Congratulations to Anna Hooper on winning the C Grade Simon Memorial Trophy at the Wellington Open Champs on Saturday with a score of 286.10.  This trophy is awarded to the top Wellington C Grade shooter at the champs.  Congratulations also to David Grain on gaining a place in the Final 10 present.  Many thanks to those who came along to assist with running the event and ensuring everything ran smoothly, and to those who provided plates of food for sale.

Our newer shooters started using scopes yesterday and it was pleasing to hear comments such as “that felt like a really good shot and when I looked in the scope I could see it was”.  Identifying where you feel your shot went is a major step in learning to shoot – the scope is simply used to verify this.

Callum Austin, Mike Williams and Evan Strachan all recorded new PBs this week – well done!

The top D Graders yesterday were Callum Austin 95.3, Emily Lockery 92.1, and Chris Lockery 91.0 with all other D Graders achieving a score in the high 80s.  Amy Nathanson and Matthew Canlas scored best in C Grade with 95.4 and 95.2 respectively.  Best in B Grade was Mark Riley with 96.3 and Meredith Ackrill was top shot in the higher grades with 99.4.  Meredith also achieved the best 20‑shot score of 197.13 closely followed by Dianne Grain with 197.9.

The North Island teams have been selected to compete against the South Island on 18 and 19 August in Nelson.  Congratulations to the following Brooklyn members on their selection:

  • Meredith Ackrill – North Island Open team and North Island women’s team
  • Erin Little – emergency for North Island junior team and on call for North Island women’s team.

Meredith Ackrill recorded the best score from our club of 195.7 in the interassociation women’s match on Wednesday, with the team result being similar to other years.  Full results will be available in September.

A reminder to keep your grading returns up to date.  These will be requested in the first week of October for compilation into the club return to TSNZ.  It is far easier to input your scores each time you shoot than try to remember your scores at the end of the season.  It is also interesting to watch your progression through the season on the spreadsheet and see how close you are getting to moving up a grade.

Upcoming events:

  • Thursday 19 July, NDC Round 5, 7.30pm.  Open section: Meredith Ackrill, David Grain, Dianne Grain, Evan Little, Mark Riley, Casey Israelson.  Composite section: Anna Hooper.  Junior section: Erin Little.  Emergencies: Amalamo Simi, Inge Little, Wiko du Toit.
  • Saturday 21 July, Manawatu Open Champs, Palmerston North.
  • Sunday 22 July, deadline for Round 4 closed champs.
  • Tuesday 24 July, Round 5 interclub, all grades.  Teams named Friday 20 July.
  • Monday 30 July, Interassociation D Grade, 8.00pm + 8.45pm, 2x10.
  • Monday 30 July, Interassociation B Grade, 8.15pm, 1x20.

In club shooting this week, the top D Graders were Emily Lockery 93.0, Chris Lockery 92.1 and Josh Whitehead 91.1 with another four shooters recording scores in the high 80s.  Matthew Canlas shot best in C Grade with 96.1, and Wiko du Toit was top B Grader with 96.4.  In the higher grades only an inner separated Meredith Ackrill 99.5 and David Grain 99.4, and Meredith had the best 20-shot score of 198.9.

Our Brooklyn teams didn’t have a great night on Wednesday in Round 4 of the interclub competition, losing each of the three matches.  Top Brooklyn shooters in each grade were Casey Israelson and Amalamo Simi jointly with 95.2, Erin Little with 96.3 and Dianne Grain with 194.8.  However we still are leading in the C Grade competition with one match to go, are in 3rd place in the B Grade competition with two matches to go, and are 2nd equal in the Open Grade match with one match to go.

At the halfway point in the closed champs competition, Meredith Ackrill and David Grain both hold onto their leads in Master Grade and A Grade respectively, Inge Little retains 2nd place in C Grade, and Chris Lockery moves up two slots in D Grade to 3rd place.  Meredith also continues to lead the women’s section, and our best-placed junior is Erin Little, currently in 4th position.  Round 4 targets need to be shot by Sunday 22 July.

Many thanks to those who have offered assistance with running the Wellington Open Champs, and with providing plates of food.  Your input is greatly appreciated.

Also many thanks to David Grain, Meredith Ackrill, Mark Riley, Casey Israelson and Poul Israelson for their efforts at the working bee on Saturday.  A lot of tasks were accomplished which will result in a better shooting environment for everyone.

Upcoming events:

·      Wednesday 11 July, Interassociation women’s match.  Team: Meredith Ackrill, Dianne Grain.  On call: Anna Hooper.  Marker: David Grain.

·      Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July, Wellington Open Champs

·      Thursday 19 July, NDC Round 5, 7.30pm.

·      Saturday 21 July, Manawatu Open Champs, Palmerston North.

·      Sunday 22 July, deadline for Round 4 closed champs.

·      Tuesday 24 July, Round 5 interclub, all grades.

In club shooting this week, the best D Grade scores were recorded by Nathan Chamberlain 94.3 (a new PB), Chris Lockery 93.3, Aiden d’Souza 91.1 and Emily Lockery 90.0, with another three shooters achieving scores in the very high 80s.  It was very close in C Grade between Anna Hooper 96.5 and Matthew Canlas 96.3 (a new PB) with Amalamo Simi only a point behind on 95.5.  Erin Little led B Grade with 97.6 ahead of Mark Riley on 96.4, and in the higher grades David Grain shot best with 99.6.  Meredith Ackrill’s 197.12 was the best 20-shot score this week ahead of Mark Riley with 193.6.

Some of you may not have received the email regarding the working bee direct from the WSRA Secretary.  If not, could you please contact her to ensure your email address is added to her WSRA membership list.  It would be great to have as many members as possible helping at the working bee next Saturday.  I’m sure there will be plenty of tasks that can be accomplished, whether you have handyman skills or not.

Wellington faced both Hutt Valley and Taranaki in our double-header round of the NDC competition on Thursday.  This resulted in a loss to Hutt Valley but a close win against Taranaki, gaining Wellington 9 points in total.  Meredith Ackrill achieved the best Brooklyn score of 297.16 while Erin Little had the best junior score of 194.6.  In the final round of the round robin section on 19 July, Wellington face top of the ladder Manawatu in what will be a very tough match.

Our newer shooters took on the role of target changers and markers yesterday with excellent results.  We’ll continue this over the next few weeks so that all members have the confidence to undertake these very necessary tasks.

Thanks to those who have indicated their availability for the Wellington Open Champs on Saturday 14 July.  Is anyone able to supply a plate of cakes or biscuits for sale?  A finalised roster will be produced later this week and emailed to those people assisting.  If anyone else is now available please let me know as soon as possible.  Also could those helping and using club equipment, please advise (by Wednesday 4 July) whether or not you will be shooting in the Wellington Champs so that your equipment can be accessed easily on the day, and coaching organised if necessary.

Regular coached sessions continue through the school holidays at 6.30pm, followed by non-coached sessions.

Upcoming events:

  • Wednesday 4 July, interclub. C Grade, 7.45pm, 1x10: Anna Hooper (captain), Casey Israelson, Amalamo Simi, Chris Lockery; on call: Amy Nathanson.  B Grade, 8.15pm, 1x10: Erin Little, Anna Hooper, Casey Israelson, Mark Riley (captain); on call: Amalamo Simi, Wiko du Toit.  Open Grade, 8.45pm, 1x20: Meredith Ackrill (captain), Erin Little, David Grain, Dianne Grain; on call: Mark Riley.
  • Sunday 8 July, deadline for Round 2 Triple S champs.
  • Wednesday 11 July, Interassociation women’s match.  Team: Meredith Ackrill, Dianne Grain.  On call: Anna Hooper.  Marker: David Grain.
  • Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July, Wellington Open Champs.
  • Thursday 19 July, NDC Round 5, 7.30pm.

The interassociation A Grade and C Grade rep matches were held at the club yesterday.  Top Brooklyn honours in the A Grade match went to Erin Little with 194.5, and Anna Hooper recorded the best score in the C Grade match with a very impressive 195.10.  Full results will be available in September.

The highest scores in D Grade were shot by Chris Lockery 98.3, Jack Day 91.2 (a new PB), Carl Whiteheard 91.2, Aiden D’Souza 91.1 and Callum Austin 90.2.  Mike Williams scored yet another PB (89.1).  Anna Hooper led C Grade with 99.6 (an equal PB) ahead of Amalamo Simi with another impressive score of 98.2 and Inge Little with 96.3.  Top shot in B Grade this week was Mark Riley with 99.4, David Grain led A Grade with 99.5, and Meredith Ackrill had the best score in Master Grade with 99.7.

Congratulations to Erin Little on her 2nd placing in B Grade at the Wairarapa Open Champs with a score of 292.13.

Full results from the Wellington v Christchurch junior and women’s matches are now available. Unfortunately Wellington suffered a loss in each of these matches, but only by a matter of 11 inners in the women’s match.  It doesn’t get much closer than that.

Have you checked out the ladder competition recently?  Whoever scores the best competition card from each set of pairs on the ladder gains 2 points and moves up to challenge another shooter the following week.  We are now about halfway through the season and Mark Riley is leading with 15 points, followed by a flurry of shooters on 14 points (Anna Hooper, Chris Lockery, Evan Little and Inge Little).

Our club is responsible for running the Wellington Open Champs for three hours from 11am until 2pm on Saturday 14 July, and we need as many members as possible to help out with tasks such as target prep and changing, marking, check marking, kitchen duties, etc.  It would be great if everyone also competed in the event.  The Executive have also asked if anyone would be interested in running the kitchen on the Saturday.  If you (or another family member) are able to undertake this very important task, please contact the WSRA Secretary, Beverley Newton – as soon as possible.  The Association also requires 23 plates of cakes or biscuits to be supplied from each club for sale – please let me know if you are able to provide a plate.

You will have received the email regarding the upcoming working bee from the Association secretary yesterday.  As noted, many hands make light work and if everyone turns up and does a bit, the tasks will be accomplished quicker.

Upcoming events:

  • Thursday 28 June, 7.30pm, Round 4 NDC.  Open section: Meredith Ackrill, David Grain, Dianne Grain, Evan Little, Mark Riley.  Junior section: Erin Little.  Emergencies: Anna Hooper, Casey Israelson, Inge Little, Amalamo Simi.  Team Manager/Marker: Craig Fair.
  • Saturday 30 June, Wanganui Open Champs.
  • Sunday 1 July, deadline for Round 3 closed champs.
  • Wednesday 4 July, interclub. C Grade, 7.45pm, 1x10.  B Grade, 8.15pm, 1x10.  Open Grade, 8.45pm, 1x20.
  • Sunday 8 July, deadline for Round 2 Triple S champs.

The club was certainly busy yesterday, with 55 shooters as well as a number of non-shooting helpers.  Many thanks to everyone who assisted with running both the social shoot and the interclub competition, and to those who provided supper plates.  Your efforts are very much appreciated.

There were some excellent scores shot by our D Graders this week, of particular note Chris Lockery 95.3, Hugh Guiney 93.2 and Callum Austin 92.2.  C Grade is proving very competitive this season – top shots this week were Anna Hooper 96.5, Casey Israelson 96.5, Amalamo Simi 96.2 and Inge Little 96.2.  Erin Little top-scored in B Grade with 98.4, and David Grain did best in A Grade with 98.6.  In Master Grade Meredith Ackrill’s 100.3 took top spot, and Meredith also had the best 20-shot score of 198.10.  Alistair Smith had the best “off the rest” score of 90.2, followed by Nick Long 88.3 and Tim Strange 88.1.

In the Wellington v Christchurch junior match on Tuesday, Erin Little was top shot for Wellington with 97.3.  And in the Wellington  v Christchurch + Manawatu women’s match, Meredith Ackrill shot best for Wellington with 198.12 followed by Erin Little with 196.12.  Full results should be available this week.

Round 2 results from the closed champs competition have been distributed.  Meredith Ackrill holds onto her lead in Master Grade ahead of Evan Little.  David Grain has increased his lead in A Grade.  The top Brooklyn shooter in B Grade is Erin Little in 10th position.  Inge Little moves up three places to currently be in 2nd place in C Grade.  And Emily Lockery is the best Brooklyn shooter in D Grade, currently in 4th position ahead of Callum Austin and Chris Lockery.  Meredith also leads the women’s match, and Erin is the best Brooklyn junior in 4th position.  Round 3 targets need to be shot by 1 July.

Congratulatons to Erin Little on winning B Grade at the Southern Hawkes Bay Champs in Dannevirke on Saturday with 292.12.

In Round 3 of the interclub competition, Brooklyn had a good win in C Grade with a cluster of 96s – top honours go to Anna Hooper with 96.5 ahead of Casey Israelson and Amalamo Simi, both with 96.2.  Unfortunately our B Grade team and Open Grade team both suffered losses in this round – top Brooklyn shooter in each were Erin Little 98.4 and Meredith Ackrill 198.10.  At the halfway stage of the competition, Brooklyn are leading in C Grade, are in 3rd position in B Grade, and are 2nd in the Open Grade.  Round 4 is on Wednesday 4 July.

The first round of the secondary schools shooting champs (Triple S Champs) has now been completed.  This nationwide competition was initiated, and is organised, by two of our Brooklyn club members, Evan Little and Mark Robinson, and this year is being contested by 111 secondary school shooters from around the country.  Highest placed Brooklyn shooters are Amy Nathanson (5th place in C Grade) and Matthew Ault (18th place in D Grade).  The deadline for Round 2 targets is Sunday 8 July.

The Wellington Open Champs is being held on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 July.  Brooklyn Club will be running the event for approximately three hours and will need as many helpers as possible.  It would be great if everyone also competed in these champs in support of our own association.  Please add these dates to your diaries.

Upcoming events:

·      Saturday 23 June, Wairarapa Open Champs, Martinborough.

·      Sunday 24 June, 8.00pm + 8.45pm, Interassociation C Grade, 2x10.  Team: Anna Hooper, Casey Israelson, Amalamo Simi.  Emergency: Inge Little.  On call: Matthew Canlas.

·      Sunday 24 June, 8.15pm, Interassociation A Grade, 1x20.  Team: David Grain, Erin Little.  On call: Dianne Grain.

·      Thursday 28 June, 7.30pm, Round 4 NDC.

·      Saturday 30 June, Wanganui Open Champs.

·      Sunday 1 July, deadline for Round 3 closed champs.

·      Wednesday 4 July, interclub.

·      Sunday 8 July, deadline for Round 2 Triple S champs.