Merson Earns EIC Points, Multiple Wins in First CMP Western Games Appearance
November 20, 2025
By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of Oct. 16-23, the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) hosted the 2025 Western CMP Games in Arizona, with nearly 200 competitors arriving to take part in the lineup of popular vintage rifle events and pistol opportunities.
Clayton Merson, 59, of Rock Springs, WY, started off by leading the M17 EIC Pistol Match – part of the Pistol Marksmanship 101 educational course. He was also the top competitor earning EIC (Excellence-In-Competition) points in the match.
Likewise, Jace Millan, 30, of Chino Hills, CA, squeaked out a win in the M16 Match, part of the Rifle Marksmanship 101, by only x-count. With his win, Millan earned his own introductory EIC points.
The EIC program is a point achievement system, completed only by the most dedicated individuals who strive to reach a Distinguished Badge – the highest award presented by the CMP. A variety of EIC events are hosted by the CMP throughout the year for rifle, pistol and air gun disciplines, with Western Games alone holding EIC matches for Service Rifle, Service Pistol and Service Revolver.
Clayton Merson didn’t end his run with the M17 Pistol Match, going on to claim wins in the 1911 As-Issued Pistol event with a score of 367-5X along with topping the EIC Service Pistol Match with a score of 273-6X.
Also earning multiple wins in Western Games pistol competition was Tony Silva, 71, of Snowflake, AZ, who claimed the overall spot in the Military & Police Service Pistol Match with a score of 361-7X as well as the Any Sights 2700 Aggregate with a score of 2516-68X.
On the way to his 2700 Aggregate win, Silva picked up victories in the .45 and Center Fire Aggregates and placed second in the .22 Rimfire Aggregate to Charles Deilke, 56, of Spokane, WA, by just six points.
Deilke managed to earn EIC points of his own in the .22 Rimfire Pistol Match, further showcasing his abilities with the caliber.
David Vucurevich, 58, of Phoenix, AZ, topped the Service Revolver Pistol EIC and earned points of his own toward the Service Revolver Distinguished Badge.
In rifle, Benjamin White-Patarino, 35, of Longmont, CO, earned both the Three-Gun and Four-Gun Aggregate titles after nabbing wins in the Garand and Springfield Match Courses.
Justin Allred, 50, of Las Vegas, NV, led the Vintage Military Match with a score of 282-3X, while Patrick McAllister, 51, also of Las Vegas, reached the lead position in the Modern Military Match.
James Fox, 40, of Albany, OR, was the top Service Rifle competitor in the 2400 Aggregate event, reaching a new record score of 2385-150X. Fox led all three days of the 800 Aggregate Matches on the way to his win.
New for 2025, the Western Games schedule included 1,000-yard Long Range matches, featuring Service Rifle, Match Rifle, F-Class, F T/R, AR Tactical or Palma Rifle categories.
Leading competitors of the Long Range events:
Service Rifle: Joel Sylvia, 55, Prescott Valley, AZ – 1,125-17X
Match Rifle: Larry Stonecipher, 73, Ada, OK – 1,167-39X
Palma Rifle: James Fox, 40, Albany, OR – 1,176-52X
F-Class: John Winsor, 51, Wasilla, AK – 1,168-41X
F T/R: Alan Barnhart, 69, Mesa, AZ – 1,174-51X
Find a complete list of results of the 2025 Western Games at https://ct.thecmp.org/WesternGames25Results. Photos of the event are available for viewing at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f978635262.
More About Western Games:
Western Games, part of the CMP’s annual Travel Games series, is held at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix and is open to any adult or junior with an interest in the sport, regardless of experience. Outside of competition, the Western Games schedule includes a variety of educational experiences, held by trained instructors in the classroom and on the range for beginners as well as more advanced individuals.
Learn more at https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/western-cmp-highpower-cmp-games-matches/.