MMA Selected as Host for 2020 Civilian Marksmanship Program Air Rifle Missouri State Championship

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) has selected Missouri Military Academy (MMA) to serve as the 2020 host for the CMP Air Rifle Missouri State Championship. MMA will hold the competition January 17-18, 2020 on their Mexico, Missouri campus.

The competition will include more than 120 of the best high school air rifle firers from across the state. The CMP Missouri State Championship is a shoulder-to-shoulder, three position air rifle match that determines which individuals will qualify to participate in the CMP Regional Championship. Only the top firers in the sporter and precision class will qualify to advance.

In addition to the 120-plus individuals who will attend the competition, additional shooters across the state will be able to compete through the CMP Postal Competition, which enables firers to mail or electronically upload official targets to the CMP for official scoring.

 “We are honored to host this competition for the state’s best firers at Missouri Military Academy,” said MMA Rifle Team Coach and Senior Army Instructor Captain Joseph Balvanz. “Dating back to MMA’s first national championship in 1928, marksmanship is a proud tradition at the Academy, and we’re excited to share our facilities and passion for marksmanship skill, dedication and focus with other teams.”

Cpt. Balvanz will act as CMP match director for the CMP Missouri State Championship. A former U.S. Army combat engineer who served as a technical rescue team leader in response to the terror attack at the Pentagon in 2001, he currently leads MMA’s Army JROTC program.