Van Asch, Lee and McMullen go back-to-back at State Triples Championships
Invermay’s Rebecca Van Asch, Debbie Lee and Jess McMullen made it back-to-back Women’s Open Triples Championships – and an incredible four Triples Championships in the last five years – to end Bowls Tasmania’s Gala Week on a high at the Burnie Bowls Club today.
Players took time to adjust to a super quick green at Burnie, and gusting winds made play difficult for all players.
Van Asch, Lee and McMullen had to fight hard to defeat Port Sorell’s Rae Simpson and Tracey Little and Kingborough’s Crystal Brooks by two shots. Van Ash led by seven shots after three ends before Simpson won five of the next six ends to get to within one shot. In a see-sawing game, Simpson kept niggling away and eventually levelled the scores with four ends to play and looked to have momentum on her side, However, the class of Van Asch shone out scoring four shots on the next two ends and holding on in a tight encounter to win the grand final by two shots. In the semi-finals, Van Asch defeated Cressy’s Di Byard by thirteen shots and Simpson beat Kings Meadows Barbara Smith by ten shots.
In the Men’s Open Triples Championships, Taelyn Male made up for being the runner-up in the past four Triples Championships. Male teamed with Kingborough’s Ryan Guy-Rees and New Norfolk’s Mitch Banks to defeat Devonport’s Cam Windrum, Ulverston’s Michael Sims and Sandy Bay’s Josh Lording by seven shots. Male was in total control early, winning seven of the first nine ends to race out to a twelve-shot lead. However, Windrum never gave up and managed to narrow the gap to four shots after fifteen ends. Four shots to Male on the next end looked like game-over for Windrum but he picked up five shots on the eighteenth end to again narrow the gap to four shoos. Male steadied to win the grand final by seven shots. In the semi-finals, Male had to work hard to defeat Brighton’s Riley Davey by two shots and Windrum beat Ulverstone’s Lee Pearson by five shots.
The day started off with the grand final of the Bowling Arm Singles Championship which was taken out for the second year in a row by Trevallyn’s Geoff Buchanan who defeated Royal Hobart’s Bill Mottershead by eight shots in a very high standard game.
For all the results, click HERE:
