State Championships – Mixed Pairs Finals

Bush & DeJongh-Fitzpatrick Crowned Mixed Pairs Champions

By Vanessa Bacon-Hall

Blustery conditions prevailed over the three days of play for the 2023 Queensland State Mixed Pairs Championships with 31 sections starting out on Monday May 8 at clubs across the Sunshine Coast district.

The last two days of play were held at the Coolum Beach Bowls Club with a thriller of a game contested for the Gold. Jane Bush and Scott De-Jongh Fitzpatrick went up against Janet Healey and Cohen Liftin in the Gold Medal match which saw Bush and De-Jongh Fitzpatrick take out the lead and the top spot after their opposition had been in front for most of the game.

Playing together for the second year in a row, the elated Gold Medal winners who took the Gold in a down to the wire final (17/16), were “pretty happy” to make it this year well past the round of 16 despite the playing conditions.

“The wind here was hard,” Jane said.

“But we came in to play a long game and at one stage the other team were up 13/3 and we just kept chipping away and won by one,” Scott said.

The Bronze match saw bowling youngsters Kira Bourke and Jarryd Davies go head-to-head against the mother and son team of Kobe and Pauline Barton with Bourke and Davies securing the bronze 26-15.

“This was our first time playing mixed… we did well but obviously were hoping to do better, but we will be back next year,” Kira stated.

Rolling up for their third outing in the mixed pairs, Mother and Son duo Kobe and Pauline Barton who came in fourth were happy to have gone, “the furthest out of the years” but explained that the wind had been difficult at times and luck was needed in some games.

Semifinal results:

Jane Bush & Scott DeJongh Fitzpatrick 26 def Pauline Barton & Kobe Barton 17

Janet Healey & Cohen Litfin 20 def Kira Bourke & Jarryd Davies 14

Despite the chilly weather and wind, the three days of play made for great bowling. Bowls Queensland would like to thank host clubs The Waves Caloundra, Pelican Waters, Club Kawana, Woombye, Mooloolaba and Coolum Beach.

The State Triples (Men’s and Women’s) will commence from May 11 at The Waves Caloundra, Mooloolaba and Coolum Beach. Be sure to watch the live stream if you can’t make it to one of the clubs or to check back to our event page (link below) for all of the updates.

More info and full results: https://www.bowlsqld.org/events/state-championships/

Thank you to sponsors Nic Fisher Harcourts Ascot Clayfield Nundah Banyo, Sunshine Coast Council and Coolum Beach Bowls Club.