TALLADEGA, Ala. – John O’Donnell, 66, of St. Louis, Mo., was a force at the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) 2024 Talladega Spring Classic, carrying wins in the .22, Center Fire and .45 Pistol matches, the Pistol 2700 Aggregate and the Military & Police and As-Issued 1911 competitions.

A total of 189 competitors participated in the Talladega Spring Classic, held March 12-17, at CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. The crowd was larger than anticipated, allowing for even more fun camaraderie and challenging competitions throughout the event.

“It was an awesome turnout,” said Christina Roguski, CMP competition program coordinator who helped facilitate the event. “It was encouraging to see so many competitors, and we’re hoping to reach 250 in 2025 as we continue to grow!”

Part of the CMP’s Travel Games lineup, the event features a mix of modern and vintage rifle, highpower rifle and challenging pistol matches for adults and juniors. Whether a seasoned competitor or just beginning, the recreational atmosphere of the Travel Games is suited for everyone interested in marksmanship with its wide selection of individual and team competitions.

Rifle and Pistol Marksmanship 101 courses, led by CMP’s decorated instructors, offer guests the opportunity to learn firearm basics through classroom and range training.

Accompanying the Marksmanship 101 courses are Excellence-In-Competition (EIC) matches, fired by all participants. Leading the M9 Pistol Match at the Talladega Spring Classic was LTJG Joseph Smith, 31, of Greenville, Texas, with a score of 261-6X.

In rifle, the females led the M16 Match as Ashley Stevens, 37, of Maumee, Ohio, found the top spot with a score of 380-3X. Following closely behind Stevens was junior competitor Charlotte Carroll, 17, of Opelika, Ala. For their performances, each earned their four introductory EIC points toward a coveted Distinguished Badge.

Also making marks at the 2024 Talladega Spring Classic was Capt. David Melton, 46, of Lorton, Va., who led both the .22 Rimfire and Service Pistol EIC events. Ken Lore, 67, of Hickory, N.C. earned the overall score in the three-gun rifle aggregate (Garand, Springfield, Vintage Sniper) with 839-14X, while Justin Patton-Rynders, 36, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., claimed wins in the Mid-Range Match Rifle, Service Rifle 2400 and the Garand Rifle Match. He went on to team up with leading competitor of the Springfield Match, Bradford Raymond, 45, of Robertsdale, Ala., to overtake the two-person team event.

Other overall leaders of the 2024 Talladega Spring Classic:

Pistol:

M9 EIC Pistol: LTJG Joseph Smith, 31, Greenville, TX – 261-6X

.22 Rimfire EIC Pistol: CAPT David Melton, 46, Lorton, VA – 283-6X

EIC Service Pistol: CAPT David Melton, 46, Lorton, VA – 268-5X

Revolver Pistol EIC: Jared Sonti, 24, Kempner, TX – 357-5X

Military & Police Pistol: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 367-9X

As-Issued 1911: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 362-8X

.22 Rimfire Pistol: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 862-9X

Center Fire Pistol: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 848-31X

.45 Pistol:

Any Sights: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 2541-66X

Metallic Sights: TSgt Christopher DeForge, 37, Tampa, FL – 780-10X

Pistol 2700 Aggregate:

Any Sights: John O’Donnell, 66, St. Louis, MO – 831-26X

Metallic Sights: TSgt Christopher DeForge, 37, Tampa, FL – 2270-24X

.22 Only: Thomas May, 62, Kennesaw, GA – 2492-54X

Rifle:

M16 EIC Rifle: Ashley Stevens, 37, Maumee, OH – 380-3X

Garand Match: Justin Patton-Rynders, 36, Murfreesboro, TN – 287-6X

Springfield Match: Bradford Raymond, 45, Robertsdale, AL – 285-7X

Vintage Military Match: Keith Schachle, 65, Jasper, GA – 288-11X

Modern Military Match: Jeff Minder, 48, Charlotte, NC – 291-11X

Three-Gun Aggregate: Ken Lore, 67, Hickory, NC – 839-14X

Rimfire Sporter Rifle:

T-Class: Scott Godwin, 49, Auburn, AL – 593-25X

TU Class: Maj Matthew White, 40, Fort Walton Beach, FL – 590-34X

Highpower Rifle:

Mid-Range 3x600 Aggregate:

Service Rifle: Michael King, 45, Fort Wayne, IN – 1181-51X

Match Rifle: Justin Patton-Rynders, 36, Murfreesboro, TN – 1183-70X

AR Tactical: Michael Payne, 66, Rome, GA – 1179-32X

Two-Man Team: Service Rifle: T and A (Justin Patton-Rynders, Bradford Raymond) – 952-21X

Rifle 2400 Aggregate:

Service Rifle: Justin Patton-Rynders, 36, Murfreesboro, TN – 2153-81X

Match Rifle: Walter Krafft, 71, Yellville, AR – 2037-28X

Service Rifle EIC: Jason Cisarano, 53, Chapel Hill, NC – 487-24X

For a complete list of results, visit https://ct.thecmp.org/24SpringClassicResults. Photos of the event may be viewed and downloaded for free from the CMP’s Zenfolio page at https://cmp1.zenfolio.com/f611220407.

The next Travel Games event is the Eastern CMP Games and CMP Highpower Rifle Matches – April 26 through May 5, at Camp Butner in North Carolina. To register or to view the entire match lineup, visit the CMP website at https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/eastern-cmp-games-cmp-hp-rifle-matches/. View a complete list of our Travel Games events at https://thecmp.org/competitions/cmp-travel-games/.

About the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park:

Aptly named “The Home of Marksmanship,” the park is a worthy destination for firearm supporters and guests looking for practice, competition and mindful learning opportunities.

Featuring CMP electronic targets and scoring monitors that can only be found at the 500-acre facility, the park regularly hosts rifle, pistol and shotgun events all year long. The CMP’s Unknown Distance Range at Talladega also allows guests to practice their skills in the field of over 100 steel targets, out to 625 yards, while the 20-lane life-size 3D target Archery Range provides even more marksmanship fun at the Park.

The public is welcome daily, all year long, to test out their firearms or to simply take a tour of the grounds. Off the firing line, the Club House holds a fully stocked Pro Shop that is always open during park hours. Learn more about Talladega Marksmanship Park at https://thecmp.org/ranges/talladega-marksmanship-park/.

- - Ashley Dugan, CMP Staff Writer

The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.

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