Emma Smith. Photo supplied.Ashburton College’s team of gun shooters have had to settle for second spot at the national secondary schools’ shoot in Wellington.

Held last weekend, the national event saw the Ashburton trio of Shania Harrison-Lee (captain), Emma Smith and Charlotte McKenzie line up against 20 other teams from schools around the country at the Royal Tiger Range in Newtown, to contest the Eddie Love Cup.

After leading for two-thirds of the match, Ashburton College was just pipped at the post by Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

Team manager Nina McKenzie said with two experienced members and a new face, the team worked with real determination to achieve a fantastic result among very strong, and experienced, competition from around the country.

After the three target (300.30) schools’ match, the top 12 qualifiers from each island were selected for the their respective island teams, with all three Ashburton College members being selected for the South Island team to compete against the North, in a two target match (200.20).

Harrison-Lee captained the South side that was narrowly pipped by the North, but from the aggregate of those matches the New Zealand Secondary team was selected, and Harrison-Lee and Smith were both selected, with Harrison-Lee again the captain.

The New Zealand team then had a postal shoot against the Great Britain schools’ team, the results of which are not yet known, while the other competitors shot a plate match in a variety of selected teams.

The national secondary schools’ shoot completed the indoor season for Target Shooting Mid Canterbury’s secondary members, but already they are thinking about going back to go one better at next year’s event, which will be hosted in Blenheim.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 5 October 2019