This week was a good week of practice for me. With the indoor NY State Championship on Saturday, I decided I would practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I would use Thursday and Friday as rest days so I would be strong going into the tournament on Saturday. Many of you are probably wondering why I posted the quote above as the beginning of this entry, but you'll have to read along to see the reason behind it. I apologize for all errors in the text tonight. I'm not reading it over after typing it. I'm exhausted from the weekend and just wanted to get this up before I retire for the evening.
I've had a good year of shooting indoors. Last year on Martin Luther King Day in January, I headed out to see Mike Price at the Heritage Archery Academy. He checked me out, and we decided to change my draw length. At that point, I decided I would give up a year of shooting to work on different things in hopes of becoming better than I was before I had made the changes. Throughout the rest of the 2018 winter season and throughout the summer season, I began to question what I was doing. I had lost all of my consistency. Although I was able to pull off a few good performances here and there, I definitely was far below the level I had been on at over the course of my shooting career. I stuck to my guns and decided I would continue giving it my honest effort.
Finally, when the 2019 indoor season started, I came into my own. I finally began seeing consistent scores and performances for the first time since returning to archery after having reconstructive shoulder surgery in 2011 and rehabbing it for 2 1/2 years. I shot in two leagues this winter and competed with a bowhunter freestyle setup in both leagues. In a 450 league, I averaged 448 28xs, and in the 300 league, I averaged 300 55xs. I seem to struggle in 300 rounds due to the number of arrows that are shot. It just wears me out and affects my aim and execution as the round progresses.
I also competed in a fair number of tournaments this winter. In my tournament shooting, I averaged 447 27xs and 300 57xs. So my average dropped a point in the 450 round during tournaments, but it increased by two Xs in the 300 tournaments. I think the reason for the increase in the 300 round was due to the fact that I was on the clock, and it slowed me down and made me take more time between shots. I think that alone helped a lot.
All of that information brings us to this past weekend, the weekend of our NFAA State Championship in New York, which is held in Oneonta, N.Y., the town where I went to college at Oneonta State. I always like going to the tournament just because of the memories that it brings back when I drive through the town.
My dad and I arrived about an hour and a half before our shooting time. We figured we could get in a little practice before live scoring began. I shot about six rounds of practice and realized that it was going to be a tough day, and I would have to work a little harder than normal. My pin wasn't sitting down, and my sight picture was definitely showing more movement than normal. Although the pin was staying in the 10-ring, it was finding its way all over the highest scoring ring. As long as I focused on my execution, I knew I would be okay.
During the first scoring end, my shots broke cleanly when they broke, but my shot timing was too long. All of the arrows found their way into the 10-ring, although some of them were living on the edge. As the next few rounds progressed, my inability to hold the bow steady made it really hard to keep the arrows in the middle. I didn't battle it and focused on pulling through my shot. I always remember what coach Tim Strickland used to preach to me. He would tell me to focus on the execution and not pay attention to the movement of the aiming dot, so that is exactly what I did. It unnerved me a little bit because I'm used to the pin being much steadier. I just kept saying, "Motion is correction," and didn't worry about what was going on in front of me.
My first game went well, and I ended up with a 149 10xs. I missed one arrow in the fifth end, and it hit halfway between the bottom of the 10 and the 9 line. When the sight bobbed, the release fired. Since it was a quick, jagged movement, the sight didn't have time to return to center before the arrow was on its way. I owned it and didn't give it any extra attention.
The next game gave me the most issues of the three games. I battled some nerves and some tension that made my shot a little more difficult to execute than it has been over the last few weeks. It really wasn't all that big of a deal, and I think it was more mental than anything. A few ends, the arrow bounced off my blade while drawing, and that caused me to rush. When I didn't have any of that going on, I was finishing every end with about 47 seconds left on the clock. I think what was throwing me off was where the arrows were hitting. It seemed like every end I would have one or two arrows that I couldn't tell if they were in or out. My dad was a few lanes away from me, so I would borrow his binoculars after every end to see where the arrows had landed. Since I don't normally use binoculars, I'd say that might have been causing some of my mind's uneasiness. Somehow, I got lucky enough for the arrows to keep catching lines. I guess some days that happens and some days you don't get so lucky.
Going into the last game, I knew I had to hang on for dear life. I had dropped one point through the first two games, and in my mind, I didn't feel like I had any margin for error. I know Jerry Galley always brings his A game, especially since changing bows this year. He's a hard guy to beat in the BHFS class, and I know he never leaves much wiggle room for his competitors.
As I stood at the line and waited for the whistle to blow for the last scoring end, I felt calm inside. Although I was down three points, I just wanted to shoot three perfect shots. The first shot fired quickly, and I knew it was in the 10 ring. The next shot fired in its normal timeframe, and the last shot was identical to the previous one. All three arrows found their way into the 10-ring, and I ended the round with my tournament average for the year, a 447 26x. Here are the last three arrows I shot. I later learned that I had secured the state title in BHFS for 2019. It wasn't my best shooting of the year, but the execution was solid enough to allow me to overcome an unsteady sight picture throughout the tournament.
John Vozzy is Inducted into the Hall of Fame
After learning that I had won, I was able to witness my friend John Vozzy get inducted into the NYFAB Hall of Fame, and it was awesome. It's always nice to see people get awarded for years of dedication to any type of sport, but when it's a good friend getting awarded in his state's NFAA organization, it's even more special. I just wanted to give props to John for an awesome accomplishment. He has always gone out of his way to help me whenever I have asked for guidance. He also helped me remain calm in a situation that I'm about to share with you. Congratulations John.
A First for Everything: Being Accused of Cheating
As I stood around and waited for the Survivor round to begin, I talked with many of my friends. It was good to catch up with everyone since nothing of any importance was going on for anyone. Many of my friends were participating in the $10 buy-in for the round, and I wanted to cheer them on.
When I finished my round, I pulled my target, placed it on a chair and put my quiver on top of it. While standing there, I felt an odd presence next to me. A tall guy in a maroon shirt approached me and asked how I did. It caught me off guard because I had never seen the man in my life. I didn't know why someone would ask me how I did if he didn't know me. I told him I shot well. Since I don't normally share scores with anyone, because scores are insignificant when it comes to how people shoot, I wasn't going to share anything with the guy. But he kept pressing for a score, which was even odder since I didn't know him. Finally, I told him I shot a 447. Then, he started in on me and said, "There's no way that target is a 447 target." He would go on to tell me that he saw me shoot all sorts of arrows out of the 10-ring, then he proceeded to point out the arrow holes in the target that were out of the 10-ring. Mind-boggled, I didn't really know what to do. There were four people on my bale, two scorers, a caller and the other shooter. No arrows were touched during scoring, and my arrows were the last arrows pulled on every end. We never had one arrow on any of the four targets throughout the round that we needed to call a judge to clarify the scoring, yet this guy told me he scored the round from his chair that was approximately 35 yards from the target...............impressive, but I think it's time for him to invest in some new binoculars that cost more than $80. The back-and-forth lasted for about five minutes. Finally, I had enough and just walked away. Some people witnessed it and others didn't. I've worked at establishing a solid reputation for the better part of the last 25 years, and this guy was trying to tear that apart. My blood was pushed to a boiling point, so I vented to many of my friends who were nearby. I handled it to the best of my ability.
I guess I never realized how many people have my back and support me. I'd like to thank everyone who stepped up for me, including Andy Bush, Jeff Wagoner, Jason Clark, Jacob Slusarz, John Vozzy, Jon Scott, and Mike Price, among others. I appreciate the support that all of you guys gave me.
Most of you who know me know that I don't stay for awards, even if I win. Well, I decided to stay for this award. When I got called to the podium, the guy kept going with the chitter chatter and said things to me under his breath. I smiled, accepted the award, and walked off the podium. The younger Todd would have mixed it up, but I decided to walk away and ignore it. If any of you go back to the picture above, which is the last end of scoring, and can find what the guy claims to have seen, I'd love to hear about it. You can clearly see the three arrows I missed. They aren't hard to spot. If you find the other three or four that were out of the 10-ring that he was talking about, I'd love to meet another guy who saw whatever it was that he saw. Yes, I agree, it isn't the cleanest looking 447 you will ever see, but it's a 447 with a couple of close line calls that clearly touched the line.
Scott Norton, if you're reading this, you can't imagine how all of this went down after you and I finished talking after the round. I wish you were still there, so you could have heard everything. I find it amazing how this guy waited until all of the guys who were on my bale were gone before he stalked me out and went after me. I've never been a sore loser in my life. I just don't get it. I congratulate the winners, and I'm happy for them. I always went to be like them and will try harder the next time. It's too bad that some people have to resort to this type of thing after losing. It was a pleasure to meet you Scott, and I look forward to shooting with you again. I'm sure Mark Myers has you on the right track, and I appreciate your feedback on how you could actually see me executing my shot. I'm sure Mark would be happy to know that you saw me following the process and rotating through my shot. I won't tell him about that one that I saw ;-). Great job this weekend. For just finding tournament archery, you will keep getting better, especially with the coach you have picked to help you on your journey.
The Survivor Round
I didn't know much about this event, so I stuck around to watch it. Many of my friends were shooting in it, and the last man standing is the one who would walk away with the title. I root for all of my friends, and many of my friends were in it. When I looked up, and the final two were Jacob Slusarz and Jeff Wagoner, I didn't care who won because they are both great friends. In the end, Jacob pulled off the victory. He never ceases to amaze me. I love the kid and his family. They are great people. Here are Jeff and Jacob shooting the final end of the Survivor round.
The best part of the Survivor round was the DJ, Mike Price, who played awesome music during the round. I think the music added to the effects and made it really cool to watch. It also gave it a feeling of sudden death. It amped people up and made them feel it when the moved on ---- or sat down. I liked it when he had it playing loud, but for some reason he turned it down a little way through the round, which was a little disappointing. The loudness of it as it went on really added to the atmosphere. I'd like to see that again.
Good Friends Winning Titles
The members of the club I shoot out of, Hudson Falls Fish & Game Club, had a great weekend across the region. Jon Purdy shot a great round at the New England NFAA Sectionals in Massachusetts and ended with 58xs in BHFS. I'd say his chances of winning that sectional are pretty damn good. Congratulations Jon. It has been a pleasure watching you represent our club and bring your A-game to ever event you attend.
Jeff Wagoner shot in the Senior Freestyle class for the first time ever at the NY State Championship and won it. He has now won the state championship in multiple classes over the years. This is no small feat with the competition that we have in New York. Congratulations, Jeff. You have worked hard at it and it shows. I hope your journey continues in the same direction. You had a pretty impressive indoor season, and it was awesome to watch. You started off with a win at Nimrod on New Year's Day and ended with a win at the state shoot.
Jason Clark has flow under the radar for a long time and has faced some hard luck along the way. Well, he finally got it done this weekend and won the Freestyle class in impressive fashion at the NY State shoot. I've shared many moments with my dad along the way, and I thought it was awesome to watch Jason be able to share his moment with his son, Devon. There's nothing better than being able to share moments like that with each other. Congratulations, Jason. I was glad to see you get the job done this weekend. Great job!
I always save the best for last: Jacob Slusarz. Jacob showed up with his 3D bow and arrows. He has barely shot the bow since last year and threw it together for this shoot. Although he had long bars on his bow, he shot with a pin and no lens. He won the pro division, shooting a 450 with 41s. Not many people can switch between two bows and still hold scores like that. Great job, Jacob, and thanks for having my back when everything was going down. I appreciate your friendship and support. Here's a picture of us in the end. Although Jacob shoots a Darton, Jeff, Jason and I won our state titles shooting PSE bows. Jason and I have had a good indoor season with our bows, and Jeff has shot his PSE for a long time.
I'd just like to thank everyone again for their support during the unfortunate incident that I had to deal with form the binocular scorer. I really took away from the end of the day with my friends. I also apologize to many of your for venting, but it really bothered me. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation but only a few seconds to destroy it. I could have destroyed it by going off the deep on, but John Vozzy and Mike Price helped me control my emotions, and Jon Scott looked deeper into the happenings and helped me out in that aspect. Thank you to all of my friends in the archery family. I truly appreciate it.
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