Junior State Triples Champions – Day 4

by jgrey on January 20, 2021

By Peter Rookas

The standard and skill level of the junior bowlers competing at this year’s Bowls Queensland Junior State Championships at the North Toowoomba Bowls continues to rise and rise. Day 4 featured more fine weather but a testing North-Easterly wind provided players with a real challenge on the lightning-quick surfaces.

The superbly prepared greens by North Toowoomba Greenkeeper Dave Howard continued to earn rave revues from both BQ officials and the players who have travelled from all corners of Queensland to compete.

It was Open Triples day and a varied combination of Under 15 and Under 18 boys and girls made for some exciting bowls. The pre-tournament favourites skipped by North Toowoomba’s Jake Rynne were always going to tough to beat, and duly took a place in the final, but their opponents could have been any combination from the other side of the draw.

Skipping the side, Rynne shone on his home green while team mates Ty Jesberg (Lead) and Kane Nelson (2^nd) bolstered an impressive line-up. They cruised into the final with a semi-final win over the Hayden Oster side while in a ding-dong battle, the Albert Bowls Cub Gympie boys, Riley & Cody Bernard with Travis Pearce were tested by the mixed combination of Caysee Wilson, Olivia Rothwell and Shane Rideout before taking their place in the final.

In a tight start, the Gympie combination pressured their much-vaunted opponents and shot to an early 5 – 2 lead before some standout bowls, in particular by Rynne, steadied play. One drive in particular by Rynne saved two shots for his team and then some tight bowling by both sides saw the score swing too & fro and after ten ends it was locked at 9-all. Bernard’s team continued to apply the pressure & it was telling on Kane Nelson at second as his touch deserted him. It was here that the Emerging Jackaroo Rynne remained calm and claimed the shot on the eleventh & twelfth ends when Bernard’s team held one or more. At 11 – 9 in favour of Rynne, the ‘devil’s number’ 13^th end proved fatal for the Gympie boys. Playing a short end with the mat on the tee, Jesberg, Nelson and then Rynne peppered the jack to claim 5 shots and the shackles were broken. While Bernard’s team tried valiantly to bridge the gap, they could only claim one more shot while the final end produced a 22 – 10 victory for Rynne’s team and a third consecutive Gold Medal for Nelson and Rynne.

The Bronze medal final was a ‘cracker’! The mixed combination of Wilson, Rothwell & Rideout looked in control throughout over Todd Brain, Jack Chigwin and the diminutive Hayden Oster. On the second last end, within sight of the Bronze medal, and holding 2 shots with a 15 – 13 lead, Rideout’s team couldn’t believe their eyes when Oster produced the bowl of the tournament. Staring down defeat, Oster’s final bowl  took out both of Rideout’s bowls to claim 4 shots and a shock lead of 17 – 15 for the final end. Brain drew the shot, before Rothwell edged in to claim shot & Wilson appeared to just shade Brain’s bowl for the 2^nd shot. Oster played a wide draw superbly but came up a fraction short. With the game on the line, Rideout played the ultimate bowl to claim a third and a thrilling one shot victory 18 – 17.

Pictured below:

Pic 1: Junior State Triples Gold Medal Champions L-R: BQ’s Colleen Ryan, Kane Nelson, Jake Rynne, Ty Jesberg & BQ’s Kerry Green

Pic 2: Junior State Triples Silver Medal Champions L-R: BQ’s Colleen Ryan, Travis Pearce, Cody Bernard, Riley Bernard & BQ’s Kerry Green

Pic 3: Junior State Triples Bronze Medal Champions L-R: BQ’s Kerry Green, Olivia Rothwell, Shane Rideout, Caysee Wilson & BQ’s Colleen Ryan