Waimea student shooting for success
It’s amazing the impact a bit of sibling rivalry can have in reaching one’s sporting goals. Just ask Scott Green.
The Waimea College year 12 student was recently named top boy at the Target Shooting New Zealand secondary schools postal competition.
Out of 135 entries, his score of 196.08 from a possible 200 was enough to hold off Scott Kershaw of St Bede’s (195.12) and Matthew Hodges of Whanganui’s Cullinane College (195.10).
He also joined team-mates Holly Gibbons and Olivia Guyton to claim third place in the mixed teams section, just 12 points adrift of the winners from Ashburton College.
A useful gauge of form ahead of the national competition, shooters compete at their home range before results are sent through for final ranking – hence the postal element.
The Wakefield 17-year-old has been shooting since the age of seven, when he and older brother Tim took notice of their dad Barry’s rifle hanging up at home.
A keen shooter, Barry was only too happy to send his boys to the local Wakefield club to see how far the apple fell from the tree.
‘‘I took Tim down and he loved it, so of course Scott had to come along too – it soon ended up being that whole ‘my brothers not going to beat me’ thing,’’ he said.
The brotherly competition certainly worked in terms of Green’s development.
By age nine, he had matched and occasionally surpassed his big brother. South Island and regional titles have come thick and fast since then.
Following their success at the Saxton range, Guyton, Gibbons and Green head to Palmerston North this weekend for the nationals, where Ashburton College remained the biggest threat in the teams event.
‘‘This one sorts out the men from the boys,’’ Barry said.
However, Green said he was confident in Waimea’s ability to cause an upset on neutral territory.
Green’s go-to distance was 25 yards (22.86m), although Green regularly practised at 20 yards to prepare for the competitions further south.
‘‘Everywhere south of Christchurch tends to shoot from the 20,’’ he said.
Green hasn’t thought too far ahead when it comes to his longterm ambitions, although he does hope to make the New Zealand junior and open teams in the near future.