NATIONAL SHOOTING

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33739, 11 January 1975, Page 3

NATIONAL SHOOTING

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON.

The Masefield aggregate at the national rifleshooting championships at Trentham was won over all yesterday by an Upper Hutt shooter, Don Whiteman—one of seven Whitemans taking part at the championships. Geoff Smith, from Malvern, won stage two of the aggregate over 300, 500, and 600 yards yesterday with a score of 105.10. Smith’s consistent scoring over the three shorter distances gave him a wellearned, if narrow, win ahead of Reg Wilton (MastertonOpaki), who shot 105.8. Jack Miller, a B grade shooter from Tapanui, was third, and the top overseas competitor was Derek Arnold, from Lillydale, Australia. Miller recorded 105.3, and Arnold, who finished ninth, posted 104.9. Whiteman finished ninth equal in stage two to add to his second placing on Mondav in stage one. Frank Lowe, a B grade marksman from New Plymouth, was second in the aggregate over-all, with Reg Wilton third. The first stage of the Masefield aggregate over 800-900 yards was won by the young Onslow rifleman, Kevin Win on the opening day but he has since been

one of the victims of the tricky Trentham winds. The powerful Hawke’s Bay pre-match favourite won the team’s match easily ahead of the South Island Selection. British Columbia (a team drawn from the visiting Canadian side) actually finished ahead of South Island, but was only an unofficial entry. North comprehensively beat South, 566,76 to 470.56, in the inter-island match. The final of the Queen’s 50 will be fired at the Sommerville range over 900 yards this afternoon.

The firm favourite is Vern Curtis, from Christchurch, who heads the 50 by two points, and. looks a certainty for the Ballinger Belt. Teams were named for the New Zealand trip to Australia later this year and for the international against Canada tomorrow. The most noticeable absentee is the Blenheim minister, Maurice Judkins, who does not believe in competitive shooting on Sundays. The teams are:—

To Australia.—M. C. Cammock, R J. Cammock, D. W. Collings, F. W Godfrey. R. G. Gurnen. B. A. Hoban, K. T. Meade, B. Price, C. Thom, J. Whiteman, S. Bower, W. Boreham, R Cammock, J. Cameron, V. Curtis, F. Godfrey, J. Hastie. H, Marshall, K. T. Meade, B. Price, G. Smith, A Wsillapp N.R.A. invitation team. v. Canada tomorrow. —A. W. Birch, B. Hoban. J. Webster. D. Llings, J. McLaren, J. Whitemann, R. Cook, C, Thom.