Former Bendigo Senior Secondary College student Laura Woolley dominated the International Clay Target Shooting Federation Championships in Ireland over the weekend.
Woolley won the women’s world championship at the Esker Shooting Grounds, helped the Australian women win the team’s event and she was runner-up in the junior event behind France’s Peter Denis.
Woolley won the women’s event with a score of 889. She was two targets clear of Aussie team-mate Tracey Barton, with England’s Emma Holden a further target back in third place.
In the women’s team event, Woolley’s spectacular form helped the Aussies to 1186 out of a possible 1200 targets. The Aussies were 15 shots clear of England, with host nation Ireland third on 1165.
Woolley was a member of the inaugural Bendigo Academy of Sport Clay Target Shooting Squad in 2014-2015 under the coaching of Steve Atkins and mentor Glenn Woodhatch.
Woolley was the BAS athlete of the year in 2014-15 after she won the women’s champion of champions at the National Trap Championships in Wagga Wagga and the Victorian Clay Target Association’s senior school student championship.
It was Woolley’s second state school championship triumph after she won the 2010 girls 12-15-years event.
Shooting skills run in the family, with Woolley’s cousin Emma Cox winning last month’s World Cup in San Marino.