New All Schools format a big hit with players
T
he format for the ninth annual All Schools Cup was a little different this year, to encourage more high school students to give the game a try. It called for one registered player and one newcomer to the sport to make up a pair and win a place at the state title play-offs, by beating other school-based pairs in their bowls district.
13 of 19 districts in Queensland fielded a representative pair for All Schools, Brisbane (Craigslea SHS), Brisbane North (Pine Rivers SHS), Bundaberg-Port Curtis (Shalom College), Burnett (Burnett State College), Central Queensland (Rockhampton SHS), Downs (Centenary Heights SHS), Fraser Coast (Hervey Bay SHS), Mackay (Mackay SHS), North Queensland (St Anthony’s Catholic College Townsville), Southern Downs (Clifton SHS), Tropical Far North (Smithfield SHS), Gold Coast Tweed (Pacific Pines SHS), Sunshine Coast (Sunshine Coast Grammar).
Bowls Queensland development manager Brett Murphy said it was disappointing that powerhouse districts like Cunningham and Gateway were unable to support a school-based team for All Schools this year. “They’ve got great junior development pathways, hopefully they’ll be able to support a pair to compete at All Schools in 2014,” Murphy said. He also hopes to get a junior rep pair for 2014 from the smaller districts who didn’t compete this year, Caboolture, Condamine, North West and Maranoa-Warrego. v36/12
Clockwise from top: Cheering on the competitors at All Schools 2013, some of the states best junior bowlers, from left, Jayden Cottell, Nic Gosley, Taleah Putney, Bryce Litfin, Hayden Vogler, Emma Rowbotham, Jessie Cottell, Cohen Litfin, Sarah Wilson, Aymee Bellert. Burnett State College Gayndah’s Aymee Bellert and Annika Darlington. Semi finalists Mitchell Styles (on bended knee) and James Petch from Smithfield SHS Cairns with Pacific Pines SHS’s Paige Bailey (left) and Michaela Bailey-Nelson. Pine Rivers SHS’s James Wakefield and Alex Thompson. queensland bowler | 17