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Junior competitor Jenna Boykin, 16, of Port Clinton, OH, led the Beginner category of the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) Bullseye Pistol League – an eight-week league featuring Beginner and Experienced levels, partnered with Lake Erie Arms. The fall league was the first of its kind hosted by the CMP.
“The Civilian Marksmanship Program has been great with us – being able to partner up with them has been a real treat,” said Matt Dotson of Lake Erie Arms. “We’ve been able to subject a lot of our people here who aren’t really used to that type of shooting to a different type of league than we’re used to running, and I know a lot of people had a lot of fun with that.”
“Not only that, but we were also able to bring people who were used to the Civilian Marksmanship Program to Lake Erie Arms to show them what we’re all about here,” he added.
Lake Erie Arms is a 94,000-square-foot indoor public complex that houses multiple 25-yard and 100-yard ranges, an indoor clay house, sales as well as a café and upscale member club – located just a short drive from CMP’s Port Clinton headquarters. The CMP Bullseye Pistol League included a standard course of fire at 25 yards with .22LR or .45ACP pistols.
As the top Beginner participant, Boykin received a $100 gift certificate to the CMP and a special match coin. Additional gift certificates were presented to the first ($100), second ($75) and third ($50) place competitors in the Experienced match and second ($75) and third ($50) place competitors in the Beginner league.
Boykin also led the Lake Erie Arms Lethal Ladies Pistol League, where she received a voucher for a GLOCK 43X and a match coin.
Results of the CMP Bullseye League:
Beginner League:
Experienced League:
“I found the Beginner's league fun, a little challenging, and I learned a lot from it,” Boykin said. “I really enjoy shooting at Lake Erie Arms. The atmosphere is great. Everyone is super friendly and supportive.”
Boykin’s marksmanship career began when she asked for a BB gun for her 10th birthday. She used it to target shoot in her basement, and by the age of 12, she had outgrown it and decided to attend the .22-caliber Rimfire Sporter Small Arms Firing School (SAFS) held during the annual National Matches at Camp Perry. The popular SAFS events are hosted by the CMP and conducted by members of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit.
It was there that she met Sarah Beard, a world-champion member of the U.S. National Team who trained her on the firing line – leaving a lasting impression.
“It was an awesome experience for me as a young girl,” Boykin said. “Sarah was a big inspiration to me. She basically jump-started my shooting career.”
After the clinic, Boykin was given a T-Class rifle and has competed yearly in the National Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match since 2022 (even earning a bronze medal in her first match).
Through her performances at Camp Perry and other regional events, she has collected several gold medals, and this past summer, she was the High Woman in the TU Class of the National Rimfire Sporter Match as well as the High Junior in the National Modern Military Match. She went on to earn the High Woman title of the T-Class at the 2023 National Rimfire Sporter Match. Also in 2023, she added pistol to her list of shooting disciplines.
Boykin’s abilities are constantly improving. She practices on Thursdays at the nearby Oak Harbor Conservation Club as part of their Junior Rifle Program and entered the Lake Erie Arms leagues to give herself new challenges as well as to further her pistol talents.
Eager to learn more about competitive shooting, she has attended both rifle and pistol SAFS and has competed in vintage sniper rifle competitions. She even traveled to the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama to participate in the Talladega 600’s Rifle Marksmanship 101 Course, where she earned seventh overall in the accompanying M16 Match.
“My goals for my marksmanship career are to grow my skills and passion in different areas,” Boykin admitted. “After graduation, I could see myself potentially joining a collegiate team.”
She’s also putting more focus toward service rifle, soon becoming involved with Ohio’s Junior Team in the hopes of someday earning a Distinguished Rifle Badge. In the near future, she’ll be competing in the CMP Rimfire Sporter Rifle League, set to start this week at Lake Erie Arms.
New CMP/Lake Erie Arms Rimfire Rifle League:
The CMP has announced an indoor Rimfire Rifle League, again held at Lake Erie Arms! The league will feature .22 caliber smallbore rifles, fired at 25 yards from three positions: prone, sitting/kneeling and standing. Competitors may choose from T-Class (telescopic sights), O-Class (standard sights) and TU-Class (tactical/unlimited, any sights) categories.
The league will be held Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. from Jan. 14 to March 4, 2025. All experience levels are welcome, including juniors (ages 10 and up). Learn more about Lake Erie Arms and the CMP Rimfire Rifle League at https://www.learms.net/!
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.