"To go to the Open Nationals while I'm at school is a great way to get me used to shooting with people who have more experience and usually make these New Zealand teams. It's great to get amongst them."
The Mackintosh Trophy is contested for in the Mackintosh International Postal Shoot.
This postal match is open to all countries in the British Commonwealth. Participation in this event has given New Zealand shooters a high international standing after winning it five times.
There are five team categories in the shoot - senior (21 to 54), ladies, junior (under 21), veteran (55-64) and super-veteran (over 65) - with the top 25 scores going towards the Mackintosh total.
In qualifying for the team, McCarroll had a single rise score of 49 out of a possible 50, 46 out of 50 for the single barrel and 137 out of 150 for the point score, earning her a third equal placing and a spot on the Mackintosh team.
McCarroll didn't initially even intend to become a shooter three years ago but some conflicting advice from family got her in the sport.
"My brother convinced me to do it. I was never really into sport and he thought I should give it a go.
"Mum didn't really want me to do it but she relaxed and I've never looked back."
McCarroll has gone from strength to strength in the sport, winning the ASB Code Award for Clay Target Shooting at the 2017 ASB Northland Secondary Schools Sports Awards.
She said she loves how shooting is a unique sporting spectacle.
"It's different and when you tell other people about it they always ask about the sport. It's quite cool explaining it to people and I love how different it is to other sports.
"The sport has a level playing field. Beating the boys is pretty cool and shooting allows everyone to compete against each other.
"I also like how all different ages do the sport. It's great to be able to learn from the older people in shooting. It's a sport where everyone helps out and is friendly.
"It's a really cool environment."
McCarroll is coached by Jock Hay and practises at the Whangarei Combined Gun Club.
Hay said it's a great honour for McCarroll to represent the country in a code that isn't fully recognised internationally.
"It's hotly contested and in this discipline it's the only big competition," he said.
"It's the only Silver Fern that these types of shooters can earn because it's not internationally recognised because the Americans do it a different way."
