MAY 2, 2025 – Weapons Training Battalion – Quantico hosted the Marine Corps Championships, the culminating event of the Marine Corps Marksmanship Competitions, from April 10–18 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
The Marine Corps Championships brought together 80 top shooters from the Fleet Marine Force and the British Royal Marines for eight days of competition. The U.S. Marine competitors all earned the opportunity to compete in the Marine Corps Championships based on their performance in five regional marksmanship competitions held earlier in the fiscal year at U.S. Marine Corps installations across the world, including in Japan. At the Marine Corps Championships, competitors tested their skills in day and night courses of fire, including precision rifle, action pistol, action rifle, and multi-gun events using match-grade M16 rifles, M4 carbines, M18 pistols, and M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles.
The competition began April 10 with check-in, zeroing and holds, allowing competitors to adjust to range conditions and confirm zeroes. On April 11 the Heritage Match was held. Marines fired historic weapons in courses of fire inspired by significant battles and moments in Marine Corps history. The match served as a connection to the legacy of Marines who came before, reinforcing the enduring role of marksmanship in the Corps’ history.
“The Heritage Match is a callback to key eras of Marine Corps history where marksmanship played a vital role,” said Capt. John Bodzoich, the officer in charge of the Marine Corps Shooting Team. “It gives Marines the rare chance to handle historical weapons and use them in scenarios that mirror how they were employed in past conflicts, creating a tangible connection to the legacy of those who came before us.”
Competitors engaged in multi-gun matches, individual rifle and pistol matches, low-light night matches, and team competitions. Members of the Marine Corps Shooting Team observed performances to identify emerging talent, with some competitors receiving invitations to join the MCST on permanent orders.
One of the highlights of the championship was the Inter-Corps Cup match, where U.S. Marines and British Royal Marines competed. The event emphasized interoperability between NATO allies. U.S. and British Marines exchanged best practices, refined combat shooting techniques, and reinforced the importance of joint operations in operational environments. The match supported the Marine Corps’ ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with allied forces and enhance multinational readiness.
The championship concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing top performers. Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia, an expeditionary fuels technician and member of the Marine Corps Shooting Team, was named the top individual performer after winning the rifle, pistol, and multi-gun matches. He was awarded the McDougal Trophy for rifle, the Walsh Trophy for pistol, and the Laucheimer Trophy as the overall top competitor, becoming the second Marine in recorded history to win all three in a single competition. As the overall winner, he also received the M1 Garand Trophy.
Garcia, described by his leaders as one of the most passionate shooters and marksmanship coaches in the Corps, chose to pass the M1 Garand to the High Tyro, Sgt. Kai Byrom, the highest-scoring first-year competitor, to encourage continued participation in competitive shooting. The Maj. Gen. “Hammer” Hartsell Trophy was awarded to the High Tyro, Byrom, a mortarman and marksmanship coach with Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Parris Island. Additional honors were presented to the winners of the Inter-Division Rifle and Pistol Team Matches and the Fleet Marine Force Combat Infantry Match.
“My biggest takeaway is that it’s not about me, and it’s not about who gets a medal or the medals themselves. It’s about advancing marksmanship and increasing lethality across the force. Every Marine who competed here will return to their unit and share what they’ve learned, high-level marksmanship, on demand, under stress. That’s the kind of training you can’t get anywhere else.” Staff Sgt. Payton Garcia, expeditionary fuels technician, instructor and competitor with the Marine Corps Shooting Team, Weapons Training Battalion
The Marine Corps Championships continues a tradition of marksmanship excellence dating back to 1899, when Maj. Gen. Charles Heywood emphasized improving marksmanship skills across the force, subsequently directing the creation of what we now know of as the Marine Corps Shooting Team in 1901. Since then, the Marine Corps Shooting Team has led the Corps’ efforts to evolve its techniques and incorporate emerging technologies to meet changing combat requirements.
Looking ahead, the Marine Corps plans to continue refining its marksmanship program by integrating precision attack drone technology and expanding low-light and night vision events. The Marine Corps Attack Drone Team, established in January 2025, will support future competitions by enhancing target acquisition and strike capabilities through small unmanned aerial systems, including first person-view drones, which have rapidly proliferated across modern battlefields.
“This competition isn’t just about winning, it’s about building warriors and constantly reinforcing our culture of every Marine being, first and foremost, a rifleman,” said Col. Scott Cuomo, commanding officer of Weapons Training Battalion, Quantico, and captain of the Marine Corps Shooting Team. “When Marines push themselves to the edge, shoot under pressure, and learn from the best, they don’t just get better, they become more lethal, more confident, and more prepared for the fight ahead. There’s real pride in knowing that every Marine who walks off this range is going back to their unit ready to raise the bar.”
Staff Sgt. Claudia Nix
Marine Corps Training and Education Command