FROM NOVICE TO CHAMPION: 2025 NATIONAL PISTOL MATCHES SHOWCASE TALENT AND TRADITION

September 29, 2025

Civilian Marksmanship Program▸The First Shot▸FROM NOVICE TO CHAMPION: 2025 NATIONAL PISTOL MATCHES SHOWCASE TALENT AND TRADITION

By Jennifer Green, CMP Contributor

The 2025 National Matches were held at Camp Perry, Ohio which continuously proves to be an excellent venue for the prestigious matches.  Each year, the partnership between the Civilian Marksmanship Program and the Ohio National Guard strengthens, with a shared commitment to welcoming new competitors and improving the overall National Matches participant experience.

The 2025 National Trophy Pistol Matches ran this year starting July 13th and continuing until July 19th.  The full week of competition is packed to the brim with matches for all levels of marksmanship experience; from the complete novice to the experienced marksman.

NM Pistol Results 25 Bickar 1
John Bickar accepts his President’s 100 first-place award from Gary Anderson, marking his third consecutive win.

The Small Arms Firing School is a great place to start for anyone interested in competition shooting.  The course is taught by the United States Army Marksmanship Unit Service Pistol Team and introduces basic marksmanship concepts to students like safety, sight alignment, breathing and trigger control to name a few.  The students learn the concepts and put them into practice with a coach on the range. 

The event culminates in an Excellence-in-Competition (EIC) Match where participants are supplied with the firearm and ammunition.  They are introduced to the course of fire and shoot the match with instructors at their side.  It’s a very beginner friendly way to try a sport with a low barrier to entry.  Intermediate and advanced marksman also participate to hone certain skills and get some practice in. 

This year, John Fiji won the EIC match with a 268-5X a full 8 points ahead of second place!  The top 10% of the competitors who don’t already have EIC Points are awarded their first EIC points towards their distinguished pistol badge.

NM Pistol Results 25 Ready Line
Pistol competitors gather at the ready line for another year of National Matches at Camp Perry.
NM Pistol Results 25 SAFS
A USGC Marksmanship Team member pauses between strings of fire to coach students.

The juniors continue to have an impressive showing at the National Pistol Matches.  Ellie Arkin, 17 of Falls Church, VA shoots with the NoVa Sharpshooters won the G.P. Perry Defino Trophy for the second year in a row! He scored a 283-7X which was 7 points ahead of second place in the match.  Arkin also won the Riding the High Places Trophy with a 546-8X, along with his teammate, William Regala.

Another strong showing came from Jace Walters of Elyria, OH.  He shot in all of the Glock Matches, placing 7th overall out of 90 in the Stock Glock Match and was the overall High Junior with a score of 498-36X.

Jonathan Shue, 43 of Liberty, NC continues to dominate the competition at the National Matches winning the civilian any sights category for the Rimfire Pistol 900 Aggregate, .45 Pistol 900 Aggregate, and Match Pistol 2700 Aggregate with the scores of 885-49X, 865-31X and 2,583-94X respectively.

NM Pistol Results 25 USAMU
Staff Sgt. Anthony Heinauer of the USAMU Service Pistol Team looks on as a junior practices
marksmanship fundamentals.
NM Pistol Results 25 Walters
Jace Walters accepts the High Junior award for
the Glock Match.

Shue, along with William Palmer, Jared Sonti, William Bethards and Coach Lara Palmer formed to create the team Cabot Guns that won first place in Center Fire Pistol 4-Man Team Match and the Overall 4-Man Pistol Team Aggregate.

Shue also took home several trophies from the National Trophy Individual Pistol Match including the High Veteran Award, the Citizens’ Military Pistol Trophy, and the General Custer Trophy, all with his score of 293-12X.  This is Shue’s second consecutive year winning the General Custer Trophy and his third win overall.

The flagship event of the National Pistol matches is the President’s 100 Pistol Match.  This year 417 pistol competitors walked up to the firing line with their pistol boxes in hand and a dream in their hearts. 

The course of fire occurs in three stages.  The first stage is slow fired at 50 yards and the second two stages are fired timed and rapid respectively at 25 yards for a total of 40 shots a possible score of 400 with X’s. 

NM Pistol Results 25 Shue 1
Jonathan Shue receives one of his many trophies from this year’s National Trophy Match.

John Bickar, 48 of Menlo Park, CA clenched the win with a score of 384 –13X, edging out Jonathan Shue, who trailed by just two points.  Bickar shot the match with his mother, Judy’s hardball pistol, as he did the previous two years.  The field was very competitive with just 10 points separating the top 10 competitors.  The cut score for making the President’s 100 this year was 342 with 1X.

At the awards ceremony Bickar accepted his President’s 100 plaque and right before he exited the stage, he held 3 fingers in the air to signify three consecutive years of victory – a gesture made earlier in the evening by Shue who held up two fingers after he won the General Custer Trophy. They were both met with thunderous applause from their peers who know just how hard each of them worked to win such prestigious awards.

Here’s to another year of skill, spirit, and success!

NM Pistol Results 25 Arkin
Ellie Arkin accepts second place in the President’s 100 Junior Match, firing a .22. He finished just three points behind first-place winner Saanvi Singh,
who posted a 371-9X.
NM Pistol Results 25 Cabot
Cabot Guns accepts the Center Fire Pistol 4-Man Team Match Award.

Other Award Winners of the 2025 National Trophy Pistol & Games Matches

M17 EIC Pistol Match: John Fiji, 32, Deltona, FL, 268-5X

.22 Rimfire EIC Pistol Match: Jared Sonti, 25, Kempner, TX, 295-10X

Service Revolver EIC Match: Travis Jorgenson, 46, Dent, MN, 370-8X

Rimfire Pistol 900 Aggregate

  • Any Sights
    • Civilian: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 885-46X
    • Military: SSG Jason Gregoire, USA, 37, Midland, GA, 887-49X
  • Metallic Sights
    • Civilian: Jared Sonti, 25, Kempner, TX, 876-37X
    • Military: SFC Ryan Adams, USA, 36, Columbus, GA, 857-36X
  • .22 Only
    • Civilian: Steven Slee, 61, Dimondale, MI, 858-24X
    • Military: Cpl Shane Downey, USMCR, 25, Fargo, ND, 780-12

Center Fire Pistol 900 Aggregate

  • Any Sights
    • Civilian: Joseph Sklar, 53, Natchitoches, LA, 839-26X
    • Military: SFC Greg Markowski, USA, 51, Fortson, GA, 833-16X
  • Metallic Sights
    • Civilian: Mason Talbert, 27, Pearland, TX, 816-18X
    • Military: SFC Walter Johnson, USA, 31, Pine Mountain, GA, 819-22X
  • .22 Only
    • Civilian: Dave Krysiak, 69, Coopersville, MI, 827-18X
    • Military: Cpl Shane Downey, USMCR, 25, Fargo, ND, 706-7X

.45 Pistol 900 Aggregate

  • Any Sights
    • Civilian: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 865-31X
    • Military: SFC Ryan Franks, USA, 37, Ellerslie, GA, 867-37X
  • Metallic Sights
    • Civilian: Mason Talbert, 27, Pearland, TX, 846-33X
    • Military: TSgt Nicolas Poirier, ANG, 36, Jericho, VT, 835-19X
  • .22 Only
    • Civilian: Dave Krysiak, 69, Coopersville, MI, 848-19X
    • Military: Cpl Shane Downey, USMCR, 25, Fargo, ND, 762-9X

Match Pistol 2700 Aggregate

  • Any Sights: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 2,583-94X
  • Metallic Sights: Mason Talbert, 27, Pearland, TX, 2,519-85X
  • .22 Only: Dave Krysiak, 69, Coopersville, MI, 2,524-61X

.22 Pistol 2-Man Team Match

  • Coast Guard Blue: 569-19X
    • CPO Charlie Petrotto, USCG, 40, St. Louis, MO
    • SCPO Joe D’Aleo, USCG, 37, West Hartford, CT
NM Pistol Results 25 Presidents
The President’s 100 Match is a historic and prestigious event that drew 417 competitors from across the nation this year.

Center Fire Pistol 2-Man Team Match

  • Coast Guard Blue: 566-11X
    • CPO Charlie Petrotto, USCG, 40, St. Louis, MO
    • SCPO Joe D’Aleo, USCG, 37, West Hartford, CT

Overall 2-Man Pistol Team Aggregate

  • Coast Guard Blue: 1,135-30X
    • CPO Charlie Petrotto, USCG, 40, St. Louis, MO
    • SCPO Joe D’Aleo, USCG, 37, West Hartford, CT

.22 Pistol 4-Man Team Match

  • Zero Lapua, 1,143-38X
    • John Zurek, 61, Alpine, AZ
    • Travis Jorgenson, 46, Dent, MN

Center Fire Pistol 4-Man Team Match

  • Cabot Guns, 1,136-36X
    • Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC
    • William Palmer, 56, Matthews, NC
    • Jared Sonti, 25, Kempner, TX
    • William Bethards, 61, Fredericksburg, VA
    • Coach: Lara, Palmer, 55, Matthews, NC

Overall 4-Man Pistol Team Aggregate

  • Cabot Guns, 2,275-75X          
    • Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC
    • William Palmer, 56, Matthews, NC
    • Jared Sonti, 25, Kempner, TX
    • William Bethards, 61, Fredericksburg, VA
    • Coach: Lara, Palmer, 55, Matthews, NC

President’s 100 Pistol Match: John Bickar, 48, Menlo Park, CA, 384-13X

National Trophy Individual Pistol Match:

  • General Custer Trophy: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 293-12X
  • National Women’s Trophy: 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak, ARNG, 29, Colorado Springs, CO, 284-9X
  • Ancient Archer Trophy: Jason Hedrick, 49, Williamsburg, WV, 273-8X
  • General Curtis LeMay Trophy: TSgt Nicolas Poirier, ANG, 36, Jericho, VT, 284-8X
  • National Guard Association Trophy: 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak, ARNG, 29, Colorado Springs, CO, 284-9X
  • U.S. Army Reserve Memorial Trophy: SSG Christopher Liming, USAR, 51, Tampa, FL, 272-4
  • Citizens’ Military Pistol Trophy: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 293-12X
  • Senior Pistol Trophy: John Zurek, 61, Alpine, AZ, 281-8X
  • High Veteran Award: Jonathan Shue, 43, Liberty, NC, 293-12X

President’s NTI Aggregate

  • Rose Krelstein Trophy: 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak, ARNG, 29, Colorado Springs, CO, 666-21X
  • Aubrey E. Smith II Memorial Trophy: SSG Jason Gregoire, USA, 37, Midland, GA,

654-12X

Overall Individual Service Pistol: SFC Ryan Franks, USA, 37, Ellerslie, GA, 965-33X

Glock Pistol Award: Jason Hedrick, 49, Williamsburg, WV, 918-26

National Trophy Pistol Team Match

  • USAMU Gold, 1,131-28
    • SFC Ryan Franks, USA, 37, Ellerslie, GA
    • SSG Jason Gregoire, USA, 37, Midland, GA
    • SFC Greg Markowski, USA, 51, Fortson, GA
    • SFC Ryan Adams, USA, 36, Columbus, GA
NM Pistol Results 25 Shue 2
NM Pistol Results 25 Bickar 2
Jonathan Shue (left) and John Bickar (right) both raise their hands in victory,
celebrating consecutive wins.

Law Enforcement Trophy Team Match

  • Minnesota Game Wardens, 497-3X

Junior President’s Pistol Match: Saanvi Singh, 16, Schaumburg, IL, 371-9X

Junior Individual Pistol Match: Ellie Arkin, 17, Falls Church, VA, 283-7X

Individual .22 Rimfire Pistol Junior Aggregate: Ellie Arkin, 17, Falls Church, VA, 929-18X

Junior Team Trophy Match

  • Nova Sharpshooters White, 546-8X
    • William Regala, 16, Burke, VA
    • Ellie Arkin, 17, Falls Church, VA

Overall Individual Junior Pistol: Ellie Arkin, 17, Falls Church, VA, 921-16X

Stock Glock Match: Jack Ragsdale, 67, Lumberton, MS, 500-45X

Unlimited Glock Match: SSG Mate Standard, USA, 36, Waverly Hall, GA, 500-45X

Rimfire Glock Match: Jared Sonti, 25, Kempner, TX, 500-45X

MOS Glock: Atiba Celestine, 45, Red Hook, NY, 500-47X

CMP As-Issued 1911 Pistol Match: Kevin Vacura, 64, Red Wing, MN, 364-8X

Military & Police Service Pistol Match: Charles Harrold, 50, Laurens, IA, 376-6X

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