“Fast Freddy” Scielzo and the Dewar Team

by Hap Rocketto, pmdc staff

Florida’s “Fast Freddy” Scielzo has been a Camp Perry fixture for many decades.  This rifleman of repute earned the National Rifle Association Distinguished Smallbore Prone Award 1977 and has won his share of medals, NRA Award Points, trophies, the occasional small amount of cash, and other gewgaws germane to victories in the sport.  Recently his main claim to fame has been as a regular winner, or high placing competitor, in the Made in America Match.

At the 2010 National Smallbore Rifle Prone Championships Fred shot his way onto the US Dewar Team, not a bad thing, particularly in light of the fact that Fred had come up dry on his previous 24 trips to Perry.

Little did his Fred, or his many friends, know that they had witnessed a historical event unparalleled in Dewar competition history.  The US Dewar team shot on July 27, 2010, the day that Fred was 77 years, eleven months, and eight days old.  On that day he displaced the legendary Larry Moore as the oldest person to be on a US Dewar Team roster.  Moore was 77 years, three months, and 20 days old when he served at Dewar Team captain in 1991.  This deed in itself certainly would have been glory enough but it did not end here.

Randy Schwartz reports that Fred wasn’t going to go to Camp Perry this year because his wife didn’t want to make the trip.  Fred was shooting very well and Schwartz was able to convince him to enter.  Fred did so on the condition that Schwartz  would bring his gear to Camp Perry as he preferred to fly.  Fred selected Schwartz as his line coach.

After extensive research by the unofficial Dewar historian, and absent evidence to the contrary, it is clear that Fred has pulled of a Dewar hat trick unlikely ever to be surpassed.  He is the oldest person to be named to the US Dewar team, the oldest person to shoot his way on to the US Dewar team, and the oldest person to make his maiden appearance on the US Dewar Team.

Pronematch.com extends its congratulations to Fred for his perseverance and dedication to the sport.

With a smile as bright as the sun rising behind him Fred Scielzo starts to lay out his gear on Dewar Match firing point number 15.