Dunedin teenager Jonty Horwell has proved that he can foot it with the big boys by qualifying in all three events at the national bowls championships in New Plymouth.
Horwell (17), an apprentice electrician, has reached post-section play in the singles, pairs and fours and will match his skills against older bowlers in the singles today.
Horwell, who won three of his four singles games, will test his skills against Eric Pattillo (Tauranga South) in the first post-section round of singles on the Taranaki greens.
He will play with his teenage partner Bradley Down (Victoria, Wellington) in the pairs tomorrow. They have both won New Zealand secondary schools titles.
They won all five qualifying games and will be pitted against a Palmerston North team skipped by Colin Cherri in the first post-section round.
The pair will be together again in the fours on Thursday after qualifying yesterday. The other members of the Composite team are Finbar McGuigan and Tom Taiaroa.
Their most significant qualifying game was the closely fought 17-16 win against Rob Ashton’s strong Carlton-Cornwall team.
The other members of the Auckland-based team are Peter Sain, Wally Marsic and Tony Garelja.
Ashton has been a regular member of the New Zealand PBA team for the transtasman series and he won the New Zealand pairs title with Sain two years ago.
Horwell, who plays for the Kaikorai club, has won three indoor bowls junior titles and was the outdoor New Zealand secondary schools singles champion in 2014.
Sarah Scott (North East Valley) has qualified for post-section in the singles and fours.
Scott (33) won her three qualifying singles games and will play former North East Valley club member Rebecca Jelley (Carlton-Cornwall) in the first post-section round tomorrow. Scott is also skipping a composite four that qualified for Thursday’s post-section round yesterday when they beat a composite team skipped by 1990 Commonwealth Games pairs champion Judy Howat 26-14. The other members of the team are Bronwyn Stevens, and Black Jacks Katelyn Inch and Debbie White.
Carolyn Crawford (St Clair) is teamed with Ann Muir (Northland) in the pairs. They won the New Zealand title together three years ago. They will play Catherine Bien and Sue Curran (St Helliers) in the first post-section round today.
The pair also qualified in the fours when they were joined by Debbie Wilford and Estelle Hickey.
Pat Houlahan (Alexandra) won his three qualifying games of singles and will face the experienced Wally Marsic (Carlton-Cornwall) in the first post-section round today.
Southland sheep farmer Roger Stevens (Waikiwi) , who is also a member of the North East Valley club, will play Colin Gawith (Coromandel) in the first round of singles.
