2023 State Championships
The Ballarat Highlands Bowls Region had representatives in all events at the 2023 State Championships in Bendigo.
The event was staged from Saturday, 22nd April – Sunday, 30th April 2023 at the Bendigo East Bowling Club.
Contested events include Singles, Pairs, Mixed Pairs, Triples, Fours and Champion of Champions Singles events.
16 Finalists in each event contest Round of 16 matches, followed by Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, then the Final.
Ballarat Highlands State Championships Week representatives.
Champion of Champions
Men – Brenton Coad (Victoria)
Women – Elizabeth Kierce (City Oval)
Men’s Events
Singles – Greg Brown (Ballarat)
Pairs – Travis Hedger and Michael Booth (Creswick)
Triples – Heath Fumberger, Gavin Mann and Ben Morris (City Oval)
Fours – Heath Fumberger, Gavin Mann, Ben Morris, Wayne Roberts (City Oval)
Men’s Novice Singles – Joel Clark (City Oval)
Men’s Over 60 Singles – Greg Plier (Midlands)
Men’s Over 60 Pairs – David Beardmore, Vic Foxford (Gisborne)
Women’s Events
Singles – Anne Draffen (Ballan)
Pairs – Patricia Speechley and Lynnette Lock (Midlands)
Triples – Janice Conroy, Anne Draffen (Ballan) and Amy Newman (Ballarat North)
Fours – Sandy Grano, Elizabeth Kierce, Sally McCracken, Janine Roberts (City Oval)
Women’s Novice Singles – Amanda Rayner (Diggers Rest)
Women’s Over 60 Singles – Elizabeth Kierce (City Oval)
Women’s Over 60 Pairs – Jill Hopper, Deb Gorin (Victoria)
Mixed Event
Mixed Pairs – Leah McArthur and Ben McArthur (Webbcona)
Victoria’s Brenton Coad defeated a quality field to capture the Men’s Champion of Champions title in Bendigo, becoming the Ballarat Highlands Bowls Regions inaugural state champion in the process.
City Oval Bowling Club produced two runners-up in the event with Sandy Grano, Elizabeth Kierce, Sally McCracken and Janine Roberts in the Fours, and Joel Clark in the Novice event.
2023 State Championships Week
Results for Ballarat Highlands bowlers can be found below.
Champion of Champions Men
Brenton Coad (Victoria)
R1 – Reino Brunnenmeyer (Ovens & Murray) – 25-21 (W)
QF – Tyson Cromie (Geelong) 25-21 (W)
SF – Kris Paine (Sandbelt) 25-6 (W)
FINAL – Josh Sanders (Eastern Ranges) 25-18 (W)
>>> View Men’s Champion of Champions results here
Champion of Champions Women
Elizabeth Kierce (City Oval)
R1 – Kelly McKerihen (Sandbelt) – 22-25 (L)
>>> View Women’s Champion of Champions results here
Men’s Singles
Greg Brown (Ballarat)
R1 – Tom Ristic (Yarra) 25-16 (W)
QF – Brodie Harker (Murray Mallee) 23-25 (L)
>>> View Men’s Singles results here
Men’s Pairs
Travis Hedger and Michael Booth (Creswick)
R1 – Ashleigh King, Brett Gunning (Goulburn Murray) – 13-9 (W)
QF – Robert Mitchell, Ian Brimacombe (Ovens & Murray) 8-27 (L)
Note: Robert Mitchell, Ian Brimacombe (Ovens & Murray) were eventual winners.
>>> View Men’s Pairs results here
Men’s Triples
Heath Fumberger, Gavin Mann and Ben Morris (City Oval)
R1 – Darren Mays, Will Mays, Earl Mathison (Eastern Ranges) 15-12 (W)
QF – Joshua Cartwright, Brent Reiner, David Cartwright (Goulburn Murray) 13-20 (L)
Note: Joshua Cartwright, Brent Reiner, David Cartwright (Goulburn Murray) were eventual winners.
>>> View Men’s Triples results here
Men’s Fours
Heath Fumberger, Gavin Mann, Ben Morris, Wayne Roberts (City Oval)
R1 – Williams, Krslovic , Turner, Twyerould (Mornington Peninsula) – 22-12 (W)
QF – Mathison, Macgregor, Dawe, Jeffery (Eastern Ranges) – 14-16 (L)
>>> View Men’s Fours results here
Men’s Novice
Joel Clark (City Oval)
R1 – Chris Taylor (Metro West) 21-7 (W)
QF – Mark Bentley (Goulburn Murray) 21-19 (W)
SF – Jack Taylor (Bendigo Campaspe Goldfields) 21-18 (W)
FINAL – Tim O’Meara (Yarra) – 17-21 (L)
>>> View Men’s Novice results here
Played Sunday, 30th April 2023 @ Bendigo East Bowls Club
Men’s Over 60 Singles
Greg Plier (Midlands Golf)
R1 – Daryl White (Strzelecki) – 21-20 (W)
QF – Michael Wilson (Yarra) – 10-21 (L)
>>> View Men’s Over 60 Singles results here
Played Wednesday, 15th March 2023 @ Bendigo Bowls Club
Men’s Over 60 Pairs
David Beardmore, John Evans (Gisborne)
R1 – Michael Galakos, Andrew Meyers (Metro West) – 4-19 (L)
Note: John Evans replaced Voc Foxford in Bendigo.
>>> View Men’s Over 60 Pairs results here
Played Thursday, 16th March 2023 @ Bendigo Bowls Club
Women’s Singles
Anne Draffen (Ballan)
R1 – Nicholle Wendt (Northern Gateway) – 24-25 (L)
>>> View Women’s Singles results here
Women’s Pairs
Patricia Speechley and Lynnette Lock (Midlands Golf)
R1 – Julie Simic, Pamela Carter (Gippsland) – 13-16 (L)
>>> View Women’s Pairs results here
Women’s Triples
Janice Conroy, Anne Draffen (Ballan) and Amy Newman (Ballarat North)
R1 – Louise Whitehead, Carol Protopapas, Karen Barton (Eastern Ranges) – 10-12 (L)
>>> View Women’s Triples results here
Women’s Fours
Sandy Grano, Elizabeth Kierce, Sally McCracken, Janine Roberts (City Oval)
R1 – Funcke, Belot, Rollinson, Arnold (Wimmera) – 14-7 (W)
QF – Bush, Tyson, Thorne, Hands (Goulburn Murray) – 14-9 (W)
SF – Edwards, Allen, Edwards, Edwards (Metro West) – 21-6 (W)
FINAL – Sanders, Smith, Miles, Whitehead (Ovens & Murray) – 12-17 (L)
>>> View Women’s Fours results here
Women’s Novice
Amanda Rayner (Diggers Rest)
R1 – Lynne Thomas (Strzelecki) – 21-13 (W)
QF – Sonya King (Yarra) 21-19 (W)
SF – Jen Le Cerf (Geelong) 15-21 (L)
Note: Jen Le Cerf (Geelong) was the eventual winner.
>>> View Women’s Novice results here
Played Sunday, 30th April 2023 @ Bendigo East Bowls Club
Women’s Over 60 Singles
Elizabeth Kierce (City Oval)
R1 – Mary Tragardh Ovens & Murray) – 8-21 (L)
>>> View Women’s Over 60 Singles results here
Played Thursday, 16th March 2023 @ Bendigo Bowls Club
Women’s Over 60 Pairs
Jill Hopper, Deb Gorin (Victoria)
R1 – Noleen Mcglead, Maureen Taylor (Strzelecki) – 14-7 (W)
QF – Karen Wiener, Karen Harrington (Geelong) 8-20 (L)
>>> View Women’s Over 60 Singles results here
Played Wednesday, 15th March 2023 @ Bendigo Bowls Club
Mixed Pairs
Leah McArthur and Ben McArthur (Webbcona)
R1 – Jennifer O’Connor, Ross Higgins (Goulburn Murray) – 15-10 (W)
QF – Betty Johnson, Les Johnson (West Coast) 23-7 (W)
SF – Kirsty Van den Hoff, Vincent McIlwain (Strzelecki) – 10-11 (L)
Note: Kirsty Van den Hoff, Vincent McIlwain (Strzelecki) were eventual winners.
>>> View Mixed Pairs results here
State Champions Week Articles
– BHBR Women’s Fours team finish Runners-Up in 2023 State Championships at Bendigo East Bowling Club
– City Oval’s Elizabeth Kierce looking forward to 2022-2023 State Champions Week challenge in Bendigo
– 22-23 BHBR Novice Singles winners Joel Clark and Amanda Rayner take on State’s best at Musgrave
Return to State Championships page.