Kim Saunders stars at State Championships
Invermay’s Kim Saunders is the new superstar of Tasmanian bowls after winning the women’s open singles, pairs and fours championships at this week’s Bowls Tasmania State Championships which concluded at Burnie today – after winning the women’s open triples championship in January 2023. It is believed to be the first time in the history of Tasmanian women’s bowls that this feat has been achieved.
Kim Saunders started slowly in the coveted women’s open singles grand final against Invermay team mate Jess McMullen trailing 6-15 after ten ends but clawed her way back into the game winning the next six ends to get within one shot. McMullen steadied to stretch her lead to three shots but Saunders fought back and eventually won 25-21.
Kings Meadows Rob McMullen won the men’s open state singles championships for the second year in a row after a titanic struggle against Burnie’s Mark Nitz. McMullen jumped out of the blocks to lead 6-0 after four ends and 12-3 after eight ends before Nitz found his length and got within three shots after twelve ends.. McMullen then raced away to lead 19-12 and looked like a winner but Nitz fought back with some great bowls to get within a shot with the score favouring McMullen 20-19. The game went end for end after that until a great drive on the final end saw McMullen over the line 25-22.
Orford’s Shane Davis finished off a great championship with a hard fought 25-19 win over Brighton’s David Williams in the men’s B grade singles championship.
Grand finals in the pair’s championships were played this morning. In the men’s open championship, Port Sorell’s young guns Codi Marshall and Bailey Bellchambers played consistent draw bowls and some great conversion shots to defeat Kings Meadows Rob McMullen and Franklin’s Brad Johns by five shots At just eighteen years old, Marshall and Bellchambers are the third youngest pair ever to take out the men’s open pairs championship.
The women’s open pairs championship was won by the current State open pairs champions Invermay’s Deb Lee and Kim Saunders who had to fight hard to record a two-shot win over East Launceston’s Heather Thompson and Janet McCarthy who won the State B Grade pairs championship last year and nearly caused an upset in open ranks this year.
Disability bowlers took to the greens in pairs and singles championship grand finals today. In the pairs grand final, Ulverstone’s Alan Ryman and Kings Meadows Greg Smith defeated Glenorchy Rodman’s Jacob Sherrin-Wall and Wynyard’s Grant Hills by five shots. Glenorchy Rodman’s Jacob Sheerin-Wall convincingly defeated Swansea’s James Amos 21-3 in the disability singles grand-final. In the preceding semi-final, Sheerin-Wall beat Port Sorell’s Jamie Costello 21-3.
The bowling arm fours championship was run as a round robin competition with Trevallyn’s Ray Geoff Buchanan, Joe Reissig and Ray Dureau and Ridgley’s Vaughan Eaves defeating George Town’s Michael Shingles and Doreen White, Wynyard’s Heather Jones and Ridgley’s Colin Shipton on a countback with three wins each and a shot difference of 15 shots.
The bowling arm triples championships was won for the second year in a row by George Town’s Michael Shingles and Doreen White and Wynyard’s Heather Jones, who reversed their loss in the fours championships by convincingly defeating Trevallyn’s Geoff Buchanan, Joe Reissig and Ray Dureau by twenty shots.
For all the results click HERE