Members of Jamaica's Super Six shooting team with Andrew Stanigar at the send off ceremony on Thursday.
Contributed
Jamaica’s history-making female shooters will be leaving the island starting on Sunday to compete in the Pan American Handgun Championships in Polk County, Florida from September 14-21.
Members of the team, who were feted by title sponsor Spectrum Systems at the Jamaica Pegasus on Thursday, are looking forward to competing in the Production Optics Division. Yeonnie Campbell, Renee Rhickie, Sasha Mullings, Shayon Francis and Kayla Keane will make the trip to Florida where over 28 countries from Central, North and South America will compete over various divisions.
The Super-Six squad had intensified their tactical training under the watchful eyes of coaches Andy Yap and Anthony Johnson and their fitness levels have been enhanced thanks to physiotherapy courtesy of Spectrum Systems.
Team member Shayon Francis is satisfied with preparations going into the championships,
“We will be competing against shooters who have been doing this for years so we started training up to four times per week instead of just twice daily. Our physical training has really helped to improve our agility and speed going into the championships as a result,” she said.
For this reason and others, Sasha Mullings, the team captain, believes they are ready to perform at their best.
“I know we will perform well in Florida and I know this will boost more interest in the sport from licensed firearm holders. We are ready," she said.
The team’s participation at the championships was made possible through a multimillion-dollar sponsorship from Spectrum Systems who will cover airfare, accommodation and match rounds.
Andrew Stanigar, the Managing Director of Spectrum Systems believes the women will represent the country well in Florida.
"I have seen these ladies rise to the challenge to beat the best male shooters in Jamaica and they did that through teamwork, ingenuity and strategy," he said. "I am confident that they are going to make Jamaica proud."
Also in attendance at the send-off ceremony were Jamaica Rifle Association President Major John Nelson and Formula Woman Driver Sara Misir who offered words of encouragement to the women.
Near perfect Craig Simpson, Wendy McMaster emerge winners at Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays Classic
Craig Simpson and Wendy McMaster toppled defending champions Nicholas Chen and Aliana McMaster to take the top spots at the recent Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays Classic on at the Tru-Juice complex in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
Simpson posted his highest-ever sporting clays score with an almost perfect scorecard of 97 out of a possible 100, after dropping just one bird each on stations two, four and fourteen.
"All year, it’s been a tough year. Been struggling with a lot of things mentally, technique, all of those things but, as usual, kept at it and everything came together,” said Simpson.
“It was 18 stations; first we have ever seen that here. The targets were technical even though there was something there for everybody. It was all about who was able to maintain the focus and I knew that.”
Roman Tavares-Finson's 95 earned him the runner-up spot.
Wendy McMaster scored 82 to win the Ladies category ahead of her main challenger, her daughter Aliana. She said the secret to her win was staying out of the heat, keeping hydrated and sticking to the game plan by focusing on her shooting only while on the course.
"I am very happy. I had a good day shooting the targets. I found a secret last week and I tried it out today and it really worked well so I am really happy that I ended up in the eighties."
Aliana was just three shots back on 79 in second place while Lori Ann Harris was third with a score of 77
The top three shooters in the various classes are as follows: A Class: Chad Ziadie 94, Christian Sasso 93 (L/R), Ian Banks 93 (L/R); B Class: Najeeb Haber 87, Brandon King 82, Aliana McMaster 79; C Class: Ramon Pitter 83 (S/O), Ricky DuQuesnay 83 (S/O), Eddie Depass 83; D Class: Zachary Chin 87, Justin Samuda 85, Kashka Jones 80; E Class: Lenin Thompson 81, Max Williams 80 (L/R), Luke Chin 80 (L/R); Hunters or Beginners: Lori Ann Harris 77, Stephen Silvera 75, Leanne McMaster 74; Ladies: Wendy McMaster 82, Aliana McMaster 79, Lori Ann Harris 77; Juniors: Roman Tavares-Finson 95, David Wong 89, Mark Desnoes 87.
Defending champions Jamaica to depart for Antigua and Barbuda for 2023 Caribbean Full Bore Championship
Team Jamaica will leave the island on Sunday (May 7) to defend their West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship in Antigua & Barbuda between May 8-14 at the Crabb's Range.
The team to be led by Captain Phillip Scott will include the current national Full-Bore champion Nicola Guy, Jamaica’s first female national champion. Also on the team is two-time Amazon trophy winner and O Class champion Karen Anderson.
Major John Nelson, the president of the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Council and five-time Wogarth Cup winner, reigning Wogarth Cup winner, Captain Dwayne Ford, Canute CC Coley, Dennis Lee and Dr. Derek Mitchell complete the line-up.
George Hutton will serve as team manager.
Full Bore competition features competitors shooting from a prone position from distances of 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1,000 yards. Notably only Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica have 900-yard and 1,000-yard courses.
Shooters compete in three possible classes. X Class comprise the top 15-20 shooters in the Caribbean. T Class is any shooter participating in a regional shoot for the first time. Everyone else is in O Class.
Jamaica is considered to be a power house in Full Bore Shooting having won several championships and is always on the podium.
The Amazon trophy is awarded to the highest-scoring female while Wogarth Cup is awarded to the shooter who has the highest score in the team match.
Nicholas Chen & Aliana McMaster to defend Rangers Sporting Clays titles
Defending champions Nicholas Chen and Aliana McMaster are ready to defend their titles at the Rangers Gun Club and Family Fun Day which is set for Sunday, May 7 beginning at 10 am at the True Juice complex in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
The Rangers Gun Club is expecting a field of approximately one hundred and fifty shooters along with family members to trek the lush walking course venue for a day of individual and team competition featuring the local gun clubs.
For the second year in a row four clubs will compete for the trophy; Driftwood Gun Club, Jamaica Gun Club, Rangers Gun Club and defending champions, the Trelawny Gun Club.
Competition for top honors will be stiff as some of the Jamaica Skeet Club's best shooters will be vying for top honors. They include nine-time national shotgun champion Ian Banks, six-time national shotgun champion Shaun Barnes, current national shotgun champion Chad Ziadie, his father Geoffrey Ziadie, Ray McMaster, Andrew Hopwood, Ryan Chen and Bobby Chung as well as the high performance family team of female McMasters - Aliana, Wendy (five-time national shotgun champion) and Abigail along with other well known female shooters in Renee Rickhi, who is part of the Jamaica Rifle Association's Alpha Angels lady shooters, Marguerite Harris and Tara Brown.
Shooters in various classes from A- E, Hunters or Beginners, Juniors, Sub-Juniors, and Ladies will be competing in order to win their classes and, in some cases, move up to more challenging classes. The course features a seventeen-station walking course.
Part proceeds from the event will be donated to the Food for the Poor organization.
The lead sponsor for the Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays and Family Day is Sterling Asset Management. Worthy Park Select is the gold sponsor and there are several 'station' sponsors.
The club has rich a history of young business men and some of their fathers who loved shooting getting together in the mid 1980s to start the Rangers Gun Club at their Salt Gully base in St. Catherine.
They initially focused on bird shooting then took on sporting clays which is currently the most popular form of the sport and is said to be the favorite of the younger shooters. The tournament is being brought back by on their request. The club's archives show that Michael Ammar, John Ammar, David Shoucair and Wayne Srour took the leap with Michael Ammar Sr., Sameer Younis and Dr. Badih Shoucair to start the club.
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