Super Six ladies stun shooting community
Top shooters with electronic sights sent packing by iron-sight-shooting women
WITH A record number of shooters participating in a local match held at the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) on Saturday, the all-female shooting team, Super Six, stunned the shooting fraternity by winning the steel challenge, the main team event at the match, defeating a number of accomplished shooters in the process.
The match, dubbed Super Six Carry Gun Nationals, restricting shooters to use only the weapon they carry on the streets, saw close to 100 participants and created a carnival-like atmosphere at the Mecca for sport shooting in Jamaica.
The exciting steel challenge, which came after shooters completed the regular stages, was the main attraction and was designed to test the speed and accuracy of shooters.
The event was being touted as the one that would separate the men from the boys in shooting at JRA. No one, however, factored Super Six in their predictions.
According to Pistol Captain Alrice Palmer, “We know the girls have talent and bring a buzz to shooting in recent months, but no one honestly expected them to be anywhere near the men in this competition, let alone to win it.”
“The rifle team has the top marksmen in the country on it, Western Jamaica had their best team for that event, Customs also had a good team, Shottaz had the highest concentration of top shooters at the club in their line-up, and Team Domino have some good talents as well. Put those teams on paper with Super Six on any given day and there would be pity for the ladies,” Palmer said.
With regular team member Kayla Keane out for personal reasons, Kayree-Ann Daley from Negril tactical range was brought in as guest shooter. They surprisingly outshot all the teams except Team Domino to reach the most exciting man-to man challenge, in this case woman versus man.
The Super Six team, which includes Sasha Mullings, Yeonie Campbell, Sheresa Solan, Shayon Francis, Renee Richki and Daley, had to choose their top three for this event. The top three from Team Domino was expected to come from Carlton ‘Cow’ Willaims, Petrona Belafonte, Marlon Alberts, Phillip Linton, Steve Brown and Michael Wilkinson.
Brown was excluded from the choice very early, claiming he is not shooting against a team he formed on principle, a “principle” the men at JRA say is fear of being beaten by a group of young ladies he introduced to shooting a few months ago.
In the end, it was Mullings vs Belafonte, Francis vs Linton and Campbell vs Alberts, in that order. The fast rising star Belafonte sent Mulllings packing to give Team Domino the advantage. But the ladies weren’t to be left behind for long.
By the time Linton, whose impressive first-round shooting was still being talked about, set his sights, Francis had already brought down her plates, sending the now partisan crowd into a frenzy.
When Campbell, the best female pistol shooter in Jamaica, stepped to challenge Alberts, who is known for accuracy, the excitement was fever pitch. Less than three seconds later, there were wild celebrations, with Alberts learning a valuable lesson in speed shooting.
Chief Range Master, Rohan Wilson, who was officiating, described the performance of the ladies as amazing.
“The men were shooting with electronic sights which acquire the targets with devastating speed and accuracy, while the ladies where shooting with iron sights which make acquiring targets far more difficult, for them to win this event is unbelievable, ”he said.
According to Wilson, he saw the ladies get into a huddle before the final event and it would appear they summoned powers from somewhere because beating these accomplished shooters is not easy, much less to thump them with their electronic sights.
Team captain Mullings, while commending her members for a good showing, said the unit was eternally grateful for the support and was thankful to the men.
She made particular mention of coach TJ Johnson, who has facilitated the team’s continued growth in the sport.