The dust has settled at Area 5 and everyone has headed home.  This is my first time shooting Area 5 and shooting in the area of Polo, Illinois.  I must say, it’s amazingly beautiful country and a great shooting range!  The match schedule spanned over Friday, Saturday and Sunday with squads electing to shoot a 2-day half-day schedule or one full-day schedule. 

Fortunately, we chose the Saturday morning/Sunday morning schedule and had the luck to shoot with a great group of guys.  With the complexity and length of these stages, I would not have wanted to shoot them all in one day.  Although, plenty did! 

Those of us who chose the Saturday morning schedule found ourselves shooting the first 3 stages in the rain.  The weather held off until Sunday morning again where we shot a few more of the stages in a steady drizzle, with the last shooter finishing 5 minutes before the downpour!  Now we have the answer to our question…..why weren’t there any visible irrigation methods for the thousands of acres of crops we saw in the area!

The Area 5 stages were some of the best stages I have ever seen in a match.  Every single stage had its challenge.  They were well thought out and allowed the shooter to make several decisions on stage sequencing and target acquisition.  We were presented with multiple swingers at times, very fast max traps, drop turners, a gravity swinger, Mozambique paper and steel setups, and a rack of triple swingers. 

I personally found Stage 8 with its hidden plates, difficult paper shots and the bear trap that activated a max trap and swinger the most difficult, especially when the targets were bagged.  But, I’m sure plenty of other competitors dealt with the same difficulty on a few of the other stages. 

Most targets had either hard cover or no-shoots on them with more than a fair share of poppers and plates, which made it an aiming match.  Aiming, thinking and lots of movement….all solid components of a good match that I believe truly test the ability of the shooter.  I would say awesome course design and kudos to Jim Thompson, Dale Hayen, Ray Hirst and the Tri-County Gun Club.    With this crew running Area 5 next year, we would definitely consider attending again.

Congratulations to all of the High Lady Champions:
Sarah Irish – Open
Jennifer VanZieleghem – Limited
Lori Casper – L-10
Sue Irish – Revolver
Carrie Carlson – Production
TD Roe – Single Stack
 

Sarah and I battled it out right to the end for High Open Lady, both having a rough start on the first day, plagued with penalty points.  Shooting some of those stages in good weather would have been difficult at best, and to shoot them in the rain was more challenging than ever! 

At the end, Sarah came out on top by 0.74 match points to take the win for Area 5 High Open Lady.  She shot a fantastic second day, kept her head straight and pulled through the challenges of the first day.  This is commendable to see in any shooter, but a junior shooter as well is even more impressive.  Nicely done Sarah and again CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks to the RO’s at the match who kept long stages running on time with minimal if any waiting time.  They did a fantastic job!  Thanks also to Jim Thompson for his hospitality and his energy in running a great match.  Thanks to Joe Procopio, too.  He hand delivered our Tech-wear shirts for us to have for the match.  Thanks to Scott Carnahan and Safariland for their new ELS system, and thanks to my husband, Russell, for the support he offers both on and off the range.

Editor’s Note – Thank you, Eva, for taking the time to create the blog and for all of the great photos as well!  Sounds like you and Sarah had a good back-and-forth going, unknowingly from different squads.  Sorry to hear about the rain … looks like you all hung tough, regardless!

It was really nice to see women competing in all of the Divisions, too!  Congrats to all of you and thanks for representing!

A huge thank you to Paul Erhardt for sending us even more GREAT photos from the USPSA Area 6 Championships!

Area 6 doesn’t disappoint. Hosted by the South River Gun Club, the competition has always been top notch. Honestly, this match could be a national level championship. There are certainly enough competitors. A whopping 384 shot the match!

The event started out with 12 stages, but Stage 4 – Bridge of Death was thrown out. That still left 11 challenging courses of fire with plenty of props, steel and moving targets. This was a tough match with targets that could be seen from multiple positions and moving targets with critical activators. The fun factor was still high though with a good blend of short and long courses of fire.

There are some matches where you see just a handful of women on the range. Not the case with the Area 6 Championships!  At the helm, Cindy Noyes was once again the match director. There were women working at every level from Chief Range Officer Beth Wingfield and 15 lady range officers to 7 women serving roles in Stats and Registration. Thank you ladies for all your hard work!

I had the pleasure to shoot with two other women in my squad, Randi Rogers and junior shooter Tierani Hendrix. I have enjoyed competing with Randi many times, but it was the first time I had a chance to meet Tierani. The NHL Atlanta Thrashers sponsored a stage where competitors had to activate a swinging target with a hockey stick. An ice hockey player, Tierani showed just how handy she is with a hockey stick on Stage Five – “Face Off.”  She activated the swinger and grabbed her gun from the table with perfect timing.

I also had a chance to catch up Jessie Abbate and Tori Nonaka as they scoped out the stages before their Saturday shoot times. Fresh off teaching yet another successful Babes With Bullets(TM) Ladies Action Shooting Camp, Kay Miculek and Lisa Munson stopped by for a quick hug and hello. I also had a nice visit with Tammie Bordwell after meeting her at the USPSA Nationals last year.   (Click here for a our interview with Tammie on her first nationals.) Katie Harris took the time to introduce herself early Friday morning. Katie is another talented young shooter in Production Division. I just love seeing all the junior females participating in the sport!

I wish I could have stayed to meet and chat with the rest of the women at the match.  I encourage you to take a moment, like Katie did, to introduce yourself to another lady shooter. Strike up a conversation with your fellow female competitors about their match. It could lead to a wonderful friendship. Celebrate the success of the talented and very special women who compete in our sport!

There’s been plenty of coverage on the first Area Championship of the year. Check out Women of USPSA on Facebook for links and in depth ladies results! In closing, a huge thank you to Match Director Cindy Noyes, Area 6 Director Charles Bond and the hard working range officers on another fantastic Area 6 Championships.

Check out these photos taken by Marla Hendrix (Tierani’s Mom) and Paul Erhardt with many more posted to DownRange.TV.

The 2009 Rio Salado Desert Classic / USPSA Area 2 match this year was probably one of the best matches I have seen this club put on.  This is always a fantastic match with stages that rival the best of the matches.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to shoot his match, you should make the opportunity.  Or, maybe not … it only makes it harder for the rest of us to get in at 370+ shooters!

This was my first Area Championship Lady’s Win, so this was a very special win for me.  I was able to shoot with a fantastic group of people … Debi, Steve, Frank, Pete, Jeffrey, Ross, Matt, Phil, Alan, Spence, Jerry, Dave, and two more that my memory is failing me, so I apologize.  Squad 22 Rocks!

The stages this year were very physical, and among them a few mentally challenging areas.  With the exception of one stage, the stages required lots of movement, a few stages full out sprinting, a handful that forced the shooter to move laterally, and many, many awkward shooting positions.

Target placement at times was deceivingly easy, some up close and personal, while others were pushed out there with hard cover and no-shoots.  Then they followed up with the 20+yard stop plates, the handful of pesky poppers tucked behind barrels, and the notoriously tough Rio swingers out in full force, don’t blink!  All in all, it was a job well done by the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club.

My favorite stages???  Stage 2, which had a Texas Star and two tiny plates from the last position, and Stage 8 which had two swingers, that were activated by cross-over poppers, and could have been shot any number of different ways!

I would like to thank:

• The ROs for their efforts at running the stages as smooth as they ran.  Every one of them worked their stage with a wonderful attitude and the professionalism only this match can draw. They are the best of the best!
• Polle and her hard working staff who ran the stats – There’s nothing that can be said except superb job and they deserve a huge applause!
• Scott Carnahan and Safariland for resolving a long time gear problem with their fantastic loop-over under belt.  My gear now stays tucked in to my body, even at a sprint. I LOVE IT!
• Angus Hobdell for the training and insight that I finally listened to and applied at the same time!
• Kandi, Tasha, Debbie and Kippi for your support.
• Last, but definitely not least, I would like to thank my husband, Russell, for giving me new inspiration for the sport and all of the encouraging words and advice that he gives me.  He puts himself second at these matches and always makes sure I have what I need.  He is my best friend, my partner in life, and a fantastic human being.

Eva Micklethwaite
2009 USPSA Area-2 Champion

With the USPSA Handgun Nationals just a few days away, we’re recapping the top shooters of the year, based on the previously hosted USPSA Area Matches around the country.  Unfortunately, Area 2 & 4 aren’t scheduled until later in 2009, but we still have plenty of Area Champions to put upon our pedestal!  Congratulations to all of our Area Winners!

We are also sending well wishes and good luck to each and every woman who is headed to Las Vegas this week for our USPSA Back-To-Back National Championships! And remember, what happens in Vegas …  stays in Vegas!   (Except for what happens at the range.  We’ll proudly be posting updates and results for all categories of each match via Twitter, Facebook, WomenOfUSPSA.com & right here on the blog.)

If you ever get a chance to compete at one of these top-notch Area Matches, by the way, grab it! The experience, effort, creativity and organization that go into these events are practically unmatched!

2009 USPSA Area Match Championship Results – to date:

AREA 1 – Held June 18 through 21 in Parma, Idaho at the Parma Rod & Gun Club. Match Director – Tim Egan
LIMITED – Lisa Munson 1st, Christie King 2nd
LIMITED-10 – Dorrie Davis 1st
OPEN - Jenny Chu 1st,  Carrie Homburg 2nd
PRODUCTION – Carrie Jamrogowicz 1st, Irina Ionescu 2nd
SINGLE STACK – Laura Seurer 1st, Nancy Marrs 2nd

AREA 2 – Begins November 12, 2009 at  Rio Salado Sportsmans Club in Mesa, Arizona.  Match Directors – Paul Caudill & Bob LaMarca

AREA 3 – Held July 30 through August 2 in Omaha, Nebraska.  Hosted by the Eastern Nebraska Practical Shooters.  Match Director – Chris Davies
LIMITED – Nancy Huspek 1st, Gail McLean 2nd
OPEN - Sue VanBlaricum 1st, Bobbi Wagner 2nd
PRODUCTION – Carrie Jamrogowicz 1st, Lisa Johnson 2nd

AREA 4 – Begins October 8, 2009 at the Double Tap Ranch in Wichita Falls, Texas. Match Director – Ken Cobb

AREA 5 – Held June 19 through 21 at the South Kent Sportsmans Club in Dorr, Michigan.  Match Director – Carl Provan
LIMITED – Gail McLean 1st, Susan Powel 2nd
OPEN - Doni Spencer 1st, Sarah Irish 2nd
PRODUCTION – Carrie Carlson 1st
REVOLVER - Sue Irish 1st
SINGLE STACK -TD Roe 1st, Alma Lenard 2nd 

AREA 6 – Held April 17 through 19 at the South River Gun Club in Covington, Georgia.  Match Director – our very own Cindy Noyes!
LIMITED – Jessie Abbate 1st, Tracy Iradi 2nd
LIMITED-10 – Randi Rogers 1st, Kay Miculek 2nd
OPEN - Megan Francisco 1st, Kaci Cochran 2nd
PRODUCTION – Beth Wingfield 1st, Melita Ellington 2nd
REVOLVER -Sue Irish 1st
SINGLE STACK – Nancy Huspek 1st 

AREA 7 – Held August 5 through 9 in Fulton, New York at Pathfinder Fish & Game (which is Julie G’s original home-town range).  Match Director – Milford Lovett
LIMITED – Donna Major 1st, Kathie Sierpina 2nd
LIMITED-10 – Caron Brooks 1st, Evelyn Freeman 2nd
OPEN - Rebecca Jones 1st, Sheila Brey 2nd
REVOLVER -Sue Jenks 1st, Jacqueline Scott 2nd

AREA 8 – Held August 27 through 30 at the Fredericksburg Rod & Gun Club in historic Fredericksburg, Virginia. Match Director – Lew Walker
LIMITED – Jessie Abbate 1st, Tracy Iradi 2nd
LIMITED-10 – Caron Brooks 1st
OPEN - Rebecca Jones 1st, Megan Francisco 2nd
PRODUCTION -Randi Rogers 1st, Tori Nonaka 2nd
REVOLVER -Sue Irish 1st
SINGLE STACK – Tracy Deegan 1st

Well, that’s a wrap!  We’ll close our Road to the Nationals coverage by congratulating the 2008 USPSA Ladies Handgun National Champions:

• Open National Champion – Rebecca T. Jones
• Limited National Champion – Jessie Abbate
• Limited-10 National Champion – Jessie Abbate
• Single Stack National Champion – Lisa Munson
• Production National Champion – Randi Rogers
• Revolver National Champion – Annette Aysen