Top youngsters step up
Many of Australia’s best young bowlers headline the 28th annual Junior South Pacific carnival which begins on today at Warilla Bowling Club, Mike Driscoll reports for the Illawarra Mecury .
Seventy-eight bowlers have nominated for the five-day carnival playing under-16 or open divisions of singles, and open pairs.
“It’s a red-hot carnival once again,” Warilla Bowling Club carnival organiser, and former world number one, Leif Selby said.
“It’s been a big event for almost three decades and everyone loves coming here for the week.
“A couple of Australian players, Dawn Hayman and Jamie-LeeWorsnop, among others are playing their last junior South Pacific before turning 18 so they’ll want to do well in their farewell carnival.”
The carnival begins with the sectional rounds of the open (under 18s) singles and under 16s singles on Monday morning.
Open singles champion Sam Hatch Caccamo (Putney Tennyson) is back to defend his title and has been drawn in the final section 15 with Urunga’s Sam Armes and Waterboard’s Nick Evans.
Among the top visiting juniors in the Open singles are 13-year-old superstar Jono Davis, from Dubbo Railway, who was eligible for the under 16s event but entered the open singles.
The Warilla club have a host of talented juniors taking part in the open singles including Courtney Sopher, Lauren Shaw, Brandon Aranda, Darren Gumley, Jayden Tzortzis, Jayden Gebbie, Kyle Dalby and Kate Davis.
Wiseman Park’s Australian under 18s star Dylan Skinner, who won the pairs with Corey Wedlock last year, will be among the contenders in singles, while last year’s under 16s winner Luke Grainger (St Johns Park) is playing in the open event this week.
The carnival continues with nine sectional rounds of pairs on Tuesday.
All finals will be on Friday at Warilla.
Caption: Pint-sized Jono Davis punches well above his weight in the sport of bowls.
