Gympie’s Gerick siblings Cody, Riley and Lacey were the biggest winners at the 2023 Bowls Queensland Junior Championships in Bundaberg last week, with Cody putting the icing on the cake with a 21-17 victory over Hayden Oster, of the Kandanga club, in the Boys Under-18 Singles Gold Medal match at Burnett Bowls Club on Friday.
The 17-year-old rising star and Riley, two years his junior, are members of the Belmont Services Club and travel to Brisbane each week to compete, and the dynamic duo had combined with their 13-year-old sister Lacey, who is a member of the Kawana Bowls Club, and Travis Pearce, of Kenilworth, to claim Gold in the Fours on Tuesday with a tense 16-15 victory over Algester threesome Thomas and Trent Brehmer, and Todd Brain, and Jack Chirgwin (Glasshouse).
Skip Cody, Riley and Lacey then “finished with a wet set” to claim the Open Triples crown on Wednesday, coming from three shots down with three ends remaining to finish 13-10 victors over Lucas Evans (Kawana), Keira Powell (Club Tweed), and Bryce Jarrett (Pialba), who played their hearts out.
Brotherly love was put aside as Cody had pipped Riley 21-20 in their Singles Round clash, but Riley bounced back to take the Bronze Medal, outgunning Lachlan Moore (Hamilton) 21-6.
Riley and Cody were however knocked out of the U18 Pairs in Post-Sectional Play 14-13 by Hayden Leslie (Enoggera) and Hayden Oster, who went on to take the Silver, beaten for Gold by Todd Brain and Jack Chirgwin 21-16.
Cody started year 12 this week, but because of all his bowls commitments, he studies by Distance Education.
He was too old to be eligible for the Queensland Junior Squad, which was selected from the championships, but both Riley and Lacey gained selection in the eight boys and eight girls chosen.
In the Girls Under-15 Singles Rounds, Lacey was beaten by Lilly Vardy (Club Tweed) 21-15, but while she accounted for Phoebie Russell, of host club Burnett, 21-18, she did not qualify for the Post Sectional play.
Phoebie went on to snare the Bronze Medal, defeating Logan Hughes (Solander Lakes) 21-18.
Phoebie had also grabbed Bronze in the U15 Pairs earlier in the week, teaming with Mia Haylock (Roma) to edge out Shae and Cade Daly (Paradise Point) 16-15, with Mia going on to triumph in the Singles.
Phoebie was also part of the Fours team which placed fourth in the Fours, partnering club-mate Christian McLellan, Logan Hughes (Solander Lake) and Hayden Leslie to the Bronze Medal play-off, only to go down to Stella Palmer (Roma), Sophie Allan (Helensvale), Oliver Corken (Thuringowa City), and Hayden Oster 22-12.
Jamieson Morgan, also of the Burnett Club, was Bundaberg’s only Gold Medalist at the titles, partnering Latrell Lawton (Charleville) to down Pialba duo Cooper Sutton and Bryce Jarrett 15-12 in the U15 Pairs.
Thomas Brehmer went on to reign supreme in Boys U15 Singles, running out a 21-8 victor against Ben Harrison (Paradise Point) despite playing the whole tournament with his broken left arm in a sling.
Pocket dynamo Steven Bird-Monk scored a popular win in the U12 Singles Gold Medal match against Joshua Smith (Tara) 21-14.
Stella Palmer seized Gold in the Girls U18 Singles, withstanding the challenge of Dekota Brindle (Hamilton) 21-15.
Under-18 Pairs – Gold Medal: Todd Brain (Algester) & Jack Chirgwin (Glasshouse) 21 d Hayden Leslie (Enoggera) & Hayden Oster (Kanganda) 16. Bronze Medal: Travis Pearce (Kenilworth) & Samuel Collier (Broadbeach) 24 d Sophie Allan (Helensvale) & Stella Palmer (Roma) 9.
Under-15 Pairs – Gold Medal: Latrell Lawton (Charleville) & Jamieson Morgan (Burnett) 15 d Cooper Sutton (Pialba) & Bryce Jarrett (Pialba) 12. Bronze Medal: Phoebie Russell (Burnett) & Mia Haylock (Roma) 16 d Shae Daly & Cade Daly (Paradise Point) 15.
Fours – Gold Medal: Lacey Gerick (Kawana), Travis Pearce (Kenilworth), Riley Gerick (Belmont Serv), Cody Gerick (Belmont Serv) 16 d Thomas Brehmer (Algester), Trent Brehmer (Algester), Todd Brain (Algester), Jack Chirgwin (Glasshouse) 15. Bronze Medal: Stella Palmer (Roma), Sophie Allan (Helensvale), Oliver Corken (Thuringowa City), Hayden Oster (Kandanga) 22 d Phoebie Russell (Burnett), Logan Hughes (Solander Lake), Christian McLellan (Burnett), Hayden Leslie (Enoggera) 12.
Open Triples – Gold Medal: Lacey Gerick, Riley Gerick & Cody Gerick 13 d Lucas Evans, Keira Powell Bryce Jarrett 10. Bronze Medal: Todd Brain, Jack Chirgwin, Hayden Leslie 21 d Hayden Flood, Riley Pollock, Riley Paterson 2.
Under-12 Singles – Gold Medal: Steven Bird-Monk (Burleigh Heads) 21 d Joshua Smith (Tara) 14. Bronze Medal: Keala Nukunuku (Beenleigh) 21 d Dallas Brown (Miles) 6.
Boys Under-15 Singles – Gold Medal: Thomas Brehmer (Algester) 21 d Ben Harrison (Paradise Point) 8. Bronze Medal: Cooper Sutton (Pialba) 21 d Xavier Parkinson (Broadbeach) 18.
Boys Under-18 Singles – Gold Medal: Cody Gerick (Belmont Serv) 21 d Hayden Oster (Kandanga) 17. Bronze Medal: Riley Gerick (Belmont Serv) 21 d Lachlan Moore (Hamilton) 6.
Girls Under-15 Singles – Gold Medal: Mia Haylock (Roma) 21 d Tilah Mason (The Albert) 20. Bronze Medal: Phoebie Russell (Burnett) 21 d Logan Hughes (Solander Lakes) 18.
Girls Under-18 Singles – Gold Medal: Stella Palmer (Roma) 21 d Dekota Brindle (Hamilton) 15. Bronze Medal: Sophie Allan (Helensvale) 21 d Sophie Kiepe (Helensvale) 19.
Queensland Squad – Boys: Todd Brain (Algester), Sam Collier (Broadbeach), Jack Chirgwin (Glasshouse), Riley Gerick (Belmont), Wyatt Martin (Gayndah), Hayden Leslie (Enoggera), Travis Pearce (Kenilworth), Trent Brehmer (Algester); Girls: Sophie Allan (Helensvale), Holly Anderson (Cunnamulla), Dekota Brindle (Hamilton), Keira Powell (Club Tweed), Corinne Stallan (Cooktown), Stella Palmer (Roma), Lacey Gerick (Kawana), Lilly Vardy (Club Tweed).