Camp Robinson, Ark. –
Two squads of NHNG marksmen finished in the top 20 at the 51st Winston P. Wilson Pistol and Rifle Championships from March 26 - 31 at Camp Robinson, Ark.
After blazing through thousands of rounds of ammo, Team Alpha placed ninth out of 47 teams, New Hampshire's best finish since 2015. Team Bravo finished 20th.
"I'm proud of the teams' progress," said Staff Sgt. Joseph Wyner, state marksmanship coordinator and Alpha Team captain. "To have both teams place in the top 20, I couldn't be happier."
Wyner was NH's top shot, placing 28th out of 190 competitors.
Staff Sgt. David Fostier also made a strong showing for Team Alpha and "legged" in the Excellence-In-Competition rifle match. His score of 177 placed him in the top 10 percent of all participants. Shooters like Fostier who tally enough leg points at official matches can eventually earn distinguished shooting badges.
The annual marksmanship event, one of the largest in the world, featured U.S. and international military competitors. They engaged pistol and rifle targets at ranges up to 30 and 600 yards respectively. There was a total of 18 timed matches.
The competition was both physically and mentally challenging, said Staff Sgt. Connor Cunio, Team Bravo captain. He placed 54th overall.
"You learn the ability to overcome adversity under highly tense moments, ensuring your mental game is on point and correcting on the fly when things go awry,” he said.
Capt. Patrick Randall, reigning New Hampshire TAG Match champion, was pleased with the showing of both squads, a mix of NHNG soldiers and airmen. He finished 49th as a member of Team Alpha.
"I think we represented New Hampshire to our capabilities this year," Randall said. "Our eight competitors overall shot very well."
Wyner, however, isn’t satisfied.
"The goal this year was to finish top 10, which we achieved," he said. "Next year it's to podium. We can do better. We will do better."