This week found me in Lancaster, Pa., for the 2019 Lancaster Archery Classic. The picture above is of my buddies Jeff and Chuck, who joined me on the journey to the shoot. I had a week of ups and downs leading into the shoot and didn't know what to expect. It had been a few years since I attended the tournament. As most people know, I don't go to events just to go. I only attend the ones that I think I stand a legitimate chance of winning. Although I've experienced some highs and lows while practicing, I still felt like I could get the job done if I could put up a number that was within a few points of my practice average.
I shot in the annual Guan Ho Ha Vegas tournament last week. Although the tournament wasn't a disaster, it definitely wasn't good. I've always had a hard time calming down at that tournament. I've never understood why, but it has been annoying over the years. I was jacked up when it started and had a hard time holding steady. I focused on making good shots and went with the flow. In the seventh end, I shot one of the best shots I've ever shot. It was the bottom left bullseye on the Vegas target, and I haven't felt any shots that felt like that one. I felt the pressure building in my back as my forearm and hand relaxed. When the shot fired, it felt like someone cut a wire between me and the target, causing my elbow to go backward as it was rotating around my head. Suddenly, I saw the arrow appear in the middle of the target, completely inside the X-ring. I smiled and said, "That's like me. That's how I shoot perfect shots in tournaments."
On my way home from Guan Ho Ha that night, the thought of quitting tournament archery ran through my mind. Besides the few years I had to be away from it due to the reconstructive surgery on my shoulder, I've been at it for about 30 years. My travels have brought me all over the country, and I've had success in every venue and every class. As I listened to the tires roll over the pavement, I became irritated about a few things. I knew I needed to get away and think about things over the weekend, so I headed to the Yankee Sportsman's Classic to talk about deer hunting and sell my books.
When I went to league on Tuesday night, I felt good about my shot. My arms and shoulders were extremely tired from all of the shoveling and snow-blowing I had to do on Sunday and Monday. My shot felt good and I focused on aiming. Shooting seemed easy. When we were done for the night, I looked at my card and realized I had shot a 448 with 29Xs. I felt pretty good about it going into Lancaster.
The ride to the tournament was horrendous. At times, it was raining so hard and the fog was so thick, I couldn't see more than a hundred yards in front of me. I was relieved to arrive at the shooting complex safely. Since I usually shoot to relax, I figured I would pick up my cards and shoot a few arrows to see if I could get rid of some of the anxiety that had built up throughout the day.
I'm not sure, but I think the practice arrows made the anxiety worse. I couldn't hit the broadside of the barn and seemed to have a case of the shakes. I concentrated on making good shots and left it at that. I'd give it my best in the morning.
When I got to my bale assignment, I saw that Levi Morgan was on the same bale as me. That's one good thing about this tournament. They mix pros and Joes together on every bale. I think this is a good thing for the sport. It gives everyday people some exposure to pros and gives some of them a memorable experiences.
This wasn't any big deal to me. Going back to my semi-pro days in the late '90s and early 2000s, I've shot with many of the best the sport has to offer. Some of them were in the same class as me before they went pro and I encountered all of the shoulder problems.
My day started off great. On the first end, I scored a 33. My shots continued breaking clean, and I had 14 out of the first 15 shots score as 11s. In all of the years I've shot indoor national events, I can't recall the first five ends being that effortless and easy. I figured I was on my way to having a great day. When I finished the first half, and we had to change targets, 20 of my first 30 arrows had found their way into the X, not bad for shooting a pin, short bars and no lens.
As the round progressed, I encountered a few issues but kept plugging away. I battled to stay above water, and I survived. Rounds are usually filled with moments when you feel like caving in, but you need to keep doing your thing and hang on. If you give up, you lose hope. Never let that happen. You can always learn something.
Although I was disappointed in the outcome because it was far below my average, I was fairly certain I would outlast most of the field and be able to shoot in the elimination matches. When scores were posted, I was correct. That's when I realized that when I don't perform close to the way I should, based on practice scores, I'm still able to put up scores that are better than the majority of the field. I'm going to keep at it until I get back to the level I was at in the late '90s. I'm making progress, even if the progress is coming as slowly as a herd of turtles crossing the road.
Getting ready on the practice range the next day for my elimination match, I couldn't miss. I found my shots breaking easily. Once again, shooting was effortless. I was definitely ready. I didn't feel any nerves, which surprised me. As I walked to my target assignment, I saw a few people I knew along the way. After talking with a few of them, I found a seat and waited for the matches to begin.
When the whistle blew for the matches to begin, I walked to the line, loaded my arrow, drew the bow, anchored, transferred and began expanding. The first shot broke a hair low and hit just under the the 10-ring. The next one found its way into the 11-ring, and the last one hit on the right side of the 10-ring. I was in the hole right out of the gate. My competitor scored a 32 to my 30.
As the match progressed, I couldn't find the 11-ring. I managed to stay in the 10-ring, but that doesn't mean much when you need to hit the 11-ring to win. Looking back on it, I made good shots but must've shot as well as my aim. My holding pattern didn't seem much larger than normal, so I'm unsure if that was the deal. I was battling an issue with my blood sugar before the match. The adrenaline seemed to course through my veins, which caused my blood to jolt upward. I'm not sure this ever happened when I was younger, but even if it did, I was able to battle it better due to my age. Some things are just easier when you're younger, and that is one of the things that falls into that bracket. It's not good when your blood sugar is at this level seven minutes before the match. The match started at 8:00 a.m, and as you can see, it was 7:53.
You can also see the astroturf in the background. Unfortunately, I shot on a hard floor the day before the eliminations, so the astroturf felt strange under my feet. I'm sure most people had to deal with the same thing, but I didn't like it.
I enjoyed the tournament, even though I was highly disappointed with my qualifying round and elimination match. This sport drives me insane. I liked watching some of my good friends shoot their rounds since we were scheduled at different times. Jacob Slusarz put on a show once again. I enjoy his company, and I like being around him. I would love to see him get a big win at one of these events. He definitely has the ability to do it, but he needs a break. He met a hot shooter in the elimination matches and had to take a seat. He only missed two Xs and got beat. I feel bad about it because he was talking to me before the first end of his second match due to a delay. He didn't realize his match was starting and had to race to the line after the whistle blew. He did't get to the line until after the clock had started ticking. He actually missed an X that round that I don't think he would have missed otherwise. I guess the silver lining in the cloud was that the guy who beat him made it into the final 8. He's easy to route for because he minds his own business and just shoots his bow. He doesn't act like he's better than everyone else, even though he is one of the best shooters in the world. I'll keep routing for him and hoping he gets a win at one of these things.
I know a couple of other people made their first trip to the big show this year and held their own. Congratulations to you guys, including Bill Wilcox and Kevin Kinnerson. Keep plugging and try to improve before next year.
Many of my friends made the dance the second day, some of them moving through a few matches. Congratulations to Jason Clark, Jon Purdy, Scott Tozier, Jason VanHillo, Rick Baker, Karl Weber, Doug Williams, and Jacob Slusarz.
I learned a few things during this tournament that I need to work on. I also learned that when I'm relaxed and let the shots happen, I will not miss. Although I have about 25 releases, I'm still searching for one that feels really good in my hand while I'm at full draw. I'm assuming there must be one out there somewhere. I'll continue searching. I'm impressed with the new caliper that Stan released at the ATA show a few weeks ago. I'm not a caliper guy, but that release intrigues me.
I hope all of the newbies had a good time at the Lancaster Classic. I hope you all learned something and experienced things that will help you improve. I'll keep plodding along on this never-ending journey to perfect the craft. I'm still convinced I can walk back into my past and make shooting effortless all the time like it was at that time.
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