Lesgar Murdock - File

Sue Ann Henriques

Jamaican shooters shot their way to further prominence on the world stage following remarkable top-ten finishes in the high profile Limited Division of the just-concluded Area Six Pistol Championship in St Augustine, Florida.

Lesgar Murdock led the Jamaican cast with a third-place finish, his best placing on the international circuit in Limited Division. Murdock, who won the JRA invitational shoot ahead of higher ranked international competitors, secured 1132 points at 92 per cent, behind winner Travis Tomassey who got 1221 points and Manny Bragg who got 1198. Both Tomassey and Bragg are higher ranked as Grandmasters.

However, it is significant that Murdock who is now based overseas, finished ahead of another Grand-master, world champion and the top-ranked American, Blake Miguel who ended fourth.

Orville Henriques was sixth with 1073 points at 87 per cent accuracy. Ronald Brown followed next at seven with Andre Yapp at ninth as Jamaica had four shooters in the top 10. Assistant secretary of the Jamaica Rifle Association, Andrew Gardner, said Jamaica's rise in the sport was similar to the explosion it triggered in bobsleigh some 20 years ago.

"What we are doing in shooting is like what we did in bobsleigh. When it comes to access to equipment, rounds, training, we are not even close to the advantages our competitors have so I cannot begin to quantify how remarkable our guys are doing."

overshadowed

Jamaican's performance did not end with these four, as they could well have been overshadowed by female shooter Sue Ann Henriques who finished 25th overall. Unlike other sports, females and males compete alongside each other under the same conditions in International Practical Shooting. Murdock, Henriques and Brown are all ranked as Master Class shooters with Yapp, designated an A shooter. Sue Ann is ranked as a C shooter.

This was Sue Ann's best finish at an international tournament, but it was good enough to beat all other females. In fact, the next best-placed female came at 52nd, and despite having a higher ranking at B class. Sue Ann finished ahead of six other male shooters ranked A class, and 23rd ranked at B.

Her Manchester Rifle and Pistol Club (MRPC) teammate and personal coach Orville Henriques, was naturally full of praise for her.

"This is like Shelly-Ann (Fraser-Pryce) running in the same race as Bolt so it is not a case where she is competing just against females. I shoot in the same division."

However, Sue Ann, played down her meteoric rise in the sport

"I just train hard and try to do my best," said Sue Ann who shoots left handed and is blessed with amazing hand speed.

Gardner believes Sue Ann has great potential.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she jumped up two classes at the end of the year," he said.

"She is serious about the sport and seems to putting in serious trigger time."