Boys Trapshooting Aims High

Joined by the Girls Team in Central Otago

What a privilege it has been to coach and spend time with such a respectful and dedicated group of boys over the trap shooting season. There have been lots of learnings, as we found our way through this first season of coming together as a team.

The boys have been training at the grounds of the Waimate Oamaru Gun club, who have also lent us equipment. The gun club members happily support and encourage our boys. I cannot thank the president Graham Kingan and club members enough for their support. Other practises have been held at a local farmers property on a private range. Without this generosity of time and facilities, we would not have been able to get more of our team shooting with consistency this season. Thank you to the parents and guardians who have been supportive and put up with many phone calls and e mails over the season as learned together.

The Kurow and McKenzie Gun clubs have also made us welcome and feedback on the behaviour and demeanour of the boys is very encouraging.

As a squad, we have only been to four interschool competitions this year. There were two in Timaru and two in Central Otago.

The whole squad consists of:
Brandon Howell Senior
Sean O’Brien Senior
Thomas Ballantyne Junior
Max Barber Junior
Clark Ewing Junior
Jack Murphy Junior
Corbyn Hocken Junior
Ryan Kennedy Junior

Results
Corbyn Hocken –shoot off Timaru for single barrell
Ryan Kennedy - second place in single rise in Wanaka
Clark Ewing- first place in single barrel in Wanaka and first place in single rise Alexandra
Brandon Howell and Clark Ewing shot possibles in single rise in Alexandra . Which put them both into the shoot off.
Clark Ewing got in to the shoot off for the “ High Gun” in Alexandra which is a shoot off for the top shooter of the weekend. There were 9 in the shoot off and Clark was the only junior.
Four boys achieved their 25 straight Long Run Badge (25 targets shot in a row).  Sean, Clark, Brandon and Ryan.  Congratulations to these boys on this wonderful achievement.

Overall at the Taieri Sheild event held in Alexandra, the St Kevins boys placed second behind the highly regarded John McGlashan College team. It was the combined scores of all our boys that put us in such a good position. It is worth noting that our boys have consistently placed well in comparison to other teams at competition. This is reflective of their combined scores, even when no individual stood out.  The boys shot at a teams competition at the McKenzie club in Twizel, where Sean, Ryan, Corbyn, Clark and Thomas beat the local team. Thanks go to Grant and Tash Hocken who organised this shoot and are very supportive of our boys.

We are heading off to the National and South Island Secondary Schools Trap Shooting competition in Christchurch on the 24 to 26 of September. I hope for some more personal bests for our boys and maybe some medals. 

These boys are great to coach and I am looking forward to spending next season with them.

Colin Ewing - Coach

CHECK OUT THE TRAPSHOOTING ACTION IN THESE PHOTOS