Nine-time national shotgun champion and president of the Jamaica Skeet Club, Ian Banks and sixteen-year old junior shooter Lori-Anne Harris were crowned champions of the Proven David East Memorial Sporting Clays shoot which was held recently at the picturesque Murphy Hill in St. Ann.
Both shooters were winning the event for the first time since it began in 2020. Banks, who shot 93 after missing only seven targets, was very pleased with winning his first shoot in a very long time.
“It is very special because it's been a number of years since I've finished at the top, so it's very, very special and of course, this is the first sporting clays shoot of the calendar year so it's a nice feeling.”
He, along with the other competitors, had to battle the changing conditions of cloudy, windy, sunny and at times very hot during their time on the seventeen-station course and was very modest about his performance.
“I wouldn't go as far as to say (I) conquered. I just happened to come out on top today, you know, and obviously with the cadre of youngsters that are coming up now, I certainly couldn't be termed a youngster. It's a good feeling because we have some really, really good young people coming up in the sport.”
Chad Ziadie, the two-time and current national shotgun champion bagged the runner-up spot after a tense shoot-off with B Class shooter Todd Lazarus.
Lazarus won the toss and opted to shoot first, picking off six of the eight targets. Ziadie was perfect on the station as he punched all eight targets. Both men had shot 92 in the main event and could only be separated by way of a shoot-off.
Lori-Anne Harris got her first hold on the Proven David East Memorial Sporting Clays trophy when she shot 85 to win the Ladies’ and the Juniors categories, the first time that someone other than a McMaster was winning the ladies’ category.
“It feels pretty good. I mean I didn't think I was going to make it but I pulled through. I think it was a really good course. I really enjoyed myself. I mean the birds were challenging and it was a good experience,” she said.
Aliana McMaster, the four-time winner of the shoot and her mother Wendy, who won in 2020, both shot 84, therefore the runner-up for the Ladies’ category had to be decided by way of long-run.
Wendy came out the winner while Aliana pocketed third place. Long-run uses the results on pre-determined stations to break ties in order to get a winner.
The top three in the various classes were A Class Gerry Chin 91, Craig Davis 90 and Ryan Chen 89; B Class Todd Lazarus 92, Robin Rickhi 84 and Anthony Desnoes 79; C Class Adam Harris 88 by way of shoot off with James Chen who also shot 88 and Sean Clacken 85; D Class Chris Clarke 88 (S/O), Nicholous Stewart 88 (S/O) and Tariq Nembhard 84; E Class Christopher Fung Chung 83, Ben Jardim 82 and Leanna McMaster 79; Ladies Lori-Anne Harris 85, Wendy McMaster 84 (SO), and Aliana McMaster 84 (S/O); Hunters or Beginners Kurt Chin 79, Lianna Burgess 75, and Craig Powell Jr. 74; Juniors Lori-Anne Harris 85, Aliana McMaster 84, Cameron Lee 77; and Sub Juniors Craig Powell Jr. 74, Noah Sing 64 and Liam Samuda 59.
Club treasurer, Kirk Miller, credited the support of Proven Wealth, Grand Excelsior Hotel, Monymusk, Fidelity Motors and a host of other sponsors for the success of the shoot, which allows the Driftwood Gun Club to contribute to its charities.
“We have two basic schools in St. Elizabeth in the Treasure Beach area that we provide support to. Part proceeds of the event today will go to helping them with their back to school efforts and their school feeding program.”