“I set myself a goal to do it before my 40th birthday and I did it.
“I’m really happy for all the people who have supported me since I competed at my first nationals, in 2008 — especially my sponsors Gun Supplies and Gun & Bell Custom, for all their help and support over the years.
“I couldn’t have had this success without them.”
Manson held both North Island and South Island open IPSC titles in 2015 and 2016 but missed out on winning the national match.
“To do it this year is an awesome feeling,” he said.
Manson, who has won the North Island title for the past five years, said he was nervous as he waited for the overall placings to be announced after the three-day competition.
“I knew it would be close. I was behind Ramel after Day 1, after seven stages.”
The second stage had been a strong-hand one. Manson’s gunsight had been smashed on a flight back from Dunedin, and the replacement was not sighted as well as the original.
“I lost a lot of points on that stage,” Manson said.
“I managed to get some points back towards the end of the day to close the gap on Ramel.”
Manson made up for his Day 1 disappointment by winning four of the seven stages on Day 2.
“I didn’t check the points at the end of Day 2,” he said.
“It takes the surprise out of the prize-giving.
“I later found out I was in the lead by 20 points but not knowing the scores at the end of Day 2 meant I couldn’t relax, which is the way I like it.
“It meant I had to shoot well on the final day, which was four stages.
“I knew Ramel could always pull out some good times on any given stage.
“It poured with rain on Day 3, and it was cold.
“I felt I shot three of the four stages well.”
With the match over, Manson faced an anxious wait to see if he had achieved the treble.
“This year they called the top three to the stage in random order — Ryan Ainsworth, third; Aaron Manson, first; then Ramel Maligro, second.
“It was a great feeling, especially with the year I’ve had, healthwise.
“My hernia operation wasn’t as successful as we’d hoped it would be, so I’ve had to get it done again. But I’ve got an awesome physio, Lorna Hughes, who has kept me running.”
The nationals were also the last qualifying event for the Australasian handgun champs in the Phillipines in 2019, and Manson is ranked top qualifer.
Manson’s partner, Natalie Hawes, was second in the open women’s division, behond Sarah Tamaela from Indonesia.
“I was rapt with my placing,” Hawes said.
“I was second out of eight women and even though Sarah won the gold, I was proud to be the best of the New Zealand shooters and the other overseas shooters.
“The first day for me didn’t go so well but days 2 and 3 were good.
“I still don’t have my own pistol back and felt if I had, I could have done better.
“Otherwise, the match was perfect for me. It had a challenge in every one of the 18 stages and as Aaron and I train for different challenges, they felt familiar and were fun — especially as a lot of them were shot in the pouring rain.
“The season has now finished for us. I start back in January, shooting the Hawke’s Bay Summer Challenge.
“Aaron hopes to be fit for the River City Open in Whanganui in February.”
