Straight from the Howard Springs quarantine facility in Darwin post his Tokyo Olympic Campaign and still hungry for more competition, Thomas Grice headed to Adelaide to compete in the 2021 South Australian Clay Target Association ISSF Shotgun State Titles.
Due to the many border restrictions in place, the competition held at the International Clay Target Club (27 to 29 August) predominantly attracted local competitors therefore impacting the size of the field. Despite the reduced field, there was still some elite competition present including Olympic Bronze Medallist Deserie Baynes.
Under blue skies, Friday saw the Trap Mixed Teams event contested with Grice teaming with Shooting Australia Pathways Squad Athlete Molly Bretag. Grice and Bretag lead the qualification with a combined score of 122 out of 150 targets, four targets ahead of Martin Collumb and Anna Evgeniou. Entering the Gold Medal match with Collumb and Evgeniou hot on their tails, Grice and Bretag were victorious by a lone target (37/50), claiming the Gold Medal. Skye Pienoubmkijert and Deb McPherson took the bronze medal (33/50) from George Kontopolous and Deserie Baynes (25/50).
Saturday was day one of Trap and Skeet qualifying and with the weather looking unpredictable, competitors tried to push through their three rounds of 25 targets as quickly as possible. At the end of the 75 targets it was Pienoubmkijert and Craig Bentley equal leaders in the Men’s Trap with 66/75. In Women’s Trap, Atlanta Olympic Bronze Medalist (Double Trap), Baynes led Bretag by two targets on 65/75. The Women’s Skeet competition was tight with Shooting Australia Pathways Squad Athlete Bridgette McKinnon tied with Elizabeth Rhymill finishing day one on 52/75. Yet another Shooting Australia Pathways Squad Athlete, Doyle Yoannidis led the Men’s Skeet field by an impressive five targets to finish day one on 65/75.
The blue sky returned on Sunday and it was time for finals after the last 50 targets of qualifying. Up and coming juniors, Bretag and Yoannidis put the pressure on, both recording personal best qualifying scores. Bretag shot a total qualifying score of 107/125, 6 targets ahead of Baynes, and went on to win the Gold Medal in the Women’s Trap Final (37/50) with Baynes taking Silver (32/50) and Anna Evgeniou Bronze (22/40).
Yoannidis finished qualifying at the top of the pack of the Men’s Skeet event by a whopping 9 targets with a score of 111/125. The final was a lot closer with Yoannidis triumphant over veteran Fred Guyatt (Silver) by a mere 1 target shooting 33/60 in the final and taking the Gold Medal. Vincent Dimasi rounded out the Men’s Skeet medallists taking the Bronze.
Bridgette McKinnon took the Gold in the Women’s Skeet from Liz Rymill (Silver) with a final score of 34/60 and Chelsea McKinnon finished in third place.
The last final of the day saw the Men’s Trap contested. Craig Bentley went into the final as top qualifier on 112/125 with Thomas Grice just sneaking into the final in 6th place after finishing what was a tough qualifying round on 102/125. Skye Pienudomkijlert who went into the final as equal third qualifier proved the man to beat taking the Gold medal with a score of 39/50 and two targets ahead of Grice who fought hard to take the Silver medal. Alexander Sologub finished in third place taking the Bronze.
For full results click here or visit MyClubsMyScores.
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