USPSA’s Dave Thomas: Have AARP Card, Will Compete!

Sedro-Woolley, WA — Armed with a custom built 1911, and his AARP card, Mt. Vernon, Washington's Dave Thomas stunned the shooting world by capturing the Area 1 Single Stack title as a Senior class shooter, and in doing so proved that starting your shooting career in the days of the matchlock can help you run and gun with the 'kids'. “Dave had a lot of people eating crow with his surprising victory,” said Bruce Gary, USPSA’s Area 1 Director. “While they were making jokes about his Geritol and various nursing home sponsorships, Dave blew through the stages like Sherman through Atlanta – which I think Dave actually remembers.” The Single Stack Division, so called because the model 1911 pistols used in competition feature magazines which hold just a single column of ammunition, is growing in popularity as more and more competitors opt to shoot the more traditional model pistol first put into military service in the year 1911, the same year Dave Thomas graduated college. Finishing just behind Thomas by the narrowest of margins was Kyle Roberson of Burbank, Washington who in one of those golden moments of pure sportsmanship said upon learning of Thomas’ win, “You gotta be f*&#%ing kidding me!” Rounding out the top five were three shooters who asked that their names not be used and have petitioned USPSA to be DQ’d to avoid further undue embarrassment. The USPSA Area 1 Championships were held at the Tri-County Gun Club in Sherwood, Oregon. A total of 300 top shooters competed in USPSA’s Open, Limited, Limited-10, Production, Revolver and Single Stack divisions. The USPSA Area 1 region includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming but competitors from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Virginia and British Columbia, Canada attended. CONGRATULATIONS, DAVE!!!