By Jacqueline Irving | Posted: Thursday October 24, 2024
Our Clay Target squad members Hunter Burgess, Shamus Young, Johnathon King, Dustin Young, Tom Collie, Charlie Hore and James Gare proudly represented Otago Boys’ High School at The South Island and New Zealand Clay Target Championships.
All students competed in DTL with Johnathon and Dustin also competing in Skeet on the Monday.
It was a great way to end the 2024 season. Students travelled with their families to Christchurch and enjoyed fine weather, collegiality, and some tense moments shooting. This group of families are the boys' biggest cheerleaders and enable them to have this opportunity. The boys’ coach, Bill McKinley was present to guide and proudly see “his boys” in action after so many Wednesdays spent training at The Dunedin Clay Target Club training. It was lovely to have an old boy and previous Sports Captain Nic Sim spend Saturday cheering us on.
Students found day one at South Island championships tough as did many of the 305 students shooting. Overall scores were low across the cohort. Sunday's conditions and clays proved more favourable. Junior students Tom, Charlie, and James shot some personal best scores. Tom Collie narrowly missed gaining a junior title. Our Skeet shooters had a hard Monday with norwester winds absent on the previous two days out in force.
The outstanding result of these champions was Shamus Young claiming New Zealand Secondary Schools 2nd Single Barrel Senior title on Sunday.
This was the last opportunity for our three Year 13 shooters to represent Otago Boys’. We wish them every success and know that Clay Target will remain a competitive sport for them beyond school. We will follow their success moving forward and welcome them back to support us at competitions.
Shamus Young
During my time at Otago Boys' High School, Trap Shooting also known as Clay Target has been a major part of my schooling. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to be selected for the New Zealand Under 21 shooting team, a significant achievement in my sporting career. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to claim several national titles and have been a member of the Otago Intercollegiate squad for the past 3 years. These experiences and this sport have taught me the importance of discipline and focus. I have taken immense pride in representing both my school and country. I would highly recommend this sport to anyone who wants to challenge their mental focus, strength, or physical control as trapshooting is very demanding in each of these areas.
Johnathon King
Unlike Hunter and Shamus, I started shooting in Year 11 and also commenced Skeet shooting which is a completely different discipline compared to DTL. This is now my main shooting focus. Throughout the years I have been travelling with school and independently to places all around Southland and the odd shoot in Canterbury. This year has been great for my shooting because I was able to go to the Secondary School Nationals. I have been selected to go to Hamilton in November to shoot for the junior South Island team at The New Zealand National Skeet Championships and I am looking forward to it. The only reason that I have come this far is because of the encouragement from Shamus and Hunter, Bill Mckinley’s efforts coaching me, and Ms Irving’s organisation.
Hunter Burgess
I began Clay Target shooting in Years 9 and 10, but it wasn't until Year 11 that I got into it competitively. Over the past 4 years, I’ve competed at multiple shooting events all around Otago and Southland and the occasional one in Canterbury. I have been to two South Island shoots, a North Island shoot and three shoots at the national level. I have loved the experience and have been shooting alongside team members Shamus and Jojo, which made it even more enjoyable. I want to give a big thank you to Bill McKinley and Ms Irving for their coaching and support to all of us boys throughout the years