Shooting Competition
Shoot-off determines winner in President’s Match at Camp Perry, Ohio
Shoot-off determines winner in President’s Match at Camp Perry, Ohio
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Camp Perry, Ohio
Camp Perry, Ohio Ask any traveler to the annual National Rifle Matches which competition is the most significant and youre likely to find the same repeated answer: the Presidents Rifle Match. Its a competition steeped in history a staple at the century-old National Matches that attracts some of the best marksmen and women to the grounds of Camp Perry in Ohio each year, all hoping to earn the prestigious Presidents Rifle Trophy that has been awarded since 1894. The match has become more of a spectacle in recent decades with the addition of a 10-shot shoot-off for the top 20 competitors. Always meant to gather a crowd of observers to cheer on their peers, the 2025 event was even more spectator-friendly with the inclusion of Civilian Marksmanship Programs (CMP) line of outdoor electronic targets and a large jumbotron screen placed on the firing line instantly displaying each individuals shots in real time. The jumbo screen also allowed full-view of another exciting first for the Presidents Rifle Match a tie-breaking final shot to determine the victor. At the end of the shoot-off, SSG Jared Desrosiers, 28, of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU), was neck-and-neck with Conrad Young, 50, of San Antonio each finishing with the same score of 395-17X to force one final shot. Both men were fairly new to the Presidents Match, each having only fired in the match twice before (with 2025 marking their first shoot-off experience). Desrosiers comes from a 15-year career of air rifle and smallbore rifle competitions, many at Camp Perry. He also spent time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as part of the National Team. His time there helped lead him to a career with the USAMU, where he has spent the last eight years with 2025 marking his first year with the Service Rifle team. The format of the Presidents Shoot-off resembles the international-style finals used in air rifle and smallbore, making Desrosiers feel a little more confident on the firing line. It felt like I was at home, almost, he said with a smile. My heart was racing a bit, but I tried to dig into my smallbore background shooting finals and pulled through. I knew I had to make the best wind call I could and make the best shot I could. In the end, an X by Desrosiers to Conrads incredible 10.9 shot officially etched Desrosiers into the history books as the overall individual. I love the atmosphere of service rifle, Desrosiers said, looking back on the day. Whether service rifle or smallbore, I just love to be outside, and I love to shoot. It was all kind of a blur, Young added. The clock started ticking down I was using one piece of grass to read the wind, and I guess I was off a bit. Though landing short of the ultimate title, Young wasnt discouraged. He thought back to the real reason he was able to make it to the shoot-off this year, crediting more than his own skills on the firing line. Ive been working a lot, and Ive been getting a lot of help from my friends, he said. This is a really cool community. They really go out of their way to help, and Ive just been taking it all in and applying it to my training. High Junior of the event was Anna Behnke, 18, of Black Creek, Wisc., with a score of 291-11X, as Christopher Wyatt, 60, marked the High Senior title and seventh overall with a score of 393-15X. SPC Amber Kingshill, 22, of the USAMU, claimed the High Woman honor and third overall with a score of 395-13X. Though falling just short of the win in the Presidents Match, Kingshill went on to become just the second woman in history to overtake the equally celebrated Mountain Man Trophy as the highest scoring competitor in the Presidents Match, National Trophy Individual (NTI) Match and the National Trophy Team (NTT) Match. Reflecting on the significance of the Presidents Match, it is clear that these competitions are not merely about scoring but about fostering a community of shooters who celebrate excellence in marksmanship. Whether one walks away with a trophy or not, the shared experiences and camaraderie among competitors enhance the spirit of the sport.