score among women.
