VERY NICE story by John Zurek, Top Gun Match

[Mako]

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of meeting current U.S. Air Pistol Champion John Zurek ... you can't imagine a nicer, more positive fellow. Once you've shared the firing line with John, you WILL believe in how much Positive Energy works! John sent me this wonderful description of the Top Gun Match, final match after the 3X matches at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this last weekend. He's willing to share this story with everyone ....
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The airport in Denver is snowed in, so I may be extending my stay in this beautiful winter wonderland another day. The results are in from the 3x Air Pistol match. After five days of the Master's Camp training it was good to shoot a match and test my competition shot plan. I seemed to have a rough start on each match on the first few targets but after that, I was able to settle in on the ten ring. I made the finals each day, twice in the 3rd position and once in the 4th - the top eight shooters compete in the finals. I finished the match 4th overall, with the 3rd place shooter a little over one point ahead of me.
The Top Gun match followed the 3x match. The Top Gun Match is a 3 round heat elimination match. The first heat is 30 shots, then the top 26 shooters shoot 20 record shots for the second heat. Then the top 18 shooters fire 10 record shots for the third heat. Then the top 10 shooters do a single elimination on the electronic decimal targets, not unlike a finals, where the low man sits out til there is one man standing. I finished third in the first heat, then second in the second heat, then third again in the third heat. The finals round was really exciting...I started with a 9.0 and should have been the first to sit down, but another shooter had fired a 8.7, yeah! The fifth shot found everyone shooting a ten, I had a 10.2, and someone else had a 10.1, talk about "by the skin of my teeth", wow! I never left the 10 ring from the fourth shot on, so my confidence was high as I entered the final shot, I fired a 10.2 and my contender, an Air Force Shooting Team member fired a 10.1...whewwwwwww, I won the coveted Top Gun match by a tenth of a point!!!
This competition and training proved to be an invaluable time to work out some kinks in my shot plan and how I prepare for a competition. It proved to be a timely investment, considering I will be competing in Bangkok next month, trying to find high level competitions is critical to my training. I am grateful to have the opportunity to train and compete here this week.
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John is going to be shooting at our USA Shooting PTO Match this coming Sunday, February 1st, in Chino Hills, at the Prado Olympic Range. Email me is you want more info ...
makofoto-at-earthlink.net.48532.0

[Mako]

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makofoto-at-earthlink.net.48597.48532

[Mako]

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makofoto-at-earthlink.net.48598.48597

[bruce]

Nobody took MY picture?
Finished 7th Overall in a great match. After shooting 1500 rounds in 9 days it was about all I could take with an injured arm. Great camp and experience.
Missed you Mako.
.48604.48597

[rt]

The last shooter in the blue shirt is Mike Douglas...not John Ennis.
: vis a vis the previous post's photo ... That is US National Pistol Coach (and Standard Pistol World Record holder) Eric Buljung handing the 2004 Top Gun Trophy to John Zurek.
: This photo shows John Bickar, Jason Turner, John Zurek, Brian Zins and John Ennis in the finals shootoff.
: Note that the Top Gun Match is a Formal affair ... that stops just short of Style Points! :-)

.48613.48598

[JeffUIT]

: Nobody took MY picture?
Uh, I did. With the snow, I haven't had time to get the photos developed. I'll post a URL to them once they're done :-)
jeffrey-at-liii.com.48645.48604

[Mako]

: The last shooter in the blue shirt is Mike Douglas...not John Ennis.
: : vis a vis the previous post's photo ... That is US National Pistol Coach (and Standard Pistol World Record holder) Eric Buljung handing the 2004 Top Gun Trophy to John Zurek.
: : This photo shows John Bickar, Jason Turner, John Zurek, Brian Zins and John Ennis in the finals shootoff.
: : Note that the Top Gun Match is a Formal affair ... that stops just short of Style Points! :-)

makofoto-at-earthlink.net.48660.48613