So close, yet so far for teen bowls star

By SARAH MARTIN

COOKTOWN bowls sensation

Corrine Stallan has again wowed selectors with her poise both on and off the rink, being selected for the Queensland team for the second year running.

The 17-year-old and her mum Katrina Lewis have just returned from the State Junior Championships in Bundaberg, where Corrine narrowly missed a gold medal in the singles.

“It’s her last year in under-18s and she was hoping to win gold, but lost by two bowls,” a proud Ms Lewis said.

Her mum said it was not just Corrine’s bowling skills, but also her attitude off the rink that made her stand out.

“She composes herself well and represents the Cooktown Bowls Club well. She’s always encouraging her team, win or lose,” Ms Lewis said.

A reflection of her strong team ethic was Corrine’s decision to stick with her less-experienced Far Northern bowling cohort, despite being asked to join a team of last year’s winning players.

“She wanted to stay loyal to the Far Northern juniors, even though some of them were beginner bowlers and the youngest was only 12 years old,” Ms Lewis said.

“She still did well; they all did their best and although they didn’t make it to the semi-finals, they gave it a good go; they won one game out of the three games each day.”

Corrine will head south again later this year to represent Queensland in a State of Origin clash against New South Wales.

“She was over the moon about being one of the eight girls selected for that, and then from there they will select five girls to compete at the Nationals in Perth; but we’ll just take one hurdle at a time,” Ms Lewis said.

The youngster also scooped an

Cape barrel racer mixes it with best

FINISHING just a second behind the winner at the Australian Bushman’s Campdraft and Rodeo Association national finals capped off a stellar first year on the professional rodeo circuit for Kelly Shephard.

The young mum, who lives with her family at Crocodile Station near Lakeland, has been competing in rodeos all her life, but 2022 was her first full year chasing points and her first time qualifying for the ABCRA national finals.

Australia Day award in Cooktown on Thursday as joint winner of the 2023 Cook Shire Sportsperson Award, alongside rugby league champ Makeilla Gibson.

She drove horse Nickelback for three days to the event in Tamworth, before taking on the country’s best barrel racers.

“I didn’t pick up any money, but was happy I was up in the times with some of the best girls in Australia,” she said.

And for all the Yellowstone fans out there, Kelly said it can be true that barrel racers are a little bit crazy.

“Yes, well, I suppose you could say we can be at times,” she joked.

When she isn’t riding rodeo, Kelly is competing at campdrafts or riding at home for work and barrel race training.

She has a laidback outlook on her rodeo success and is undecided whether she will aim for the nationals again in 2024.

“It was a great experience and if I get the opportunity I’ll probably go back.”

– Story by Sarah Martin

DEB DUFFY

Principal Licencee 0418 773 747 debduffy@weiparealestate.com.au www.weiparealestate.com.au PO Box 552, Weipa QLD4874

Cape York Weekly is a free, locally-owned newspaper, published every Tuedsay by Cape York Weekly Pty Ltd

ABN: 506 391 612 92

EDITOR: Matt Nicholls

Ph: 0477 450 558 editor@capeyorkweekly.com.au

PO Box 1079 Weipa, Qld 4874

ADVERTISING: editor@capeyorkweekly.com.au

ACCOUNTS: accounts@capeyorkweekly.com.au

EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 5pm Friday

SPORTS EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 3pm Sunday

ADVERTSING BOOKING DEADLINE: 11am Friday

ADVERTISING COPY DEADLINE: 4pm Friday

WEBSITE: www.capeyorkweekly.com.au

Go to the website and click on the subscribe button to receive a free digital copy of the newspaper delivered to your inbox every week

Cape York Weekly recognises that our Indigenous forefathers have lived on this land for some 30,000 years. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners, both past, present and future, of the numerous clan groups on Cape York Peninsula. The newspaper is based in Weipa, on the land of the Alngith people, and we acknowledge them as the custodians of this land.