Royce Normington on target as national carnival looms

Eastern Goldfields Clay Target Club stalwart Royce Normington’s strong lead-up to the national titles in NSW continued with a four-shot victory in last month’s double-rise championship.

Normington, who is among five club members heading to the nationals in Wagga Wagga, carded a score of 43 out of 50 to head the field from Jack Saville (39/50).

Murray Kamo shot 40/50 to grab the B-grade trophy from Matt Iwankiw (38/50).

In the club’s doubles championship, Tori O’Connor and Iwankiw led the way with 19/20, and the father-son combination of Mark and Royce Normington (18/20) tied with Saville and Sue Kamo for the runners-up trophy.

The previous weekend, Royce Normington won two events at the annual Wagin Saltbush carnival — highlighted by his 49/50 in the double-rise event and being crowned the overall high-gun winner (320/325).

O’Connor will join Normington at the national trap carnival from March 12-17 after last year being a finalist for the annual Goldfields Sports Star of the Year Award.

Also heading to the nationals are Saville, Iwankiw and Tristan Polmear, who is the State skeet champion.

The skeet section at the nationals runs from March 3-9.

Six years ago, Royce Normington was named a joint winner of the sports star of the year award with golfer Connor Fewkes as the fourth-best trap shooter in the world.

He emerged from the 2018 world championships equal third with Victorian Steve Atkins, which forced a shoot-off.

The shoot-off featured 25-target rounds until someone missed.

In an epic battle, 175 targets flew before Normington dropped a shot and Atkins grabbed third place.

Normington is following the path of his father Mark, who is a club life member.

His formative years in the sport were spent tagging along with his dad at the club’s old range off Hannan Street, which is now the site of the City Of Kalgoorlie-Boulder offices.