McMaster claims National Sporting Clays title at Worthy Park; Sasso finishes second

Under scorching sun, strong gusts and intermittent showers last Saturday and Sunday, Aliana McMaster and Christian Sasso rose to the top of the Jamaica Skeet Club’s National Sporting Clays Championship at the Worthy Park Sugar Factory in Ewarton, St. Catherine. McMaster took the title and Sasso placed second among 152 competitors.

Each athlete faced 100 targets daily, then another 25 on Sunday in the Super Six, a pressure round reserved for the six strongest finishers after the 200-bird main programme. Once those Super Six results were combined with the main scores, the leaders stood at McMaster 195, Sasso 191, Roman Tavares-Finson 191, Todd Lazarus 189, Chad Zaidie 187 and David Wong 185.

Across the two-day main contest alone, McMaster’s 177 led Sasso’s 174 by three breaks. She recorded 87 on Saturday and 90 on Sunday; Sasso managed 81 then 93.

McMaster is the first woman named HOA — highest overall — at the 200-Bird National Sporting Clays Championship. She led the main event and hit 18 of 25 in the Super Six en route to the crown. Organisers also named her Ladies champion for a fourth time and Junior champion.

“I think a lot of people can agree with me when I say that the 200-bird in particular is one of the more challenging events in the NSC (National Shotgun Championship which consist of four separate events). So just to come out here and do my best and keep my head on the gun and breaking the clays, it was honestly just a blessing to enjoy the whole experience as well,” said McMaster.

Sasso, this year’s second-place finisher, welcomed his result. “It feels good. I shot in the super six with five other amazing shooters who really came out this year and performed at their best so it feels good to be with them.”

He pointed to composure under pressure and years of competition as factors in the Super Six. “I don’t really have that pressure issue, but I have experience. I can see where others will kind of fall under pressure. Everybody did pretty well though and handled themselves well,” Sasso said.