PISTOL SHOOTING
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DEAN Brus is still coming down from a high after winning three individual national titles and setting a national record at the 46th Australian National Championships in Wagga over Easter.
As well as his individual titles, Brus and the NSW team of Greg Armstrong (Young), Ron Martin (Sydney) and Tony Drabsch (Parkes) won all three team events. NSW (Brus, Armstrong and Martin) claimed the service unrestricted teams title for the seventh year in a row.
"It was my best nationals ever," the Orange shooter said.
"I won the 25m service pistol which was the inaugural running of the event. I set the record in that. I shot 631 out of 650. I've shot better than that before but obviously not at nationals. I hold the State record at 632 out of 650.
"I won the service pistol and I won the service pistol unrestricted. To take out the three titles was just great. To make it even better NSW won all three team events. It was pretty special."
Brus' 25m service pistol record will stay forever because new rules for the event will be brought in next year due to new legislation regarding pistols and the length of barrels.
Brus also contested rapid fire at nationals for the first time finishing eighth.
"I missed out on a finals berth (for rapid fire) by a couple of points,'' he said. "They take the top six to the finals. I'm still happy with my performance. I learnt a lot and got some good advice from some elite athletes."
Brus was already back into the swing of things yesterday doing some rapid fire training and said it would be his focus for a while.
"I'll work on my rapid fire now and pursue better scores there," Brus explained. "I can still improve. I was told not to be too hard on myself."
Brus has a busy schedule ahead with the Dubbo Western Plains Championships at the end of May and the Australian Grad Prix just a week later where he will compete in rapid fire and air pistol.