Curtin young competitor with Xfactor
THERE is little doubt New Zealand development squad member Seamus Curtin will be one to watch over the weekend when play gets under way in the 28th edition of the North East Valley 10,000 this afternoon.
A representative of the Stokes Valley Club in Wellington, the 18 yearold head boy at Aotea College was named the emerging sportsman of the year award at the Hutt Valley Sports Awards in May.
He has continued to go from strength to strength since impressing at the national championships earlier this year in which he won the bronze medal in the men’s singles, defeating former champion and Black Jack Mike Kernaghan and Scottish international Ryan
Burnett in the process.
His national championship medal haul did not stop with the singles. He finished runnerup in fours with Sheldon BagrieHowley (Gore), Jesse Russell (Hamilton) and Taylor Horn (Whitianga), and reached the quarterfinal stage with pairs partner BagrieHowley.
At the intercentre champion ships in early April, he was unbeaten in the singles for Wellington, helping it win the team title.
But it was his golden run at the Australian Open at the Broadbeach Bowling Club in June that really had heads turning.
He won his section and then went on a giantkilling run in postsection play, going close to securing a place in the final.
With more than 2000 bowlers from around the world competing, 800 of whom were vying for the singles title, Curtin impressed.
Among the scalps Curtin took in rising to the final four was former world champion of champions singles winner Scott Thulborn, of South Australia.
Curtin took Commonwealth Games silver medallist Ryan Bester (Canada) all the way in the semifinals before going down 2115. Bester went on to win the title.
Curtin also made the semifinal of the men’s fours at the Australian Open, teaming up with Black Jacks Blake Signal and Richard Girvan, and Welsh international Daniel Salmon.
Over four consecutive weekends in the season just finished, Curtin played 33 singles games, winning 31, a winning percentage of 94%.
One of these was the prestigious Burnside under26 tournament in Christchurch at the beginning of the month at which he overcame national pairs partner and 2016 Burnside champion BagrieHowley (23) 2117 in a seesaw final.
Bowls commentator Kevin Hickland is of no doubt that Curtin will be a star of the future in the sport.
‘‘Sometimes you can sense someone has got that Xfactor. He is one that definitely stands out,’’ he said.
But for Curtin, who makes no secret of being honoured to be invited into the NEV 10,000 for the first time, it will be a nononsense approach and he will not overawed by the opposition.
‘‘It was kind of out of the blue,’’ he said of his invitation.
‘‘The next step is to meet the challenge head on and rise to it.’’