CALIFORNIA COWBOY LEVER GUN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

                                                MAY 13,14 & 15 2005

Great weather conditions greeted the cowboy lever competitors for the 2005 California State championships hosted by NCSA at their range complex at Pala Ca.

Shooters took advantage of the shooting conditions and shot some very high scores and set or tied several national records through the three-day shooting event. The only sad part of this event was the low turn out of competitors down about 15 from 2004 event, guess the high gas prices kept some from traveling to this great shooting event. Hope next years turn out is much higher.

Each of the three events consisted of two 40 shot matches for an 80 shot aggregate.

The rifle Cal. match was shot on Friday May 13.

Dave Fellingham won match one with a 37 x 40 and Robert Holmstedt won match two with identical score of 37. Robert Holmstedt was the aggregate winner with 73. Holmstedt tied an open 80 shot record with his 73. Also the three man team of Tony Tello, Dave Fellingham and Harold Itchkawich set two new records for this event with a 96 for a 40 shot match and 189 for a 80 shot match.

Tony Tello was 1^st Master winner with a 66, Dave Fellingham won AAA class with 72, Bill Glathe won AA class with a 65 and Frankie Perezchica was the winner of A class with 54.

The pistol cal. match shot on Sat May 14 Th. Also had many very good scores. Dave Fellingham came through with a 72 to win the aggregate match.  Tony Tello won match one with a 38 tieing a national record, and Michael Roche won match two with a 38 also tieing the national record.  Again the team of Tello, Fellingham, and Itchkawich tied the existing record for an 80 shot match with a score of 203. Tony tello won master class with a 70, Mike Roche won AAA class with a 68, Robert Holmstedt won AA class with a 68 and Tom Gaines won A class with a 52. Dave Fellingham was awarded the California Bears Head Trophie for his win.

After two days of two 40 shot matches each day some shooters started to tire and not as many good scores and no national records were broken or tied. Robert Holmstedt continued his winning ways with a 37 to take match one and slowed in match two with a 31 but his combined score 68 was the overall winner in the .22 cal. aggregrate match. Robert received the California Bears Head Trophie for his wins in the Rifle Cal. and .22 Cal match. The bears Heads trophies are provided by the CRPA. Again Tony Tello was winner of master class with score of 66. Joe Stencel had a 66 also and won AAA class. Gerald Hayler won AA class with 58 and Hugh McCulloch was the winner of A class with a 51. There were no B class shooters in any of the matches. No juniors shot this year and only one woman shot in the pistol cal. event. Close to half the shooters were seniors (60) and two Super Seniors (70).

Jim Eggleston was Super senior winner in the Rifle Cal event with a score of 54 and Joe Bricker won the pistol Cal Event and the .22 cal. event. 58 and 56 respectively.

Robert Holmstedt was awarded the Iron Man Award for the shooter with th highest score in the three matches, Dave Fellingham won 2004 Iron Man and the 2003 Iron Man was won by Kevin Gross. Their name goes on the rotating plaque, which they get to keep for a year until the next event. It is awarded by NCSA for either the Cowboy lever gun regional or State match which ever is held at the NCSA range.