Sport
25 September, 2025
CSHS excels in Interschool Shoot
More than 100 students from neighbouring local high schools from Woodenbong just south of the border through to Toogoolawah in the north descended upon Clifton to compete in the inaugural two-day Interschool shoot held on the 11th and 12th September.
Schools in attendance were Allora State School, Concordia, St. Joseph’s Toowoomba, Boys from Dalrymple Creek, Toogoolawah State High School, Pittsworth State High School, Oakey, Allora/Clifton combined, C.B.S.C Jnrs, host school Clifton State High School (CSHS) and TAS Toowoomba.
Schools put together two teams of their three best shooters to compete in the first ever 75 shot clay target event on the Thursday, followed by Friday’s small bore, 50m, fifty shot target event, both held at the Laurie Bowe Rifle Range at Leyburn.
Day one and the weather definitely wasn’t anything to write home about, with wind doing its best to blow a 40km/hr gale all day Thursday, making clay shooting a little testing.
But the wind certainly wasn’t enough to spoil the spirits of 43 high school students who’d risen early and had travelled from across the border and throughout the Downs to test their skills.
Results were as follows:
Individual Shotgun Grade Winners:
A grade: 1st Jackson May (C.S.H.S), 2nd Ben Warrener (Concordia), 3rd Alex Atwell (C.S.H.S)
B grade: 1st Will Cameron (Ilfracombe), 2nd place Liam Golinski (Toogoolawah), 3rd William Spoelder (Concordia)
C grade: 1st Harry Cameron (Ilfracombe), 2nd Dylan Binstead (Pittsworth S.H.S) 3rd Darcy Cubit (Toogoolawah)
Winning School Shotgun Teams:
1st C.S.H.S - A Team
Jackson May, Alex Atwell, Bill Horton
2nd - Concordia – B Team
Ben Warrener, Cooper Faulkner, Ari Pippos
3rd - Southern and Western Qld Team
Jorja Cairns (Goondiwindi), Willy Cameron (Ilfracombe), Harry Cameron (Ilfracombe)
Friday’s competition was a much kinder day weather wise with little wind giving 70 rifle shooters gentle, favourable conditions.
Individual Results Rifle event Top 10 shooters:
1st Nathaniel Knight Oakey
2nd Emily Harch St Joseph’s Toowoomba
3rd Lane Clark Concordia
4th Dan Kirby CSHS
5th Thomas Heyze Oakey
6th George Douglas TAS
7th Jackson May CSHS
8th Austin Knopke Concordia
9th Travis Bellingham St Joseph’s Toowoomba
10th Liam Rauchle Pittsworth SHS
Winning School Rifle Teams:
1st CSHS - A Team - Jackson May, Dan Kirby, Beau Taylor
2nd Concordia - A Team
3rd TAS -Toowoomba
2 day ‘Overall’ Multi-discipline Champions (across both days):
Girls – Rachael May (CSHS)
Boys – Lane Clark (Concordia)
CSHS teacher and Shooting Coordinator Brendon Thorpe said for the past five years, the school, in conjunction with the Clifton Benchrest Shooting Club, has claimed the title for the only small bore Interschool shoot in Queensland.
“Clifton State High School, in conjunction with the Clifton Benchrest Shooting Club this year hosted the first ever two day ‘multi-discipline’ event, not just in Queensland, but in the country,” Mr Thorpe said.
“The fact that the only two day Interschool shoot in Australia happens right here in Clifton is phenomenal,” Benchrest Club Vice-president and chief organiser Ash Brown said.
“Thank you again to our sponsors and also a huge thank you to all volunteers who contributed towards a hugely successful day.
“You know who you are. The cooks, the Range Officers, the trap boys, the button pushers, scorers and umpires.
“Without your help and volunteer work, we couldn’t have made it happen.”
Mr Thorpe said Principal Ros Hibberd deserves a special mention for supporting the inception of the inaugural two day event in just her 8th week as school Principal.
“It would have been easy to say we won’t get the risk assessment through and not support it, but in fact, we had the opposite and Ros worked with myself and Ash Brown (Vice President) and supported us the whole way through,” he said.
“One of the highlights for the students on Thursday was Ms Hibberd shooting in the Principal / teacher shoot-off between schools, which was taken out by Mr Mark Cairns (Goondiwindi).”
Mr Thorpe thanked all the sponsors for the day:
Properties Ruhle Real Estate – Clifton / Allora
NIOA – Brisbane
Shooters Delight – Brisbane
Mason’s Air Conditioning – Toowoomba
Beef City – Oakey
Top Paddock Catering – Pilton
The Barn – Oakey
Warwick Outdoor and Sports – Warwick
Open Range – Toowoomba
The Brown Family – Victoria Hill
Carso’s Shirts and Caps – Cambooya
Promatic – Australia
Bruce Simpson – Clifton
Alex Cablar/Bolero Group – Brisbane
Tilco – Toowoomba
Pursehouse – Clifton
B&B Machinary – Toowoomba
Hand Made Horse Gear - Hirstglen
