Victoria and WA enjoy gold rush
Half of the Australian Under-18 Championships’ disciplines have been run and won, with Western Australia and Victoria splitting the honours after the final morning. Half of the Australian Under-18 Championships’ disciplines have been run and won, with Western Australia and Victoria splitting the honours after the final morning. Host state Western Australia secured the first gold of the tournament in the girls’ singles, with Elizabeth Allen rewarded after failing to obtain a medal during the Sandgropers barnstorming of the event last year, defeating Victoria’s Chloe Stewart 21-10, while the boys’ triples contingent of Welsey Neilson and Dan Nicholls were guided by the experienced hand of 2012 singles and triples winner David Downey to the state’s second golden medallion, also overcoming the Big V in the decider, 17-14. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Garden State though with Jayden Christie and Joshua Corless clinching their first gold of the event to add to the state’s two silvers, blasting past NSW’s Greg Jeans and Dylan Skinner 27-8, while Cody Sylvester, Natasha Russell, Elisa Rigoni and Tayla Morison clawed back from a deficit at the half way mark of their final to overcome NSW’s Samantha Noronha, Jamie-Lee Worsnop, Dawn Hayman and Natalie Noronha 15-10. Victoria now has the upper-hand going into this afternoon’s remaining four finals, with one hand firmly placed on the Robert Middleton Overall State Champions Trophy, but the likes of NSW can still pry away the glory, with three gold medal matches remaining compared to Victoria’s two. Click here for full results from the 2013 Australian Under-18 Championships. Final results: Girls Singles Gold medal match: Elizabeth Allen (WA) df Chloe Stewart (VIC) 21-10 Bronze medal match: Ellen Ryan (NSW) df April Wilson (QLD) 21-6 5th / 6th: Shae Smith (NT) df Tamzin Jenke (SA) 21-5 7th / 8th: Jessica Hogan (ACT) df Aquis Jones (TAS) 21-18 Boys Pairs Gold medal match: J Christie, J Corless (VIC) df G Jeans, D Skinner (NSW) 27-8 Bronze medal match: J Appleyard, M Sims (TAS) df M McQueen, T Britton (ACT) 26-14 5th / 6th: C Biddle, R Philpott (WA) df J Bodnar, C Birnie (SA) 14-13 7th / 8th: S Savage, B Leese (QLD df )M Simpson, O Short (NT) 19-13 Boys Triples Gold medal match: W Neilson, D Nicholls, D Downey (WA) df T Mansbridge, J Bye-Norris, N Lynch (VIC) 17-14 Bronze medal match: J Davis, L Jones, C Wedlock (NSW) df T Male, J Lording, K Walker (TAS) 20-8 5th / 6th: C Litfin, B Wilson, N Gosley (QLD) df J Marquet, B Spaven, F O’Shaughnessy (ACT) 24-12 7th / 8th: T Wilson, M Scott, J Studham (SA) df T Chambers, J Clayfield, J Hamilton (NT) 25-16 Boys Fours Gold medal match: J Davis, G Jeans, L Jones, C Wedlock (NSW) vs J Christie, J Bye-Norris, N Lynch, J Corless (VIC) Bronze medal match: J Marquet, B Spaven, M McQueen, F O’Shaughnessy (ACT) vs C Litfin, S Savage, B Wilson, N Gosley (QLD) 5th / 6th: W Neilson, R Philpott, C Biddle, D Nicholls (WA) vs J Appleyard, T Male, J Lording, K Walker (TAS) 7th / 8th: T Chambers, M Simpson, J Clayfield, J Hamilton (NT) vs T Wilson, M Scott, J Bodnar, J Studham (SA)