Teen bowls duo Maddie Jacobs and Maya Rees will strive for gold after being selected as part of a five-player Victorian team for the Under 18 Nationals in October.
The talented pair, who have spearheaded the Geelong Region’s Geelong Giants Under 18 team for the last four years, earned selection after a successful tri series in July against Queensland and New South Wales.
Ocean Grove Bowling Club’s Jacobs and Drysdale’s Rees were part of the eight-player Victorian girls team that won the overall event.
The eight players were then reduced to five in what would have been a very difficult selection given the results from the tri series. Five under 18 boys were also selected.
Rees, at only 15 years old, will skip the triples and the fours combinations with Jacobs, 17, playing lead in the fours and lead in the pairs with Berwick’s Amity Bickley.
The Victorian team will be under the guidance of Victorian State Under 18 Coach and Ocean Grove’s GM of Bowls Development Matt Flapper.
“The selection for the final five was tough, both Maddie and Maya performed to a high standard, both have achieved terrific results this season to justify their selections,” Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Flapper said.
“I am looking forward to watching them both shine on the big stage.”
Both girls will prepare for the Nationals in October with a short trip to compete in the Under 18 Gold Nugget Singles on July 29 and 30 at Tweed Heads while Jacobs has also been selected in the School Sports Victoria team which will also compete in Tweed Heads in September.
Rees won a state silver medal in the girls triples in Bendigo earlier this year.
Jacobs won the Victorian Under 18 Girls Pairs late last year alongside Chloe Scherger from Fitzroy Victoria Bowling & Sports Club.
Jacobs and Rees are further proof that more young people are taking up lawn bowls.
