2017 Bianchi Cup — Koenig Wins for the 18th Time
“Koenig” means “king” in the German language. Well, Doug Koenig certainly proved to be King of the Bianchi Cup this past week at the Green Valley Rifle & Pistol Club in Hallsville, Missouri. Coming into the event as the reigning champion, Koenig added an 18th Bianchi Cup Open Championship title to his resume, remaining the winningest shooter in Bianchi Cup history. The win earned Koenig a $10,000 check to go with his trophy.
Report by NRABlog.com
Koenig posted strong scores in all four Colt Championship Final events, including perfect 480-48 scores in the Barricade and Plates runs. While perennial contender and five-time Bianchi Cup champ Bruce Piatt bested Koenig in the opening Practical event and kept it close, Koenig narrowly edged out his longtime friend and rival, finishing the Colt final event with a 1920-184 over Piatt’s 1920-181.
Here are the top four women shooting the Practical Event during the Colt Championship Final. From top: 2017 Bianchi Women’s Champion Cherie Blake, third place SFC Katie Bahten, second place Anita Mackiewicz, and fourth place Jessie Duff. Shooting Sports USA Photo
SFC Sokolowski Shoots First-Ever Perfect Score in Metallic Class
There were some other great performances. The USAMU’s SFC Adam Sokolowski made history of his own in Hallsville, shooting the first-ever perfect score of 1920 in the Metallic Division. Last year’s Production Champ, Adam switched to Metallic this year — it seems like it was a good choice. Cherie Blake was the Women’s Champion, and noted shooter Rob Leatham won the Production Division. In the Junior Division, it was a family affair — Tim Yackley was a repeat winner, while younger brother Sean Yackley finished second.
Not to be outdone by the youngsters, 80-year-old John Sanders won the Grand Senior Championship with a score of 1908-135X. Impressive — we hope we’ll still be competing in our 80s!
For more complete coverage of the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup, see John Parker’s Shooting Sports USA 2017 Match Report. Shooting Sports USA will publish the full results of the 2017 NRA Bianchi Cup National Action Pistol Championship in a future edition of the digital magazine.
