Clay Shooting: Tauraroa to represent Northland at nationals

The Tauraroa Area School team.

Tauraroa Area School's clay shooting team will represent Northland at the 2015 North Island and New Zealand Secondary Schools Clay Target Championships in Hamilton.

This follows their team win at the fifth and final shoot on the 2015 Northland Fish and Game Secondary Schools Clay Target Shooting calender. The event, held at Whangarei Combined Gun Club saw a superb display of skill as all competitors rose to the challenge.

Fish and Game Northland manager Rudi Hoetjes said the sport brings about a range of excellent disciplines for competitors who represent their schools both as individuals and as part of a five-person team.

"This is a great, safe and supervised introduction to a sport that can lead young people on to representing New Zealand in this disciplined sport at an international level," he said.

"The competition also teaches young shooters the challenges of game bird hunting and being able to put some wild meat on the table in the company of family or friends."

Secondary School students who competed in this year's five events came from as far north as Kaitaia College, and as far south as Maungaturoto's Otamatea College. All of the shooters who attained first, second and third places in their various disciplines received Fish and Game medals and sporting goods prizes. Other schools and individuals that took part in the Northland event will also travel to Hamilton, September 26-28, to compete in the national competition.

-Overall Winners

Teams Event: Tauraroa Area School.

Points Score Open: Cedric Curel, Tauraroa Area School Team 1.

Single Rise Open: Hainee Musgrove, Whangarei Boys High School.

Single Skeet: Olivia Hendriks, Pompallier Catholic College.

Skeet Pairs: Justin Caldwell-Smith and Kyle Caldwell-Smith, Whangarei Boys' High School.

Single Barrel Boys: Cedric Curel, Tauraroa Area School.

Single Barrel Girls: Olivia Hendriks, Pompallier Catholic College.

Ernie McConnell Family Cup: Tauraroa Area School Team 1.

Far North Cup: Kaitaia College.

NSS Clay Target Assc. Cup for Girls: Olivia Hendriks, Pompallier Catholic College.

Highest Overall Gun (Girls): Olivia Hendriks, Pompallier Catholic College.

High Overall Gun (Boys): Cedric Curel, Tauraroa Area School.