Lakes Entrance Bowls Club’s 2024/25 club champions were successful at the Gippsland Bowls Region Champion of Champions tournament held at Heyfield last weekend.
Bradley Lancaster was the winner of the men’s for the fifth time, while Joanne Martin made it title number two.
Saturday saw hot and steamy conditions, while Sunday was played in intermittent rain.
The event brings the club champions of all bowling clubs in the Gippsland Bowls Region together, with the winner getting bragging rights for being the best and a trip to Bendigo in April to represent the region at the state championships.
Lancaster overcame four tough matches before being crowned a deserving champion.
He accounted for Bairnsdale Golf and Bowls Club’s Stephen Beggs in the opening round, 25-16, before going head-to-head with last year’s champion, Sale’s Andrew Bell in the quarter finals.
Lancaster was too strong late in his 25-18 win over a quality player and fierce competitor.
Sunday morning saw Lancaster prove too good for Paynesville’s Ron Elton in the semi final 25-14.
The grand final was hard fought, with Lindenow’s Stephen Brill holding an early ascendancy 12-7, before Lancaster found his range and asserted his authority on the contest, winning impressively 25-20.
Martin began her campaign with a huge statement, comprehensively defeating last year’s winner Stratford’s Leonie Flynn in the first round 25-10.
Despite taking out her biggest rival in the opening match, Martin still received plenty of opposition on the way to adding to her 2022/23 title win.
Martin overcame Bairnsdale Golf and Bowls Club’s Judi Hogan in the quarter finals 25-10 before being tested by Bairnsdale young gun Ayla Romanin in the semi finals.
Romanin was left out of the Bairnsdale side for the superleague grand final after being a vital cog in the side’s qualifying final victory over Lakes Entrance at Metung.
The teenager looked set for victory at 16-8 but was worn down late by Martin, who was able to score some multiple digit end victories, while restricting Romanin to just singles.
In the grand final Martin took on former Paynesville teammate Rhonda Sadovsky, who took the match right up to match favourite.
Martin led a close encounter 11-9 before stringing together some quality ends to claim an 18-9 advantage, eventually victorious 25-14.
LOCAL TOURNAMENT
The Lakes Entrance ladies hosted a ladies triples invitation day last Thursday, which attracted a good field of 16 teams competing.
The winning team was from the Bairnsdale Golf/Bowls Club and consisted of Angela Boyd, Joy Ryan and Jill Dennison.
Other teams represented Lakes Entrance, Stratford, Bairnsdale Golf, Maffra, Bairnsdale, Paynesville, Orbost, Jindabyne and Yarraville/Footscray.
