I don't remember earlier 1st place trophies (yes, there were some), but I remember a 3rd place in '81 and a 1st place in '95 that are very fond memories. Both were flying F1A, aka Nordic Glider, starting in '70, retiring about '85, then coming back in '95 and '96.
The '81 contest was in Rancho Cordova, CA, the 2 day, 10 rounder. I maxed out the first day (5 x 180= 900 sec.) and won the "Champagne Flyoff" with something over 8 minutes...1 flight, mass launch, no max. Next morning, before the crack of dawn, we went up again, and I dropped 4 seconds, and marked the only lift of the round, after towing for 50 minutes. Maxed the rest, for 1796 seconds of 1800, for 3rd, missing the flyoff between Lee Hines and Jim Parker, both of whom had been or eventually became team members, while beating several past team members. A good go, that weekend. But I came back from vacation to a pink slip at Boeing, and Mom died that month. But I got to be with her when she died, tell her I loved her and that she was THE best Mom a kid could ever ask for.
The '95 contest was up here at Ft. Lewis' "Harts Lake Prairie", for the "Western FAI Challenge". Pierre Brun had called me from California, to try to get me to fly in the contest. I had been planning on going to help, but didn't think I had a model left from the early '80's. Pierre said he would let me fly one of his old models, no problem (and legal, being FAI rules). He really wanted me to fly because he was leading the America's Cup competition, and the more people he beat, the more points he got. I knew that, but don't know if he knew I knew that! I had to join AMA plus FAI, plus entry fees and by the time I was done had $95 invested. Suddenly, I got real serious about doing well, because that was a lot of money to me, and only cash was awarded, except for 1st place. I ended up winning 1st in F1A, beating Pierre with the same model he was flying. Ralph Cooney (Fourmost hardware and tools) placed 2nd, also flying the same model! The win put my name on the Marc Nagasawa memorial perpetual trophy, which meant more to me than the $240 I won, and means even more to me now.
The original perpetual trophy disappeared sometime after '95, but was replaced with a new plaque. The contest stopped when the Strat-O-Bats club folded up around Y2K, but a few of the active fliers are still around, and I asked about the trophy. It was in a storage locker, and now it's on my wall where I can see it as I twiddle on the computer. Oh, FWIW, Pierre didn't win the America's Cup until the next year.
Steve