St Paul’s students contest shoot
Students from St Paul’s Anglican Grammar participated in the 41st inter-school clay target shoot last week.
Hosted by Sale Field and Game Association, the event has been sponsored by Sale firearms business since its inception in 1978.
There were 149 shooters present, representing 10 schools from across Gippsland.
The schools represented included Lowanna Secondary College, Gippsland Grammar, Lavalla Catholic College, Catholic College Sale, Yarram Secondary College, Maffra Secondary College, Nagle College, Saint Paul’s Anglican Grammar (Warragul), Orbost Secondary College and Leongatha Secondary College.
The event was conducted in accordance with Australian simulated field rules, slightly modified to meet school safety requirements. The competition consisted of 20 targets, shot over two rounds of 10 targets on two separate grounds.
Both grounds consisted of five stands and shooters shot at two targets, single barrel (one shot only), at each stand. Targets differed from stand to stand, varying from incoming to crossing, straightaway, high, low, rising or falling and running along the ground.
The event comprises four divisions - junior (under 15 years) and senior, for girls and boys.
The teams’ event is also always hotly contested. Each school squads their shooters in teams of five, with their best shooters shooting together. The winning team is awarded the much soughtafter perpetual trophy, which this year was won by a team from Catholic College Sale for the first time in the events history.
Just one student, Charlie Goff from CCS, was able to hit 19 targets out of the 20, winning the senior boys division.
There was a shoot-off for placings in three of the divisions, with three senior boys shooting 16/20 and vying for third in that division.
The two senior girls in the shoot-off for first and second shot at five targets before a winner could be declared, while the junior boy second and third place shoot-off was a very close affair. The placings in the junior girls’ division each shot higher scores than had been seen recently in this division.
Winning team Catholic College Sale shot 78/100 targets and won clearly from Gippsland Grammar School and Lavalla Catholic College, who tied on 71/100. All schools produced competitive teams.
The day was a resounding success thanks to Field and Game members from all over Gippsland, together with teachers and parents who assisted on the day.
The participating students also deserve special mention for their sporting attitude and behaviour, which materially contributed to the success of the day.
Results: Senior boys: 1st Charlie Goff (CCS) 19/20, 2nd Lachlan Fleming (Lavalla) 17/20, 3rd Luca Vuat (GG) 16/20 and ; Senior girls: 1st Jordan Perkins (Orbost SC) 15/20 and 3/5, 2nd Claire Merry (GG) 15/20 and 2/5, 3rd Emily Cook (Nagle) 14/20; Junior boys: 1st Rohan Fleming (Lavalla) 17/20, 2nd Ben Del Piccolo (Lavalla) 16/20 and 4/7, 3rd Zac Jones (CCS) 16/20 and 3/7; Junior girls: 1st Chelsea Beechey (Nagle) 14/20, 2nd Renae Jones 13/20, 3rd Jessie Sedman (CCS); Teams: 1st Catholic College Sale (Ben Anderson, Matt Meester, Ethan Cook, Charlie Goff, Zac Jones) 78/100, equal 2nd Gippsland Grammar 71/100, equal 2nd Lavalla 71/100.