Rae Simpson stars at State Championships
Port Sorell’s Rae Simpson finished on top at the Bowls Tasmania State Championships when she took out the women’s open pairs championship and the coveted women’s open singles championships which finished at North Launceston today.
Simpson always looked in control against Brighton’s Lyn Triffitt in the women’s open singles championship. .Simpson scored a four and two threes in the first seven ends to open up a five shot lead and was never headed in winning 25-12.
In the women’s open pairs grand final, Rae Simpson and Invermay’s Jean Claridge had a great tussle against Penguin’s Glenda Fielding and Port Sorell’s Tracey Little, until Simpson and Claridge scored nine shots in two ends to open up an eight-shot lead. Fielding and Little then won four ends on the trot to get within one shot but that was as close as they got as Simpson and Claridge finished strongly to win 26-18.
Wynyard’s Jade Groenewege caused the upset of the competition in the men’s open singles championship when he defeated Ulverstone’s Rob McMullen in a high class semi-final. McMullen lead for most of the semi-final and was leading 23-16 before Groenewege strung together five winning ends in a row to defeat McMullen 25-23. In the other semi-final, Brighton’s Grant Wakefield won a titanic struggle against Longford’s Ollie Morrison, one of the State’s most promising juniors, 25-24. In the grand final, Groenewege defeated Wakefield 25-11.
In the men’s open pairs championship, another two talented juniors in Brighton’s Riley Davie and Cremorne’s Reiley Banks played consistent draw bowls and some great conversion shots to defeat Dover RSL’s Rick Ormerod and Cameron Norris 23-7 to take out the championship.
In the men’s B Grade singles grand final, Kingborough’s Gavin Cleary beat Taroona’s Rob Winterbottom 25-20. In the semi-finals, Cleary defeated Cosgrove Park’s Wayne Wright 25-5 and Winterbottom beat Penguin’s Dean Gilchrist 25-12.
In the women’s B Grade singles grand final, Cosgrove Park’s Shaz Hyland defeated Kings Meadow’s Lyn Cornelius 25-20.
The final two rounds of the men’s para bowls singles championship was played today. The winner of the championships was Glenorchy City’s Jason Dent from Wynyard’s Chris Newman.
The bowling arm triples championship grand final was convincingly won by Trevallyn’s Geoff Buchanan and Joe Reissig and Ridgley’s Vaughan Eaves who defeated Cosgrove Park’s Ray Dureau and Kings Meadows Rex Kidd and Cherylle Pedley 20-5.
