Clay shooting: Tauranga Boys' win another national title

Tauranga Boys' clay shoot team, left to right, Brady Anderson, Devin Holland, Ben Tuck (coach), Hamish Williamson, Shaun Gwillim, Joel Edmonds, Josef Reiter. Photo/Supplied

It has been a season to remember for the Tauranga Boys' College clay shoot squads.

Term 3 was undoubtedly the busiest for their shooters with an extra competition in Hastings and the season's end at the North Island and National Championships held in Hamilton at the end of term.

The boys performed exceptionally well and their positive conduct at the shooting range was commented on by many of their competitors. The boys and parents appreciated school principal Mr Mangan attending prizegiving after our home shoot at TECT Park.

The results this term were encouraging and the Tauranga Boys' team truly kept the best to last in winning the national championship for the second time in four years.

At the North Island champs, the A team were 7th equal in teams' point score out of 42 teams. Individually Hamish Williamson shot 10/10 in single barrel and came second overall. Shaun Gwillim, Devin Holland, and Max Shallard shot 20/20 in single rise but were unable to place in the shoot-off. Brady Anderson shot 60/60 in points score but was also unable to place.

At the same venue at the NZ Secondary School champs, the A team came first in the teams' point score (out of 41 teams) to win the national title.

Individually Shaun Gwillim, Devin Holland, and Max Shallard shot 20/20 in single rise but were unable to place in the shoot off. Brady Anderson shot 60/60 in points score and came second. Shaun Gwillim shot 10/10 in single barrel and also finished second. Devin, Shaun and Brady made the regional team based on their excellent shooting over two days.

The NZSS Skeet Championships followed on October 2. Shaun Gwillim shot 23/25 in the skeet but was unable to place in the shoot-off. Shaun and Thomas Box came fourth equal in the NI skeet teams event and second equal in the national skeet teams event. Shaun made the North Island regional skeet team.