Penn Township resident wins Governor’s Twenty Match for 2nd time in 3 years

An Air Force National Guardsman from Penn Township took first place in an annual shooting contest at Fort Indiantown Gap.

Staff Sgt. Nicholas Yackovich, a National Guard member for six years, has competed in the Governor’s Twenty Match for the past three years. Although he placed sixth last year, Yackovich also won in 2019 — his first year competing.

The Governor’s Twenty Match is a state-level marksmanship competition between Air Force and Army National Guard members that began in 1968.

Participants shoot in four different categories with rifles and pistols. The categories include the 400-yard slow fire, the combat rifle excellence in competition, the 30-yard slow fire and the combat pistol excellence in competition.

The top 20 scorers are awarded certificates, a Governor’s Twenty tab for their uniforms and an indication of the achievement on their official personnel record. The top three competitors also receive plaques.

This year’s competition — which took place July 23-24 — included 83 shooters. Yackovich said the level of competition increased this year because more participants were seasoned competitors.

“As a group, as a unit, we’re advancing and progressing faster than we thought,” Yackovich said.

Similarly, Major Gen. Mark Schindler — the head of the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs — said all participants showed “excellence and professionalism” in the competition.

“The Governor’s Twenty is a great opportunity for Army and Air Force marksmen to come together in a rigorous — yet friendly — competition on equal ground,” Schindler said in a statement. “The incredible level of skill demonstrated throughout this competition sets the standard of weapons readiness for the next generation of marksmen.”

Yackovich scored 349 — 179 from rifle and 170 from pistol — which bested his 2019 score by 47 points. He deemed that a “significant improvement.”

Yackovich also got a total of 11 “X’s” this year. He said an “X” is given when a marksman hits the center of the ring with the highest point value. It earns the shooter five points and gives them an edge if they tie with a competitor.

Yackovich said the talent of the marksmen this year was “intense.”

“I don’t think I was the best shooter out there that day,” he said. “I just got lucky.”

The Pennsylvania National Guard now will pick teams to compete in the Marksmanship Advisory Competition, a regional match between Pennsylvania and several neighboring states — including Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. Yackovich said 12 members of the top 20 were selected to compete last year.

Yackovich said he plans to compete in the Governor’s Twenty Match again next year, as well as encourage new marksmen to do the same. He said he is inspired to “keep the legacy going” for future generations.

“It’s because of (the major general), his passion, that we were able to compete like we did this year,” Yackovich said. “You build camaraderie, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The 2021 Governor’s Twenty recipients are:

1. Staff Sgt. Nicholas Yackovich, Harrison City (Westmoreland County)

2. Chief Master Sgt. Edward Altmeyer, Coraopolis (Allegheny County)

3. Staff Sgt. Douglas Costello, Mountain Top (Luzerne County)

4. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard Jones, Lebanon (Lebanon County)

5. Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Fusco, Sellersville (Bucks County)

6. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andrew Harrison, Palmyra (Lebanon County)

7. Staff Sgt. Harold Little, Wampum (Lawrence County)

8. Staff Sgt. Robert Lydic, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

9. Sgt. Corey Walker, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

10. Sgt. 1st Class Scott Sheroky, Fredericksburg (Lebanon County)

11. Sgt. Ryan Ilich, Greensburg (Westmoreland County)

12. Sgt. Jason Goodling, York Haven (York County)

13. Maj. Ian Swisher, Rockville (Md.)

14. Sgt. Adam Grove, York (York County)

15. Spc. Jun Jin Lin, Lebanon (Lebanon County)

16. Sgt. Brennen Koji, Bellefonte (Centre County)

17. Master Sgt. Gregory Neiderhiser, Ligonier (Westmoreland County)

18. Cpl. Christopher Hill, Tafton (Pike County)

19. Tech. Sgt. Shawn McCreary, Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

20. Staff Sgt. Paul Young, Shrewsbury (York County)