TEENAGE Terang College marksman James Hayden has claimed his third-consecutive Victorian Clay Target Association south-west zone schools championship.
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Hayden, 18, shot a perfect 20/20 and nailed all five targets in a shoot-off to take high-gun honours at Noorat Gun Club on Thursday.
He defeated another Terang College shooter, James Aitken, who also hit all 20 targets but could only manage three in the shoot-off.
They were among a record field of 348 to converge on the McKinnons Bridge Road grounds for the annual event.
Competition organiser Malcolm Dyson said Hayden put on an exhibition for his peers in breezy but clear conditions.
“You’ll hear more of James as you go along,” he said.
“He’s an exceptional competitor. He shoots very well, he wins a lot of major events at clubs around here during their Saturday competitions.
“Three in a row will be a record. We were pretty sure two in a row was a record, now he’s got three.”
Aitken didn’t leave the event empty-handed, taking out the senior boys’ crown.
Ethan Domney (Mercy Regional College) and Fred Roper (Geelong Grammer) took out the minor places with 19/20.
Hamilton and Alexandra College’s Sara Kosch topped the senior girls’ section with 18/20.
She beat Luella Foster (Mercy Regional College) and Mishay Chambers (Emmanuel College), who fired 17/20 and needed a shoot-off to be separated.
The junior boys’ title went the way of Trinity College’s Jack Sanders, with 18/20.
Sanders was a shot clear of Oliver Dinges (Monivae College) and Kynan Headon (Ballarat Grammar).
Emmanuel College’s Delaney Foster won the junior girls’ section with 17/20.
She was a shot clear of Makenzie Chambers (Emmanuel College) with 16/20. Nea Gordon (Bainbridge College) was third with 14/20.
A five-member Terang College outfit – Hayden, Aitken, Bowen Kemp, Fergus Lock and Matt Molan – took out the teams’ section with 84/100.
Dyson said the competitors hailed from 26 schools stretching from Warrnambool to Geelong and up to Balmoral, Ararat and Ballarat.
“It’s the largest field we’ve ever had and by far the largest in the state,” he said.
“The south-east zone was second, they had 197, we’re well in front of them.
“Between the four zones in the state, there were just on 700 students compete.”
He said the popularity and quality of competition reflected well on Victoria.
“We’re the envy of the rest of the states in Australia with the schools program we have in Victoria, it’s just been amazing,” he said.
“To have that many students competing is just fantastic.”
The high-gun winner, top-three placegetters in each section and the victorious team will head to state finals at Bendigo on September 7.
