Three titles in one day for Atkinson

Briar Atkinson’s supremacy in Taranaki women’s bowls continued on Saturday when she became the first person to win three titles in one day at the StratfordAvon club.

Atkinson skipped her sides to victory in the champion-of-champions fours and triples and then topped that off by defending her singles title.

It left the 20-year-old with 10 Taranaki titles, five of which have been won this season. That equalled June Ward’s effort from 2003 of winning a gold star in one season.

Atkinson converted the second, third and fourth ends of the fours final, giving impetus to her team members Alesha Quay, Jackie Moeahu and Tina Atkinson-watt as they shot away to a 23-1 lead after just eight ends.

They eventually won 27-3 over Waitara’s Jenny Newton, Anne Hinton, Ada Senior and Marlene Malcolm.

Moeahu, Atkinson-watt and Atkinson then claimed the triples with a score of 18-12 over New Plymouth’s Anne Duggan, Anne Brophy and Val Mceldowney after the latter side had held a one-point advantage with four ends remaining.

Atkinson’s driving proved the difference in the singles decider against Ella Smailes from the Hawera Park club. They were locked at 12-all before Atkinson pulled away to a 21-13 victory.

Smailes had earlier claimed the pairs with Kristin Stampa, achieving 20-7 over Stratford-avon’s Sheryle Taylor and Theresa Needham.

In the men’s event, Rahotu’s Joel Chard and Camron Horo became the youngest winners in the 83-year history of the pairs, with a combined age of 44 years.

They had looked to be gone after a Horo drive turned sour mid-game and were trailing by six points with two ends to play. But Inglewood’s Steve Sabine and Gerry O’sullivan failed to get close with two threes forcing the extra end, which Chard controlled.

It became an even more frustrating day in the second session for O’sullivan when, after leading 8-3 and 13-10, he fell 21-13 in the singles decider to Fitzroy’s Maurice Symes in a repeat of last season.

At 77, Symes, now a five-time winner of the event, provided a fitting balance on the day to the wide age band of competitive bowlers in the region.

Tower’s Scott Roberts rose to the occasion on the last end to enable himself and the Anderson brothers, Brendan, Mark and Grant, to sneak past Fitzroy’s Craig O’sullivan, Ian Dawson, Peter Vink and Bill Johnston 12-9 in the fours. Johnston had led 9-3 before the tide turned.

The Andersons, though, found the going tougher after the break. They were soundly beaten 19-6 by Paritutu’s Kevan Sellers, Piripi Huwyler and Kaylin Huwyler in the triples. It was the second straight win for Huwyler’s team.

Paritutu’s Amanda Crehan got the nod over defending champion Alethea Rowlands, of Hāwera’s Tower club, with a 21-16 result in the women’s junior singles final. In the men’s event, Lepperton’s

Fred Quilter edged Rahotu’s Shae Fleming 21-20.

Fleming had the added agony of losing the Hugh Moss junior pairs final in the last game of the day – again by a single shot.

Playing with Chard, Fleming dropped three shots on the last end to lose 12-11 to Fitzroy’s Simon Rowe and Gavin Benton.

The Pihama club will bring down the curtain on the season when it celebrates its 125th birthday this Saturday.