Selwyn_Times: January 24, 2024

Selwyn Times Wednesday January 24 2024
30
SPORT
Young shooters
on target after
qualifying for
world champs
Henry Wesley shooting at the Waihora Clay Target Club.
PHOTO: IAN CRAFTS
• By Sam Coughlan
TWO YOUNG shooters from
the Waihora Clay Target Club
will take to the stage in the
international clay target
shooting world championships
in England.
Lachlan Wallace, 17, and
Henry Wesley, 16, have been
selected for the three-strong New
Zealand junior team that will
take compete in the U21 section.
Wesley said he was ‘stoked’ to
be taking part.
“Winning something would be
out of this world, but just being
there is more than enough,” he
said.
Wallace echoed that sentiment.
“I haven’t really thought about
that much, but I’m just looking
forward to having a bit of fun
and just travel and go shoot in
another country would be good
fun,” he said.
Wesley is a current and
Wallace a former Lincoln High
School student.
They have competed together
for the last two and a half years
with the school and the Waihora
club.
Now, having been selected
together to represent their
country, Wallace believes the
familiarity will help with their
confidence.
“All three of us in the junior
team have shot together before,”
he said.
“We all know each other, so
we’re pretty familiar with each
other.”
The third team member is
Timaru’s Lachlan Lovett.
Henry Wesley’s father, Cary
Wesley, is a member of the
Waihora club as well.
He said that the achievement
probably hasn’t hit the boys yet.
“It’s hard to explain, they just
don’t seem to realise what they’ve
achieved,” he said.
“I know guys who have shot for
many years and never done what
these two have done in a year.”
The 2024 ICTSF World
Championships will be held in
Bywell, England from July 8-13.
TEAM MATES: Lachlan Wallace (left) and Henry Wesley have
been selected for the New Zealand U21 squad for the clay
target world championships. ​
Rifle club wins big at nationals
CLEAN SWEEP: Members of the Malvern Rifle Club with
their trophies at the NRANZ Nationals in Wellington.
PHOTO: MALVERN RIFLE CLUB ​
• By Sam Coughlan
THE MALVERN Rifle Club is
celebrating a clean sweep of team
trophies from the rifle shooting
national championships in
Wellington.
Andre du Toit, Sam Kershaw,
Allan White, Chris Kershaw and
Richard Rowlands combined
to win five trophies as a quintet
– the Dawson Shield, Islington
Cup, Sir John Logan Campbell
Shield, CAC Challenge Cup and
Petone Rifle Club Shield.
They exchanged with Jessica
Riddle, Daniel Alexander,
Samantha Riddle and Tim Webb,
adding the President’s Cup,
District Challenge Shield and
Major Eddie Wasson Memorial
Trophy to Malvern’s cabinet.
Malvern vice president Mark
Alexander said this is the first
time the club has won every team
trophy they entered.
The club will have a number
of representatives at the World
Championships taking place in
South Africa in March.
Alexander, du Toit, Chris
Kershaw, Sam Kershaw and
Samantha Riddle are in the open
competition while Alexander,
Sam Kershaw, Samantha Riddle
and Jessica Riddle will also compete
in the U25 section.
Preparation for the tournament
continued last week with
the first round of the fifth round
of Malvern’s club championships.
Competitors found the going
difficult in hot and windy
weather but du Toit took out the
A-class competition ahead of
Chris Kershaw and Alexander.
Jess Riddle beat her sister,
Samantha, to win the B-class
competition too.
The group going to the World
Championships shot in the
‘Bisley’ style on the weekend –
where competitors take turns to
shoot and only have 45 seconds
per turn.
This is the style that will be
used in the World Championships.
The Malvern Rifle Club’s
next competition takes place on
Saturday.
• More sport, page 34
TUES 30 JAN 9AM - 3PM
HAGLEY CAFE