In 2001, the second year of the games, a new seeding system was instituted in the rifle event. The athletes would shoot one round earlier in the day for time only and be seeded against each other by their times: fastest to slowest, second fastest to second slowest and so on down the line. The 2000 defending gold medalist, Bob Mastroianni, shot a qualifying time of 36.1 seconds, placing him in 4th place for the 1st run of the rifle event.

Mastroianni was going up against newcomer Richard Aitken, who shot a qualifying time of 65.2 seconds, placing him in the 13th position out of a total field of 16. The newcomer was going up against the defending gold medalist. The field obviously favored Mastroianni, a four-time Sportsman Team Challenge winner and well-know rifle shooter. Aitken, having spent most of his career in the shotgun sports, was an unknown, plus this was his first appearance at the Great Outdoor Games, barely having qualified for the rifle event earlier in the year.

I remember hearing the competitors as well as the spectators talk about the match-up, conceding the win to Mastroianni before the first shot was even fired. Old friends defending silver medalist Doug Koeing and 4th place finisher Carl Bernowski walked up to Aitken in the competitor tent, giving him last minute advice, encouragement and to "just shoot your own game." Bernowski's final words as Aitken walked out to the firing line were, "if he cleans it in 30 seconds, he just flat beat you. There's nothing you can do about it."

At the sound of the start horn, both athletes quickly brought their rifles to their shoulders and in 28.3 seconds the match was over! Mastroianni brought down his rifle and looked at Aitken's targets in disbelief. Aitken had nearly gone shot for shot, using 15 shots to hit 14 targets in less than 30 seconds. A stunning upset! Koeing and Bernowski cheered unabashedly as did the spectators. Bernowski grabbed him saying, "I knew you could do it." Aitken shook his hand replying quietly, "I knew I could, I just wasn't sure I could do it now."