FRONT SIGHT - uspsa

U.S. LADIES INVITATIONAL
By: Kerby Smith A-2386
Since no ladies'
slots to the Nationals
were up for grabs at
the Women's Invitational
Match which
preceded this year's
U.S. Nationals did that
mean the end for the
annual tournament?
USPSA decided instead
to award 2 ladies slots
at each Area Championships
with 10 or
more ladies participating.
PASA's Dick
Metcalf and Smith &
Wesson decided that
the concept of a
Women's Invitational Match was
still vital to the support and
growth of practical shooting.
Metcalf said, "As long as it is a
male-dominated sport, it will
continue to be a minority sport.
Bringing women into the sport
and youngsters is the key to
making it a majority sport. The
Pike-Adams Sportsmen's Alliance
is committed to hosting the
women's tournament for as long
as the women will keep coming
and shooting it. Smith &
Wesson and now Bianchi
International, along with
Winchester, Porta-Target and
Cylinder & Slide committed
themselves to continue to
support the match. Next year,
we are going to attempt to get
sponsors for all of the individual
stages.''
Despite the fact that no slots
to the Nationals would be
available many ladies came and
shot the tournament. And what
a tournament it was! It was a
full surprise tournament with
seven stages that were either
semi-surprise or full surprise.
The first two stages, "Close" and
''Not So Close'' basically were El
Judy Woolley
Presidentes designs at two
different distances. "Paul's
Standards" was a Virginia Count
standards which tested the
competitor's ability to shoot
standing, kneeling and prone as
well as to make rapid magazine
changes.
"Jiffi Stop" was a Comstock
field course designed by Quincy
police officer and USPSA Range
Officer, Duane Long. Long was
CRO on the stage and was
surprised to see only two ladies
adopt the strategy he felt was
optimum in shooting the field
course. The stage winner, Carol
Wine, was one of the ladies who
took the time to analyze the
course and figure out how to
save a reload.
There is something about full
surprise courses that challenges
the imagination in all of us.
Many of the men who
accompanied the lady shooters
to the tournament were wishing
that they could shoot the stages
as well. It has been suggested
that after the first competitor
runs a surprise course it is no
longer a surprise for anyone
else, because the first shooter
tells all the other shooters
14 the secret of the course.
At the shooters' meeting
Metcalf cautioned the
competitors not to give
away the secrets of the
two full surprise courses.
Obviously if a competitor
t,ells another competitor
the secret or secrets on a
surprise course they have
just lowered their own
score on the stage, and
they have taken away
from the other competitor
the experience of being
tested on the course.
"Central Park Jogger"
was a stage where both the
shooting equipment and the
ammunition were supplied to
the shooters. The competitors
had their choice of one of three
Smith & Wesson Model 5903
pistois. Ammunition for the
9mm pistols was supplied by
Winchester. To carry the pistols
Bianchi International supplied
their new "Top Secret" fanny
packs. The scenario called for
the competitor to be jogging
along a wooded path and to
encounter aggressors along the
way.
CRO Mike Morehead took a
lot of time to aquaint each lady
shooter with the equipment.
Surprisingly several of the ladies
had never seen or fired a
conventional double-action pistol
before. Due to Morehead's
diligence the stage ran smoothly.
The secret, as is the case on
most "trail" type courses, is in
the location of the targets. On
this one there were only two
difficult black-painted pepper
poppers to locate. Canadian
Ladies' Champion, Kerry
Lathwell, had no trouble finding
them and she won the stage.
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