The 2012 NRA Rhode Island Open Metric Position Smallbore Rifle Sectional
by Digby Hand
The NRA’s 2012 National Indoor Championship season is now underway with the firing of the Metric Three Position Sectional at the Massasoit Gun Club over the first full weekend in January.
Iron sight shooters from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire shot a three position match, 40 shots prone, standing, and kneeling on the USA/NRA 50 target. This is the Olympic course of fire but with NRA legal equipment, although a look at the firing line saw all most all participants in full international attire.
Range Officer Brad Elsworth called the shooters to the line for the prone stage which was a nip and tuck battle between Brian Jylkka and Joe Graf. Graf opened with a 99 to Jylkka’s 98. The score evened out on the second card when Jylkka posted a 98 to Graf’s 97. They kept things eve with each shooting a 99 on the third target. Jylkka finally pulled a head by a point on the final ten shots with a 97 to Graf’s 96. John Cialek was third with a 385.
The prone match would be as close as anyone would get to the Hudson New Hampshire rifleman for the rest of the day. Jylkka walked away with the standing match, shooting a 365. He was 27 points ahead of his nearest rival, team mate, Cialek and further than that from third place Paul Falcone. At this point, with a 35 and 50 point lead on his closet competition going into kneeling, it was Jylkka’s match to lose.
Jyllka is approaching his 21st birthday and the 2012 campaign will be his last as a junior, an opportunity he is determined not to squander if his performance at this match is any indication. He closed the door on everyone with a consistent kneeling which yielded him a 381 for the stage and an1138 gold medal winning score.
The only contest in kneeling was between Graf and Hap Rocketto who both posted 361s. Graf held the advantage over the first 20 shots with a 184 to Rocketto’s 178. Rocketto, who just started his Medicare eligibility and marveled at the fact that the three Hudson Juniors shooting to his right ages did not equal his, made up the six point deficit ion the third ten shot string and tied Graf on the final target. Tie breaking rules gave the second place spot to Rocketto.
In the end Cialek was silver medalist with a 1073 and Graf slid into third. Paul Falcone was high junior, Rocketto high senior, and Rebecca Green high lady.
Match Director Nicole Panko was ably assisted by Alyssa McMahon.
The 3P and 4P sectionals of the NRA Indoor National Smallbore Championship will be held on January 28-29 and March 4th.
Complete results can be downloaded here: 2012-ri-int-sectional (PDF, 70KB)
