Shooting: Radich keeps sights on being the best

SHOOT 'EM UP: Whangarei's Danica Radich has been named in the Kiwi skeet shooting team as she prepares next year's DTL Nationals Championships.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Northland's Danica Radich is locked and loaded for next year's DTL Nationals Championships - fresh off the back of being first pick in the ladies skeet shooting team.

The 18-year-old has been in fine form of late, outshooting competitors who have been doing it for longer than she has been alive.

Radich claimed the high overall ladies title and the open combined B grade titles at the New Zealand Skeet Championships, beating two Australians who are two grades higher than her.

The former Whangarei Girls' High School student booked her spot in the national team by shooting 96 out of 100 targets at the event last month.

While obviously chuffed, Radich did not know what her competitors thought about being beaten by someone half their age.

"They'll be mad, maybe. One really liked me though," Radich said.

She added that with three years of shooting under her belt, she was glad to move up from the entry level C Grade and into the B Grade. However, she knows there's a lot more improvement needed to make the top grade of AA.

Radich said at the Skeet Championships she made a meal of an easy target, missing one which should be a given.

"I dropped an easy target, it's pretty much shoot straight away. I lifted up my head, I think, I did something, I knew it was stupid - just silly mistake."

Although, it's easy to tell that Radich has the right attitude and desire to progress onto bigger and better things.

"I don't party or anything like that, keeps my mind focused. If I shoot on a Sunday I would not go out on Saturday, or Friday, or any, night on the weekdays.

"I would rather go to bed at 8.30, get a good night's sleep, wake up nice and fresh and then go out and shoot good."

Her friends were understanding of her desire to shoot well and knew that late nights weren't a reality all the time.

Radich said she would not be beating the AA graded shooters if it was not for her coaches Chris and Annette Erceg.

"We work really well together. They've started me on a fitness programme, you need to be fit and focused because you've got to shoot so many rounds.

"I'll shoot really good in the morning and then after lunch or when the heat gets to me you start to fade and you start to lose targets."

One thing is for sure when it comes to Radich, the mental strength she has is bound to help progress her in whatever she chooses to in life - which at this stage is doing work experience in an early childhood centre.