Northland shooters on target all year

The highly successful Tauraroa Area School shooters. Photo/Andrew Johnsen

Northland students have been right on the money when they've taken on the country's best at shooting competitions across 2016.

Tauraroa Area School, which has a student body of just over 400, has proved to be a hotbed for shooting talent.

Eleven students from the school have combined to take 11 titles, as well as an array of high placings, shooting out of the Whangarei Combined Gun Club.

The boy's squad with their coach, manager and major sponsor. Photo/Andrew Johnsen

Cedric Curel, Kyrin Carter, Bligh McClellan, Cameron Leijen and Blair Thomas combined as the highly rated boys team.

They were the top of their field in three events, taking out the Northland Region Secondary Schools Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition, the Ernie McConnell Family Trap Shooting Inter-School Challenge Trophy and the Kilwell/Gamebore Inter-School Postal Shoot (open team).

The team also finished second in the New Zealand Point-Score team event.

The depth of the team was on show during their success in the Postal Shoot, with Max Woodhouse ably filling in for an absent McClellan.

The girls were no slouches either.

After being runners-up in the North Island Point-Score team event, they went on to take out the South Island Point-Score team event and the Kilwell/Gamebore Inter-School Postal Shoot.

They were also first in the Fish and Game Regional Teams Challenge in the girl's division.

The team consisted of Trinity Peirson-Harrop, Carlisa McCarroll and Keely McCollum.

On top of their team success, there were plenty of individual accolades.

Curel took out the Open Skeet and Skeet Pairs for Northland while finishing runner-up for Single Rise, Point Score and Single Barrell.

Leijen won the Single Rise, Point Score and, combined with Curel, the Skeet Pairs.

Carlisa McCarroll stood out as one to watch, coming in as the highest ranked girl. Photo/Andrew Johnsen

McCarroll was the victor in the South Island Point Score and second in the Single Barrel for Northland. She was eighth overall out of 315 shooters across all divisions.

Peirson-Harrop was second overall for girls in Northland and third in Single Barrel.

All four are finalists in the ASB Sports Awards.

The shooters are coached by Jock Hay and managed by Cherie McCarroll.

Hay describes himself as an 'old-school coach' and said the tensions were high throughout the season.

"I've got a pacemaker and it was working overtime," he said.

"I'm tough on them and tell them I'm not one of their school teachers. If they're out of line I'm not afraid to give them a kick up the bum."

And the results are testament to that approach.

Hay said the sport gives kids another avenue.

"Not every kid can go out and play rugby. And it helps them outside of the sport as well," he said.

"They learn to concentrate, which they carry to the classroom. It's a common trend throughout schools."

Cherie McCarroll wanted to thank their sponsors for their help throughout the year.

"Our major sponsor is Fish and Game, along with Sloane Livestock Limited," she said.

"We've had donations from Mid Western Lions Club, Maungakaramea Sale Yards and ASB Bank, along with a grant from Oxford Charitable Sports Trust."

Fish and Game have been sponsoring the club for 13 years, giving $4000 a year. This goes towards medals, trophies, prizes, ammo and vouchers.

The club are looking to hold an open day in the near future to try to get more people involved in shooting.