Jamaica’s outstanding junior shooter Aliana McMaster created history at the Jamaica Skeet Club’s Portmore headquarters on October 12 when she was crowned HOA (Highest Overall winner) of the Bernard Cridland Memorial Sporting Clays shoot. She topped the field by picking off 94 out of a possible 100 birds.

It was not the best conditions for posting high scores due to the weather before and during the shoot. But that did not deter McMaster who buckled down to deliver one of her highest scores in any sporting clays competition locally or overseas.

Intermittent rain throughout the day caused targets to be harder to spot, which makes McMaster’s missing only six targets even more special.

The conditions required outstanding hand-eye coordination and sustained concentration during the average four hours to shoot 100 targets at a sporting clay event.

In addition to being the HOA, McMaster bagged the Ladies and the Juniors categories.

“The feeling is honestly just an overwhelming amount of happiness, and joy, and relief and excitement, and it’s just a mixture of all of them at once,” she said.

She noted her relief at shooting so accurately after challenges at previous events.

“It just reminds me of how many times I’ve got so close and I felt like I was just not really there yet… It’s just seemed that it just never would come together. It was just never enough and that really takes a toll on you after you go and knock on the door so many times. But now that it finally came around this time, oh, my gosh — a sense of relief. I was just in disbelief, really, and it was just amazing. It was just an amazing experience, amazing day [and] I’m so grateful,” McMaster said.

Mark Desnoes, another outstanding junior shooter who moved into the senior ranks in 2024, was the runner-up. He shot 90 to end on four shots behind McMaster.

Jamaica Skeet Club President Justin Samuda had high praises for McMaster and Desnoes.

“It’s not every day you get to witness history in the making. As one of Aliana’s biggest fans it was a real pleasure to be there and watch it all unfold. Her HOA win at the 2025 Bernard Cridland Memorial will not only hold a special place in the annals of the Jamaica Skeet Club but will most definitely be one of the more memorable moments of my presidency,” he noted.

“Congrats to our runner-up, young Mr Mark Denoes whom I had the pleasure of squadding with on the day. Thanks again to the sponsors, the organisers, and the entire Jamaica Skeet Club team for making this opening event a most remarkable one,” Samuda said.

The Bernard Cridland shoot which opened the 2025-2026 calendar also saw some very good performances by other shooters across the various classes.