Latest National Rankings for December released
Tasmania ensured it entered 2019 in style by continuing to be represented at the top of the Bowls Australia (BA) National Rankings, with Lee Schraner and Rebecca Van Asch retaining their number one mantles.
A runners-up singles finish in the 2018 Australian Championships saw Schraner tighten his grasp at the top of the Men’s field, while Van Asch’s outstanding 2018 ensured she still holds enough ranking points as number one despite not playing since late August.
Elsewhere, fellow Australian Championships stars Ray Pearse (NSW) and Sean Baker (QLD) each had a small climb, while Ryan Bester moved back into the top five thanks to his victory at the Ballina Summerland Pairs with the aforementioned Baker.
In the Women’s field, the Queensland pairing of Ester Regan and Maria Rigby both occupy second-place with the same amount of ranking points with the duo part of the Fours outfit which collected silver in the Bribie Island Ladies’ Prestige event.
The National Rankings System operates on a yearly rolling-points system, where all points accrued are retained for a twelve-month period and are then discounted.
The rankings year concludes at the completion of the Australian Open in June 2019, with the number one ranked male and female players earning the titles of Male and Female Bowlers of the Year and $3,000 prize purses each.
Players can accrue ranking points from all national events, State Championships, State Champion of Champion and selected club events.
Top-ranked players by state (Men):
ACT: Mac McLean (overall ranking – 10th)
NSW: Ray Pearse (overall ranking – 2nd)
NT: Trystan Smallacombe (overall ranking – 37th)
QLD: Aron Sherriff (overall ranking – 6th)
SA: Wayne Ruediger (overall ranking – 26th)
TAS: Lee Schraner (overall ranking – 1st)
VIC: Dylan Fisher (overall ranking – 12th)
WA: Lee Such (overall ranking – 23rd)
Overseas (CAN): Ryan Bester (overall ranking – 5th)
Top-ranked players by state (Women):
ACT: Margaret Bacchetto (overall ranking – 50th)
NSW: Natasha Scott (overall ranking – 5th)
NT: Shenayde Heldt (overall ranking – 24th)
QLD: Ester Regan (overall ranking – 2nd)
SA: Patria McGrath (overall ranking – 50th)
TAS: Rebecca Van Asch (overall ranking – 1st)
VIC: Gayle Edwards (overall ranking – 9th)
WA: Kristina Krstic (overall ranking – 6th)
Overseas (NFK): Carmen Anderson (overall ranking – 17th)
Overall Player Rankings (Men):
1st: Lee Schraner (TAS): 496 pts
2nd: Ray Pearse (NSW): 336
3rd: Sean Baker (QLD): 333
4th: David Ferguson (NSW): 325
5th: Ryan Bester (OS CAN): 314
Overall Player Rankings (Women):
1st: Rebecca Van Asch (TAS): 256 pts
2nd: Ester Regan (QLD): 222
2nd: Maria Rigby (QLD): 222
4th: Chloe Stewart (QLD): 218
5th: Natasha Scott (NSW): 204
