Shooter Spotlight: Bobbi Vitito

The purpose of the “Shooter Spotlight” is to help shooters get to know their fellow competitors a little bit better. We cover a wide range of shooters from “Marksman to Master.” This is the 66th interview in the series.

Bobbi Vitito

Where do you call home?
Home is Eastport, Michigan (on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay).  But we “snowbird” in Tierra Verde, FL (near St. Pete Beach).

How long have you been shooting?
My first shooting experience was in the Jr. & Tyro School at Camp Perry in 1954, which I did again in ’56, ’57, and ’58.  I also did some indoor shooting with our local gun club (Allen Park, MI) which my mother helped coach.  I started competing in outdoor prone matches in 1959.  That year was also my first entry in the National Matches.

How did you get involved in shooting competitively?
Since my parents (Max and Marianne Jensen) were competitive smallbore shooters, my sister Lenore and I naturally got involved in the sport as soon as we were old enough.

What is a little known fact about yourself that your fellow competitors might not know?
A little-known fact that my fellow competitors might not know?  That’s a tough one.  It used to be my name/s.  Because shooters knew me by my family nickname, which was “Candy”, or my real name “Marianne”; but didn’t know me by the name most people had been calling me since the 8th grade, “Bobbi”. But that’s not the case any longer.  (I still am most comfortable with either nickname.)

What do you consider your finest shooting achievement?
Finest shooting achievement:

1960- my first Randle and Dewar Team appearances and National Junior Championship (as a 15 yr. old in Sharpshooter class)

1962- fired a 598 (English match record… also speed record, 60 shots in less than 30 min. on manually pulled target frames at Fort Benning ) in the U.S. tryouts for the team going to the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt.

Fired in two World Championships, 1962 and ’66.  With Trish Kinsella (Foster) and Margaret Thompson (Murdock) won a women’s prone team Bronze in Wiesbaden, Germany 1966.

1965, ’68 and ’70 National Womens Champ

After that, the years get sketchy and the achievements less, but I’m proud of my something like 34 times on the Randle Team (Edie has me beat on total and, especially, on consistency).  And being on the National Team Championship winning Black Hawk Women’s Team was lots of fun.

What is your favorite pre-match meal?
I don’t have a pre-match meal ritual.

What is your favorite post match drink?
A post-match beer on the range, or a Dewars-and-water later, or a nice glass of wine with dinner, or… whatever you’re serving, works just fine for a post-match drink, thank you.

Do you have a favorite shooting range?
Favorite range:  Camp Perry and Michigan City, IN.  That’s all I shoot… one weekend and the Nationals.

Do you have any short term and/or long term goals?
Goals:  Just to keep on enjoying being with my shooting friends.  And, of course, trying to stay competitive in the sport I love.

What shooting skills are currently focusing your energy on?
Current focus on shooting skills:  Bob (husband) and I are shooting sporting clays at the Charlevoix Gun Club when we’re home, and we just joined a trap and skeet club near us in Florida, where we’ve been shooting trap twice a week.

Thanks Bobbi for sharing a little bit about yourself with the pronematch.com community!

About Hap Rocketto

Hap Rocketto is a Distinguished Rifleman with service and smallbore rifle, member of The Presidents Hundred, and the National Guard’s Chief’s 50. He is a National Smallbore Record holder, a member of the 1600 Club and the Connecticut Shooters’ Hall Of Fame. He was the 2002 Intermediate Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion, the 2012 Senior Three Position National Smallbore Rifle Champion a member of the 2007 and 2012 National Four Position Indoor Championship team, coach and captain of the US Drew Cup Team, and adjutant of the United States 2009 Roberts and 2013 Pershing Teams. Rocketto is very active in coaching juniors. He is, along with his brother Steve, a cofounder of the Corporal Digby Hand Schützenverein. A historian of the shooting sports, his work appears in Shooting Sports USA, the late Precision Shooting Magazine, The Outdoor Message, the American Rifleman, the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s website, and most recently, the apogee of his literary career, pronematch.com.
This entry was posted in Shooter Spotlight and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Shooter Spotlight: Bobbi Vitito

  1. Carl Marosi says:

    Hi to Bobbi. She and I worked the parks and recreation in Allen Park together. I just came across an article about our 50 mile relay. Although this is 4 to 5 years old – you look well. My wife and I live in Belleville, MI. I would enjoy hearing from you.

  2. Hasp Rocketto says:

    Carl,
    Your message has been forwarded to Bobbi.
    Hap

  3. steven kern says:

    Hasp Rocketto?? You are a mano of many aliases?

    Have you ever heard of a Roselle Park, New Jersey shooter last name Gersely, first initial N? He was active at least in the middle ’50’s and made about ten actions with 52-B Bolts and triggers.

    The receivers look hexagonal? About ten were made, 2 LH the balance RH.

    Thanks for any assistance.

Leave a Reply to steven kern Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *