John Bickar was the overall winner of the President’s Pistol Match.

BY ASHLEY DUGAN, CMP STAFF WRITER

Narrowly reaching the high score in the President’s Pistol Match at the 2023 National Matches by just three x-ring shots, John Bickar, 46, of Menlo Park, Calif., has now added his name to the list of gifted athletes who have won the coveted competition over the last four decades. The event was held as part of the annual Pistol series fired at Camp Perry in Port Clinton in July, facilitated by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP).

The President’s Pistol Match saw steep competition in 2023 – with the top five places separated only by one point. Bickar netted the win with a score of 386-13X.

Likewise, SFC Ryan Franks, 35, of Ellerslie, Ga., led the respected National Trophy Individual Pistol Match with a score of 295-13X. His performance was two points shy of the current national record, set by SSG James Henderson in 2009.

Franks, who earned the overall individual service pistol aggregate title in 2022, achieved the honor again in 2023. Later, he joined teammates SFC Greg Markowski, SSG Carl Clegg and SFC Ryan Adams to help claim the win in the National Trophy Team Match with a commanding score of 1130-34X – 24 points above second place finishers CRPA Scarlet, the High Civilian team.

SFC Adams went on to overtake the Military & Police Service Pistol Match with a score of 383-12X, clearing teammate SSG Hudock by a point. Though he fell short in the Military event, Hudock surpassed Adams to victory in the As-Issued 1911 competition.

Also in tight competition was Frederic Coffee, 58, of Bedford, Ohio, who squeaked out a win by x-count in the M9 Pistol Match held along with the Pistol Small Arms Firing School – recording a score of 257-5X.

SGT Jason Gregoire, 35, of Midland, GA, found a win of his own by x-count in the CMP Service Revolver EIC Match with a score of 377-11X, just five above the second place competitor last year’s Revolver winner, SFC Greg Markowski.

Also noteworthy was 1LT Lisa Emmert Traciak, 27, of Colorado Springs, CO, who earned the Rose Krelstein Trophy as the high woman in the President’s/National Trophy Individual Aggregate. Her score of 659-26X was just one away from the current national record, which she set herself in 2022. Emmert Traciak additionally earned the high woman title in both the President’s and National Individual events along with the National Guard Association Trophy, Military Police Corps Trophy and the General Mellon Trophy.