3rd Leg of the IBO National Triple Crown

 

  Going into this event, I felt somewhat out of sorts. I didn't get any practice on any ranges other than my own, and the miserable weather limited my time behind the bow. I also figured I needed time away from the bow to clear my head. I've been battling many demons behind the bow and in my personal life, and these things have made it extremely difficult to concentrate. I went into the event with no expectations. 

                                                                  Practice Day

 When we got to the venue, all the guys decided to shoot the field round. I didn't want to do that, so I hung out and chatted with Darrin Christenberry and Tim Gillingham for a while. After discussing many things, including Tim telling me to try squeezing the trigger rather than shooting it with back tension, I headed to the practice bags. When I began shooting, I experimented with some of the things we talked about, and it felt pretty good. I'll have to dig deeper into the method when I have more time to experiment. Tim had good points, and I appreciated his insight on it. 

  When I finished shooting at the practice bags, I headed to the defense range to shoot with Darrin and Loren Lohr. I didn't really feel like shooting, and the other end of those feeling displayed what was going on in my head. I walked off the range feeling a little defeated, but I didn't put too much thought into it. I spent the next few hours waiting for the guys to finish shooting the field round, and the heat was almost unbearable. Finally, when they finished in mid-afternoon, they wanted to shoot some 3D targets, so I headed back onto the practice range with them. This time, I felt a little better and shot well. 

                                                                      Day 1

   Arriving at target 18 to start my day, I saw a bedded buck at the end of the lane. The target had its back to us and was set at a slight angle. It was a bomb, too. Larry Kade's courses are very predictable. He always has targets facing the opposite direction; he puts big targets closer than they are usually seen; he uses the middle numbers a lot;  nine out of 10 times the alligator is always between 45-50 yards; there are a lot of uphill shots; grazing does are almost always 45-50 yards. With the predicatability as it is, it makes shooting the bow of utmost importance because you basically know what you're going to get. Unfortunately, at this tournament, I just let my mind wander and didn't pay attention to all of the things that are regular occurrences. 

  My day started off on a bad note when I pegged the number but hit to the right of the 10-ring. As I made my way through the day, I had no interest in being there. We also had a discussion at my third target of the day when we were asked questions about what we could do to get more attendees at the tournaments. The idea of shootdown rounds was also brought up in conversation. Digger, Darrin and I offered our opinions, and the opinions weren't exactly welcomed. Instead, it appeared our ideas were not listened to at all, especially with the concerns considering the shootdown rounds. There isn't much way to make a comeback in an IBO shootdown round due to the targets chosen and the distances they are placed. It's already hard to 11 a 48-yard impala, but it's even more difficult to inside out one of the smallest rings. Then, I'm not sure you can inside-out a turkey with a big arrow. If targets were set at a variety of closer yardages mixed in with a few long ones, it will make the rounds more exciting with the possibility of shooters changing back and forth from arrow to arrow. It's a moot point, but that's what we talked about for a little bit. 

  At the end of the day, I walked off the course with my tail tucked between my legs. My inability to concentrate and focus led me astray. At day's end, I found myself in last place. The bottom is a lonely place, and a place that isn't nice when you're not used to being there. I definitely earned my placing. When the stone started rolling downhill, I couldn't stop it like I had in many previous attempts. I was thoroughly embarrassed as I headed to the car. Archery has come to the point this year that it simply isn't fun anymore. However, I'll finish my season with the next two events and see what happens. 

                                                               Day 2

  Going into Day 2, I had no idea what to expect, other than I knew it would be difficult to match the previous day's performance. I went into it with one thing in mind: show myself what I am capable of doing on a regular basis. 

  When I got to my stake, I greeted Jackie Caudle and Ted Richards. They asked me what I was doing on that stake with them. I told them that I had a rough day, like them, and we would have to see if we could all do better the second day. 

  My day started off well and continued that way for the first 10 targets. I shot relaxed, powerful shots and felt great about every shot. Shots flowed more smoothly than they have the entire year, and it brought me to a place I hadn't been in a long time. I felt like I could stand on my head and stay above par. Although I misjudged a few targets and hit both of them high, they were both good shots and landed above the 10. Near the end of my round, I could see a hole at the bottom of the 10-ring on the turkey, so I held my pin on it and hoped it would hit just above it. After executing a perfect shot, the arrow pierced the hole, and I thought I had the 10. However, the bottom of the 10-line was shot out, making it difficult to tell if the arrow was in or out. We ended up calling it out, but I believe it could've gone either way since there was no line. 

  I ended my day by shooting perfect shots on an alert deer and a long, downhill antelope, hitting the antelope barely to the right of the 11. I had made my comeback and felt like I belonged. This year has been a nightmare at times, and at other times, I feel like Superman. Unfortunately, I have yet to have two good days in a row this year. I think it's still in there, and I'll keep fighting until I can't fight anymore. 

  After tallying up the scores, I felt a small sense of relief to learn I had shot one of the highest scores of the day in my class. Going from the bottom to the top in a day confirmed what I had already known: I can still compete at the highest level when things are going well.  I finished the day a 3 up for a 203. 

 

My Final Thoughts on the Weekend

  I haven't shared too much with any of you about the things I've faced this year, but it has been a rough go. I haven't had a day this year when my mind has felt calm, centered and focused solely on archery. There seems to be all sorts of thoughts running through it that can lead to disaster if not harnessed. However, I feel like I'm always doing a good job keeping the dirty devil where he belongs... hidden. 

  Between dealing with my own health issues, as well as my family members' health issues, this year has been an all-out struggle to stay above water and tread it while trying not to drown. I've had water sloshing around in my lungs for a long time now, and I almost swallowed the air with it last weekend. I didn't even fight to keep from being pulled under. Instead, I gave in and let the demons of the depth pull me into the darkness. Once I arrived there and looked them in the face, I didn't like it. They overtook me and stuck pitchforks in my belly and needles in my eyes. I had succumbed to their power and felt helpless. I was lost, searching for my own soul and not knowing if I really wanted to do this anymore. I do it because it's fun, and it simply hasn't been fun lately. There are things going on in my life that are hard to deal with while also performing at a top level. Although I've shared a few things, I won't get into the depth of anything else. I'm doing the best I can, and trying as hard as I can, maybe too hard at times. I'd also like to apologize to anyone who was around me when I was overwhelmed on Saturday afternoon when we were eating after the round. Over the years, I've had a way of withstanding all the blows given to me. I will find the path and walk through the walls to a better place. I appreciate all of your support, whether it be by text, phone calls or in general conversation. I appreciate each and every one of you. I just think sometimes it's good to know that everyone struggles. There are great times and not so great times in life... and in archery. If you haven't experienced them yet, you will. It's your job to figure out how to navigate the tough times. 

  I'd like to congratulate a few people. Dave Ferguson never ceases to amaze me. He won the third leg, and this means he won two out of the three legs. This is a feat that is unbelievably hard to accomplish. He deserves these wins, and he works really hard like the rest of us. It's great to see my friends achieve things like this because I enjoy their success as much as they do. Congratulations, Dave. Great job. 

  Christine Bushey went into the weekend with a chance to come home a Triple Crown Champion. I've slept on that before, and that can lead to some restless nights in the month leading up to the last leg. However, there's no place I'd rather be. She withstood all challengers and wrapped up the championship. She's a fighter and good is never good enough... she strives to be Great! Incredible job, Christine. It's been a pleasure to watch you from afar. 

  Haylee Yamin found herself on the leaderboard in a pro class for the first time. That can also wear on your nerves at night. You know you're in the hunt, and. you have to hold on the next day. It shows you that you belong. I was excited to see Haylee give herself a chance going into the second day. She beat and hung tight to many of the best of the best. Great job, Haylee. Keep at it and you'll find the way to the top in no time. 

  Derek Eastman won what I believe is his first national event, taking down one of the best shooters, Blake Kitching, who has ever competed in the MBR division. Although the division doesn't have the high number or shooters that it used to, Kitching is still a tough guy to beat and has the hardware to prove it. Congratulations, Derek. Here's to much more success in the future. 

  Jake LaFontaine brought game with him to the bowhunter defense shoot-off and gave it a great run. He mowed down some really tough competition and found himself with a chance to win $1,000. He came up just short and took home a $500 check for second place. Congratulations, Jake. It was great to watch you perform. 

  And the guy I just can't help but mention is my buddy Zac Mull. This guy is one of the best shooters I've ever had the pleasure of shooting with or against. His shot is great. He's a mental warrior, and he comes to win. He's got game, and he can intimidate anyone who watches him shoot. Zac ran the table and won all three events of the Triple Crown, which led to him being crowned as the National Triple Crown Champion. Congratulations, Zac. Your shooting amazes me, and I love watching you beat up on other people. I'm always rooting for you, and hope you see continued success. I'm also thankful I don't have to shoot against you anymore. I'm not sure I have the ability to keep up with the pace you have set. ... it's phenomenal. 

  While I've missed many others, these were the ones that were in my mind when I was finishing this up. Congratulations to everyone else who laid it down. I hope those of you who had a weekend similar to mine will find a way to put it behind you and work toward your next event. On to 

Cincinnati ... or maybe we should say the IBO World this time. 

Metropolis ASA Pro-Am

 

  Although I haven't had one of these since February, I'd like to stop writing this right now and forget the weekend ever happened. However, there are a few things I'd like to share, so this one will probably be fairly short due to the fact that I don't have much I want to focus on about this event. 

                                                                  Practice Day(s)

  We actually had a day and a half of practice at this event due to the time of our flight on Wednesday. We were able to shoot a few arrows at the practice bags, then head onto the practice range, where we met up with Bill McCall and shared a few laughs while shooting some foam critters. 

  With minimal sleep, my body and mind didn't feel well, but the bow seemed to shoot OK. There were no major catastrophes on the practice range, and I felt good about my shot and my numbers. When we finished for the day I was getting tired and decided to wrap it up so nothing negative could creep into my thoughts. 

  The next day we hit the bags in mid-morning before going back onto the practice range. My body was extremely stiff, and the never-ending issues with my shoulders appeared instantly when I drew the bow for the first time. I knew it wasn't going to be a good day to shoot due to the amount of pain and discomfort in my surgically repaired shoulder. 

  After spending a few hours on the range, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest and get ready for Day 1. Everyone felt good and seemed ready for the big event to kick off. 

                                                                      Day 1

  After having some issues with my insulin pump during the night, the beginning of the day started off as a disaster. Being sick for the better part of the last month, my blood sugar levels have been all over the map, and that surely doesn't help when trying to shoot a bow accurately 

  As I waited around for my day to start, I couldn't get my blood to come down off extreme highs. 

  Anyone who knows anything about Type 1 diabetes knows that a reading of that caliber is disastrous. It's difficult on the eyes to focus, and you feel like you've been dragged behind a car for 50 miles on a dirt road. It leaves you with no energy and a lack of focus. When the blood is that high, the only thing that can bring it down is to take more insulin or exercise, and exercise can make the heart work too hard due to the elevated level, risking severe heart attack. Therefore, I started taking more insulin to combat the highs, and I knew it would crash -- but when would it crash?

  Well, it didn't take long to figure out when the crash would be upon me, as it showed up during my round. My blood glucose dropped quickly, and I found myself battling to stay afloat. Unlike high levels, the low levels bring other problems with them. You will become very shaky, irritable, and your vision will sometimes make you see multiple images in front of yourself. Most diabetics compare severe low blood sugar to being severely intoxicated, almost to the point of not remembering anything you've done. Diabetics who are battling extreme lows are often mistaken for people believed to be drunk. 

  Waiting at my target assignment to start the day, I saw a bomb of a turkey at the end of the lane. There wasn't much guessing involved to figure out where to set the sight to stay in the 10-ring. While the young guns might go at it with a blaze of glory, most of us senior guys can't see that well or hold the bow that well to shoot right at a 12 at that distance. 

  After setting my sight and getting ready for the round to begin, I felt confident, even though I was battling the demons associated with the silent disease with which I live. Then, a few minutes before we were instructed to begin, I was moved into a different group. 

  I quickly got settled in and tried to set my sight in the correct neighborhood. Then, "Shoot'm Up" came ringing down the range. I barely had time to get settled, and I found myself leading the targets. Within seconds, my first arrow was in flight and I watched it as the arc came out of it, and it began it's descent toward the target. That's when I knew the day wasn't going to start as I had planned. The arrow landed squarely in the target below the vitals, and I was staring at a 5. 

  I battled the entire day, but that first arrow set the stage, and I never recovered from the start. At day's end, I found myself where I did in Foley back in February. Thoroughly embarrassed, I walked off the range knowing I would be pretty close to last place for the day. Nothing had gone right, and things just went off the rails. I never stopped fighting and clawing, but it was one of those days that I got pounded into the sand. I'm not sure if I was the litter in the litter box, or if I was what the cats buried in the box. Either way, I had a reality check as I walked down the dirt road through the forest to get back to the vendor area. 

                                                                       Day 2

  Going into Day 2, I knew I would have to accomplish and all-time low to compete with the previous day, and that wasn't in my plans. Instead, I figured I would make a bet with Darren Collins to at least put something on the line for the day. Since we both struggled the first day, we made a $5 bet on who could pass the most people on Day 2. I felt good about my chances, as he felt kid about his chances too. Heck, he was trying to win back the money he had lost when he bet Billy McCall on their billiards match the night before. He claims he won the match against Billy, but we have no way of proving it, other than the photo he texted me of Billy after the event, in which the loser had to wear a queen's crown.

 

  I'm not sure if there's a way to feel good after a first day like the one I had, but I definitely felt better when I saw the guys in my group, all good shooters. I would be shooting with Ray Young, Greg Ayers, Blake Burger and Brian Barley. When I saw that they all struggled on Day 1, it made me feel a little better about the day ahead. 

  While the others got off to a decent start, I quickly got behind the 8-ball and found myself staring at three consecutive 8s on my card. It appeared that the day was headed in the same direction as the previous day. 

  I buckled down and did my best to crawl out of the darkness I was creating. As we neared the end of the day, there was some excitement on the range when the group behind us spotted a copperhead slithering across one of the lanes in front of them. Then, a few minutes later, we had a very large rat snake paralleling the lane we were walking on as we returned from a wolf target. 

  When we finally finished, I found myself at 204 for the day, and I shot 10 up on the last 16 targets. I'll walk away from the event with that as my last thought. I dug out of a confidence hole and climbed onto the little train that climbed the mountain saying, "I can do it. I can do it. I can do it."

  When I got back to the vendor area, I learned I had won the bet with Darren. I moved from 32nd place the first day into 18th for the tournament. While it wasn't where I wanted to finish, I can't complain about jumping over that many people. Darren passed five people for the day. 

                                                                 My Thoughts on the Weekend

  Watching that guy in the picture makes me realize there are great shooters, then there are guys who rise above all others... he is one of them. I had a feeling a performance like the one he had was in the works after last weekend. As I watched the leaderboard from afar, I knew nothing was going to stop him, and nothing did stop him. 

  People often ask me what we talk about when he's in those big pressure situations. We don't talk a whole lot, but we do joke back and forth about different things, sometimes nothing to do with anything that's going on. Other times, we talk about the task at hand. I like it because it's calming to me. When I watch him on TV, I get stressed out and feel really anxious. However, when I'm out there with him and standing next to him, I don't feel that stress. I think I feel a continuation of what he's feeling ... in control and 100% confident he's going to accomplish the task at hand. 

  I can't explain what he really did over the weekend. He shot a score similar to the scores that many top-level known pro shooters shoot. Anyone who doesn't shoot unknown probably can't get a true idea of how difficult that task is. He also cleared the field by almost 10 points going into the shootdown round and then answered one of the all-time greats by winning with a 12 after Levi shot the 14. He is the future of archery. 

  Before the shootdown round started, Brady Myers asked me if I would hold the umbrella for him. While I would've loved to do it because we both represent PSE, Jacob is where my allegiance falls. If I can be there for a vote of confidence, I will always do that. At the same time, I felt honored that Brady asked me. He's a great kid and another one to watch in the future. Wouldn't it be cool if Jacob and Brady became the next Levi and Danny? Heck, you never know what might happen. Darren Collins ended up holding the umbrella for Brady, and we heckled one another throughout the festivities. I love the fact I'm surrounded by good people. I root for all of them. 

  It was also very cool to see my longtime friend Darrin Christenberry get his first win in the ASA as a lefty. His journey has been nothing short of miraculous. Although many people often overlook the fact that Darren Collins and Glenn Meadows both used to shoot right handed, I can respect all of their accomplishments after switching. Darrin C. just happens to be in the spotlight more than Glenn and Darrin. 

  Speaking of Glenn Meadows, he had a weekend similar to mine. His bow fell over and knocked the sight all out of line. Before he could get things reeled back in, the train went off the tracks and he just held on for his dear life. On Day 2, he lost his release early in the day and the train just skidded into the bushes. However, Glenn never gave up and continued pushing forward. I respect guys like Glenn, and I admire this never-quit attitude. We need more people like him, instead of the people who think everyone  should be a winner. These events teach us how to win and lose. 

  Jacob had an event we all dream of, and Christenberry had a Day 2 we dream of. However, Glenn and I rode the struggle bus and did what we could to save face. That's all you can do some days. We tried to learn as we went. I can't speak for Glenn, but I ended up learning a lot, and I'm thankful I didn't hang it up after Day 1. 

  I couldn't leave this out. I saw something on the semi-pro range that caught my attention and had to take a picture of it. Has anyone ever gone to a national event rocking this arrow rest? I guess anything is possible if you put your mind to it. 

  The year is coming to a close quickly, and it has been far from what I thought it might become at the beginning of the year. I've dealt with a lot of issues along the way, but I'm still giving it everything I have. Hopefully, I find a way to turn the corner and ride into the sunset on a better note than where things have led up to this point. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it. Although Jacob was like a real superman, this was the extent of my weekend. I was the headless Superman. 

  
     

ASA Northeast in Townsend, Mass.

 

  This week didn't go much better than the last few weeks, as I'm still battling the cold I can't seem to shed.  However, I didn't have to think much about attending this event. I knew the terrain would be relatively flat, and next week is the Metropolis, Illinois, ASA Pro-am. I figured seeing the targets would be good, even if I wasn't feeling the best. 

  When we started, there was a miserable, drizzly mist falling from the sky. Although it wasn't what I would consider rain, it was enough to make it difficult to see. We started on a howling wolf in an area that resembled a sandpit. After shooting the wolf and making our way into the woods, the mist got a little heavier, and the dark woods made it even harder to see where to place the pin -- at least for 55-year-old eyes. 

  I never got into a groove throughout the first half and couldn't seem to hit a 12 after getting behind the 8-ball. The picture above spells out my entire day. While people talk about it all the time, this has been the stark reality for me this year at the national ASAs. I've been all around the 12 but can't seem to reel any in. Over the course of the day, I'd be willing to bet I shot 12-13 arrows from this distance to about another inch out of the 12-ring. I've been so close to shooting a BIG score, but it hasn't happened yet. I know it's hiding in the weeds like a lion waiting to attack a herd of gazelles. It's just a matter of time. The law of statistics say you can't keep being that close without eventually capitalizing and having a bunch of them roll in the other direction. I have great faith the lion is ready to run his prey down and devour it. 

  Anyhow, as we finished the first half, I got off it at 4 down, I believe. Considering my shot wasn't too smooth, I looked at it as a success. Moving along to the second half, my shot began to feel slightly better. I believe the caffeine I sucked down on the ride over had begun to subside. 

  By the time we got to the board midway through the second half, I felt really good. I shot my best shot of the day on the boar and placed the arrow exactly where I wanted it. However, it was millimeters out of the 11. There was some consolation to that when I got to the turkey and finally put an arrow inside-out in the 12-ring. 

  As we made our way down the homestretch, the heavens let loose, and we shot in pouring rain the rest of the way. At times, the arrows where shedding a trail of water as they made their way to the targets. At that point, I began to check out and did a few things I wouldn't normally do. I shot the last two targets without cleaning all the water off my lens, and I couldn't see where I was on the target while aiming. I ended up shooting a few 8s on the last two targets due to being stubborn and not concentrating until the end.  I ended the day at 8 down. It definitely wasn't one of my better performances, but with all things considered, it wasn't too terribly bad. 

                                                       Some Final Thoughts

  

  I've shot with a lot of amazing people over my years in archery. I've shot with numerous Vegas winners; I've shared an elk camp with a Vegas winner, an IBO World Champion, and an NFAA Indoor National Champion. I've seen these people do amazing things behind the bow, and I've always been in awe at how easy they make it look. While I know they all worked incredibly hard at their craft, I also know how difficult it is for me to shoot a bow well and achieve many smaller things along the way. 

  However, of all of those people, I never spent as much time with them as I've spent shooting with Jacob over the last handful of years. I've enjoyed watching him grow and giving some words of advice along the way. 

  There are some days that I'm in awe while watching him perform. Saturday was one of those days. He makes the game look so incredibly easy that I can't even fathom having that ability. I wish that everyone could witness it at one time or another. 

  There are pros, and there are elite pros. Jacob is an elite pro. There's not a game he can't compete in, and he's at the top in all of them. However, when he clears the field of marked yardage shooters by a whole lot of points, it's mind boggling to think he's guessing the yardage. While he shot 24 up, he easily could've shot 34 up, as he barely missed all the ones he didn't get. During the day, he only shot one arrow that wasn't close to the 12, and that was from misjudging a target in a dark hole while we were fooling around. 

  When the day was done, and I was driving home, I had a lot of thoughts on my mind. The thoughts were drowned out when I thought about what I had just seen. It was refreshing to see, and I'm glad Tyler got to see it for once too. Many people see the results here and there and are amazed, but they never get to see it while it's happening. It puts it at another level altogether when you witness it. 

  We will be headed to Metropolis in a few days, and I'm looking forward to getting after it again. My days of 3-leaf clovers are over. I'm bringing the 4-leafer with me this time. It's just the law of statistics that say I will find one soon. 

  On a final note, congratulations to Mike Bushey on his win in K45. Way to go, Mike. I'm sure you've wanted one like this for a while. Good job on staying focused in the pouring rain and getting the job done. 

                                    

2nd Leg of the National IBO Triple Crown: Franklin, Pa.

   During the week leading up to this event, I knew it was going to be a grind. Last week, the lack of quality rest finally caught up with me and I found myself sicker than a dog. I lost most of my strength and had all I could do to even draw my bow early in the week. As the days progressed, things didn't improve, and by the end of the week, I found myself in Franklin hoping to get any type of relief. I figured if Michale Jordan could have one of the best games of his life in Game 7 of the NBA Finals while running a high fever and being completely under the weather, I might have a chance of doing the same. Although I didn't feel well and had no energy, I still felt mentally strong and confident that nothing would be any different than normal. 

                                                                 Practice Day

  We woke up to an awesome morning on Friday. After getting going, we shot some arrows at the target butts, then headed onto the practice range. After seeing the yardage a little long on the first few targets, I made the adjustment and shot really well. However, I never had one target that gave me a sense of confidence with my numbers. I felt like I was subtracting 2-3 yards per target to get the right number. That's never a good feeling. I figured it was probably from not feeling well and being tired after coughing the entire night and not getting much sleep. 

  After shooting 12-15 targets, we took a break and waited out a nasty thunderstorm. During the storm, I was able to catch up with Ryan Jeffries, and we talked about a few different things, most about shot execution. Ryan is a good guy and has been doing this game as long as me. I always enjoy any time I can spend around him, as conversations always bring positivity and optimism while also staying realistic. Photo courtesy goes to TJ Mitchell, as he listened to the conversation and participated in it too. 

  After the storm passed, many people went onto their ranges to get at least half of their tournament completed. Having to shoot with our peers on Saturday and Sunday, we decided to head up the road and shoot 20 targets at a local archery club, Rainbow Archery. 

  The course was set up nicely, and Cole, Jeff and I had a good time. There were plenty of laughs shared, and I felt like the trip to the club was definitely worth it. I was pleased with my numbers and my shooting. At the end of the day, I was absolutely exhausted. I most likely overdid it, but I've never let sickness hold me back from doing the things I love. 

                                                                        Day 1

  

  After waking up, my cough settled in and the congestion in my chest felt like a gorilla was sitting on top of me. After looking at my target assignment, I knew I would have a relaxing day. I would be shooting with people whose company I enjoy, also people I call friends. Tony Tazza, Jeff Hopkins and P.J. McMullen would comprise my group. I've been lucky enough to shoot with Tony a number of times this year so far, and Jeff and I always seem to end up on the same stake. I couldn't ask for better people to shoot with for the day. 

 

  The beginning of my day started off well, as I made great shots on a caribou and hogzilla. As we began meandering through the course, I never felt comfortable, but I also never felt overwhelmed. The shadows were really difficult to navigate, and I got a few 8s on targets I had to lead and put the arrows exactly where I wanted to put them. Unfortunately, as you get older, your sense of definition on targets disappears, and I realized I had chosen the wrong spots to aim. I never let it deflate my confidence and kept plugging along.

  When we got to the bottom of the range, the new mule deer target was across a slight ravine. It's an awesome target, and I remembered shooting out the top of it in Pipestem. However, as I stood on the stake staring at it, I knew it had some serious yardage on it. Finally, I set my sight, drew the bow, and executed one of my best shots of the weekend. The arrow struck the target a fingernail-width to the left of the 11, and that type of arrow summed up my day. Although I shot six 11s for the day, I had a minimum of six arrows that were less than an inch from it. With exception of the few misplaced arrows due to the shadows, my line was good all day. I was happy with that. 

  As we turned the corner and headed down the homestretch, I could feel the lack of strength beginning to take over. On top of being worn out, I was also just about mentally spent. I made a few mistakes on the last five targets of the day but ended on a good note when I smoked an inside-out 11 on a bomb of an antelope that was plastered with shadows. 

  I won't say I was satisfied at the end of the day, but I was sitting in the number 8 hole and found out I hadn't shot myself out of it, even with a major blunder with two targets left. I had a chance going into Day 2 and was only five points out of the shootdown round. At the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted and a physical mess. The cold bore down on me and took hold. 

                                                                  Day 2

  When I woke up on Sunday morning, I had no interest in shooting my bow. Instead, I felt like crawling in a hole and staying there. I figured after a week of battling the cold, I would begin to subside. However, there was no clue of that. My voice was all but gone, and my strength wasn't anywhere near normal. 

  After looking at my target assignment, I learned I would be in the second group, and I would be shooting with Bill McCall, Mike Sutter, and Jeff Hopkins. I sucked down a bunch of cough drops before we started. Luckily, it kept the cough from overtaking me like it had been doing since I woke up. 

  As we waited to start, Jeff checked the radar on his phone and was ecstatic that he would be getting rain at home in Iowa for his crops. We all know that rain in the Midwest can be hard to come by during many summers, so any rain is a good thing. 

  He called his son, Scott, before we started, and we had some good fun on speaker phone. I always enjoy Jeff's company. He makes it easy to shoot and creates a laid-back atmosphere for me. I think we sometimes find some people with whom we enjoy shooting, yet there are others that tend to bring us down. Finding a happy medium always makes it nice. If you've been at this game long enough and you're in one of these classes without many people, many of the people become your friends, and it's nice to hang out with them and do what we love to do. 

  We started the day on a bedded elk. Although it wasn't all that far away, it resembled a real elk. It was bedded in some dark timber, and the ivory tips on its antlers shone brightly in the dark hole. When I drew my bow, the target was difficult to see. However, my arrow found its way to the 11, and I was off to a good start. 

  A few targets later, I paid the price for assuming my pin was in the right place on a Dahl sheep. I executed a good shot, but the pin must've been too far to the left when I was aiming. The arrow hit behind the pin, but the shadows wreaked havoc. 

  My goal going into the day was to shoot good, relaxed shots. I accomplished the goal and got the sub-part shooting out of my head from the previous day. I seemed to fall back into my normal type of day. I stayed level through the first 10 targets, and after recording an even score, I felt good about making my way toward the end. 

  When we got to the end of the road and shot the last target before turning and heading down the other side, I had to lead off a leopard. By all accounts, it was a pretty easy target. Unfortunately, I was too relaxed when I began settling into my shot and the release fired as I was coming down into the 10. I wasn't in the "shooting 10" position before I laid my finger on the trigger, and the release fired. The arrow struck right where the pin was when the shot broke. 

  After getting my thoughts back in line, I couldn't seem to get anything going coming down the homestretch. I missed a few 11s and barely missed a handful of 10s, hitting them just barely above or below the 10-ring. It just wasn't meant to be. Here's a photo, compliments of Jeff Hopkins. 

                                                             My Final Thoughts on the Weekend

   I didn't expect anything coming into this shoot due to my health. I just didn't feel well, and I knew I was weak. I didn't figure it would affect much of anything, other than I would be exhausted. I guess in the end, I just wasn't Michael Jordan. 

  I enjoyed myself over the weekend, even though I struggled mightily with a lot of things. I've never had many issues judging yardage, so I'm not sure if it was from having a cloudy head from being sick, or if it was just one of those weekends that you run into every now and then. 

  I was happy to see Justin Martin break his streak in Open Pro and make it into the shootdown round, where he finished in third. We have an ongoing joke because we probably hold records between the two of us for the most sixth place finishes ever. It seems we are always the first guy out of the shootdown rounds. Well, that was me again. I finished in sixth. Once again, as I always say, yeah it's great, but it also sucks. When you're competing against the best of the best, you have to perform better than your average, and you have to have a few lucky bounces along the way. I feel like I'm on the edge of having one of these tournaments bring out more than my average. My average performances have never felt like winning performances, and I haven't had a winning performance in a while, but it's lurking. I've always told people that the only way you can succeed is to put yourself in a position to succeed. I've been knocking on the door for a while. Every year seems to get a little more difficult due to the things you encounter with aging, but I know I still have game in there somewhere. 

  I had a great time with the people I shared the stake with over the weekend. They were all great people, and I appreciate them and their professionalism. They all have the ability to laugh and joke and have fun while shooting. That makes the crappy days seem a lot better. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing to shoot a score as bad as the one I shot and still finish near the top or if it's a kick in the ass that it's unacceptable. I'll have to think on that one for a bit. I guess if scores were all that low, they were that low for a reason. 

  I'll keep plugging along and try to shed this sickness. It just doesn't seem that it wants to let go. It hasn't made shooting very easy, and it also isn't enjoyable. I've had about enough of it and would like to get back to feeling better. 

  I'd like to give a shoutout to Jake LaFontaine and Christine Bushey. They both shot very well, Christine came home as the FBO champion of the tournament. Great job, Christine. It's been a pleasure to watch and root for you. Keep it going. I couldn't leave out Payson Reinhardt, who doesn't have much time to shoot since he focuses on college, but he came home with the title of Semi-pro champion for this event. That is quite an accomplishment. Congratulations, Payson. 

Second Leg of IBO Northeast Triple Crown

  On Saturday, I headed out to Watertown, N.Y., to be present at the Bear PAC IBO event. As a state director, it's important to help these clubs out when they're entering the arena. I was welcomed with open arms, and the group of guys comprised solid people. They all wanted advice, and they wanted to know what they could do to make things better. It's always a good thing when people ask for help. 

  After going through the course and taking some mental notes, I gave them feedback. They did a good job for their first attempt at hosting an IBO event. Their grounds are second to none. They have one of the nicest pieces of woods I've ever shot in. It was a pleasure to walk the course. Although I had some issues with my shooting, I got off the course with a 396. While it was nowhere in the neighborhood of where I believed I should have been, I considered all the factors and wrote it off as a rough day. I look forward to working with these guys in the future. There is great potential at their club. The ride through the Adirondacks was very enjoyable too. 

  During the course of Saturday's events, I realized I wasn't feeling well and my throat began getting raw. By the time I got home, I didn't have much of a voice left and my head was pounding. Since I committed to going to Vermont on Sunday, I went to bed early and got up at 5 a.m. to make the trek to Whistling Arrow. 

  With dad driving and Wags in the co-pilot seat, I zonked out in the backseat and found myself trying to sleep for most of the trip. In and out of sleep, I felt like someone was beating me with a stick. I just didn't have it in me to shoot. I knew it was going to be a grind, especially with the torrential rain we were driving through. 

  After arriving and signing in, I shot about eight arrows at the 30-yard bag and called it good. All of the arrows but one hit the dot, and the shots felt really good. I would be shooting with Jacob, his dad and Aiden Pfiitze. 

  We started on a course that had a Corsican ram as the first target. Still a little foggy in the head, I didn't focus too long on getting a number. Instead, I dialed my sight and never thought about it. I settled in nicely and shot a good shot. The arrow struck the target above the core for a solid 5. I had a perfect line, so I was satisfied with the shot and the line. 

  Normally, I can let those things go quickly, but the unfortunate incident lingered in my mind on the second target, a javelina that was hard to see the whole target. When I drew the bow, I wondered if I had the right number since I had so badly misjudged the previous one. When the bow finally fired, the arrow landed at 9 o'clock in the 10-ring. I was satisfied with the results. I think the arrow probably struck the area where the pin was when the shot broke. 

  As the rain pounded when we were walking to the next target, I seriously thought about finishing the 10-target loop and returning to the truck to sleep. Standing at the stake for the third target, a bedded buck, I felt confident that I was going to get it. I like shooting the bedded buck because I always have a good aiming spot. 

  I felt good about my shot, but I was a little hot on the number. The arrow struck barely out of the 10-ring. My ability to concentrate was lacking, as all I could think about was my raw throat and pounding headache. 

  As we neared the end of the first course, I wasn't feeling good about too much. I was spraying arrows around, and I felt really weak behind the bow. Aiming it and executing was more than a chore on this day, but I continued grinding. Thoroughly embarrassed after shooting 11 down on the first 10, my inner-Todd thought about what he had to do to get some of the points back. Being sicker than a dog is not an acceptable excuse to shoot the way I shot. Heck, it's just being sick. 

  As we began navigating through the last 20 targets, I tried my best to regain my focus. I knew it would be difficult with the way I was feeling. After getting a 10 on a bedded doe across a little open valley, then following it up with one of my best shots of the day on an incredible target set (a leopard) by Tyler, I felt really good. At that point, I thought I could somehow muster the strength to shoot like "normal" again. 

  Through the next nine targets, I shot some of my best shots of the day. In the process, I realized something I had been doing on the first 10 that was preventing me from executing smooth shots. Instead of drawing the bow and letting the handle yield to my hand to achieve equal pressure on both ends, I had tension in my bow arm and hand. Once I discovered what I was doing, shooting became easy for a little bit. My hold got better, and my shots broke much cleaner. I gained back some of the ground I had lost, and my confidence increased. 

  As we meandered through the last 10 targets, I got a case of seeing things a little long and shot a few targets out the top of the 10-ring. However, I made my best shot of the day on a 45-yard feeding doe up a hill. It was a great target set, and the slight uphill angle added to the difficulty. When the shot broke, I knew I would center it if I had the number right. Stepping away and looking at the arrow, I was glad to see I was rewarded with an 11. Here's the shot. 

  Finishing on an antelope, I made another good shot and called it a day. The arrow pierced the 11 line at 6 o'clock. After enduring the day I endured, it just felt great to be done. I had no energy left, and my head was pounding. I had survived without laying a broken egg. 

                                                       My Thoughts on the Day

  While this wasn't the weekend I was hoping for in my preparations for the Second Leg of the National IBO Triple Crown, it still allowed me to see targets, and I believe seeing as many targets as possible is always beneficial. My health wasn't the best and neither was my shooting. However, I found a way to tread water and somehow not take any of it into my lungs and drown myself. It definitely wasn't anywhere near one of my best performances, but what could have turned into a disaster ended up somewhat OK. 

  I got to shoot with Aiden and Jacob's dad, John, today. I haven't shot with John in a few years and he's getting back into it this year. He shot really well and will be a threat no matter where he shoots. It's always good to shoot with people who shoot well. Shoulder issues are very difficult to overcome, and I understand that all too well. You never find yourself being able to do things at the same level you once did them, but if you're determined enough, you'll figure out a way to remain competitive. I guess John and I are both lucky to have done that. Hopefully, we both continue in the right direction and end up where we need to be in another month or two. Great job, John. It's always a pleasure to shoot with you. 

  Aiden struggled a little bit today. It's always difficult moving to a new class. You never know what to expect and sometimes you can let your expectations get the best of you. If you focus on the process and ignore the outcome, you can overcome it without ever thinking about it. When Jacob was Aiden's age, he battled target panic badly, but he was so determined to beat it that he eventually surpassed all expectations and now finds himself compared to the likes of the best of the best who have ever shot a bow. If you have the drive and determination, anything is possible. You just need to want it, and you need to be able to handle the failures as well as the victories along the way. Find the things you can build upon and work on them and ignore the noise. I look forward to watching Aiden progress as he continues working at it. 

  Jacob was Jacob today, as he totally destroyed everyone. It's even scarier to think about all the ones he barely missed. I love watching him shoot. He makes it look effortless. It looks like he's a sprinter blowing past all the marathon runners, then he finishes the marathon and isn't even tired. I have a feeling he's headed toward a great few months. He's about due for a few bounces to go in his direction, especially after some of the unfortunate, weird things that have happened at the last few events. 

  Tyler always does an amazing job setting courses. This course did not have any big yardage, but it was  tricky yardage. There weren't many targets you could walk up to and instantly see the number. It seemed like I was second-guessing myself on every target. This just shows you that it's not all about abusing targets. Instead, it's more about moving the targets in and out and using everything you have to fool people. Great job, Tyler. We all appreciate your work. Thanks for humbling so many of us along the way. 

  I'm hoping I can recover from my sickness and be strong for next weekend. I feel like I'm in a good place. I just need my health to cooperate.

 

 

IBO New York State Championship

  When we hit the road after Shane and Dad finished shooting in Kentucky, we had no idea what we would do that night. We could drive through the night and be home early the next morning, or we could get a room somewhere and go the rest of the way after getting up. 

  Well, as we continued driving, I made the choice for us and decided we would drive through the night. With a lot of things on my mind, I found it easy to drive. The mind can do amazing things when it is occupied, especially when thinking about a missed opportunity. 

 As the miles piled up behind us, I briefly thought of going to Guan Ho Ha to shoot in the NY IBO State Championship. Then again, I figured I'd be exhausted, so I didn't give it much thought. When we finally rolled into the driveway at 6:00 a.m., I decided I would try to catch a quick hourlong nap and head south. Rhit Wilcox, the archery directory at Guan Ho Ha, always does an amazing job with his events, and I wanted to reward his efforts by being present, especially since I have the duty as an IBO State Rep. to make sure everything is set up correctly and things are operating smoothly. With the travel schedule I have in the summer, it's hard to make it to all of the events, but I do my best to promote the organization in any way I can and participate in all of the events I can make it to. While it wasn't the most intelligent decision I've ever made to attend this event after going on a full day with minimal sleep, I knew it was the right thing to do. I also wanted to give Barney (my new purple PSE Supra X with M2 cams) a trial run. Although I had it sighted in, I had never shot it at a 3d target before heading to the tournament. It would be a trial and error kind of day. 

  Surprisingly, there were a lot of people around the registration area and at the practice butts when we arrived. I figured we would be after the crowd, probably near the tail end of people registering to shoot. This made it easy to find a group to shoot with, and I was lucky enough to shoot with three beautiful women. The only downfall was that they would all be shooting off the red stake, so I wouldn't have any arrows to listen to, and I wouldn't be able to watch anyone navigate the blue stake with me. 

  We started our day down under the pavilion, where a large deer welcomed us from the other end of the lane. Glancing at it, I knew it was a good one, and I also knew I better put my yardage judging cap on. It appeared that I was in for a tough day. 

  After shooting a great shot on the target, my group made its way through the course. We came across some long shots, some short shots and some shots that made it difficult to pinpoint a number. When we came upon a large deer down a fairly steep hill, I was a little stumped for a number. I put my sight in what I thought was a "safe" area and executed one of the best shots I shot all day. The arrow landed just over the 10-ring at 12 o'clock for my first 8 of the day. I felt great about the shot and realized that you're going to shoot 8s in this game, so you have to take it on the chin and keep marching forward. 

  However, when you glance at the next target and realize it's a bear of a shot, it can wreak havoc in shooters' minds if they're not mentally prepared. The next target was a bomb of an uphill shot, where a leopard stared at us from the top of the hill. Uphill shots are always tough and will tell you if your draw length is too long, so many people never figure it out until they shoot a shot like this one. When I drew the bow, I locked the shot in my back, got the pin to the middle, and relaxed just enough while pulling to get the shot off as quickly as possible. I know I can't afford to hold for any length of time when shooting uphill shots of that difficulty level. I graded my shot as a solid 10 on a scale of 1 to10 and felt good about the result. 

 The next shot might've been the most difficult one of the day for me to get a number. It was a large black bear set up a graded hill and you couldn't see its legs . It was on a flat spot just over the top of the hill. I knew it was close, but I didn't know how close. After setting my sight, I felt confident I was going to smoke an 11. When my shot broke, the arrow pierced the 10 line at 12 o'clock. It's amazing how close shots take so many points from people in tournaments. I always laugh when I hear people say, "This is a gimme." There are none of them in this game. You have to focus on every shot and get every point you can get. It doesn't matter if the target is in your face or a long way away, you need to focus on your process and not get fooled into not running your mental program on that "easy" shot. 

  When we got off our first 10, I felt pretty good about the results. I had shot one 8 and a couple of 11s while barely missing four other 11s. I couldn't ask for anything better than that after being up for 29 hours without any sleep. 

  Moving along and going across the road to shoot our next 10, I felt good about my start when I got an 11 on the javelina. After talking to John, Paul and Mel, I got my focus back and started this 10 where I left off on the last 10. As we got a few targets in, I could feel the lack of sleep setting in and my focus was waning. Then, in a four target stretch of relatively easy targets, I shot three 8s. As we neared the end of the course, I struggled to get back into a mental place that would allow me to get to the end of the day. The exhaustion was real... I could suddenly feel it. 

  With 10 targets left, I dug deep and searched my soul for something to keep me focused and on my feet until the end. Navigating from the impala to the big deer that followed, I knew my hold was gone for the day. Between being exhausted and shooting uphill, I had everything I could do to try to hold the bow. However, the bow was forgiving and guided the arrows into the 10-ring. 

  After shooting a handful of great shots in a row, ending with the long uphill bedded buck, I gained confidence and stored it into my memory bank in case I ever have to pull it out in the future if I encounter a similar situation at a national event. 

  Then, I got the unfortunate draw on a downhill boar. At the time we shot it, it was all but impossible to tell where my pin was on the animal. After letting down two times, I realized it wasn't going to get any better and I needed to get my shot off and take what it was going to give me. Finally, I put the pin in an area I thought might be near the vitals, and it fired. I got a sick feeling in my stomach when I thought the unfortunate target setting had led to my first 5 of the day with one target left. However, the arrow got lucky to catch the 8-ring line. It was one of those shots that you can't do anything about except put it where you think the 10-ring is and pull until it fires. I did that part well. 

  When we got to the last target of the day, a bomb of a stone sheep, I felt confident I would end my day on a good note. After all, my bow had done it's part all day, and I did alright helping it. There was a dark spot at the top of the 11 that I could see really well, so I put the pin there and the shot fired. The arrow pierced the 11, and my day was done. I got off the course with four 11s and two 8s, having shot the other 8 on the first target, an impala, when I didn't have enough number on it. 

  After adding the cards up, I learned I was sitting at 4 down. I took that as a moral victory considering I was shooting a brand-new bow with which I had never shot a 3d target, and I was beyond exhausted. 

                                                              My Final Thoughts

  I can't tell you how good of a job Rhit Wilcox did with this course. He gave us everything a 3d shooter would want to hone their game. He gave us uphill, downhill and sidehill shots. He hid yardage well, and he mixed the yardage up. He gave us close ones, and he countered them with tough long ones. There wasn't one thing this course didn't have. 

  It wouldn't have mattered if I was well rested or not, this course challenged my shooting skills, judging skills and mental skills. I had to use all of them to the best of my ability to survive. I never felt like I was struggling at this shoot, but I did feel like my aiming lacked any type of stability. I found a way to ignore the shake and continue shooting my shot. 

  Barney (my new bow) did his job today. This bow really impressed me. It felt good to be shooting a 37' bow with a 7' brace height on a 3D course. I think this bow will do great things for me going forward. I look forward to getting more time behind it. For being it's debut, it surprised me in many ways. The bow shoots well and is very forgiving. I guess you would say it's what we are all looking for when choosing a bow. 

  I had the pleasure of shooting with Teresa Penner for the first time. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the way her day went. For a period of time, I didn't think she would ever shoot an arrow that would score less than double digits. It was truly impressive to watch from afar. When people are shooting that way, you begin rooting for them and don't want them to ever miss. I found myself doing that. On the last 10 targets, she began running out of gas, but she still held on to finish it off. I had a great time witnessing her shoot her personal best score, and I'm glad I got to see it. Way to go, Teresa. That was some phenomenal shooting. 

  I'll be heading to Vermont this coming weekend to get more miles on Barney and try to decide which bow to bring to Franklin next weekend. Barney did well in his debut. Can he continue marching to the same tune? I'm pretty sure he can, but you never know until you give a player some more playing time. It didn't feel like new-bow syndrome to me. It felt more like I was returning to a platform with which I had a lot of success in the past. It was like going home. I look forward to the future. 

  I'll see all of you on the tournament trail. Good luck to each and every one of you. Shoot straight and keep them in the middle. 

London, KY ASA Pro-Am

 Going into this event, I felt prepared. Although I was unsure which bow to bring with me, I knew I wouldn't go wrong with any choice I made. Finally, I decided on bringing the Mach 34. That bow just flat-out shoots. I can also shoot piles and piles of arrows out of it and not have any issues with my reconstructed shoulder. The bow is easy to shoot, probably the easiest and most comfortable bow I've ever shot... and I've shot a lot of bows. 

                                                                   Practice Day

  Although we spent the majority of Wednesday driving to the event, we got good rest and headed to the event site early Thursday morning. After shooting a few arrows at the bags, I felt good about my shot and the groups that resulted. As expected, nothing had changed. 

  The practice range was relatively quiet when we arrived, so we started on the 25 to 45-yard range and made our way through that and onto the 50-yard range. The lighting was difficult to get used to, but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen in the past. When I can't see well, I focus on a spot and try to make the best shot possible. If it hits in the general location I want it to hit, I consider it a success. If it hits out of the 10-ring somewhere, I just take it and move on. Everybody will encounter the same issues I encountered, so I don't give it any life. It's better to chop the demon's head off than to breathe life into it and let it reproduce. 

  By the time we had finished, I felt confident about Day 1. I navigated the practice range well, judged yardage well, made good shots, and felt good about the results. I was definitely ready for the event. 

                                                                      Day 1

   I was a little disappointed to learn we would be shooting on the power line on the uphill side for Day 1. London goes against everything that is to be expected when going to ASA events, but the location produces quite a crowd. I think I'd probably take that into consideration if I were running a personal business and trying to make money. I'd probably research areas that resemble the location of Kentucky to gain more people, so I could make more money. It has always struck me as odd why some locations have not been moved. Roanoake, Va., used to always get a lot of people, because it's within driving distance from the Northeast, and anyone from the southern part of the country can get there too. I'd probably focus on areas that would have the potential to draw the most people. Enough of that, but it's a common sense decision when it comes to running a business that makes money according to attendance. I'd want to make as much money as possible.  

  When I arrived at my stake, I saw I would be starting on a long, uphill javelina. Although my pin was bouncing around a little after I drew my bow, I felt confident when the shot broke. Looking at it after stepping away from the stake, I thought it caught the bottom of the 10-ring, possibly the lower 12. Since all shots were going to be uphill on this day, I chose to call uppers only when I felt extremely confident about the number and the uphill angle I would have to shoot. In my shooting history, I tend to shoot low while shooting uphill. That's why I chose to try something different than my normal all-uppers game plan.

  The day dragged along without many highs or lows. It was just a slow, steady day. I shot a few 8s on targets that were hard to see. I believe I probably hit where my pin was sitting when the shot fired. I'll never know for sure because I just couldn't see that well, but I'm assuming that's what happened. 

  At the end of the day, I wasn't too happy while walking back to the vendor area. I had a salty taste in my mouth and that was because I wasn't satisfied with the setup of my shot on every target. There were a handful of shots that needed improvement. Landing at 192 for the day, I knew I had a shot to make the shootdown round. I was only five points out of fifth place, but I would have to pass 8 guys to make it happen. With the way I've been shooting recently, I knew I could do it, so I let the day's performance go. I decided I would focus solely on my setup the next day to see if that would help me overcome some of the obstacles I encountered on Day 1. 

                                                                Day 2

  Going into Day 2, I didn't know what to expect. I knew I had to clean up my shot, so I spent time at the practice bags trying to decide which release to shoot. I teetered on the edge of finally going back to a handheld, but not having shot one in a tournament setting since the 2018 IBO World, I decided to hold off and revisit the thought after shooting one in a few regional shoots to get the true feeling of shooting with one back. Although I spent the first half of indoor season shooting one, I don't think it translates to 3D for me. 

  After getting to the range and finding my target assignment, I was happy to see I would have a great group for the day. I would be shooting with Bill McCall, Kevin Koch and Blake Burger. I knew it would be a day filled with good aiming points, competitive shooting, and most importantly... no arguments. Arguments seem to be a part of this game, no matter what class you're in. However, knowing all of these guys, I know all of them would accept any decision that was made, even if they disagreed, and move on to the next target without any backlash. 

  Before the "Shoot'm up" rang down the range, I stared long and hard at my first target of the day: a black panther at the end of a long downhill alley. It was difficult to see, and there was no way anyone would be able to find any type of mark to reference. No matter what anyone says, the target you start on or the first few targets you start on can have an affect on the final outcome. 

  When my turn came to shoot, I drew the bow and tried settling in. I never got comfortable with where the pin was on the target because I couldn't really tell where it was sitting. My hold went a little long, but my shot was good. I knew I executed a good enough to shot to hit the spot. Well, a few seconds later, I was sitting on my stool trying to figure out how I was going to crawl out of the hole I started digging on the first target. My arrow landed under the 8-ring for a 5. I'm not sure if I had a bad number or if the arrow hit where I was actually holding the pin. Since the target was near the max distance, I picked a number that should have easily kept me inside the 8-ring. After pulling the arrows, I marched back up the hill and realized if  I had just done that, some others were going to be doing the same thing. The 7:30 a.m. start time definitely has some disadvantages attached to it. 

  Before we got to the sixth target, I had erased the 5 and made it a 9 by getting two 12s, both on targets I could see clear aiming spots. I executed the shots perfectly, and the arrows struck exactly where the pin was sitting when the shots broke. Both of them felt like perfect golf shots with a driver. 

  When the leaderboard was updated after the first five targets, I had climbed from the 13 hole into the 5 hole. It's amazing what can happen when you stay the path, ignore the bumps in the road and keep moving forward while sticking to the plan. I've never been a streaky shooter. Instead, I'm slow and steady like a turtle trying to cross the road. I never get too high or too low, and I dodge all of the oncoming cars that are swerving to avoid me. People never realize I'm in the mix because I don't do anything special. I shoot a few lower scoring arrows here and there, but I also pick up a few higher scoring arrows here and there. My tournaments are all pretty similar. 

  As we progressed through the course, I gained confidence. At the beginning of the day, I made sure to focus on running my mental program on every shot and to focus on setting my shot up perfectly. It made shooting easy for the majority of the day. As we approached the 10th target of the day, I knew I was holding my own. I wasn't going backward, and I wasn't moving forward. I was staying consistent, and consistency is key when you're plodding along near the top. Looking at the leaderboard after the 10th target, I still found myself on it. At that point, I figured nothing could derail me. I was calm, relaxed, shooting good shots, seeing good numbers, and making good decisions.

  Although I dropped off the board at the 35th target, I was only two points off from it. Then, I ran into the first target of the day that gave me a hard time with yardage. It was a wolverine that was hard to see due to the canopy and the logs placed around it. I tried my hardest to come up with a good number and felt pretty confident when I drew my bow. Since I had called all uppers to start the day, I thought I would have a great chance to get the 12 on the target if I held the pin in the middle and figured in a rise. 

  When the shot broke, I felt good about it. I executed a good one and figured it would have a chance. When my group told me it was high, I was really disappointed. Getting to the target and pulling the arrow, it reminded me how small the difference is between winning and losing and having luck on your side. I missed the upper 12 by about two inches, but the arrow was over the 8-ring in the 5. At that point, I realized I would probably need to get 12s on four of the next five targets to stand a chance. Never believing I'm out of it until the bell rings signifying the end of the fight, I kept battling, getting one more 12 and missing two others by a small margin. 

  My blood was at a boiling point when the cards were finalized because I knew I let a great opportunity slip through my hands. However, it wasn't hard to deal with because I just misjudged a few too many targets and that kind of stuff happens when you're shooting unknown 3D. 

                                                         Final Thoughts on the Weekend

  I've felt really good going into the last three events, as we've finally had good enough weather up here in the north country to be able to get outside and actually practice a little bit for the last two. It definitely makes a difference when you can get outside, get decent marks, familiarize yourself with your sight picture outside, and see targets in different settings. I've worked hard on my mental game, and I've seen great strides being made in that arena. Although Day 1 presented plenty of challenges for me, I went to the practice bales after the round and worked on fixing a few things I encountered. Day 2 let me know that the time spent at the bags and in my mind helped. 

  On Day 2, I was in the fourth group. It's not often that people jump from the fourth group into the shootdown round. On this day, three of the four of us in the group had a chance with five targets left. When the dust settled, two of us had made it into the dance: Bill and Kevin. Kevin would go on to win the tournament. You can never win a tournament on the first day, but you can shoot yourself out of any chance to win it. I gave myself a chance going into the second day and worked my way into a good position along the rail, hoping I would have it in me near the end of the race to nose out a few of the other thoroughbreds in the race. It didn't work out this time, but it wasn't due to lack of effort. 

  New Yorkers showed up at this tournament and represented our state well. Katie Bordwell came away with a big win and brother Glen walked away with a top 10 finish in his trip back to unknown yardage this year. John Marchetti made the shootdown round in Senior Known Pro, and I believe he got to experience his first appearance in a professional shootdown. That's no easy feat and things you can't explain to other people pop up that you never imagined. In my experience over the years, some shootdown rounds are effortless, and others feel like you're scratching and clawing just to survive. Either way, it's a great accomplishment. Congratulations to all three of you.

  Three years ago in London, Ky., I met a guy named Jeff Borg. He was in my group, and we hit it off. He was encouraging. He shot a great shot. He definitely had game. However, he had come from K50 and was trying unknown Senior Pro because there was no Known Senior Pro class at the time. We quickly gained a mutual respect for each other and he was familiar with my success at IBO shoots. He was a competitor who roots for others while also trying to win for himself. I'm glad I met him. Well, three years after meeting, he won this tournament in Senior Known Pro, and I couldn't be happier for a guy. He deserves it, and he's one of the most genuine guys you will ever meet. Congratulations, Jeff. Way to go, buddy. 

  There's always something that happens that I'd like to forget. After looking at the final scoreboard when scores were posted, I realized a huge mistake I had made. After the final target was shot, I was fuming inside. Instead of looking closely at my card before signing it, I signed it and walked away. I had noticed the two 12s written on the card, but all I was thinking about was the two 5s I had shot, so I didn't process it. When the scores came up, I saw that I had been listed as shooting two 12s for the day when I had shot four of them. It was a simple mistake and one I should've taken the time to notice. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't change anything, but it would've earned me a paycheck instead of coming away with nothing. That's why you should always pay attention because once you sign the card, there's no going back to change anything. There was a three-way tie for 8th place and ties are broken by bonus rings. I ended up with the least number of bonus rings of the 8th place ties, so I had to settle for 10th. That's the way it goes... lesson learned. I won't let my frustrations overrule my sensibility before checking out for the day. 

 I'm not going to lie and tell you that this journey doesn't get frustrating at times. I look at my peers and I respect them and their abilities. I also know that I'm competing against the best of the best in my age group. I think I've had a pretty good run the last four years, as I usually find myself in the mix. When I step back from this event and examine all the messages of support I receive from all of my friends, I'm appreciative and thankful. Top 10 finishes are not what I strive for. I challenge myself to make shootdown rounds, find myself on the podium and win. I have the ability to do all of these things. Here is some trivia for people who follow the national 3D tours. I'm sure everyone knows Tony Tazza and Jeff Hopkins. These guys are two titans of the Senior Pro class. They are always in the mix. Well in the last three national 3D tournaments, between the two ASAs and the one IBO, there have only been three individuals who have finished in each of them, and there are many others who have made shootdown rounds and found themselves in the top 10 in two of the events. However, only three have been in the top 10 in all three events: Tony Tazza, Jeff Hopkins and Charlie Brown... oops Todd Mead. Yup, that's me. I'm the guy who seems to be hanging around like an annoying pest. Lucy keeps pulling the football away when I try to kick it. I'm the woodchuck who digs holes in your yard and you try to put me away, but I find a way to dig another hole and another. Eventually, I become your backyard pet, and you just enjoy seeing me there and are content to let me do my thing. Yes, top 10 finishes are great, and I will look back at them some day and be proud of my accomplishments, they're not enough for me. Being out of work and not having found a job yet, this may be my last year being able to travel and shoot national events because I will be starting over somewhere at age 55 and I probably won't have the flexibility or the time off to continue competing. I have five national 3D events left for the year, as the year is half over. I'll give it everything I have to climb out of the top 10 every shoot and make my way into the top 5 like I did a few years ago. I'll keep working in silence and see where the road leads me. I hope you all continue following along and keep chasing your dreams too. 

I need to improve: