The 44th annual Howard and Schuback Gippsland Interschool Simulated Field Clay Target Shooting Championships took place at the Sale Field and Game Range on Wednesday, June 14.
It was a crisp morning as 154 students from 12 Gippsland schools arrived at the range.
Students from as far apart as Korumburra and Orbost participated this year, with a student from Korumburra Secondary College being welcomed for the first time.
There have now been 25 different schools that have participated in this event since its inception in 1978.
The shooters were divided into 29 squads of five or six shooters, with even-numbered squads to shoot their first 10 targets at five stands on the south side of the range and the odd-numbered squads on the north side.
After a short break around lunchtime, the squads were called back onto the range to shoot 10 targets on the opposite side to their first round.
Shooters were divided into junior and senior groups, girls and boys, with students 14 and under classed as juniors. There were 70 boys in the senior event, 53 in the junior, while there were 17 and 14 in the girl’s events, respectively.
Field and Game members from all over Gippsland helped in many capacities, from transporting students, setting up the range, manning the canteen, refereeing and scoring the squads and recording scores. Without this support, and from teachers in the schools, parents and bus drivers, events such as this would not take place.
Gary Howard (2022 Order of Australia Medal recipient) was chief referee for the day, which ran very smoothly.
Club president Michael Brown awarded the prizes, congratulating all shooters on their behaviour and their very safe gun handling, and also thanked all the helpers who had given up their day to make the event a great success.
RESULTS
SENIOR BOYS:
1st Finn Carpenter, Gippsland Grammar – Score: 19
2nd Joel Hooper, Gippsland Grammar – Score: 18+6/6
3rd Bobby Kanavan, Lavalla College – Score: 18+5/6
SENIOR GIRLS:
1st Sienna Smith, St Pauls Warragul – Score: 18
2nd Ella O’Doherty, Gippsland Grammar – Score: 14
3rd Joci Heenan, Lavalla College – Score: 12+6/6
JUNIOR BOYS:
1st Noah Seddon, Lavalla College – Score: 18+5/6
2nd Isaac Robinson, Lavalla College – Score: 18+3/6
3rd Cooper Mitchell, Lavalla College – Score:17+6/6
JUNIOR GIRLS:
1st Imogen Carpenter, Gippsland Grammar – Score: 15
2nd Nikki Farley, Orbost Secondary – Score: 13+4/6
3rd Darcee Young, Gippsland Grammar – Score: 13+2/6
TEAMS:
1st Gippsland Grammar #1 – Score: 82/100
2nd Lavalla College #1 – Score: 79/100
3rd Catholic College Sale – Score: 76/100
