3-Peat...TSRA LR Open Class State Champion..!!

[johnnyi]

I think this earned title deserves its own thread...

Congratulations to TSRA LR State 3-peat Champion..!!
Incredible streak Erik Cortina...Congratulations..!!!

@Erik Cortina ...u da man!!

 

[whysman]

Absolutely impressive performance by the Erik Cortina!

 

[Immike]

Awesome Erik! Congrats!!

 

[Kyle Schultz]

Final match had Mark Walker, Erik, and John Myers shooting head to head in a pretty frisky breeze. Only 2 points separating them. Erik came out on top with a score of 198-9X. A well deserved tournament victory for Erik. Congratulations again.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

right on Erik, good shooting again

 

[hpshooter]

"right on Erik, good shooting again"

Says it all!

 

[Down South]

Congrats Erik, well deserved win.......

 

[Erik Cortina]

Thanks guys.
As you all know, Mark Walker and John Myers are very tough competitors and going into the last match with only 2 points separating us, it could have been anyone's match.

Mark had been shooting consistent the entire weekend and is always a strong finisher.
John Myers had a "train wreck" on first match dropping 12 points, but then came back to shoot a 198 next match. He worked his was back to only 4 points behind the leader after day 1.
I had been shooting consistent but not excellent. The winds just did not allow for good scores nor good x counts. I went into last day trailing Mark by 2 points.

On Sunday, the first match of the day made things closer. John made up two points on Mark and one point on me. I made up one point in Mark, dividing us all by only two points going into last match in high winds.

We lay down to shoot last match and after a string of about five 10's and X's for sighters I decide to go for record. My first shot for record is a 9! First shot of the string has me and Myers tied and Mark leading by 2! I stayed calm and looked at the conditions and was able to identify what caused my 9. I waiting for my condition to come back and shot an X and got going. Shot 4 or 5 I shot another 9 and I stopped to take a look at conditions again. After a pause I started back up with a 10 and started shooting. Now, I only shot in conditions that looked the same because both 9's were shot in conditions that looked very similar but not quite the same. Because of this, I would shoot two or three shots and stop, sometimes up to three minutes or so. I remember clearly I had to stop after shot 17. At this point, I was only two points down. I remember thinking "All I need is conditions to hold for three shots". After what seemed like a long pause, I took shot 18. Target went down and stayed down for a long time. All that was going through my head was "Oh no, I shot a wide 8 and they can't find it." Target finally came up marked a 10! What a relief! I took another shot and then had to stop because conditions changed again. I am now laying there two points down with one shot to go. I wanted to just send it to end the string but I knew how important one point was at this match. I waited and after a few minutes, I sent it! Target goes down and comes up a 10! Relief finally!

Mark ended up dropping 6 on that string buy Myers only dropped 3. He had me on X's so he had an edge on me.

Am I happy for the win, of course I am. But I am more excited about the fact that it was a hard fought win with two of the best shooters the F-Class World has to offer.

Now, for more exciting news. Look at the F-T/R scores and how the last match of the tournament moved things around. Very exciting.