State Champions Week 2016 – Day 4
If you wanted proof why it’s called State Champions Week, all you had to do was watch Carla Krizanic on day four.
The Australian representative trailed 10-5 in her State Champion of Champions singles semi-final against Murray Mallee’s Deb Vallance, and looked in some trouble.
Champions have a habit of lifting when the pressure’s on.
And suddenly Krizanic got hot. She came home all over the top of her rival to win 25-14.
The Australian Indoor and Vic Open champion stayed in the zone during her final against Ann McCarthy of Sandbelt, winning 25-8 – after McCarthy’s three and a quarter hour semi-final epic win over Chloe Stewart during the evening on day three perhaps took a toll.
Krizanic delivered quality bowl after quality bowl to win the final, adding to her 2016 State fours title won on day two alongside Glenroy’s Mikayla Long and Lisa Trewarne, and Fitzroy Victoria’s Tiffany Brodie.
The men’s Champion of Champions singles final was a much more tense affair, won by Peninsula Casey’s Paul Twyerould (Rosebud BC).
Twyerould won 25-20 over Russell Green Jr (Eastern Ranges/Croydon BC), in a tension-filled match.
Twyerould raced out to an early 7-2 lead, then powered away to lead 22-12 and looked likely to dust off the match reasonably quickly.
But Green Jr pulled back shot after shot, eventually closing to 23-20 and setting up a grandstand finish.
Twyerould eventually took the honours, needing a measure and possibly a microscope to pick up the second shot he needed to win on the final end – a lengthy delay just adding to the theatre at Bendigo East Bowling Club.
Both Twyerould and Krizanic have now qualified for the national Champion of Champions singles tournament to be held at Keilor Bowls Club in October.
In the State Men’s Singles semi-finals scheduled for day five, Matthew Higgins (Gippsland) will play Ivan Hicks (Murray Mallee), while Matt Robertson (Central Goulburn Murray) takes on Phillip Thorn (Bendigo Campaspe).
Thorn took the significant scalp of world under 25 champion Aaron Wilson in their quarter-final 25-17.
Higgins, from Sale, quietly impressed in his round of 16 and quarter-final wins – beating Keith Haeusler (Wimmera) 25-11 and Klive Liverton (Ovens and Murray) 25-22 to set up a clash with Manangatang’s Hicks.
Following her defeat in the Champions of Champions women’s singles final, Ann McCarthy finished her day off by helping Sandbelt’s team into the women’s triples semi-finals.
In a raft of close quarter-finals, skip McCarthy, Desiree Macaulay and Jean Meltzner edged out Gayle, Brooke and Blaine Edwards (Northern Gateway) by a shot.
It wasn’t the only nail-biter. West Coast’s Maureen Drennan led her trio past Ovens and Murray’s Anne Miles by a solitary shot, and Strzelecki’s Robyn Dennis (San Remo BC) were two-shot winners in their quarter-final.
Strzelecki now plays Peninsula Casey’s team from Dromana, skipped by Heather Gray, in the semis on day five while Sandbelt play West Coast.
Meanwhile, the Vic Shield race is hotting up at State Champions Week after day four.
The trophy is awarded to the Region which accumulates the most points over all the season’s State title events.
After Day 4, the points standings are:
Northern Gateway 44
Eastern Ranges 43
Ovens and Murray 40
Sandbelt 35
Wimmera 29
Metro West 28
Geelong 27
Central Victoria 26
Peninsula Casey 26
Central Goulburn Murray 25
Yarra 24
West Coast 23
Murray Mallee 19
Bendigo Campaspe 17
Strzelecki 17
Gippsland 16
Points are awarded: Event winner – 10; Runner-up – 5; Equal 3rd – 3; Quarter-finals – 2; Round of 16 – 1
Champions of Champions, women’s singles
Champion of Champions, men’s singles
Men’s singles
Women’s triples
State Champions Week, Day 3 story
State Champions Week, Day 2 story
State Champions Week, Day 1 story
