I headed to the annual NYFAB/NFAA state championship in Oneonta, N.Y., this weekend to try my hand at a few days of shooting. I wanted to see if I could withstand a couple of days of feeling pressure. I figured I would be able to see how my shoulder reacted after the first day, which would allow me to start making a decision about going to the NFAA Indoor Nationals in Louisville.
I didn't do much shooting in the week leading up to the state championship on Saturday. I shot in our league at the club on Tuesday night and ended the night with a 449 30x round. I felt good about the round. The only arrow I missed hit directly behind the pin. The pin was drifting to the right when the shot fired, and the arrow landed just outside the 10-ring. I made great shots throughout the game. After assessing the night, I decided to practice on Thursday and call it good.
When I went to the range on Thursday, I struggled mightily. I couldn't hold the bow, and I sprayed arrows all over the target. I worked on my expansion and focused on that part of my shot. Toward the end of my practice, I tried a different back bar to see how the bow would react. I went from a 10' bar to a 12' bar, and the sight picture settled down considerably. Although I didn't have many shots behind it, I decided then and there that I would use that bar on Saturday.
The NY State Championship
I've shot in this tournament for many years. I've experienced a few wins along the way and a few heartbreaking moments, moments that could crush a lesser man. I've always taken whatever happens on the chin and plowed forward. I've learned that sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield.
Jeff Wagoner, Chris Hall and I got to Oneonta a few hours before we were scheduled to shoot. While driving through downtown, I pointed out a few of my old haunts. It sure doesn't seem like it has been 30 years since I graduated from SUNY Oneonta. I spent some of the best years of my life there, and that is where I began participating in target archery. I joined the Oneonta Bowmen Club, and later that spring, I participated in my first 3D tournament. My life would never be the same after joining that club. I became addicted to slinging arrows. Although I never became great at it, I have found some success here and there along the way. I've made great friends with people from all over the country, too. Archery became my life.
When I shot my practice arrows on the practice range at the Boys and Girls Club, I worked the kinks out and felt good about going downstairs to begin my round. The bow held solid during practice, and my shot was breaking in the right time frame from one end to the next.
During the first of the two official practice ends, I focused on making good shots and didn't pay much attention to the pin. By the time the practice ends had finished, I had only shot two 10s. I shot a couple of big 9s as well as a few that were licking the jar. I was ready to go. My shots were crisp, and I could focus on aiming when scoring began.
I rolled through the first three ends without any issues. My shot timing was a little longer than I wanted it to be, but the arrows were hitting behind the pin. I knew I needed to speed the shot up a little bit. Over the last few weeks, my pin has found a way to sit still in the center. I've had minimal movement and this has slowed down my shot. Instead of getting active, I have found myself watching the pin sit steady. It has been awesome. It reminds me of the old days when the arrows would fire one after another as the pin sat still.
Going into the fourth end, I encountered a hiccup. I'm not sure what happened, but I lost my concentration for a minute or two and paid the price. Although I barely missed the 10-ring, I missed cleanly. I couldn't reel them back in. I took it on the chin, addressed the lack of concentration and moved on.
As the round progressed through the second game, my shots felt good. Unfortunately, I barely missed a few. I'm fairly certain I wouldn't have missed them if I had been shooting with a lens and long bars. I think the arrows were hitting behind the pin. I guess that happens when your eyes get older.
Going into the last game, I knew I had to bear down and make solid shots. On the first shot of the 11th end, I made a shot that I will never forget. It was more poetic than Shakespeare. If I had to write in a book what a perfect shot feels like, I could've easily gained my information from that shot. I think the shot might have been the best shot I've ever made in my life. It made me smile and pat myself on the back. Although it was a small victory, it was a victory that built confidence.
I powered my way through the rest of the round, barely missing one more 10-ring. When the dust had settled, I had dropped five points and three of them had hit in the same exact hole. I had a winning performance on Saturday, and some days when you have a winning performance, you actually win. Although the score wasn't a winning score on most days, it did the trick today. Old eyes and old bones sometimes have a hard time with a bowhunter setup. I guess I held my own with it today. Take a look at the target and remember that the two big 9s were both during the practice end. This shows you that the difference between a perfect game on the scorecard and a so/so game is sometimes a matter of millimeters. Too many people get caught up with the score and the outcome instead of how they actually shot.
Some days are made or broken by the people on your bale. I felt extremely lucky on Saturday to have been surrounded by good people. I got to shoot next to Dan Hann, and it's always good to have a calming influence nearby. Dan allowed me to shoot my game, and he offered good company throughout the round. It's always a good day when you're surrounded by good shooters who drive you to stay on top of your game. It's always fun to go back and forth with everyone on the bale and have fun doing it.
Sunday: The NY State Classic
Jeff, Chris and I went back to Oneonta on Sunday for the NY State Classic, a 5-spot 300 round. Since I've shot less than five 5-spot rounds all year, I didn't know how the strength in my shoulders would hold up after shooting on Saturday and having physical therapy on Friday. I figured I'd give it my best shot.
In the beginning of the round, I struggled a little bit with my hold. The actual hold wasn't bad, but I didn't have the ability to hold as long as normal. This set my timing off a little bit and caused a little bit of monkey chatter in my mind. I tried to kick the monkeys into the bleachers and ignore them, but they talked to me throughout the round. At one point, I was thinking about my father at the ASA shoot in Foley, Alabama, while I was at full draw. After all, he was sitting in 5th place after the first day, and I wanted to know how he had finished because I knew he was done. Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone with me for the day, so I had no idea what was going on. A few ends later, I found myself wondering how Jacob was doing in Fiskdale, Mass, then I wondered how Mike Price's son, Louis, was doing in Lancaster. With my mind wandering like that, I definitely knew I was off track. I worked hard to get the train straightened out and didn't succeed until the last two ends.
When I got to the last two ends, I realized that I wasn't pulling with my back. Instead, I was pulling with my arm. That had caused a lot of tension throughout the round, and I knew I had to get aggressive for the last 10 arrows. The last 10 shots were my best shots of the day. Every one of them broke perfectly, and every arrow found its way into the X. It still amazes me how long it takes us Joes to discover what is causing our issues during a round. Why did it take me 50 arrows to figure out what small issue was affecting my consistency? I guess that's why I love playing the game. The difference between Joes and pros is that the pros figure these things out much faster than we do. I respect and appreciate the way they shoot their bows. Being a Joe is pretty damn hard most days, harder than many people think it is.
When I finished the 5-spot round and the scores were added, I ended with a 300 and 53xs. I wasn't too terribly happy, but I won the battle for the day. My shooting was really good for the weekend, even though the scorecard didn't show it. Many people don't handle pressure well. They can shoot good scores in their leagues or in practice, but the scores fall dramatically during tournaments, especially tournaments with "state championship" attached to them. Sometimes scores also don't reflect how good or bad a person shot. This weekend, I shot far better than the scores I ended up with. That's just the nature of the beast some weeks. I guess a win is a win, no matter how you get it. Here's the target for the day. This is a prime example of scoring as good as you're holding. With tired arms and shoulders, I shot as well as I held today. If I had tightened up the hold, I would have walked away with 59xs. I consider that a good day. You have to be realistic with things instead of beating yourself up.
Congratulations to Many of My Friends
I come from a very competitive club, Hudson Falls Fish & Game Club. We have two leagues a week, and everyone pushes everyone to become better. We all encourage each other and root for everyone to succeed. If one of us fails, we all feel bad. If one of us wins, we all feel great for that person. We've become a close-knit group of guys. This weekend, many of our club members had some great performances.
When I started shooting indoor archery when I got out of college, Dave Russell was one of the first guys I ever met. Almost everyone used their fingers back then to shoot, but Dave never switched to a release, and he still uses his fingers today. After a 6-year absence, Dave made a return to the state championship and took home the title of State Champion and State Classic Champion. Congratulations, Dave. I've always admired your ability to shoot using a finger tab instead of a release.
Logan Stevenson, Aron's son, put on a show for his first trip to the indoor state championship. He came, saw and conquered. Logan is in the youth class and is always willing to bet some money. He's always trying to take on Jason Clarke and Jacob Slusarz for a few bucks, and that is probably what drives the kid to succeed. Logan has been putting in his time recently and he got the job done. Great job, Logan. You better be good to your mom and dad and realize all of the things they do for you. Mom deserves an award for driving you and Zane to the shoot. It felt good to have my Type 1 diabetic buddy Zane shooting in the same tournament with me. We face a battle that nobody truly understands unless they deal with it. It's hard to hold steady many days due to our blood sugar. We battles peaks and valleys that wreak havoc on our ability to shoot archery. All of that goes unseen. I can guarantee you that it's something we have (and are learning) to live with. We make the most of the hand we have been dealt. Logan even has on his khaki dress pants. He's practicing for when he becomes an NFAA pro.
Jeff Wagoner always comes to play when he goes to a tournament. His calm demeanor and willingness to accept what falls in his lap are the things that help him make his way into the victory circle time and time again in 3D and target archery. Once again, he pulled off a big win and took the title of Senior Freestyle Champion. Great job, Jeff. You give everyone something to shoot for when you're on the line.
Jason Clarke has been around for a long time, and he has been coming to the state shoot for many years. He finally made his hay the last few years and brought home a State Championship title last year. This year, he decided he had to improve upon last year, and he made sure there would be no challengers. He laid it down and pounded out a 450 to take the title back to Granville, N.Y., once again. I've seen Jason battle a few ups and downs this year, so it felt especially good to watch him throw it down on Saturday. Archery is never easy, just ask Jason. We both get it. Sometimes people who shoot good make it look easy, but I'm sure all of them can tell you that it doesn't work that way. Anyone who makes it look easy puts in the time. These people work their asses off to be good at what they do. I'd like to extend my congratulations to Jason for having a great day.
Karl Weber is always in the hunt and has been for the last 15 years. Whenever he goes to a tournament, you know he will be sniffing the top step of the podium. Karl also got it done this weekend and won the NY State Classic on Sunday. Great job, Karl. I've always loved watching Karl compete. He's a fierce competitor and never gives in. I've enjoyed watching him progress to the top and stay at the top.
Although that wraps up our club members, a few of my other friends who have won time and time again and also taken their fair share of seconds and thirds can't be left out. John Vozzy is a threat to win no matter what tournament he attends. He secured the Senior Pro title in the State Championship. Great job, Vozz. It was fun to hang out after the shoot and enjoy the time watching people be awarded for their efforts.
Looking back at when I first began traveling to tournaments, I can remember a few guys from the Albany area whom I strived to be like. One of those guys was Dave Townsend. I also always admired Donny Graham and Donny Howard. These guys won almost every tournament, and they succeeded at everything they did. I watched from afar and wondered how they did it. Along the way, I learned that I needed to shoot the correct way and take it from there. I'll be forever thankful for having these guys in my area to watch and learn from. That's what made it special to watch Dave Townsend accept his runner-up finish at the State Championship. Before the round, he told me about a few changes he had made. He went back to a much lighter setup and felt that it was shooting well. Well, I guess he was right about that. I shot on the bale next to him, and he made good shots and got good results. As with anything, any small changes can sometimes take a bit to get used to. As an outsider looking in, everything looked great. Thanks for being that guy 30 years ago who made a lot of us local guys want to learn more how to shoot better.
Jon Scott never fails to impress. Jon showed up at the State Championship and State Classic and took both titles home. Unfortunately, we didn't get a photo of Jon on the podium. Great job, Jon. It looks like those 23s are pounding for you. Jon shot 52 inside out Xs on the 300 round.
Jacob ended up finishing his NAA qualifying round in Fiskdale, Mass., with an 1189. He's currently sitting in 4th place and will have to wait for a few more locations to finish up. After they finish, he will find out if he qualified for the NAA Nationals finals in Louisville in March. If he qualifies, it will be his second consecutive year in the top 8, which is a phenomenal accomplishment. Let's all pull for him and root him on if he makes the finals. Great shooting, Jacob, and way to represent our area. You make all of us proud, just as so many other greats, including Jim Despart, Doug Williams, John Vozzy and Dave Badgely, from the Albany area have over the years.
And last but not least, I have to give a shout-out to my dad. Twenty years ago we headed to Gainesville, Fla., to shoot in the first ASA of the year. He and I drove to Florida and back for the weekend. After the first day that year, he sat in the top three. He didn't have as good of a day the second day and fell a few places. Well, this weekend he tried his hand again at the first ASA of the year in Foley, Alabama. After the first day, he was sitting in fifth place. This time, he held his own and finished tied for 4th. Great job, Dad. I wish I could have been there to see it. Maybe we will be able to team up on one of the upcoming events.
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