Lindisfarne College shoots to top spot at national clay target championships

(From left) Coach Ralph Harper, Sam Rasmussen, Owen Read, Jack Hamilton, Jonty Bothamley, Nathan Campbell, manager Robyn McCormick and coach Mike McCormick. Photo / Supplied

For the first time since 1994, Lindisfarne College has won the national schools' clay target championships.

After losing 12 of its 18 members last year, many of the school's shooting team that went away to the competition in Christchurch were relative novices.

A Lindisfarne College spokesperson said that all the boys achieved outstanding results to take out the title.

The A team of Jonty Bothamley, Owen Read, Jack Hamilton, Nathan Campbell and Sam Rasmussen came seventh in the South Island Championships on the first day of the competition.

On the second day, they went up a gear to finish tied for first place with Huanui College from a field of 57 schools.

Due to the tie, the schools went head to head in a shoot-off.

The Lindisfarne boys shot a further five targets each and with just one target dropped they defeated Huanui and took the title of 2022 champions.

A five-person North Island team, including Lindisfarne's Nathan Campbell, was selected from all the competitors to participate in the inter-island teams shoot, which the North Island team won.

Four of Lindisfarne's A team members also qualified for the five-person open inter-regional Fish and Game competition in which they came third.

While away, the team was accompanied by coach Mike McCormick and team management Ralph Harper and Robyn McCormick.

A spokesperson for the school said the college was "extremely proud of this amazing result from the boys".