Asquad of 22 members from the Mount Gambier District Indoor Bowls Association recently returned from the 53rd Australian Indoor Bias Bowls National Championships in Queensland.
Serena Bourn represented South Australia in the Ladies Singles and came home with the silver medal to Victorian player Anne Draffen by only the margin of one game.
Serena had two wins on the first day and lost the morning games on both Tuesday and Wednesday, one by seven shots and the other by one shot against the champion.
Serena cemented her silver medal position in the last game beating her opponent 29 shots to 10.
The ladies pair’s team of Mount Gambier members of Keisha Pearson and Fiona Pearson was successful in claiming the silver medal in the pair’s discipline.
With daughter Keisha leading and mother Fiona skippering the ladies started the week winning their first three games.
On the fourth game they played the national champions to only lose by one shot on the last end and last bowl from the opposition.
This was the only game they lost as they had two draws and six wins.
The ladies went into the last day in the bronze medal position but with a convincing win and the team holding second position losing they were elevated to claim the silver medal.
The Mount Gambier representatives in the Men’s Pairs Daniel Langdon and Tony Bowditch were proud to win the bronze medal.
After a slow start early in the week the two started to gel and became competitive against the stronger teams and putting points against their names.
Their medal came down to the last day as they only had to win and hope other results went their way and that’s what happened.
They won 23 shots to nine and the other two teams fighting for contention lost and the other draw, giving Daniel and Tony the bronze medal.
Throughout the championships a squad of 13 men and 11 ladies were selected to try out for the Australian team.
Mount Gambier was fortunate to have four players selected in the squad, with Keisha Pearson, Serena Bourn, Zac Pearson and Fiona Pearson selected to try out for trials in Ballarat in January 2024 to make the final cut of seven men and seven ladies to represent their country in New Zealand in May 2024.
Results: Ladies Singles: Serena Bourn 2nd – 7 wins; Ladies Pairs: Keisha Pearson and Fiona Pearson 2nd – 6 wins and 2 draws; Men’s Pairs: Daniel Langdon and Tony Bowditch 3rd – 5 wins and 1 draw; Ladies Fours: Veronica Opie, Fiona Rochow, Shirley Gifford and Heather Glynn 4th – 6 wins; Ladies Triples: Emma Freemantle (plus Samantha Hawke and Jodie Hawke) 5th – 5 wins; Mixed Pairs: Jennifer Bowering (plus Leigh Huckel) 5th – 4 wins and 1 draw; Mixed Fours: Nola Spencer (plus Gloria Williams, Rocco Ursida and Geoff Amos) 6th – 4 wins; Men’s Triples: Tim Radley, Gary Bowering (plus Mike Haywood) 7th – 4 wins and 1 draw; Mixed Fours: Bronwyn Hill (plus Terry Culbertson, Colleen Barclay and Patrick Falckh) 8th – 2 wins and 2 draws; Men’s Fours: Trevor Williams and Thomas Butler (plus Kevin Rowley and Peter Matan) 8th – 3 wins; Men’s Triples: Craig Pearson (plus Milton Hawke and Ian Miller) 8th – 3 wins; Men’s Pairs: Zac Pearson (plus Chris Chrisakis) 9th – 2 wins and 1 draw; Men’s Singles: Coehen Keppels 10th – 1 win and 2 draws; Ladies Fours: Nicola Bowditch (plus Mary Haywood, Jan Miller and Carole Ross) 10th – 1 win; Reserve: Jos Breuker – 1st for team support over the week.
