Masterclass shooter, respectively, Andrew “ Wasp” Yap and Yeonie Campbell came out as top male and female shooters at last weekend’s Masterclass shooting competition held at the Jamaica Rifle Association’s (JRA) Mountain View range.

Shooting an Infinity .40 calibre pistol, Yap also won the Limited Division ahead of Ryan Bramwell and Greg Henry, after tallying 1,074 points. He was also the overall champion.

Meanwhile, Campbell, competing with a Sig P320 X5 Legion 9mm pistol, continued her meteoric rise in competitive shooting by topping the ladies section over her fellow teammates of the Super Six, Shayon Francis and Sasha Mullings.

“Winning at the JRA these days is not a walk in the park. The shooting over the last year has improved beyond one’s imagination. A simple mistake could see you down the pecking order. Therefore, I have to concentrate and call every shot, because my competitors are excellent at what they do,” Yap stated.

The live-wire Campbell, whose shooting is akin to poetry in motion, was on fire on Saturday. She said her aim is to continue doing well in the sport and improve with every match, keep her focus and work with her fellow Super Sixers and other females to maintain the presence of women the sport.

Adrain Randle won the Open Division over Alrice Palmer and Arjun McPherson, a resurgent Darin Richards outshot his mentor and Coach Anthony “TJ” Johnson and Robert Clarke for top honours in the Production Division.

In the Carry Optics Division, Chris Hart had to fend off the challenge of Nigerian-born Ekpedeme Otuokon and the fast-moving Micheal Bradshaw for first place. Bradshaw, in a pre-match billing, had vowed to finish in the the top three.

The Masterclass match was designed to give local shooters the opportunity to move up in the various classes in their divisions, and according to Pistol Captain Alrice Palmer, the shooters did put on a show.

“The rain came much earlier than we anticipated, however, that did not dampen the spirit of the competitors. They were fast, they were furious and they shot accurately and the scores were very competitive,” Palmer said.

When asked about the safety of shooting in those conditions, Palmer said safety is the first rule at the JRA. He said: “All our shooters know the ideal footwear for the sport, plus these matches have international range officers managing them, and like any other sport, the officials have the final say, which, in shooting, is non-negotiable.”

Regarding the results of Saturday’s match, Palmer said he will now send them to the body that governs international shooting for the results to be ratified.

“At this point, everyone is anxiously waiting for those results to come back to see where they are in classes,” Palmer said.

In the Pistol Calibre Carbine (sub-machine gun) competition between the JRA and the Jamaica Constabulary Foce, despite an outstanding performance from Detective Corporal Sasha Mullings, the more seasoned shooters at the JRA reigned supreme. This new discipline is rapidly growing in North America and was done in Jamaica for the first time.

The next big match at the JRA will take place on May 28, when Super Six will stage their fund-raiser ‘Carry Gun National’. In this match, competitors will abandon expensive race guns and use the regular weapons they carry to compete in challenging stages.