THE SHORT VERSION:
Thanks to my sponsors for the continued support this past month, please keep telling people about me; I still need to raise money.
Training is going well, In the first few months of training full time I’ve shot nearly 50% of my total arrow volume for all of last year.
Two major tournaments, two major results since the last E-Newsletter! 3rd in Las Vegas, 5th out of 93 at the US Indoor Nationals.
I’ve updated my site to include a NEW!! Product Sponsor’s page, please check it out; I have featured companies who have given me discounts and/or product.
THE EXTENDED VERSION:
First and foremost, THANK YOU to my sponsors. Because without you, I wouldn’t be able to train full time and the results from the past month would not have been possible. Since the last E-newsletter, I have been able to bring in an additional $725.00, much of which came from people who heard about me from people who were already sponsors - so a special THANKS to those of you spreading the word with your t-shirts and conversations. Please continue to tell people about me, the more publicity I can get the better. I still need to raise about $8000 to have my expenses fully covered.
FEBRUARY/MARCH RECAP:
I stepped up the arrow volume in the month of February; let’s just say that in the first two months of 2004 I have shot almost 50% of my total arrow volume for all of 2003! Here is the percentage break down for February: 78% Shooting, 14% Cardio and Yoga, 8% Recovery. As far as scores go, I was able to shoot consistently above 300 at the Olympic distance with high scores in the teens and low scores just above 300. (For those of you who are just joining us, I need to be shooting in the 320-range to make the Olympic team in June).
March is going well, I am on track to shoot about the same volume as February. However, my main focus for this month is not on my score, but on some of the technical changes that Vic and I have made with my form. For those of you new to Archery, any archer will tell you that the number one thing that will improve your score is good form. So even though I was hoping to make a real appearance at the Arizona Cup (March 31st-April 4th http://www.azarchery.com/azcup2004/azcup2004.htm), I will be much more satisfied with my performance if I am able to make some headway with my new release.
LAS VEGAS WORLD INDOOR ARCHERY FESTIVAL:
February 20-22nd, I was in Las Vegas at the World Indoor Archery Festival, my first major tournament since last year’s outdoor Nationals. The second I got there, my heart started beating about 20 beats higher per minute than normal. It was as if all the sudden someone poured a vile of acid in my blood. I had never experienced anything like it and I knew instantly that I had to control my nerves if I was going to get through the weekend. At the end of Friday, I was tied for fourth place but only behind first by 3 points having shot a 277.
Saturday I had a little luck on my side – some of my biggest sponsors, Susie and Deno Spanos came to cheer me on with their friends the Duggers (see pictures). Although the nerves were still lingering, having close friends to talk with in-between shots kept me calm, allowing me to shoot a tournament personal best score of 281. It was good enough to put me in second, ahead of third by one point.
Sunday, I shot a 272 to finish off my first major tournament of the year with a third place finish. One thing I learned was that I still need some work on staying cool under pressure and not letting outcome rule my performance. My goal was to shoot to the best of my mental ability and the byproduct was that I beat some of the top US women and won $400 in prize money.
You can see the Results online by going to www.worldarcheryfestival.com, click Vegas (under tournaments on the main page), then click on results, then select 2004 for the year and RLF for division, click on Get Results and you should see my name.
US INDOOR NATIONALS:
Nationals are held over two weekends in 11 cities with roughly 1000 competitors ages 5 to 95. I chose to shoot in Boston mostly because I missed my ArcheryUSA family (Anthony Bellettini and all the kids and their parents from Team Elite www.archeryusateamelite.com) and secondly, having shot in Massachusetts last year, I was familiar with the facility. Being in Bean Town also gave me an excuse to drop by Schwab and catch up with my favorite colleagues as well as stop at Mike’s Pastry to pick up some treats for Doc, my host in Florida, who said he would rent out my room and all the stuff in it to someone else if I forgot.
Saturday, the first day of the tournament, I was on cruse control whether I liked it or not. It was one of those days where you go to put your foot on the accelerator only to find out you forgot to fill up the tank, lucky for you the gas station is only a block away and all you have to do is coast to get there. At the end of the day, I had shot two 276s back to back. Although I was pleased that I had held it together and not crashed, I went to bed knowing I had to reach in deeper and find that next level to make a bigger impression on Sunday. That night I made it a point to get a good night’s sleep and to keep my focus on a mentally strong shoot.
Sunday I found that second gear, I burst out of the starting blocks with a couple of 29s and a pair of 30s (for those of you who are confused about the scoring, each arrow is worth 10 points, there are 3 arrows per end, and 10 ends per game: 30 is a perfect score for an end and 300 is a perfect score for a game). My first game was a 284, my personal best game performance in a tournament, only 2 points shy of my all time personal best practice score of 286. My second game was a 277, leaving me with an overall personal best tournament score of 1113. Late last week the NAA published the final results online at www.usarchery.org as it turns out I finished 5th in the country out of 93 girls. Having placed 44th in 2003, I’m pretty excited about the finish, if I do say so myself!
Thanks again for tuning in – and of course for the sponsorship, I could not have gone from 44th to 5th in one year without it! Look for my Indoor Nationals post card in your mailbox soon.
Keep your dreams alive!
Joy
Mark 10:27
