CAMP PERRY, OHIO – In a close-fought match, Shawn McKenna, 30, of Fountain Valley, California defeated Trenton Hering of Corvallis, Oregon by one point to win the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match, Tuesday, 29 July.

McKenna fired a 496-19X aggregate score in the National Match Course of 10 shots standing at 200 yards, 10 shots rapid-fire sitting at 200 yards, 10 shots rapid-fire prone at 300 yards and 20 shots slow-fire prone at 300 yards. Hering just got past third place finisher, Gunnery Sergeant Ron Fuchs, USMC Reserve, of Gilbert, Arizona in a tiebreaker, 495-23X to 495-20X for second.

McKenna put together a near-perfect performance, dropping just one point per stage for a breakout of 99-3X, 99-4X, 99-2X, and 199-10X, respectively. McKenna secured his victory at 600 yards where his 199-10X was the highest score of the match for that stage.

“I was more surprised than anything,” McKenna said, reflecting on his accomplishment in both individual and team matches. He earned the Daniel Boone Trophy for overall performance, the Nathan Hale Trophy for high civilian and the Pietroforte Trophy for being the high civilian in an aggregate of scores in the National Trophy Individual and Team Matches (NTI and NTT).

“I’ve been having trouble all year with ammunition and zeroes,” McKenna said, but his near-flawless offhand phase got him off to a great start. “My off-hand went well and my call on each shot was good,” he added. “The match ran very smooth and quickly,” he said. “Conditions were good,” but a steady breeze forced McKenna to adjust windage from 4 to 4 ½ minutes at 600 yards.

Shooting competitively since age 11, McKenna first shot at Camp Perry in 1992 at age 14. During the last 16 years he has set eight highpower national records, and placed in the President’s 100 four times. McKenna earned his Distinguished Rifleman Badge at age 16 in 1994.

He said he was invited to participate in the 1996 US Olympic tryouts, placed in eight highpower regional championships (winning two), has won 11 highpower state championships, three junior state championships, two Whistler Boy national championships and won three positions on the Elihu Root National Civilian Team.

McKenna, who credits sponsors Lapua and Geiselle Triggers, said his most prized award is the Jim Starr Trophy, which he won as the high civilian shooter in Colorado at the time. The trophy was named for one of McKenna’s past coaches, he said.

The High Junior in the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match was Amanda Elsenboss. She placed 5th overall with a 494-19X (97 – 4, 100 – 3, 99 – 4 and 198 – 8). Elsenboss is from Woodbury, CT, and a member of Team Bushmaster.

Pictures from the National Trophy Individual Rifle Match can be viewed at http://www.odcmp.com/Photos/08/RifleNTI/index.htm. Results can be viewed at http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/report_matchResult.cgi?matchID=3426.

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