JROTC National Air Rifle Championship Held in Anniston
March 24, 2017
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
ANNISTON, Ala. – The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is pleased to invite talented junior cadets from around the country to compete for the highest honors at the 2017 JROTC Three-Position National Championships, held March 23-25 at the CMP South Competition Center in Anniston, Ala. Air rifle athletes from Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force JROTC units will compete shoulder-to-shoulder to establish who has the right to be called National Champions.
The road to Nationals began with leading junior athletes of the JROTC Postal Competition qualifying for the JROTC Regional Service Championships in February 2017. Top shooters and teams from each Regional location (Ohio, Alabama and Nevada) then earned a spot at the National Championship, where the overall winners will finally be determined.
The event is a 3×20 air rifle match, meaning competitors fire 20 record shots from three positions: prone, standing and kneeling. Visitors are welcome into the range to observe the National Championships at any time during the match, with free admission. Guests will also be able to personally see CMP’s new air gun targets, just installed in November 2016.
The high-tech Kongsberg Target System (KTS) targets used in the range are powered by OpticScore technology, which are scored optically by internal LED lights. The range also features monitors at each firing point and large overhead monitors for spectators to keep track of scores.
To reward the hard work of dedicated junior athletes and coaches, the CMP administers thousands of dollars in monetary funds towards teams who qualify for the Regional events, with additional funds presented to teams and individuals reaching the JROTC National Championship.
As an added bonus to dedicated air gun juniors, the MidwayUSA Foundation will provide generous endowments to leading competitors. Totaling almost $700,000 to successful teams throughout the JROTC and CMP three-position air rifle competitions in 2016, the Foundation also made a $24,500 contribution towards highpower support for the first time. The CMP added over $61,000 over the course of the year to three-position competitions as well as other air gun open matches for juniors and adults – continuing its support of junior marksmanship for the current generation and the future.
The South Competition Center now includes the CMP South Store that is stocked to fulfill equipment and memorabilia needs. Marksmanship Nights, held year-round at the range for the public, allow visitors of virtually any age and experience levels to try their hands at air rifle or air pistol shooting. For more on the South Competition Center, visit https://thecmp.org/air/cmp-competition-centers/.
For more information on the JROTC Service Championships, visit https://thecmp.org/air/jrotc-air-rifle-national-championship/.