Ft. Benning, GA. - Maj. Michael E. Anti of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit won his third National Smallbore Rifle NRA Three-Position Championship with a score of 2311 points and 96 Xs at Camp Perry, Ohio, last week.

Setting a new Camp Perry smallbore record and besting his own previously held record of 2303-91X, set in 1994, Anti prevailed against nearly 400 of the best shooters from across the United States over two days of competition. Anti, who won a Silver Medal Olympic Medal in 2004, also won in the Service Champion category.

Commenting on the typically tough shooting conditions at Camp Perry, Anti said, “The wind is always an issue here and it can be a very physically demanding place to shoot. You constantly have to flex and relax your muscles to both compensate for the wind and prepare your shot. Olympic shooting is also done outdoors but the shooters are shielded from the wind.”

Sgt. Shane Barnhart, the 2005 national champion and also with the USAMU, took second place with a score of 2304-93X. New this year to the winner's circle was Kimberly Chrostowski of Rockville, R.I., who placed third overall with a score of 2263-71X and won top honors as High Woman, High Junior and High Collegiate shooter. Chrostowski is also a member of the University of Nebraska rifle team and recently competed in the NCAA championships in air rifle. This victory marks her return to Perry after a two-year absence.

“It is great to be back here and to see so many new faces that keep the sport growing,” she said.

The National Smallbore Rifle NRA Three-Position Championship is a 2400-point aggregate of the Metallic Sight championship and the Any Sight championship. Each sub aggregate consists of three matches, fired with .2-2 caliber rifles, of 40 shots at 50 meters in the prone, standing, and kneeling positions. Metallic sights are any sighting system, which provides a method of aiming or aligning two separate but visible sights. The Any Sight category includes both metallic sights and telescopic sights.