BOG WALK, St. Catherine — Under punishing heat and against one of the deepest fields assembled this year, Adam Vaz and Toni Barnes emerged as champions of the Matrix Sporting Clay Competition on Sunday, mastering a demanding target layout at Knolford Ranch to secure memorable victories.
More than 150 competitors tackled the sprawling course, which featured a wide variety of target presentations designed to test concentration, timing, and consistency from start to finish. But by day’s end, it was Vaz and Barnes who stood tallest after navigating one of the most unforgiving shooting setups of the season.
For Vaz, the triumph carried special meaning.
The victory marked his first-ever HOA (Highest Overall) title and came less than two years after he first entered the sporting clay discipline. His path to the crown, however, was anything but comfortable, particularly with four-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso competing in the same squad. Sasso had also captured the inaugural Matrix title in 2024.
Vaz delivers near-flawless performance
Vaz announced himself early with a clean sweep at Station Five, where he opened his round by hitting all six targets. Minor setbacks followed at Stations Six and Seven, where he dropped one bird at each, but he quickly regained momentum and proceeded to dominate much of the course.
He cleaned nine of the competition’s 17 stations and surrendered just one additional target at Station 14 on his way to a winning score of 89 out of a possible 100.
The accomplishment, he admitted, represented validation for the work he has invested in the sport.
“Winning my first HOA at the Matrix Foundation Sporting Clay Championship means a lot to me, especially since I only started shooting sporting clays about a year and a half ago. Seeing the progress and results from the hard work I’ve been putting in keeps me motivated to continue improving and pushing myself in the sport.”
“I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me and encouraged me along the way and I’m excited to keep learning and competing, hopefully at the highest levels.”
While Vaz secured the top overall score, another major storyline came from Stevie McConnell, whose score of 88 earned him his first-ever runner-up finish in a sporting clay competition despite competing from B Class.
Barnes survives tight ladies battle
The ladies division produced one of the day’s most dramatic finishes.
Barnes, who began at Station Nine, collected four of six targets there before grinding through the remainder of the course to finish with 72 points. Her margin of victory proved razor-thin, as runner-up Lori-Anne Harris finished just one bird behind on 71.
Barnes described the course as mentally exhausting, noting that even the seemingly manageable stations demanded unwavering discipline.
“Station seven was really difficult but throughout the course I think that it required a lot of concentration, a lot of maintained focus. So even the stations that weren’t that difficult, you had to concentrate, you had to keep your form, keep your focus on it.”
“So overall I think it was a challenging course but if you’re able to concentrate you could push through.”
Despite struggling at one station where she connected on only one of six targets, Barnes maintained composure throughout the competition and later reflected happily on her performance.
“I feel happy, I feel excited. It was a really interesting course and I had a lot of fun today.”
Promotions and strong performances across divisions
Competition across the various classes remained fierce throughout the day.
Top performers included Geoffrey Ziadie, who captured A Class honors with 87 following a shoot-off victory over Andrew Hopwood, while Craig Hendrickson led B Class with 80.
Additional winners included Fraser McConnell in C Class (82), Dale Delaphena in D Class (76), Paul Chisholm in E Class (72), Andrew Groves in Hunters/Beginners (61), David Wong in Juniors (76), and Noah Singh in Sub Juniors (58).
Several competitors also earned class promotions following standout performances. Stevie McConnell advanced to A Class, Fraser McConnell moved to B Class, Dale Delaphena advanced to C Class, and Paul Chisholm progressed to D Class. Andrew Groves, Cameron Henderson, and Noah Singh were all elevated to E Class.
Charity mission remains central focus
Beyond the competition itself, the event continued the charitable mission of the three-year-old Matrix Foundation.
This year’s proceeds were directed toward the Jamaica Cancer Society, continuing the Foundation’s commitment to community outreach.
Foundation representative Andrew Clarke highlighted previous work completed at Good Hope Primary School in Old Harbour.
“We set up a whole water catchment area so that this particular school, Good Hope Primary, wouldn’t have to be trucking water. But since we’ve done the setup they haven’t had to truck water for a year now because of the system that we had put in place and we redid all of their toilets and bathrooms so you know we’re very pleased to assist in this regard.”
Clarke also praised the turnout and support received from the shooting community.
“It’s been phenomenal, the shooters they come out and they support the event because the Matrix Foundation is geared towards assisting as much as we can.
“For example, all proceeds from this shoot, it goes towards the Jamaica Cancer Society.”
The competition was sponsored by the Matrix Group of Companies, with support from Mayberry Investments, Valumart, and Andy Gone Nuts.
