In a major shake up at the Australian Clay Target Association ISSF National Championships in clay target sports, which concluded on Saturday in Belmont, Queensland, Lakes Entrance’s Aislin Jones re-wrote the Australian record books.
Winning six of the seven national championship titles available in addition to grade wins in “AA” grade, the young Olympian became the first woman in the history of the sport in Australia to win an overall Australian ISSF National Championship; the most prestigious title in the sport’s Australian scene.
Won by Jones with a score of 239/250, the high gun champion title is awarded for the combined qualifying scores shot over two consecutive 125 target events, which make up the 250 target total for the championship.
In the ACTA ISSF Commonwealth Championship, the first of the two events on Monday and Tuesday last week, Jones powdered target after target, leaving the crowd and other competitors in awe of her talent as she shot her way to a world class 121/125, with a perfect run of more than 50 consecutive targets through the middle rounds of the event.
The two perfect rounds contributed to the staggering total, which is three targets clear of the current ISSF junior women’s skeet world record for a qualifying score, currently held by Che Yufei, of China.
Unfortunately as it wasn’t shot at a world cup or other official ISSF event, the record won’ t be recognised internationally, however it will stand as the new Australian junior and open women’s skeet qualifying record.
The final for the ACTA ISSF Commonwealth Championship was shot in difficult conditions and Jones didn’t fare well in the first 10 targets, plagued by target throwing equipment issues and wind affected targets.
Fellow Rio Olympian, Chloe Tipple, of New Zealand, gained the lead early, and despite recovering well in the next 30 targets, Jones could not catch the Kiwi champion, or hold off sporting clays women’ s world champion, Renae Birgan.
2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Laura Coles, narrowly led at the bronze medal break.
Having shot 27/40 of the difficult pairs targets, Jones was knocked out in fourth place.
All was not lost with the main event ACTA ISSF National Championship still to follow.
The positive minded Jones focussed for the day and was the new record holder, and gained an added achievement in qualifying for the World Championships in Italy in July.
Talking after the event Jones remained positive.
“To be honest I just didn’t hit enough targets in the final,” she said.
“It was a tough final for sure, all the broken targets and the breakdowns, but it happens and you have to deal with it.
“Renae’ s sporting clays experience in the wind really showed. I’m really happy she won the silver.
“Chloe and I trained together in New Zealand in December and she’s a tough competitor.
“She really earned her win in the event, and I’ m happy that I’ve shot my qualifying score for the World Championship team later this year.”
The major event of the carnival took place on days three and four. As the Brisbane weather warmed up so did the competition.
Tipple took the lead early in the event and managed to hold it for most of the qualifying rounds shooting another world class score of 120/125 over the two days, dominating the “A” graders in the field.
Jones again ran 50 targets straight through the middle rounds finishing on 118/125 – equalling the current junior women’ s world record.
This also tied her with the leader of the men’ s event, fellow Gippslander and regular training partner, Keith Ferguson.
With grades being a combined competition he also tied with her at the top of “AA” grade. The “AA” grade national championship was decided by a sudden death shoot with Jones taking the title with a solid 8/8 before Ferguson dropped a target. The young Olympian has added another six national title royal blue sashes to her already extensive collection for an 18-year-old, but the overall high gun and gold Australia badge will be a new favourite.
Another young East Gippsland shooter fared well in the National ISSF Trap Championships.
Jones’ younger sister Renae debuted at the 2018 National Championships in Echuca, and returned for the 2019 nationals after a year of coaching with the Gippsland Sports Academy’ s Junior Development Program.
Renae shot 108/125 to take fourth place in qualifying in the individual event, the ACTA Commonwealth ISSF Championship, two targets ahead of Rio Olympic silver medalist, Natalie Roonie, of New Zealand.
Natalie finished sixth at her first individual final appearance.
Renae shot both the individual events, and also the new mixed teams event introduced to meet gender neutral targets for all sports at the Tokyo Olympics.
Renae teamed up with another 15-year-old shooter, William Freni-Lizzi, of Western Australia, to take part in the new format event, which drew 16 teams to enter.
Teams included 2017 world champions in mixed teams, Penny Smith and Thomas Grice and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Laetisha Scanlan, teamed with the former world number one ranked double trap shooter, James Willett.
Freni-Lizzi and Jones were excited to not only make the final in the Commonwealth Mixed Teams Championship, but also not to be first eliminated, shooting well in the single barrel final to take out fourth place.
However, it was on the second day they really shone, shooting 70/75 and 65/75 respectively to be third highest in qualification for the final.
They then shot an outstanding final with Freni-Lizzi not missing a target in his first 15 targets, and after a rough second bracket a strong return saw Jones keep them in contention with her solid shooting for her remaining targets. Their effort eliminated Willet and Scanlan in fourth place.
“My coach said I should set a goal to make a final at this nationals,” Renae said.
“I thought it was a bit ambitious but I made three and medalled in two.
“Especially when you see who you are competing against, its really great to finish where we did.”
The pair podiumed with a bronze medal in the open mixed teams competition, while a second team of juniors won silver after very nearly defeating the former world champions as they were tied before the commencement of the last 10 targets.
The overall result of the carnival for the two Jones girls is outstanding and unprecedented in many respects.
The list of firsts for Aislin continues to grow as her ability continues to improve.
Aislin will travel to Larnaca in Cyprus in next month for the Cyprus Grand Prix, which will be followed by world cups in Mexico and the United Arab Emirates where she commences her campaign to win an entry into the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
PICTURED: Rio Olympian, Lakes Entrance’s own, Aislin Jones, rewrote the Australian skeet shooting record books at the Australian Clay Target Association ISSF National Championships, which concluded last Saturday in Belmont, Queensland.
