2017 Award finalists named
Bowls Australia have confirmed the finalists for next month’s Awards Night, recognising the sport’s most outstanding athletes, administrators and officials. The finalists for next month’s Bowls Australia Awards Night have been confirmed, with the sport’s most outstanding athletes, administrators and officials set to be recognised.
Finalists for 11 awards have been unveiled for the 2017 Hall of Fame and Awards Night, with winners crowned on October 26 at Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, alongside the induction and elevation of Hall of Fame members announced over the past week.
Last year’s World Bowls Championships’ gold medal winning pairs teammates Brett Wilkie and Aaron Wilson will vie for the sport’s highest honour, in the coveted International Bowler of the Year category, supported by the Australian Sports Commission.
Victorian duo Barrie Lester and Carla Krizanic are the only two confirmed winners for the night, having secured their respective Cruiseabout Male and Female Bowler of the Year titles by virtue of winning the sport’s National Player Ranking points for 2016/17 and finishing as Australia’s number one bowlers.
In the Under-18 Bowler of the Year categories, supported by BCiB Insurance Brokers and Tourism and Events Queensland, recent Australian Open singles gold medallists Jono Davis and Jessica Srisamruaybai are both finalists for the respective boys’ and girls’ gongs, up against Australian Development players Lachlan Sims and Kate Matthews, who competed at the Trans Tasman test series.
World Vision Impaired Championships dual gold medallist Lynne Seymour has been recognised in the Bowlers with a Disability award, against Australian Open men’s pairs winner Josh Thornton, who prevailed in the open category of the world’s richest event.
Last year’s runner-up in the Stockland Retirement Living Club of the Year award, Victoria’s Torquay Bowls Club, is again a finalist this year, for general excellence, up against Queensland’s Rockhampton Bowls Club.
NSW junior state Coach Chris Green has been recognised for the CIty of Gold Coast Coach of the Year accolade, as has South Australia’s victorious Australian Sides Championships Coach Les Carter.
Bowls NSW’s volunteer of the year runner-up John Luchetti will attempt to go one better at a national level in the same categorisation, against Club Pine River’s Barry O’Brien, who assists with the coordination of volunteers and officials at the Bowls Premier League.
Two exceptional International Technical Officials, Diane Milner and Laureen Smith, from South Australia and Victoria respectively, are named as finalists in the Official of the Year category.
Three deserving Bowls Australia employees have been confirmed as finalists in the Bolton Clarke Regional Bowls Manager of the Year award for their contribution to the assistance of clubs in their region, including South East Queensland’s Andrew Howie, Western Victoria’s John Emerson and Riverina and Western NSW’s David Inglis.
Full award finalists:
• Australian Sports Commission International Bowler of the Year finalists: Brett Wilkie (Club Helensvale, QLD) and Aaron Wilson (Cabramatta, NSW)
• Cruiseabout Male Bowler of the Year winner: Barrie Lester (Mulgrave Country Club, VIC)
• Cruiseabout Female Bowler of the Year winner: Carla Krizanic (Sunbury, VIC)
• BCiB Insurance Brokers Under-18 Male Bowler of the Year finalists: Jono Davis (Club Mount Lewis, NSW) and Lachlan Sims (Trevallyn, TAS)
• Tourism and Events Queensland Under-18 Female Bowler of the Year finalists: Kate Matthews (Raymond Terrace, NSW) and Jessica Srisamruaybai (Tweed Heads, QLD)
• Bowler with a Disability of the Year finalists: Lynne Seymour (Thuringowa, QLD) and Josh Thornton (East Shepparton, VIC)
• Stockland Retirement Living Club of the Year finalists: Rockhampton Bowls Club (QLD) and Torquay Bowls Club (VIC)
• CIty of Gold Coast Coach of the Year finalists: Chris Green (Taren Point, NSW) and Les Carter (Bowls SA)
• Volunteer of the Year finalists: John Luchetti (Yamba, NSW) and Barry O’Brien (Club Pine Rivers, QLD)
• Official of the Year finalists: Diane Milner (Walaroo, SA) and Laureen Smith (Mulwala, VIC)
• Bolton Clarke Regional Bowls Manager of the Year finalists: Andrew Howie (South East Queensland), John Emerson (Western Victoria) and David Inglis (Riverina and Western NSW)
Tickets for the 2017 Hall of Fame and Awards Night are now available to be purchased online here, and Bowls Australia encourages anyone wishing to support the Award finalists and Hall of Fame inductees and elevations to attend.
Ticket prices include a three-course meal and drink packages.
Bowls Australia congratulates all award finalists and thanks the naming rights sponsors of each awards categories for their contribution to the staging of this event.
