Lanelle McArthur (left), Shania Harrison-Lee (middle) and Emma Smith have successfully defended their title at the New Zealand secondary schools’ target shooting match. Photo supplied.Lanelle McArthur’s secondary school shooting days have come to a successful end.

McArthur and team-mates Emma Smith and Shania Harrison-Lee headed to Rangiora at the weekend to compete in the New Zealand secondary schools’ target shooting match and could not have wished for a better outcome.

The Coronation Target Shooting Club trio defended the title they won the year before at the shoulder-to-shoulder match, topping the leaderboard with a score of 877.42 ahead of second placed Fielding High School on 873.27 and third placed Palmerston North Boys’ High School on 860.22.

The school shoot opened the big weekend of shooting, with each team member shooting three cards, and as well as those three cards each being enough to secure Ashburton College the title.

Harrison-Lee’s individual effort was also the day’s best which saw her named the captain of the South Island team for a shoot against the North.

All three Ashburton College students shot in the match against the North Island, which was won by the South, and McArthur was the top shot in that which resulted in her being named the captain of the New Zealand team for a postal shoot against Great Britain on Sunday.

That New Zealand team featured all three Ashburton girls again and the results of that shoot are not yet known.

McArthur was also the shoot’s overall top woman, with her total score of 492 a record for the top girl trophy at the competition.

For McArthur, a Year 13 student, it was the last time she will shoot for Ashburton College, while Harrison-Lee and Smith are year 11 students this year meaning that – along with a new team member – they’d be able to take aim at a hat-trick in the national match next year.

Despite being defending champions heading into this year’s event, McArthur said there were no nerves.

As a shooter, you couldn’t afford to get nervous.

“It’s a very mental sport and if you have too much on your mind or you’re stressed or nervous you’re going to shake and you’re not going to do well,” McArthur said.

All three Ashburton shooters are no strangers to top competition either. Just last month they combined to win the New Zealand secondary schools’ championships postal shoot.

For that they had to send away for rounds of targets which took them out the team title, while Harrison-Lee was the top overall individual and won the B grade championship, in which Smith was third.

McArthur was the master grade champion in that shoot and third overall.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 3 October 2018