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U.S.M.C. Gunnery Sergeant Brian Zins' come-from-behind victory to win the 2005 National Pistol Championship made him the first person in the event's history to claim the title seven times. Going into the final match of the championship, which took place at Camp Perry, Ohio, July 12-16, Zins was already in lofty company -- holding six titles along with pistol-shooting legends Harry Reeves, Huelet Benner and Bill Blankenship. But his closing-round performance in .45 pistol on July 16 cinched the win, making the King George, Va., resident arguably the best handgun shooter in history.
The day before the final round, when many competitors might feel the pressure, Zins seemed relaxed. "Several years ago, I put this whole sporting thing into perspective," he said, "when I had children." His thoughts seemed miles away as he explained his 11-year-old daughter had just scored a perfect 600 in her math and science standard of learning testing.
Zins' score of 2645-111X netted his fifth consecutive National Pistol Championship, tying him with Bill Blankeship, who held the title from 1960 to 1964. Army Reserve Staff Sergeant James Henderson, from Festus, Mo., claimed second-place honors with an aggregate score of 2637-137X. Christopher Johnson, from Libertyville, Ill., came in third with 2637-118X.
Lt. Philip W. Hemphill, the reigning NRA National Police Shooting Champion, won the Police Championship at the NRA's National Matches, effectively combining titles for the first time in history. The Mississippi Highway Patrolman scored 2613-99X for the victory.
Watch future issues of Shooting Sports USA for more complete coverage of the NRA National Matches. |
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| 2005 National Pistol Championship Results |
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| National Champion |
Brian H. Zins, USMC, King George, VA |
2645-111X |
| 2nd |
SSG James Henderson, USA, Festus, MO |
2637-137X |
| 3rd |
Christopher K. Johnson, Libertyville, IL |
2637-118X |
| Woman Champion |
Kimberly L. Hobart, New Philadelphia, OH |
2562-79X |
| Senior Champion |
Jerry Janey, Lily, KY |
2636-107X |
| Collegiate Champion |
Kevin L. Myers, Pierceton, IN |
2503-64X |
| Junior Champion |
Antone E. Silva, Merced, CA |
2522-67X |
| National Guard Champion |
MSgt Philip N. Thomas, USAF, Richmond, VA |
2606-92X |
| Army Reserve Champion |
Ssg James Henderson, USA, Festus, MO |
2637-137X |
| Regular Service Champion |
Brian H. Zins, USMC, King George, VA |
2645-111X |
| High Regular Air Force |
Col. Yunhyok "Joe" Chang, USAF, Kathleen, GA |
2534-80X |
| High Civilian Woman |
Kimberly L. Hobart, New Philadelphia, OH |
2562-79X |
| Police Champion |
Lt. Philip W. Hemphill, Clinton, MS |
2613-99X |
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