My first major match of the year is complete! I’m sure the weather reflected some people’s feelings about this match: uncertainty. This was the match that allowed people to know where their times changed since their last match. Like I said in my last post, some people changed setups and tried different tactics on the stages. During the first match of the season, shooters can determine how helpful their changes were. Plus, we are able to see friends for the first time in months! Some shooters may not have the opportunity to shoot all eight stages during the off-season; the first match of the season shows the shooter where/if they gained time. All in all, the first match of a new season is important and fun for everyone!

At this match, several exciting things happened: I received my Team Steel Target Paint jersey, met up with friends, made new friends, set personal bests, shot all eight stages in three centerfire divisions for the first time, and became the first lady to shoot all eight  stages with an iron-sighted rifle in under 70 seconds. This match was a blast!

On Thursday, I shot my first major match with PCCO, PCCI, and Production. My JP Enterprise PCC was shot a lot throughout the weekend and there were no problems! With Georgia being my first match with the Glock, I wasn’t too sure how it was going to turn out. In the end, I didn’t win anything, nor did I expect to, but I did gain confidence in my ability to shoot Production. Learning the ropes of centerfire pistol has been a learning experience for me. I’ve had literal blood, sweat, and tears at practice but it was well worth it!

On Friday, the weather was much better than on Thursday. I shot both rimfire rifles in the morning and both rimfire pistols in the afternoon. My squads were extremely enjoyable. Last year is a bit of a blur to me now (so much has happened), but I do remember the great food at this match! Before I even thought about packing for the trip, my dad was making remarks about the awesome peach cobbler. We were sure to grab a bowl before it was all gone!

My goal was to shoot in the sixties with my rimfire rifles. I made that goal with my iron-sighted rimfire rifle. My final time was 69.68 seconds! Now that I shot in the sixties once, I gained confidence in my ability to do it again and with both rifles. I am starting to realize that this match was a confidence boost for me. Not because I won a plaque or anything, but because I shot a fairly decent first match of the season. With my Glock and PCC, I shot my first full match. With my iron-sighted rimfire rifle, I shot in the sixties for the first time. Also, I shot my first full match with our new Volquartsen Scorpions. When I was preparing to start this season, I forgot to consider match anxiety. Now that I shot my first match for 2020, match anxiety can be conquered!

On Saturday, my sister, our dad, and I all RO’d on different squads. This meant that I had to rely on my own judgement for calls as an RO. Although nerve wracking at first, I got the hang of it and started to become more confident in my ability. Thanks to two awesome squads, I had several opportunities to learn more about prompt decision making.

I conclude my blog with this: thank you to everyone involved in the match. Many work hard in organizing the matches we all love and they need acknowledgement. However, the competitors are also important for Steel Challenge. Without competitors, there would be no reason for matches to happen.

Thank you for reading my blog!

This wouldn’t have been possible without my sponsors:

• Rangestore.net
• Steel Target Paint
• Hunters HD Gold
• Vortex Optics
• JP Enterprises
• GT Targets