Curtice’s Schnee wins national rimfire championship

Luke Schnee, a 14-year-old from Curtice, won the O-Class (open sight) 4-H championship during the National Rimfire Sporter Match, part of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Matches.

Schnee beat out 50 other competitors in the competition, which was fired Sunday, July 25, on Camp Perry’s Viale Range. Schnee scored 433-3X. During the event, competitors fired from 50 and 25 yards in prone, sitting and standing positions. Over 260 competitors took the firing line during the match in Open Sight (O), Telescope Sight (T) and Tactical (TU) classes.

Schnee is home schooled and will be a high school freshman this year. This was his first time at the national matches, where he competed in the Rimfire match and participated in the Rifle Small Arms Firing School with his parents. 

The Rimfire match was just his second competition. His very first competition experience was this past May at the monthly matches at Camp Perry’s Gary Anderson Competition Center air rifle range. 

His mother Amber says he has been shooting since he was little, shooting BB guns from the age of 6 and moving up to a .22 rifle when he was 8-years-old, shooting muzzleloaders and an M16 at Small Arms Firing School.

“He just loves it and it comes easy to him. He seems to have a natural talent for it, so his dad and I decided to get him involved in 4H shooting sports a couple of years ago. His 4H instructor, Chris Henderson of the Lucas County Sharpshooters Club, told us about the Rimfire match at Camp Perry and provided us with the necessary equipment for him to compete,” Amber said. 

“His dad and I knew he was good at shooting, but we didn’t expect him to win any awards being so new to competitive shooting. Luke and his dad didn’t even stay for the awards after the match because they didn’t expect him to win. Later that night I went online and checked the CMP competition tracker to view the match results and to our surprise Luke had placed. 

“A couple days later with much excitement he received his plaque in the mail. It was a neat experience for us. We have really enjoyed the people we have met through shooting sports, and the experiences we’ve had with 4H and Camp Perry.” 

Leading two separate classes in the 2021 National Rimfire Sporter Match was Jean Redicker, 57, of Vallonia, Indiana – overtaking the T-Class and TU Class. Redicker’s wins were reminiscent of each other, outshooting the second-place competitors by only X’s to earn the top spots. 

“I was the most relaxed I have ever been at the National Matches,” Redicker said. “This year has been a rough year, and I was unable to practice or shoot much. I wasn’t expecting to have a good showing.” 

She went on, “With that in mind, I came to Perry with the attitude to just have fun, enjoy the day on this beautiful, historical range and let the matches take care of themselves.” 

Redicker said the conditions of match day were perfect – hot, but with a nice breeze. 

“I was satisfied with my scores but never expected to win overall,” she admitted.

When not at Camp Perry, Redicker competes in the CMP Sanctioned matches held throughout the year at the Bedford Contingent range in Bedford, Indiana. The local matches prepare her for the competition side of Nationals, but some things just can’t be simulated.

“Nothing compares to the magnitude of Perry,” she said. “Add in the factor that you are shooting in the National Matches and it is a very unique experience – one that I would encourage any shooter to participate in.” 

Redicker’s aggregate score of 590-33X in the TU Class narrowly beat out Peter Yarbro, 46, of Mishawaka, Indiana, who fired a score of 590-28X. In the T-Class, Redicker collected a score of 592-33X, including perfect scores of 100 in the Prone Slow Fire, Prone Rapid Fire and Standing Slow Fire stages. Finishing behind Redicker with a score of 592-26X was Marissa Bensch, 21, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, who claimed the High Woman title in the match. 

Bensch went on to earn the High Woman honor in the O-Class, earning a score of 567-18X and sixth overall. Bensch had also earned the title at the last National Rimfire Sporter event back in 2019 and was the High 4-H competitor of the class in 2018. Claiming the overall win in the O-Class in 2021 was past National Rimfire Match winner CSM Steven Slee, 57, of Dimondale, Michigan, with a score of 589-37X.

New in 2021 was the addition of the Rimfire Dewer Match, held on the CMP’s Smallbore range. Participants fired 20 shots from both 50 and 100 yards in 20-minute stages. Winning the inaugural match was Eric Mantooth, 52, Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia, with a score of 387-14X.