Massasoit Rifle Club sponsored its third NRA smallbore rifle sectional of the year on Sunday February 22 and the third time was the charm for Rhode Island’s geriatric rifleman Hap Rocketto.
It was a valiant efforts by Bob Lynn and Don Norris kept the old geezer on his toes but he would not be denied. There were four 200-20Xs in the prone match which Lynn took with a center shot count of eight.Rocketto grabbed the lead in standing with a 195-11X but Lynn and Norris both carded 191s, Norris with nine Xs to slip by Lynn’s five, to keep within striking distance.
With decades of high power experience Rocketto made his move in the arcane sitting position, in which he holds the Geritol/Metimucil age group category national record, posting a 200-19X. Norris gave not an inch and cut him no slack as he notched up a perfect score with 13Xs. Lynn lost a point. According to the long suffering Mrs. Rocketto her husband’s performance came as no surprise to her for, as she dryly reported, “All he ever does is sit around the house.”
The match came down to the kneeling stage where Lynn made up some ground shooting a match winning 198-14X. Rocketto and Norris were in a dog fight with both carding 197s, but the Old Lion prevailed by two Xs.
When Nicole Panko, the match director, totaled the scores Rocketto had a match winning score of 792-62X, which ought to place him in the top 5%, or so, when the national ranking is announced. Lynn was second with a 788-53X and Norris was in a close third with a 787-51X.
You can download the results here.
Laft to Right: Hap Rocketto, Sarah Downing, Don Norris, Bob Lynn, and Joe Graff
Range Officer Brad Ellsworth and Match Director Nicole Panko enjoy a smile and a quiet moment before the match begins.
The Digby Hand Team of Don Norris, Captain and Coach Joe Graf, Sarah Downing, Hap Rocketto, and Bob Lynn mug for the camera.
Assistant match Director Alyssa Panko presents Hap Rocketto with his gold medallion.
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