The National Matches Rifle Awards Ceremony is an opportunity for competitors to come together and celebrate a week of excellence. This year, 49 Distinguished Rifleman’s Badges were awarded on stage with several of those shooters earning their last EIC points in the 2006 National Matches. This was the first year that shooters who ‘legged out’ at the Nationals were able to be recognized on stage that same week. Also, 39 separate awards were presented throughout the night by several distinguished guests.

Awards were presented for each of the National Rifle Matches and for different categories within each match. Several of the most distinguished awards were those given to shooters selected to the National Junior and Civilian Teams, and the overall aggregate champions in the Junior and Open categories.

Each year the National Civilian Team is comprised of the six civilian competitors who fire the highest individual scores in the National Trophy Rifle Team Match. The captain and coach of the highest-scoring civilian team are the team coach and captain. All eight members receive the Elihu Root Medals. Members of the 2006 National Civilian Team are Stanton Noon of Lockport, NY, Konrad Powers of Carol Stream, IL, Shawn McKenna of La Habra, CA, Paul Kerr of Lakemore, OH, Robert Taylor II of Sonora, CA and John Holliger of Carlock, IL. The team coach is William Gelet and the team captain is David Little, both from the Pennsylvania Rifle and Pistol Association.

The Col. Bill Deneke Trophy recognizes six of the most outstanding junior shooters at the National Rifle Matches. The shooters are comprised to create the National Junior Rifle Team using their aggregate scores from the President’s Match, the National Trophy Individual Match and the Whistler Boy Team Match. The captain and coach of the highest-scoring Whistler Boy team are selected as coach and captain for the National Junior Rifle Team. The 2006 National Junior Rifle Team are Julie Coggshall of Meriden, CT, Kevin Trickett of Woburn, MA, Evan Hess of Mount Pleasant, TX, Brian Mann of Prospect, KY, Christopher Atkins of Brunswick, GA and Amanda Elsenboss of Woodbury, CT. This year’s National Junior Rifle Team coach and captain are Bradford Palmer and Peter Mathewson of the Connecticut Palmer Whistler Boy Team.

Coggshall and fellow junior Kelly Hoeltschi each received National Match Triggers which were donated by Geisselle Automatics LLC. Each of these juniors posted the high junior score in the National Trophy Individual and President’s 100 Matches respectively.

SFC Lance Hopper, USA, with a score of 1279-5X won the Mountain Man Trophy. For his accomplishment he was awarded a Busmaster DCM competition rifle compliments of Bushmaster Firearms. Presenters were Ms. Nancy Pool and MG Greg Wayt, the Adjutant General, State of Ohio.

The Mountain Man Trophy is awarded to the competitor with the highest overall aggregate in the President’s, National Trophy Individual and National Trophy Team Matches. It is a difficult honor to obtain and require excellence throughout the National Matches. The 2006 winner of the Mountain Man Trophy is SFC Lance Hopper USA with a score of 1279-45X. As a special reward for his accomplishment SFC Hopper was awarded a Bushmaster DCM competition rifle compliments of Bushmaster Firearms.

A junior shooter displaying excellence all week long is Julie Coggshall of Meriden, CT. Coggshall posted the overall high aggregate in the Deneke Trophy Competition with a score of 1258-26X. For her accomplishments she was presented a Compass Lake AR15-type match rifle with a Krieger barrel, donated by Compass Lake Engineering.

SFC Lance Dement was awarded a presentation M1 Rifle which was gunsmithed and finished by Phil Arrington of Arrington Accuracy Works. SFC Dement received the presentation rifle for winning the President's Rifle Match with a 296-9X.

Also presented rifles were SFC Lance Dement USA and SPC Brandon Green USA. SFC Dement won the President’s 100 Rifle Match with a 296-9X and for his accomplishment was awarded a presentation M1 rifle which was gunsmithed and finished by Phil Arrington of Arrington Accuracy Works. He will also receive a letter from President George W. Bush congratulating him on his victory.

SPC Brandon Green was promoted to SGT by BG Dennis Rogers, Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff for U. S. Army Accessions Command. SGT Green received his promotion on stage to honor his outstanding performance at the National Matches.

SPC Green was awarded an M1 Garand that was gunsmithed and finished by Eric Pierce of the National Match Armory in Rendon, TX for winning the Daniel Boone Trophy. The Daniel Boone Trophy is awarded to the top competitor in the National Trophy Individual Match. SPC Green shot a 494-17X to claim the victory. To recognize SPC Green’s outstanding winning performances at both the 2006 Interservice Matches and National Matches, Brigadier General Dennis Rogers, Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff for U.S. Army Accessions Command promoted Green on stage from Specialist to Sergeant. It was a night of honor for now SGT Green and everyone in attendance.

To view photos from the 2006 National Match Rifle Awards Ceremony visit the CMP website at http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/06/Rifle_FriAwards/index.htm, to view complete results from any of the National Matches go to http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=1409.