Vaz,  Barnes defy the odds to win Matrix Sporting Clay titles

Adam Vaz and Toni Barnes topped the Matrix Sporting Clay competition on Sunday at the Knolford Ranch in Bog Walk, St Catherine after getting the better of  more than 150  competitors  on the expansive driving course that was peppered with a multiplicity of targets to test their resolve and skill during a hot day of shooting.

 Vaz’s win was as figurative as it was real, as his name was the first one on the scoresheet for the A Class shooters. It was also his first HOA (highest overall) designation but it was not an easy win as he was paired  with the four-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso, the first winner of the Matrix shoot in 2024.

 He picked off all six birds on station five where he started, then lost one each on six and seven, then back to cleaning up the stations all the way to station 14 before dropping another bird. He was perfect on nine of the 17 stations to post a top score 89 out of a possible 100.

 “Winning my first HOA at the Matrix Foundation Sporting Clay Championship means a lot to me, especially since I only started shooting sporting clays about a year and a half ago. Seeing the progress and results from the hard work I've been putting in keeps me motivated to continue improving and pushing myself in the sport. I'm grateful for everyone who has supported me and encouraged me along the way, and I'm excited to keep learning and competing, hopefully at the highest levels.”

 Stevie McConnell scored 88 to celebrate his first runner-up spot in any sporting clay competition, which he did from B Class.

 The ladies winner, Toni Barnes bagged four out of six birds on station nine where she started, to pick off 72 out of 100. Her win was not smooth sailing, though, as she topped the podium by just one bird ahead of runner-up Lori-Anne Harris who shot 71.

 "Station seven was really difficult but, throughout the course, I think that it required a lot of concentration, a lot of maintained focus. So, even the stations that weren't that difficult, you had to concentrate, you had to keep your form, keep your focus on it. So, overall, I think it was a challenging course but, if you're able to concentrate, you could push through", said Barnes who picked off one of six targets on the station.

 She was, however, very happy with her podium-topping finish. "I feel happy, I feel excited. It was a really interesting course and I had a lot of fun today."

 The top shooters in various classes were: A Class – Goeffrey Ziadie 87 by way of shoot-off against Andrew Hopwood 87, B Class – Craig Hendrickson 80, C Class – Fraser McConnell 82, C Class – Dale Delaphena 76, E Class – Paul Chisholm – 72, Ladies – Toni Barnes – 72, Hunters or Beginners – Andrew Groves 61, Juniors – David Wong 76 and Sub Juniors – Noah Singh 58.  

 Several shooters were promoted based on their performance. They included Stevie McConnell to A, Fraser McConnell to B, Dale Delaphena to C, Paul Chisholm to D while Andrew Groves, Cameron Henderson and Noah Singh all moved up to E Class.

 The three-year Matrix Foundation, the organiser of the event, has a strong commitment to community development and charitable outreach. Its first charity recipient was the Good Hope Primary School in Old Harbour.

 Andrew Clarke, of the Foundation, detailed what was done for the school.

  "We set up a whole water catchment area so that this particular school, Good Hope Primary, wouldn't have to be trucking water. But, since we've done the setup ,they haven't had to truck water for a year now because of the system that we had put in place, and we redid all of their toilets and bathrooms. So, you know, we're very pleased to assist in this regard.

 "It's been phenomenal, the shooters, they come out and they support the event because the Matrix Foundation is geared towards assisting as much as we can. For example, all proceeds from this shoot,  it goes towards the Jamaica Cancer Society.”

  The title sponsor of the event was the Matrix Group of Companies while Mayberry Investments, Valumart and Andy Gone Nuts were the next level sponsors.