LEWESTON School shooting team enjoyed great success at the National Schools Shooting finals at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury.

Seven girls qualified from Leweston, plus three local shooters for the finals, through the regional round held at Leweston in October.

In the shooting finals, the first round of shooting is 20 shots in 20 minutes, with the top eight scores going forward for the finals.

Only those that finished in the top four in the regional competition could take part.

In the team competition, each team as three shooters with scores added together from their 20 shots to decide team winners.

In the junior category for school years six, seven and eight that shoot one or two-handed from 10 meters, Darcy Dryden had the top score going forward to the final with a score of 172 out of 200.

For the team, Ginny Bruce scored 168 which was the second highest score in the preliminaries but as Bruce did not qualify as an individual could not go through to the finals.

Jessica Stevens scored 148 to finish 14th in the individual event, and Molly Colwell shot 140 to give the Leweston School team total of 456 and a team silver medal, with Ellesmere College (467) taking gold and Welsh champions Dyffryn Taf the bronze with 380.

The top eight from the preliminaries round progressed to the final, with scores starting from scratch, Darcy Dryden got off to a bad start in the first five shots to lie in eighth place.

However, in the second series of five shots Dryden scored 49 out of 50 to bring her back up into the top five. After this the competitors had two shots and after every two shots the person with the lowest score went out of the competition.

Dryden continued to shoot well and took the silver individual medal.

In the intermediate competition for school years nine, 10 and 11 who shoot one-handed from 10 metres the same format as the juniors prevails.

In the team competition Leweston shot well to take team gold.

Elektra Covell (162) was the top scorer, while Issy Colwell, who claimed 18th individually, and Mimi Lecompte shot 147 with a total score of 456.

They edged Scottish champions Stranraer Academy (447) out for silver, with Dyffryn Taf taking bronze with 409.

Also taking part in the intermediate age group was Thomas Hardye pair Rebecca Warland who just missed the final by two points in tenth and Shem Martin.

Charlotte Hicks, home schooled, had a great event to take individual gold in the intermediate age group, shooting four bulls in her last four shots.

All three are members of Leweston Pentathlon Academy.

n For those that wish to get involved in pistol shooting, Leweston Pentathlon Academy have training at Dorchester gun club on a Monday evening and Leweston School on Wednesday evening with all equipment supplied.

There is also the opportunity for schools to come along to Leweston by arrangement to try pistol shooting.

The qualifier for the 2018/2019 schools shooting event will be at Leweston School on Thursday, October 11.

For further details on training or getting involved in schools pistol shooting please contact Mick Flaherty via flaherty121@aol.com