The 2000 National Matches proved to be a landmark event, marked by historic performances and the continued rise of prominent figures in competitive shooting. At the forefront was 19-year-old Michelle Gallagher, who achieved a singularly historic feat by becoming only the fourth National Match competitor—and the first in over three decades—to win both the prestigious Leech and Wimbledon Cups in the same year. Gallagher succeeded Nancy Tompkins-Gallagher as national long-range champion and possessor of the Leech Cup award, echoing their mother-daughter duo wins of the Wimbledon and Leech Cups, respectively, in 1997. This accomplishment further highlighted the growing presence and success of women in the sport, following prior groundbreaking achievements by Tompkins-Gallagher and Julia Watson, both of whom were the first women to achieve significant overall national championship wins in 1998, and Watson’s first DuPont Trophy win in the preceding year.
In the pistol competition, a phase that has yet to see a woman national open champion, Army Reserve Master Sgt. Steve Reiter delivered a commanding performance to secure his fifth national championship in 10 years. Reiter's victory was a title defense achieved under "very tough weather conditions." His latest win placed him in an exclusive club alongside Harry Reeves, Joe Benner, and Bill Blankenship, Jr., as the only handgunners in the championship’s 65-year history to claim more than four national titles. Despite a tight .22 race where the top three were decided by X-count, Reiter seized the championship during the center fire stage when rain and wind challenged all competitors. He won the slow-fire match and the aggregate with an 875, emerging 17 points ahead. Reiter ultimately finished with a 2641-129X for the national title, a comfortable 19 points ahead of Marine Sgt. Keith Sanderson, who placed second to Reiter for the second consecutive year. Weather also impacted the .22 Caliber Team Championship, which was postponed due to lightning, wind, and hail. Reiter also claimed the President’s Pistol title in the CMP matches, while Sgt. Roger Jacobson of the Army Reserve National Guard won the National Trophy Individual Match, and USMC Scarlet secured the team event. Other notable pistol champions included Kimberly Hobart, who bested Ruby Fox in the women’s competition, Darius “Doc” Young who defended his senior title, Jerry Chaney who won the civilian crown, West Point cadet Sally Talbott in the collegiate class, and Patrick Powell topping the junior class.
The smallbore championships saw a dominant presence from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Training Unit (USAMU). Staff Sgt. Lance Hopper spearheaded this effort, winning both the metallic-sight and any-sight aggregates of the three-position championship, securing his first national title with a 2280-90X. He finished four points ahead of teammate Capt. Dave Johnson, dealing adeptly with "buffeting winds off Lake Erie" and the pressure of competing at Camp Perry. Siblings Jamie and Michael Beyerle also made a significant impact, with Jamie claiming three titles—high woman, junior, and intermediate junior—and Michael finishing as collegiate champion and high expert. Fred Cole, a long-standing National Matches competitor, was the runaway senior champion, earning the Meister Trophy.
The prone championships commenced with favorable weather and "slightly tricky winds," allowing for many perfect individual match scores. The championship saw Sgt. Thomas Tamas, a two-time national prone champion, win the opening with a 1599-124X, and also the second day’s iron sights aggregate. USAMU teammate Mike Anti, who had won the first day’s 50-yard match, ascended the leader board in the any-sight matches. Anti ultimately emerged victorious with a 6395-544X, claiming his first Critchfield Trophy. His win made him part of an exclusive group of shooters who have won national titles in both smallbore prone and position. The competition for the Critchfield Trophy was exceptionally tight, with Anti edging civilian champion Cory Brunetti and Tamas by a narrow margin. J.B. Throne, a master civilian, achieved a "Perry rarity—a 400-40X" in the final match of the championship. Carolyn Millard-Sparks secured her fourth consecutive Remington Trophy as high woman, and Jim Hinkle defended his senior title.
In the high power championships, Carl Bernosky returned after an eight-year absence to claim his sixth national high power title, tying Mid Tompkins for second place on the all-time win list. Bernosky, one of the few shooters in National Match history to have won both smallbore (1985) and high power championships, fired a 2381, four points shy of his 1992 national record. Despite dropping a significant number of points early in the Vandenberg Cup aggregate due to "poor weather and standing water," Bernosky demonstrated resilience with his Winchester Model 70, achieving winning scores in the Nevada and Clarke Trophy Aggregates. His Clarke Trophy score of 798-45X established a new championship record, adding five more Xs to the previous high.
