Coverage of the final USPSA Handgun Match of 2009 – The USPSA Limited Nationals. To follow are interviews with the women who finished sixth through eighth …
8th Place – Elizabeth Polovina
WoUSPSA – Liz, You’re fairly new to the USPSA Nationals. How many have you competed in?
Liz - This year was my second Limited Nationals and my first Open Nationals.
WoUSPSA – Well congratulations on your Top 8 finish! What was your goal for your second match, the Limited Nationals?
Liz – My goal for the Limited Match was to go and have fun (and hopefully do well.) My focus this year was on Open Division. I had started shooting Open this year just after the Area-6 Championships and hadn’t touched my Limited gun until the week before the Nationals. Unfortunately, I had a lot of gun problems that caused me to stop shooting on one stage and zero two others during the match. On the second day of shooting, I switched to my backup gun and then I was able to go out and have fun and shoot well.
WoUSPSA – That can be so frustrating … Aside from the equipment malfuntcions, how do you feel you performed in the match?
Liz – I felt as though I could have performed better. Unfortunately, having that many gun malfunctions with my SV put a damper on my spirits. It’s hard to keep a positive attitude and shoot well when your gun is not working properly. On the second day of shooting, I switched to my backup SV and it ran flawlessly. The confidence came back and I started having fun again. I had a lot of support from my squad, especially from a few of the guys who offered me their backup guns. They all supported me through my frustration and helped me with my gun problems so I could keep me shooting.
WoUSPSA – That’s great to hear … there are so many good people in our sport! Describe your best stage, and why you think you did well.
Liz – My best stage was Stage #7, Spinning Star. I think I did well on the stage because my gun worked flawlessly and everything about the stage went smoothly; Engaging of the targets, activating the star, shooting the star one for one and my reload. Everything was just very smooth!
WoUSPSA – Sounds like the perfect stage run! In general, what did you think of the stages?
Liz – I enjoyed all the stages. I think they were a lot of fun to shoot. Definitely a change from what we saw in Tulsa the year before.
WoUSPSA – Liz, Feel free to add any comments about the Limited match that you remember as interesting or noteworthy.
Liz – I met alot of great people at the Nationals this year and everyone on our squad was great. We all had such a good time and I was quite excited to be asked to sit on an Arbitration Committee. This was a first for me and definitely a great experience. I definitely am planning on returning next year to shoot the Nationals again!
WoUSPSA – We love to hear that, Liz! Congratulations again on your 8th overall finish!
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7th Place – Gail McLean
WoUSPSA – We haven’t heard from Gail, but hope that she has time to respond to our interview questions. If she does, we’ll update her answers here. Gail, congratulations on your Top 8 USPSA Limited Nationals finish!
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6th Place – Jenny Chu
2009 Silver Buckle – High Lady Champion
WoUSPSA – Hi Jenny! We know you’ve been to the IPSC World Shoot in Bali, but how many USPSA Nationals have you competed in?
Jenny – This is my second Back-to-Back Nationals. I had a “blast” shooting back-to-back both years, competing in both Limited and Open divisions. While Open is my preferred division, I do enjoy the challenge of switching to iron sights once a year just for the Limited Nationals.
WoUSPSA – Only once a year? Very impressive performance … What was your specific goal for the Limited nationals?
Jenny – My goal was to win the Limited Nationals, who doesn’t want to accomplish that? =P In all reality though, I wanted to concentrate on and execute the basics throughout the whole match (staying focused, watching the front sight, shooting a clean match), but found that my discipline only carried consistently through the first day and became more sporadic for the other two days. It wasn’t that I failed in my goals, it’s more so that I allowed the temptations to overtake them at times, falling into speed traps and reverting back to my Open style of shooting.
WoUSPSA – Were you at all nervous?
Jenny – Funny you ask … I’m ALWAYS nervous before every match. The night before any match, I have a hard time sleeping. Red Bull Sugar Free before a match is a must : ) !
WoUSPSA – Might have to try that … ; ) Describe your best stage, and why you think you did well.
Jenny – Stage 12: Flippin’ Out. I was able to execute my plan without any unforeseen incidents and utilized my time well to attain good scoring hits. The many possibilities in engaging this stage made for a fun and challenging stage that I shot well and felt good about. I had a few good stages, but this one stands out as giving me the best sense of accomplishment.
WoUSPSA – Describe your most difficult stage, and why it was difficult for you.
Jenny – Stage 7: Spinnin’ Star. I shot the star out of order and ended up with the worst conceivable scenario. The last two plates swung as a quick pendulum back and forth, it was crazy! I lost concentration and was unable to complete the stage as my troubles compounded – bringing the weight of the gun and available ammunition into play as well. I think I went through over sixty rounds… I was ultimately surprised that I had the sense to engage all the targets I had planned to shoot after the star beforehand, and then return to shoot the remaining plates. Even though I normally don’t have any issues attacking a Texas star, this one left me a little embarrassed (and tired) that I shot it so poorly.
WoUSPSA – The “spinning star” can be very humbling … What did you think of the other stages?
Jenny – Straight forward but not! As with many of the larger (Area and above) matches that I’ve attended, the stage setups appear to be very straightforward and simple even though they all presented hidden challenges if proper planning wasn’t established and executed. Stage designs where multiple plans can be executed are the pinnacle of great stages, it takes considerable forethought and always leaves a competitor wondering if theirs was the best “plan”. All in all, the stages presented good challenges that left lots of room for shooter error; most definitely a fun and challenging match!
WoUSPSA – Thanks for chatting with us, Jenny, and congratulations on your 6th place performance at the Limited Nationals!
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Stay in touch for continuing coverage on the Limited Nationals!
The USPSA Handgun Nationals for 2009 are complete. The back-to-back events were hosted by the Desert Sportsman’s Rifle & Pistol Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. The second o f the two National Events crowned champions in Limited, Limited 10 and Revolver categories. Congratulations to our new National Champions!
2009 USPSA Limited Champions are:
Jessie Abbate & Ted Puente
2009 USPSA Limited-10 Champions are:
Randi Rogers & Dave Sevigny
2009 USPSA Revolver Champions are:
Annette Aysen & Cliff Walsh
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
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