Clay Target Shooting

from Karamu High School Yearbook 2019

Class Photos

2019 has been a year of triumph and trial for the clay target team. The team of Daniel Stuart, Cameron Spargo, Oliver Wiggins-Crowe, Max Crossan and Jesse Kereru started well with a win at Taupo in the Murray Luke Memorial competition. 200 secondary school competitors had arrived at Taupo for this prestigious trophy shoot. They followed this up with a win in round two of the Central & Lower North Island Series. The series involves over 60 secondary school competitors from Gisborne across to Taranaki and down to Wellington. Cameron Spargo had to miss one event while qualifying for the NZ Junior Universal Trench Team who will compete in Australia next year. Our congratulations to Cameron on this outstanding result. Cameron was second in the skeet for the series and was a member of the HB Clay Target team along with Mr Field which won the Gunn Cup, a regional interclub competition. Henry Wiggins-Crowe, younger brother to Oliver, stepped up to the main team to replace Cameron and performed solidly. Occasionally, Lakiya Neill shot for the main team with very credible results. The next trial for us came in the form of a rugby injury to Daniel Stuart. This put him out of action for the rest of the series and the National Championships. This meant that Daniel, the current North Island Single Rise champion, could not defend his title. Henry became a permanent member of the team. The remainder of the team still managed to gain second place over the whole series, beating strong teams from Palmerston North Boys’ High, Napier Boys High and Rathkeale. The outstanding shooter of this series was Oliver. For the second year running, he was the High Gun of the whole series, winning the McCormick cup. He also won the Dean Family cup in Point Score and the McLanachan Family cup in Single Barrel also for the second year running. Another trial for the team was to hit just as we arrived in Hamilton for the Nationals in the form of a phone call from Oliver’s dad. Oliver was bed ridden, poleaxed by a virus and unable to get to Hamilton. His brother, Henry, was marooned in Hastings. The remaining three team members would have to battle on with hopes of a competitive team score a distant memory. Cameron, however, responded in the most positive way, going on to become the NZ Champion in Point Score and 2nd in Single Rise. He was selected for the HB regional team which won the NZ Fish & Game trophy, and the North Island team which won the interisland challenge. Cameron had the top score of the two teams. He followed this with a 4th place in the NZ skeet competition. This has been an outstanding year for Cameron who will join the other members of the Junior NZ Universal Trap team in Australia next year. Cameron is the 4th Karamu shooter to represent NZ along with Kirsten Birrell, James Fulford and Mitchel Davis. This team has been together for four years and formed strong bonds within the parents group who supported their sons with fundraising, transport and encouragement. Next year will see a rebuilding with the development squad of Henry WigginsCrowe, Alex Corbishley, Lakiya Neill, Sophie Maddox, Kaleb Bardell and Seb Theobald moving into full competition. Mr. Nigel Field