Stephanie McNair cleans up both at school and North Island Championships

The Top Team at Palmerston North Girls' High School for 2020 – the Smallbore Rifle Team comprising Briar Summerhay, Stephanie and Caley McNair.

At the Palmerston North Girls' High School Sports prizegiving on October 29, Stephanie McNair of Dannevirke was awarded the Dux Ludorum trophy for top sports student in 2020. She also won the a cup for being Top of Code in her sport of smallbore rifle shooting.

She also shared with her younger sister Caley and Briar Summerhay the award for the smallbore team being highest achievers at Palmerston North Girls' High.

Stephanie McNair at home with her shields from the North Island Championships, her medals for the NZ Secondary Schools championships her cups for being Top of Code at Palmerston North Girls' High in Smallbore Shooting and Dux Ludorum – Sports Dux of the school.

This tops off an amazing year for Stephanie in her chosen sport where she has taken on and consistently finished top or second against the best shooters in New Zealand.

She began the latest round of successes mid-September competing in the North Island Championships. Shooting at the Palmerston North Club when the results from different ranges throughout the North Island were announced Stephanie had won Shields for Top Junior, Top Woman, Top A-Grade and had missed top the Open by 0.1 to Olympian Ryan Taylor.

Interestingly, her mum Ruth had won the Women's Shield in both 1990 and 2000. Two decades on it was Stephanie's turn.

Buoyed by these results at the end of September, she and sister Caley attended the National Secondary School's Championships where she shared the title with two other shooters and was selected for the North Island team in the competition against the South Island.

Secondly however she and Caley joined with Briar Summerhay to win the National Team's Event for PNGHS, beating Ashburton High School in the last few results.

The trophy table at home is now full but there is scope for expansion. Stephanie still has one more year at school and waiting in the wings is younger sister Caley – a very accomplished shooter as well.