2024 Nationals: Day 3 wrap
On an action packed day across Club Tweed and Broadbeach, the 2024 Australian Champions winners and the nation’s under-18 gold medallists were crowned at the 2024 Nationals.
Champion of Champions
It was an undefeated event for Right at Home Jackaroo Chloe Stewart who captured her maiden title at the event thanks to some sensational play across the final three rounds.
Commencing the day with a possible trophy deciding matchup against her Australian teammate in Dawn Hayman, the home club product would perform in exceptional fashion to claim a 21-15 victory.
Wins over Anita Rhook and Karen Gatto would seal one of the biggest accolades of her career as Hayman clinched the silver with just the sole blemish.
Western Australian Jackaroo Kristina Krstic took bronze thanks to a strong day without loss as Victoria’s Brooke Edwards rounded out the top four, missing out on a medal on shot difference.
The ACT’s Chloe Morrison finished fifth, with Tasmania’s Jess McMullen in sixth, Gatto in seventh and Rhook in eighth.
It was a clean sweep for Queensland as Jacob Nelson also went without loss to claim his shining moment, two wins clear of his nearest rival.
Nelson began the morning with an important 21-17 win over second placed Mason Lewis before facing the 2020 champion in Trystan Smallacombe in the penultimate round.
The Northern Territory product had jumped to second and a win could have set up a chance for second title, however Nelson had other ideas by rectifying a 16-17 deficit to win 21-17 for the second match in succession.
A win over South Australia’s Jono Voigt completed his unbeaten run and gold medal, with Victoria’s Brad Marron earning silver and Lewis taking bronze.
Smallacombe came in fourth ahead of Voigt in fifth, with the ACT’s Hayen Ward and Tasmania’s Jason Fowler making up the field.
Stewart and Nelson have now qualified for the 2025 World Champion of Champions to be played at Club Barham from September 20-25, 2025.
Australian Under-18 Championships
New South Wales’ Travis Moran reinforced himself as one of the form players on the under-18 circuit thanks to a scintillating day that saw him take out the boys’ singles title.
He dropped just 18 shots combined in his three sectional rounds against Victoria’s Koby Cromie, Western Australia’s Callum Alberti and Tasmania’s Jonty Hayes.
South Australia’s Charlie Hicks would be his opponent in the decider following a gritty 21-18 win over defending champion Riley Gerick to book his place in the gold playoff.
Hicks was more than up for the fight in the final, but a gargantuan full count at 13-all saw Moran run away with a 21-13 victory to add to his Australian Open silver and Junior Golden Nugget title in 2024.
Cromie would take bronze thanks to a 21-16 win over Gerick.
The boys’ fours was taken out by Queensland’s Rhys Gillman, Brody Carter, Todd Brain and Trent Brehmer thanks to a 12-9 win over Tasmania’s Lachlan Strochnetter, Riley Davie, Logan Marshall and Oliver Morrison in the decider.
It was the New South Wales and Queensland composite team that took bronze with Cooper Fliedner, Cooper Sutton, Thomas Brehmer and Jack Hayward overcoming Victoria 17-15.
In the girls’ pairs it was the all conquering New South Wales duo of Reese Finn-Young and Jasmine Smith earning the gold thanks to a 23-13 win over the New South Wales and Queensland composite’s Shakiya Murray and Madison Hazell in the decider.
Victoria’s Marlie Malcolm and Addy Ryan clinched bronze thanks to a 26-7 win over New South Wales B.
The New South Wales B team would get some joy thanks to Sophie Payne, Annabelle Teague and Tarnee Ingram after they defeated their state compatriots in Zoe Davies, Ella Cameron and Chanel Chakouch 14-13 for the girls’ triples gold.
Queensland’s Phoebie Russell, Ashlin Johnson and Tilah Mason took bronze after knocking off Victoria 16-12.
Para Nationals
Women’s open pairs semifinal lineups are set at Broadbeach with Right at Home Para Jackaroo Cheryl Lindfield progressing with her teammate Annette Goldsworthy.
They will meet Lindfield’s fellow Jackaroo in Victoria’s Alison East and partner Anette Ruffle.
The other semi will be contested by the all-Jackaroo pairing of Louise Hoskins and Serena Bonnell, who will face New South Wales’ Gail Schultz and Carolyn Nelson.
In the 14-point pairs, Lucas Protopapas and Josh Thornton finished on top of their section with one match to play, as did the likes of New South Wales’ Geoff Seton and James Reynolds and Western Australia’s Adam Eskanow and Eddie Gollan.
The women’s B5/6 singles sees New South Wales’ Carolyn Nelson on top of the table after one match with Gwen Fabris of Victoria in second.
Topping the respective sections in the women’s B7/8 singles were Bonnell, Goldsworthy, Lindfield and Tasmania’s Marijke Raine.
The men’s B7/8 singles quarterfinals draws are set with some tantalising matchups to come including Cooper Whitestyles against Josh Barry, with the winner to face either Jackaroo Chris Flavel or Tasmanian David Minns.
In the bottom half of the draw it is World Champion James Reynolds up against Commonwealth Games gold medallist Josh Thornton with the victor to take on Barry Brennan or Damien Delgado.
Finally, topping the open pairs sections were South Australia’s Aaron Emonson and Flavel, Brennan and Barry of Victoria and another South Australian duo Thomas Gibbs and Simon Baker.
The 2024 Nationals will run from October 8-25, 2024, with live streaming to take place on Bowls Australia’s YouTube channel.
