COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 National Top Trooper Competition. The competition was a four-day event that brought together law enforcement professionals from agencies across the country to go head-to-head in events that tested their operational readiness, tactical skills, driving ability and physical fitness.
Each event was designed to assess a trooper's ability to do a different aspect of the job. The physical fitness competition tested strength, endurance and mental toughness. The top performers in driving demonstrated exceptional skills and professionalism behind the wheel. Accuracy, focus and discipline were key fundamentals displayed in the firearms competition. The leadership assessment interview challenged competitors to articulate their leadership style and demonstrate their ability to communicate. The team challenge called for competitors to work together while representing their respective states.
Senior Patrolman Austin Sanchez of the New Mexico State Police and Trooper Lindsey Rumenapp of the New York State Police took home top overall awards and are this year’s National Top Troopers. Earning this distinction required excellence across every category - physical fitness, driving, firearms and leadership assessment.
Award Winners Include:
- Top Overall (Male) - Senior Patrolman Austin Sanchez, New Mexico State Police
- Top Overall (Female) - Trooper Lindsey Rumenapp, New York State Police
- Top Overall (Male Runner-Up) - Trooper Brody Telfer, Texas Department of Public Safety
-
Top Overall (Female Runner-Up) (Tie) - Trooper Melanie Moreno, Texas Department of Public Safety and Trooper First Class Julia Pettitt, Maryland State Police
- Top Firearms (Male) - Trooper Samuel Hammon, Ohio State Highway Patrol
- Top Firearms (Female) - Trooper Lindsey Rumenapp, New York State Police
- Top Firearms (Male Runner-Up) - Trooper Casey Harkins, Vermont State Police
- Top Firearms (Female Runner-Up) - Trooper Melanie Moreno, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Top Leadership Assessment Interview (Male) - Trooper Thomas Brown, Florida Highway Patrol
- Top Leadership Assessment Interview (Female) - Trooper Anastasia Mohler, Michigan State Police
- Top Leadership Assessment Interview (Male Runner-Up) - Senior Patrolman Austin Sanchez, New Mexico State Police
- Top Leadership Assessment Interview (Female Runner-Up) - Trooper Summer Smith, Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- Top Driving (Male) - Trooper Brody Telfer, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Top Driving (Female) - Trooper First Class Julia Pettitt, Maryland State Police
- Top Driving (Male Runner-Up) - Trooper Casey Harkins, Vermont State Police
- Top Driving (Female Runner-Up) - Trooper Summer Smith, Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- Top Physical Fitness (Male) - Senior Trooper Trevor Kozlow, Maryland State Police
- Top Physical Fitness (Female) - Trooper Melanie Moreno, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Top Physical Fitness (Male Runner-Up) - Trooper Maxwell Prince, Michigan State Police
- Top Physical Fitness (Female Runner-Up) - Trooper Lindsey Rumenapp, New York State Police
- Top Trooper Team - Trooper Melanie Moreno and Trooper Brody Telfer, Texas Department of Public Safety
“The National Top Trooper Competition showcases the dedication and skill that define our profession,” said Colonel Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent. “We were honored to welcome some of the best troopers from across the country to Ohio, where they learned from one another, refined their abilities and strengthened the capabilities that serve communities nationwide.”
The National Top Trooper Competition is set to continue into its third year in 2027, with the California Highway Patrol hosting the event.
|
