Golden moment for Qld’s Leese

by admin on October 3, 2013

Braidan Leese captures singles gold at Junior Nationals in Perth Braidan Leese brought home the gold from WA in the Australian Under 18’s Championship singles with a dominant bowling display over Northern Territory’s Owen Short, 21-5.

The boys fours also claimed a ribbon after humbling ACT, 24-9, and will return to Queensland with a bronze.

The girls contributed to the medal haul as April Wilson and Taleah Putney also beat the ACT comprehensively, 26-11.

It brought an end to a day that started with all Queensland’s young bowlers in with a medal opportunity.

April Wilson was first up in the singles vying for bronze, playing Ellen Ryan from NSW, but failed to produce the bowls she is known for, losing 21-6.

But come the afternoon, and playing with Taleah Putney in the pairs, she upped her game and secured bronze with a dominant 26-11 for another Queensland victory over ACT.

In the triples Queensland’s girls Connie-Leigh Rixon, Rikki-Lee Kemp and Kali Visentin produced a determined performance to see off the ACT and claim 5th place, 18-15.

But there was disappointment in the fours, who added Putney to the triples line up. Playing for a bronze the girls went agonisingly close but went down 17-15 to finish fourth.

But the boys fours enjoyed the taste of bronze gunning down ACT 29-9. Cohen Litfin, Stephen Savage, Brendan Wilson and Nic Gosley all contributed to a satisfying victory.

With gold in his pocket Leese couldn’t find the same success in the pairs with Stephen Savage. The boys finished seventh overall beating Northern Territory 19-13.

A 24-12 victory gave the boys triples a fifth place finish, Litfin, Wilson and Gosley producing the goods against ACT.

Flying back to Queensland with a gold and a pair of bronze medals is pleasing for Bill Cornehls, but he’s not letting the squad rest easy. “We can take some positives away from it but there’s a few negatives we need to work on too.”

But finished off complimenting the group as a whole, “They did their best on the stage and we can’t ask for more than that.”