Bundy Bowls and Leisure Centre’s Disability members have again proven themselves among the best in Australia, with Corey Hanson leading a strong local charge at the 32nd Tenpin Bowling Australia (TBA) National Disability Championship at Zone Bowling Mt Gravatt, winning the Classic Masters title.
A total of over 500 participants bowled over 11 days at the tournament, even though three state teams were unable to travel due to COVID restrictions.
Three Masters events ran at the same time at the championship, Restricted, Classic and Open, and Corey was one of 16 qualifiers for the Classic Masters, which is a handicapped event based on 100% of 200 and is Open to all male and female bowlers whose entering averages for the championships were between 120 and 159.
In a tight contest, Corey finished on top of the table with a total of 1862, just seven more than fellow Queenslander Keanu Murray, with Mathew Lloyd, of New South Wales, a further 15 away in third position.
Keanu then defeated Matthew 201 to 186 in the Step Ladder 2v3, before also downing Corey 216 to 204 in the 1 v Step Ladder winner match, but Corey saved his best for last, triumphing against Keanu 288 to 280 in the Repecharge.
Keanu also finished third of 101 in the A Grade Male Singles with (154) 209, 174, 195 (578) behind Anuj Chandra (153) 214, 198, 228 (640) and Malakai Sammut (155) 214, 218, 201 (633).
Corey Hanson also recorded (154) 151, 234, 204 (589) to partner Adam Sutherland (200) 218, 235, 172 (625) for a total of 1,214 to add the Open Doubles title from a field of eight.
Corey also scored (154) 183, 167, 145 (495) to pick up third of 35 with Matthew Hurst (195) 226, 216, 222 (664) in the Classic Doubles.
Finally, the Bundaberg gun Corey Hanson bowled (154) 204, 149, 160 (513) to achieve Classic Trios glory in a field of 19 with fellow local Kate Juillerat (135) 182, 135, 143 (460) and Adam Sutherland (200) 198, 245, 205 (648), for a total of 1,621.
Nicholas Jefferson, Kim Harvey, Jason Dixon, Julie Shaw, and Nathan Curd also represented Bundaberg with distinction at the championships.
Corey’s mother Kathleen, who is the Disability Sports Specialist-Bundaberg Region, Bundaberg Tenpin Bowling Club Disability Director, and TBA Queensland Regional Coordinator, said she was “extremely proud” of the whole team.
ROWING
St Luke’s Anglican School again flexed their rowing muscle at the 2021 South Queensland Schools Regatta at Queensland State Rowing Centre Wyaralong Dam, taking out 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze on a reduced program.
Unfortunately, two-thirds of the racing was cancelled on the weekend due to extremely windy conditions on Saturday, with only the shorter Sunday program able to be completed.
St Luke’s two wins were achieved in the Year 10 division, with Saxon Blair and Harrison Baldwin stroking to victory in the Schoolboys double, in advance of Brisbane State High School’s Sachiel Ognyenovits and Ben Hauck, with Emmanuel College Brisbane’s Purdie and Free in third position.
The Bundaberg powerhouses also took out the Schoolgirls Year 10 Single quinella, with Asia Heaps outgunning team-mate Sienna Clark, with Eva Ashworth (Siena College) taking third.
Jorja Mortimer also snared silver for St Luke’s in the Schoolgirls Year 9 Single, behind Nell Murphy (All Hallows) with another All Hallows representative Annabelle Dahlheimer in the bronze medal position.
Harri O'Connor, Harrison’s brother Campbell, Lincon Wangmann, Charlie Ellem and Harri’s sister Megan (Cox) added bronze for St Luke’s behind Trinity Lutheran and Varsity College in the Schoolboys Year 8 Quad (Coxed).
Jorja’s brother Dayne also mixed it with the best to place 5th in the Schoolboys Single.
St Luke’s will again be well represented at the 140th Anniversary Hyne Bridge to Bridge Regatta in Maryborough next Saturday.
HORSE RACING
Saturday’s 850m Haifa Bundaberg Lightning winner Mountain Courage is bred to be a world beater but while he will never reach those heights, he is a Country champion which looks set to go on to bigger and better things over short distance events.
The gelding’s dashing victory in the City’s Premier sprint completed a hat-trick of wins and took his record to 5 wins and a second in 8 starts, being unplaced just once and losing his rider on the other occasion, since he was purchased by a syndicate of 10 Bundaberg mates 12 months ago and put in the care of multiple-champion Bundaberg trainer Darryl Gardiner.
Mountain Courage, which will turn six years old on Sunday, is by the United States bred Monashee Mountain, which was by immortal international sire Danzig out of a Mr. Prospector mare, was a half-brother to North American Horse of the Year Mineshaft, and a $1 million yearling purchase at Keeneland which went on to be a two-time group winner in Ireland.
One of Danzig’s other sons was Danehill, was a leading sire of sires which was the first Thoroughbred in history to sire 300 stakes winners, while his other iconic sons include Green Desert, and he was also the damsire of Fusaichi Pegasus and Dancethruthedawn, and the grandsire of 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown.
Danzig was a son of Hall of Famer Northern Dancer and the most commercially successful sire of the second half of the 20th century.
Monashee Mountain has produced many winners throughout the world, during seasons as a shuttle-sire, during residence at famous studs in three countries, including the world renowned Coolmore in Ireland, California, and Beaudesert.
One of his sons, La Montagna, won Queensland’s premier race, the Stradbroke Handicap in 2006.
Mountain Courage’s dam Tolart was by former Queensland Champion Show a Heart, which won the 2002 Stradbroke as well as other feature races such as the Caulfield Guinea and Toorak Handcap in racking up almost $2.3 million prizemoney in a distinguished career.
Tolart won 4 races from just 17 starts, at Doomben, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
Before arriving in the Rum City, Mountain Courage had won 2 of his 15 starts, taking out a Kilcoy 800m Maiden and a 900m Benchmark 62 at Gold Coast.
The furthest he has ever raced over is 1090m and his trainer said he will continue to seek out suitable races for him from 800-1000m.
RUGBY LEAGUE
After breaking through for their first win of the season last Sunday against defending champions Avondale Tigers in the minor semi-final, Miriam Vale Magpies will have a big home crowd behind them when they host Gin Gin Hawks in the Northern Districts preliminary final at 2.45pm this Sunday at Gary Larson Oval.
But the Hawks have been the second-best team all season and they will still be favoured after not being disgraced in a 40-20 defeat at the hands of South Kolan Sharks in the major semi-final.
Earlier at 1.30pm in the Women’s League Tag preliminary final, it will be an all-Avondale affair between their Tigers and Hornets teams.
There are no Bundaberg Rugby League matches this weekend, with their focus on their Awards Dinner at Brothers Sports Club tonight, with their finals to kick off next Saturday.
AFL
There is just one match tomorrow in the Wide Bay Marquis Macadamias Seniors Premiership with the winless Brothers Bulldogs to host the all-conquering Hervey Bay Bombers at 2.30pm.
The Bulldogs led at three-quarter time before going down to Across The Waves Eagles by just 11 points last Saturday, but they have been thrashed by the Bombers in all three of their clashes this season, and it could be another tough day at the office for them.
FOOTBALL
Sharpshooter Gary O’Donnell scored all four goals as Bingera consolidated third place on the Wide Bay Premier League Men’s table with a 4-3 triumph over United Park Eagles (UPE) in their catch-up game on Wednesday night, with the Irish ace taking his season tally to31 and get him to within two of Golden Boot leader Nykodah Smith.
Bingera should go on their winning ways against Sunbury Blues in Maryborough tomorrow, while UPE get the chance to bounce back when they meet SC Corinthians at Martens Oval at 4pm.
Leaders Across The Waves (ATW) host Doon Villa at 6pm, when also at Martens Oval, last placed Diggers take on KSS Jets, and Granville hosts second placed Fraser Flames.
In the Women’s Premier League, just two of the three Bundaberg teams will be in action this round, with ATW and UPE to go head-to-head at Martens Oval at 8pm tonight.
HOCKEY
Arrows/Athletics will be hoping to reclaim the Fly Cup for the first time since 2016 when their Men and Women take on Maryborough Brothers at Hinkler Park this Sunday afternoon in the annual trophy matches in honour of the late Leon “Fly” Kersnovke, who championed both clubs before being tragically killed in an accident in 1998.
First, Arrows must get through their Bundaberg Division 1 clashes with Raiders/Rovers tomorrow, with the Women’s game at 4.30pm and Men’s at 5.50pm.
Meanwhile, Waves Cities will take on arch-rivals All Blacks in all grades, with their Division 1 Women suiting up at 3.10pm and Men at 7.10pm.
NETBALL
It will be a Waves Intra-club duel between their defending champions Gold and Blue teams in the Bundaberg Warren Family Homes Division 1 Premiership at the Superpark at 6.30pm tomorrow.
Earlier, at 5pm, second seeds Brothers Hurricanes will bib up against Alloway Blue, and Natives Magpies will attempt to swoop on Fusion Solomon.
BASKETBALL
Bundaberg Bulls and Bears will both be out to maintain their unbeaten records in the 2021 Central Queensland League when they travel to take on Maryborough Magic at KM Pearson Stadium tomorrow.
They have both beaten Gympie Comets and Hervey Bay in the first two rounds, but respective coaches Mark Gray and Darren Mortensen will have their teams primed for what could be their biggest tests so far.
GREYHOUNDS
Trainer John Kuhn, a former Bundaberg Greyhound Racing Club president, claimed the feature event at this week’s meeting at Thabeban Park, picking up the $1,925 winner’s cheque with favourite On The Buses in the 550m Fifth Grade Final.
It was the athletic black dog’s third victory in his past four starts, defeating current Club doyen Ricky Hassall’s Baroonga Babe by six lengths.
Ricky was however successful earlier in the afternoon with Victim of Crime recording his second win in 5 starts in the Ace Fabrications Novice Non-Penalty.
Three other District trainers were also among the winners on the day, Brian Terry with second starter Weaver’s Cut in the Maiden, Stephen Bland with Louisiana Flyer, which snapped a 10-race losing streak in the Mixed 4th/5th Grade, and Kevin Bryant with
No Easy Beat, which took his record to 8 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 14 starts at his first appearance for 9 months, also maintaining his perfect record in 3 outings at the Park.
Other stories: Plenty of sunshine on the way this weekend
