CMP Announces Olympic Silver Medalist SSG Maddalena as 2025 First Shot Speaker
November 18, 2024
By Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer
CAMP PERRY, Ohio – Mark your calendars! The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is thrilled to announce Staff Sergeant Sagen Maddalena of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit as the 2025 National Matches First Shot Speaker. She will take her ceremonial first shot on July 14 at 4:30 p.m. on the Camp Perry National Guard Training Facility’s historic Rodriguez Range in Port Clinton, Ohio.
Since 1907, the National Trophy Rifle and Pistol Matches have been held at Camp Perry – welcoming each generation’s most talented marksmen and women from around the country as well as those hoping to learn more about the sport. The First Shot Ceremony serves as the traditional opening to the month-long competition season, while the First Shot speaker is an honored distinction amongst the marksmanship community.
SSG Maddalena began her career as a junior on the California Grizzlies highpower rifle team. As a Grizzly, she garnered several successes including the Freedom’s Fire Trophy as a member of the highest scoring team in the National Matches Junior Rifle Team Match in 2013. Maddalena went on to join the University of Alaska Fairbanks rifle team before heading to the Army.
After several successes on a global level, she made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games before returning to Team USA for the 2024 Paris Games in both air rifle and smallbore – earning silver in the women’s three-position match.
The CMP is honored to have her back to kick off the 2025 National Matches!
About the National Matches:
The National Matches schedule is comprised of the Trophy Pistol and Rifle Matches, National Games Matches, National Smallbore Matches, National Air Gun Championships and the National Mid-Range and Long Range Matches. Along with several competitive opportunities, the National Matches includes a variety of educational clinics for all experience levels as well as shopping selections from some of today’s leading industry vendors.
Plan your visit to the 2025 National Matches and view the schedule of events at https://thecmp.org/cmp-national-matches/.
Interesting writeup, but I have one small correction. The abbreviation for a US Army Staff Sergeant is “SSG”. The abbreviation used applies to the US Air Force if not mistaken.
R,
Thank you for pointing out our error. I have corrected the website.
Christine
That’s great news. I will be there, and have my granddaughters with me to hear her speak. I’m sure it will be inspirational.