DiConza Shatters Thirty-Year-Standing Record During National Trophy Team Matches
By Ashley Brugnone, CMP Writer
Sgt. Antonio DiConza of the U.S. Marine Corps broke a 31-year record during the National Trophy Team Match to become the High Individual of the event.
Sgt. Antonio DiConza of the U.S. Marine Corps broke a 31-year record during the National Trophy Team Match to become the High Individual of the event.
CAMP PERRY, Ohio – In an unbelievable individual performance, Sgt. Antonio DiConza, 25, of the U.S. Marine Corps and Fredericksburg, VA, cleaned the entire course during the National Trophy Rifle Team Match with an astonishing score of 500-15x. The previous record of 499-28x had been fired by SSG Donald Manning in 1985 – leaving just one point for DiConza to conquer in order to surpass the 31-year-old record.
“It’s like winning the lotto, even though the lotto is luck and this takes a bit of skill,” he joked. “But it’s the same feeling. I can’t believe it.”
Of course, the score was a personal best for DiConza and the high individual score of the match – remarkable considering he had arrived at the National Matches only two days before the event because of the approaching arrival of a baby girl. As he got closer and closer to achieving a 500 score, DiConza began to feel the pressure of reaching perfection.
“My nerves started getting to me. But I just stayed calm – and in those last two shots, I was like, ‘Is this going to make me or break me?’ So I shot one more shot, and the last shot, I was shaking,” he explained. “I told myself, ‘You know, I just shot 19 10’s and a few x’s – just shoot another 10. It’s not that hard. Relax.’”
After his final 10 pierced the target, he smiled and shed a few tears – overwhelmed by the moment.
“I was really ecstatic. It was the proudest moment of my life,” he said. “Well, other than my little girl.”
The Army Reserve Anderson team was the overall winner in the National Trophy Team competition. Team members also fired a new Reserve National Record in their win.
The Army Reserve Anderson team was the overall winner in the National Trophy Team competition. Team members also fired a new Reserve National Record in their win.
Winning the overall match and firing only one point under the decade-old standing Overall National Record was Army Reserve Anderson, with a score of 2957-111x. Though the Reserve team failed to set the Overall National Record, they did manage to set a new Reserve record – beating the previous one that had been set over 25 years ago by nearly 10 points.
