Slee Claims Seventh O-Class Win During 2024 Rimfire Sporter Match
July 23, 2024
By Ashley Dugan, CMP Writer
CAMP PERRY, Ohio – Steven Slee, 60, of Dimondale, MI, continued to add hardware to his collection of awards as he led the O-Class for the second consecutive year at the 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match. During the event, Slee accrued a score of 580-21X for the win.
Slee is also the current record holder in the class and has previously overtaken the O-Class in 2009, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023. Last year, Slee found his first victory in the T-Class by one point over current record holder, Samuel Payne.
The 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match, facilitated by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP), saw over 280 entries throughout the hot July 13th day. The competition served as one of the first to be held during the annual National Matches – a staple at the Camp Perry National Guard Training Site since 1907.
The National Rimfire Sporter Match is open to both adults and juniors who use .22 caliber rifles at 50 and 25 yards and includes Open Sight (O), Telescope Sight (T) and Tactical Unlimited (TU) classes.
Other leading competitors of the 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match were John Hawes, 40, of Waynesboro, PA, who overtook the T-Class with a score of 594-34X, and William Dunbar, 17, of Riverside, Iowa, who was the top scorer of the TU Class with 594-35X. Dunbar was just one point shy of the current TU Class record score of 595-37X, set nearly a decade ago, in 2015.
Outside of overall awards, the National Rimfire Sporter Match also recognizes noteworthy individuals, like Alexandria Settle, 18, of Edinburg, PA, who was the High 4-H Junior in the T-Class, and Adrian Miller, 12, of Green Springs, OH, who was the High Junior in the TU Class. Additionally, Jenna Boykin, 15, of Port Clinton, OH, earned High Woman in the TU Class.
High Senior of the O-Class was Jeffrey Knop, 64, of Brighton, MI, with Amy Trombley, 59, of Plymouth, MI, earning the High Woman title for the third year.
Trombley went on to claim the High Woman title in the T-Class, while Calvin Johnson, 63, of Ashtabula, OH, took home two honors of his own – High Senior in both the T-Class and TU Class.
Likewise, Brendon Dunn, 17, of Taylorsville, GA, took home two separate High Junior awards. He’s a member of the Bartow 4-H team, which typically makes the long trip to the National Matches each year. It was Dunn’s third time attending, and he arrived with certain goals in mind.
“Get two golds – that’s all I came up here to do,” he said. “Come up here, have fun and get a few medals to bring home.”
He did that and more. For earning the High Junior titles, Dunn was not only able to take home new plaques but also a supply of ammo, donated by SK.
“CMP is a great thing,” he said. “It helps people, especially 4-H. This is a great facility and a great organization.”
“I’m going to be coming as long as I can,” he added.
As one of the most popular rifle events offered by the CMP throughout the year, the National Rimfire Sporter Match continues to serve as the perfect introduction for those interested in competitive marksmanship. Its recreational atmosphere and design catered to individuals of all experience levels attracts groups and families of a variety of ages and is often an annual destination.
Ryan Conley, 36, of Saginaw, MI, brought his daughter, Emily, 11, to the Rimfire Sporter event for the second year in a row. The pair practices throughout the year at a range near their hometown and now are excited to be able to make the National Rimfire Sporter event a family tradition.
“I’m just going to keep doing it every year,” Emily said.
Ryan has been competing the last seven years after being introduced to the National Matches by his father-in-law, Mike Mullally, when he was in his late teens. Mullally is a Vietnam veteran who has been a regular to the National Matches for over two decades.
“We come down and have a good time,” Mike said.
Each year, the family reserves one of the popular Camp Perry huts and spends the night on base before competing the next morning. This year, Ryan and Mike also brought Ryan’s younger daughter, Claudia, 7, who’s eager to get on the firing line for herself.
“She’s not shooting quite yet,” Ryan said.
“Maybe next year!” Claudia shouted.
“Maybe next year,” Ryan playfully repeated with a wink.
For a complete list of results of the 2024 National Rimfire Sporter Match, visit the CMP’s Competition Tracker page at https://ct.thecmp.org/24NMRimfireResults.
Photos of the event, including awards photos, are available for free viewing and download at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f75993277.
Find more on the Rimfire Sporter Rifle event on the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/competitions/matches/rimfire-sporter-2/. You may even search for a Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match near you by visiting https://ct.thecmp.org/app/v1/index.php?do=matchRegistrationListUpcoming&filter=event_type and selecting “Rimfire” from the list of upcoming match types.