Wilson and Leese carry Queensland’s hopes
Australia’s champion bowlers of the future take up the challenge tomorrow in the Australian under-18 championship in Western Australia, as Greg Kelly reports for the Tweed Daily. Tweed Heads’ Brendan Wilson and Coolangatta’s Braidan Leese form part of a strong five-a-side contingent from Queensland side vying to regain the title from Western Australia. Wilson, Leese and teammates Nic Gosley (Beenleigh), Stephen Savage (Dalby) and Cohen Litfin (Jindalee) will face tough opposition from WA which includes current Australian junior singles champion Dave Downey. NSW includes top guns Dylan Skinner, Luke Jones, Cory Wedlock and Jono Davis. Wilson, who plays in the top division side at Tweed Heads, is the current junior Queensland singles champion and has won the state junior triples with Gosley Leese, an apprentice greenkeeper at Coolangatta, skipped the winning pairs and fours combination in the junior championships in April this year. The under-18 championships have produced many champions from Queensland, including Commonwealth Games medallists Mark Casey, Lynsey Armitage and Kelsey Cottrell. The titles feature the top five boys and five girls from each state and territory competing in singles, pairs, triples and fours. The five girls representing Queensland are: Singles, April Wilson (Club Helensvale). Pairs, Wilson, Taleah Putney (Gayndah). Triples, Connie-Leigh Rixon (Kawana), Kali Visentin (Giru), Rikki-Lee Kemp (Burnett). Fours, Rixon, Putney, Kemp and Visentin The Queensland boys are: Singles, Braiden Leese (Coolangatta). Pairs, Stephen Savage (Dalby), Leese. Triples, Cohen Litfin (Jindalee), Brendan Wilson (Tweed Heads) Nic Gosley (Beenleigh). Fours, Litfin, Savage, Wilson, Gosley. The championships are being played at the Sorrento Bowls Club in WA and begin tomorrow with sectional play and continue all week with the final play-offs on Thursday October 3.