The Jamaica Skeet Club’s competition calendar came to a close on Sunday with the 200 Target Sporting Clay competition at the picturesque and expansive True Juice Estate in Bog Walk, St. Catherine. One hundred and five shooters took to the course over two days for a grueling 100 target each day and then a shoot off among the shooters with the top six scores to determine the national sporting clays champion.
The Super Six shooters were Chad Ziadie – 174, Nicholas Chen – 170, Christian Sasso – 167, Craig Simpson – 167, JJ Ralston – 167 and Shaun Barnes -163.
The Super Six shoot-off normally consist of a 25-bird target over three rounds of intense shooting to determine the overall winner. After the three rounds, Ziadie and Chen were tied on 185 each and had to do another round of eight targets. At the end of that fourth round they were still tied on 191 each, which meant that they had to go to a fifth round of shoot-off. For the first time Ziadie shot first and picket off seven of the eight targets. It was left to Chen to pick off all eight targets for the win. Chen was the only shooter to get all the birds in a round, which he did in the third round, but it was not to be as he bagged six birds and ended one short, to hand the championship to Zaidie.
“It feel great. It’s my first national 200-bird championship. I have been runner-up twice, last year and two years ago so it feels good to be finally on top. (The shoot-off was) “nerve racking. You have to keep your mental going until the very end and also just zone out everybody else and just focus on yourself. He (Chen) pushed me to the end and I am glad I came out on top.” said Ziadie.
Junior shooter JJ Ralston was declared the A Class champion after scoring 167 along with Craig Simpson -167 and Christian Sasso – 167. All three shooters competed in the Super Six shoot-off. Their placements are a direct result of their scores at the end of the shoot-off which were 183, 182 and 180 respectively.
The Ladies champion was Alaina McMaster with a score of 149 after posting 79 and 73 on the first and second day respectively. Her mother Wendy McMaster was second with a total score of 140 while Jolie Chin (115) was third. Alaina McMaster also bagged second place in B Class behind Ramon Pitter (167).
McMaster scored three shots more this year but thought she could have done better, even though she successfully defended the championship that she won in 2022,. “I am not entirely satisfied with my performance over the weekend however I am still grateful that I was still able to come out on top” said McMaster.
The top three shooters in the various classes were:
A Class: JJ Ralston – 167, Craig Simpson – 167 and Christian Sasso – 167.
B Class: Ramon Pitter – 161, Aliana McMaster – 149 and Najeeb Haber – 137.
C Class: Gordon Bucknor – 145, Dominic Simpson – 143 and Wendy McMaster 140 (L/R).
D Class: Criag Hendrickson – 156, Justin Samuda – 149 and Anthony Desnoes 141.
E Class: Max Williams – 127, Seymour Essor – 124 and Chris Clarke – 121.
Ladies Class: Aliana McMaster – 149, Wendy McMaster -140 and Joelie Chin – 115.
The Juniors: JJ Ralston – 167, Roman Tavares-Finson – 161, Mark Desnoes – 159 and
Hunters or Beginners: Andrew Clarke – 132, Kevin Chin Shue – 126 and Nick Dawson – 125.
