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!
Check out this picture video of some of the ladies who compete at the pistol matches held by Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club in Mesa, Arizona. These photos are from the Usery Pass Pistol League match held on April 11, 2010. Enjoy!
Yes, the scope is missing off my gun and I have magazines wrapped endlessly around my waist! I’m counting in groups of 10, and could not tell you how many rounds a stage is, but could tell you how many reloads I have to do! I’m back to try iron sites again.
Never, ever having shot iron sites, strictly an Open class shooter for 16 years, in 2008 I thought I would try something new – a 185 Power Factor non-compensated firearm that left my hands cut and bandaged by the end of the competition.
Hmmmmm…. I think those Lady “Limited” shooters pulled a fast one on me. They make it look so easy!
Being stubborn and not always the brightest crayon in the box, I talked myself into it again this year. I may never become proficient with iron sites, but I told myself I was going to learn and understand how to effectively shoot them. Plus, it was time to try something different in this sport! This time, I chose to shoot minor which I felt would allow me learn how the sites function vs. how to hang on to my firearm.
Thanks to Joe Rini, who so generously lent me his “baby” 9mm M2I, and believe me, it IS his baby. Joe called me after every match I shot to make sure she was running top notch for me and to make sure I wasn’t having any problems, which I’m happy to report, I had absolutely no malfunctions. So, I must thank him for being so kind.
I woke up the morning of the match and honestly, did not want to shoot. It had been a tough few months leading up to the match, listening to the many jokes that I probably shouldn’t shoot iron sites, that some people are just meant to shoot Open only, and to stick with what I know. The last thing I felt like doing was proving them right! But, the stubbornness, with the assistance of my husband’s foot, booted me out the door and off we went. I was going to shoot it and prove them wrong!
Steve Horsman, Kyle Schmidt, and their staff put on an excellent match, as one would expect from the Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club. Again, we were fortunate to have a wonderful squad with fantastic shooters from New Mexico, California, Alaska, my partner in crime, Doni, and my ever-so-patient husband, Russell … what do I line up WHERE??!!
The challenges presented to us were pesky plates that were way too far for iron site shooting, partial targets, drop turners, a partial bobber, clam shells, the Texas Star and the Rio swingers, slightly tuned down, thankfully. The stages were for the most part physical, very little standing around, and creatively set up for both the major caliber shooters and the minor caliber shooters to come up with a plan that works for them.
We had 11 challenging courses of fire, 260+ rounds and beautiful weather. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The WSSSC grew by approximately 40 shooters from the last time I shot it, and I suspect will become more and more difficult to get into, so mark your calendars for 2011.
Moral of the story, Ladies, if it doesn’t work the first time, try another way, and never listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t. We have many, many World-Class Lady shooters in our sport – ask them for help. I’m certain you’ll quite easily find it.
Congratulations to Sara Dunivin who finished an impressive 31st Overall, with Kippi Leatham close behind at 39th. I’d say one of these Lady’s would be a great starting point!
To wrap up, I would like to thank Scott Carnahan of Safariland (http://holsters.com). Safariland does so much for this sport and Scott has been absolutely fantastic. I love, love, love the gear! The Safariland equipment worked perfectly for me! I especially loved the drop down option for the holster. I’ll be using it again next year!
Eva Micklethwaite
2009 USPSA Area-2 “Open” Champion : )
Editor’s note: I’m so happy for (and proud of) Eva for having the perseverance to “prove her nay-sayers wrong”. She shot an excellent match and was much improved over her 2008 finish! I watched her shoot Stage 3, and she certainly looked like a SS shooter to me! I hope that Eva, the other ladies that shot the match, and hopefully a few more gals sign up for next year’s event! In closing, I extend my congratulations to ALL of the 2010 Western States Single Stack Women shooters:
1 – Sara Dunivin, 2 – Kippi Leatham, 3 – Lisa Munson, 4 – T.D. Roe,
5 – Doni Spencer, 6 – Maggie Reese, 7 – Kandi Blick, 8 – Eva Micklethwaite,
9 – Tabatha Averyt, 10 – Sue Little, 11 – Carol Mar, 12 – Denise Harrington,
13 – Toni Lucero, 14 – Sara Drake, 15 – Gail Drake, 16 – Allison Arnett
Woo Tom – Hope to see you next year, too!
Kippi
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
We have enjoyed bringing you coverage of the talented ladies at this year’s USPSA Back to Back National Championships and wanted to take the opportunity to ask each of the women in the Top 8 about their match performance. What better way to showcase the many different personalities in our sport then by asking them to tell us their experience in their own words? Without further delay, here are YOUR TOP 8 WOMEN from the USPSA Open Nationals!
8th Place – Lisa Munson
2009 USPSA Single Stack Ladies National Champion, Multiple USPSA Open & Limited Ladies National Champion
WoUSPSA – Congratulations on making the Top 8! What was your goal for the nationals?
Lisa – Since I struggled with a bad case of tendonitis in my right arm for the entire ‘09 season, my goal for the Open nationals was pretty much…survival. I wanted to turn in the highest percentage score possible in order to earn a spot on the next US National team.
WoUSPSA – How do you feel you performed in the match?
Lisa – I felt I turned in a very sub-par performance. My lack of practice with the Open gun really showed. The main problem was a lack of visual patience. I was trying to shoot faster than I could see my sight (dot), resulting in dropping too many points… and the occasional miss.
WoUSPSA – What was your best stage?
Lisa – My best stage, and only stage win, was #15. It was a 12 round course where you started with your loaded gun lying flat on a table. 4 poppers were engaged through a window at the table, then a retreat back in the shooting area until 2 targets on each side of the wall became visible.
WoUSPSA – What was your favorite stage and why?
Lisa – My favorite stage was #3 “Crossover Finish”. This stage utilized wide target transitions while moving down a center corridor. Learning to do fast target transitions is one of the key elements to improving your classification ranking.
WoUSPSA – What did you think of the stages?
Lisa – The stage designs were a little unusual for a National level match… all Comstock stages, no strong/weak hand, only a couple of targets out to 25 yds. Although it felt more like a couple of club matches combined, there were still some elements thrown in that were deceptively challenging.
WoUSPSA – Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! Is there anything you would like to add?
Lisa – I’m looking forward to the 2010 season…will spend more time shooting the Open gun next year, determined to turn in a better performance at the next Nationals!
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7th Place – Doni Spencer
11-Time Canadian Ladies National Champion and 2005 USPSA Open Ladies Champion
WoUSPSA – Congratulations on making the Top 8! What was your goal for the nationals?
Doni – My goal for the Open Nationals was to shoot my personal best at the US Nationals, and if I did that, I knew I could win the Ladies Open title and possibly win or place in A class. It sounds bold, but it’s necessary. The mental game can become very important during a match like this.
WoUSPSA – How do you feel you performed in the match?
Doni – My performance was too erratic at this match. I’ve been working on being more consistent, so this wasn’t what I wanted. I analyzed my stages against the other top eight ladies. I was in the pack and consistent for 9 stages; I had penalties, but was fast for 2 stages; I let 2 stages totally intimidate me (and in hindsight, they were no big deal), and 2 more where I was slow because I messed around taking extra shots – on steel, on movers, etc.
WoUSPSA – What was your best stage?
Doni – My best stage was Stage 14 – I was 23rd overall and 2nd to Megan in the Ladies, for the stage. It was a lot of fun. It had mid-range targets, shooting on the move, turning targets, steel, and Options!
WoUSPSA – What was your favorite stage and why?
Doni – My favorite stage was a toss up between stages 2, 8 and 13. These stages were fun, full of options, and allowed us to use our skills. These stages had to be choreographed. You had to know where you were going to step, how far you had to lean, and where you were going to index. I liked it.
WoUSPSA – What did you think of the stages?
Doni – I think that most stages were good, I liked that they had a variety of field, medium and speed courses. I think that this year’s stages were deceiving – and the overall number of penalty targets hit in this match demonstrates that!
WoUSPSA – Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! Is there anything you would like to add about the match?
Doni – I didn’t understand why this was run in a half-day format…. until I got there. Then I was sooo thankful! I thoroughly enjoyed the heat, but I’m very happy that we only had to be out in it for half a day at a time.
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6th Place – Eva Micklethwaite
Member of the 2008 World Shoot US Gold Winning Ladies Team & 1999 Dutch Lady Open Champion
WoUSPSA – Congratulations on making the Top 8! What was your goal for the nationals?
Eva – To shoot a clean match, shoot to the best of my ability, and to finish in the Top 8.
WoUSPSA – How do you feel you performed in the match?
Eva – I was happy with my performance. I had gear problems on one of the big stages which cost me a lot of points, but was able to stay positive, focused and finished as well as I could.
WoUSPSA – What was your best stage?
Eva – My best stage was Stage 13 – Makin Extra Money. To be able to win a stage amongst the caliber of Lady shooters that attended this National was an achievement for me.
WoUSPSA – What was your favorite stage and why?
Eva – I had a few favorite stages; Stage 13 – Making Extra Money and Stage 1 – Swing Around are two that come to mind. I enjoy shooting stages that not only challenge the shooter’s ability to shoot, but to also think about and solve the course of fire to the best of their ability. These stages required the shooter to think about target sequencing and acquisition, movement and placement, as well as accuracy, which I believe is a well-rounded test of the shooter’s ability.
WoUSPSA – What did you think of the stages?
Eva – I think for the most part the stages were ok, with the exception of a few that were excellent.
WoUSPSA – Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions! Is there anything you would like to add about the match?
Eva – The match was run well and on time. We did not find ourselves waiting around. The match committee did a fantastic job at providing water on every stage, not once did an ice chest come up empty. The accommodations were affordable, friendly, and clean. I would be happy to see the Open Nationals return to Vegas. I would hope in the future, the club could possibly dress up the props a bit more; it makes it more appealing for the media and spectators. Otherwise, job well done.
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Check back for more interviews from 5th Place Lady all the way through this year’s Open National Champion!
The dust has [temporarily] settled in Las Vegas. The 2009 USPSA Open & Production Handgun Nationals are history! Congratulations to our 2009 National Victors!
2009 USPSA Open National Champions are:
Megan Francisco & Max Michel Jr.
Jessie Abbate & Robert Vogel
USPSA
