Saturday in Monticello for Fleacon 19

Just after 3:00 am Saturday morning (15 April), yours truly pulled out of my driveway and headed for Monticello, Iowa. I was driving there for Fleacon 19, the annual model contest and swap meet presented by IPMS/Alexander Lippisch at Monticello Berndes Center.

After over 5.5 hours on the road (including stops for fuel, food, and restroom break), I arrived at the show site. A slight rain fell as I carried my gear inside from the parking lot. After exchanging pleasantries with some of the Alexander Lippisch members--including Bill Kreuger, the chapter contact--I paid my contest registration fee and entered my two models in the contest. I brought in a 1:72 PT109 to enter in Ships (and also in the Movie Madness theme category, recalling the 1963 film "PT109"), and a 1:48 A6M2 Zero in Aircraft. The latter was also entered in consideration for the Best Japanese Subject special award.

This contest has two judging looking over each entry and evaluating it against norms for fit and finish, rather than against the field as in most contests. This year, the entries were judging at the contest tables, rather than in a judging table as in previous shows, to aid in reducing lines at contest judging.

I bought some raffle tickets and began walking around the show area, chatting with others I know, like Doug Kolkman with Blackhawk Model Builders Society, Mark Johnson with Glue Brothers, and Joachim Lotz and Chris Riner with Plastic Surgeons. I was the only one from IPMS/Gateway to come, but I brought some flyers promoting Gateway's Invitational this September. I also attended this show in my capacity as IPMS/USA Region 14 Coordinator.

I shopped among the vendors there, chatting with a few and buying one aircraft kit I had an eye on. Luck sure shined on me in the raffle, as I won three kits from it.

Several members from Mad City Modelers came to the show, bringing brochures promoting the 2024 IPMS/USA National Convention they will be hosting in Madison, Wisconsin. I chatted with two of their members.

Late that afternoon, the contest results were announced. My PT109 took a Silver award, while my A6M2 received a Bronze Award. I was happy to talk up Gateway's Invitational when invited by the show organizers to speak. After that, I packed up my models and began the long trip home.

  

It was warm and sunny when I left Monticello, but the skies soon got darker, and rain started to fall. The rain picked up in intensity as I drove further south. I stopped in Mount Pleasant, Iowa to get dinner and ride out the storm. After getting south of Hannibal, Missouri, I checked on the car's radio for the Y98 broadcast of St. Louis CITY SC's match against Cincinnati FC at CITYPARK. Due to lightning and a tornado warning, that match began over two hours later. I was so happy to hear CITY taking the lead in the third minute. I arrived home around halftime with CITY up 3-0, around 10:36 pm, after a 654.4-mile (1053.2 km) round trip. I listened to the rest of the match on my phone's Audacy app, as CITY defeated Cincinnati 5-1. I was one tired, but happy man when I fell asleep.

Later.

Links to Entities Mentioned in this Post:

IPMS Alexander Lippisch: Lippisch Model Club

Monticello Parks and Recreation:  Parks and Recreation (monticello.ia.us)

Blackhawk Model Builders Society: Home | Blackhawk Model Buil (blackhawkmodelers.com)

IPMS/Glue Brothers: (1) IPMS Glue Brothers - Des Moines, Iowa | Facebook

IPMS Plastic Surgeons: IPMS Plastic Surgeons (ipms-plasticsurgeons.com)

IPMS Mad City Modelers: MadCityModelers

IPMS/Gateway: IPMS Gateway Chapter (google.com)

IPMS/USA: IPMS/USA Home Page | By Modelers... For Modelers (ipmsusa.org)

St. Louis CITY SC: St. Louis CITY SC (stlcitysc.com)

Y98/Audacy: St Louis Pop Music Station - KYKY-FM | Y98.1 FM (audacy.com)

USA and Republic of Ireland Women at CITYPARK

Last Tuesday night (11 April), I got off early from work to get to Downtown West St. Louis for a women's soccer friendly. The defending FIFA Women's World Cup Champion USA was hosting the Republic of Ireland at CITYPARK in the second of two matches. Both teams played the previous Saturday, with the Americans winning 2-0.

After finding a street parking area about four blocks from the stadium, I raced to get to CITYPARK. As I entered the stadium, both teams came out for the match. USA honored defender and captain Becky Sauerbrunn, a native of Ladue, Missouri, for her recent 200th international appearance. I saw much of this ceremony on the video monitors along the corridors. The national anthems of Ireland and USA followed this ceremony.

I found my seat in the south end of CITYPARK, a change of pace from the usual north end standing location for St. Louis CITY SC matches. The American Outlaws were in force in the supporter section.

The match began and the Americans asserted themselves early with some good possession and scoring chances. Sauerbrunn nearly scored in the 3rd minute from a header just inside the penalty area, but it hit the crossbar. It would have been quite a goal, especially as she hadn't scored in any international appearances. Sauerbrunn was substituted in the 29th minute to a standing ovation from the 22,294 fans in attendance.

The Irish responded well and asserted themselves more as the match went on. In the 43rd minute, USA defender Alana Cook--who turned 26 that day--scored her first international goal with a long ball some 40 yards (36.6 m) out that sailed over the Irish goalkeeper and into the net.

USA made several substitutions at halftime and their defense held the Irish back. At full time it was 1-0 to the hosts, with Casey Murphy earning the shutout in goal. The teams acknowledged their supporters right after the match. Both USA and Republic of Ireland will be at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this June and July.

I walked out of CITYPARK happy after seeing this match--the first international match and first women's match played at that venue.

Later.

Links to Entities Mentioned in this Post:

CITYPARK: CITYPARK | St. Louis CITY SC (stlcitysc.com)

US Women's National Team: USWNT | World Cup Champions | U.S. Soccer Official Site (ussoccer.com)

Republic of Ireland Women's National Team: Football Association of Ireland (fai.ie)

American Outlaws: American Outlaws (theamericanoutlaws.com)

FIFA Women's World Cup: FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™