2024 TBA21 National Masters: Thrilling Finals See Clifton and McDougall Take Home the Titles

The 2024 TBA21 National Masters concluded this weekend at the AGL National High Performance Centre on the Sunshine Coast, where Samantha Clifton and Trent McDougall claimed the prestigious titles. This event was the finale of the 2024 TBA National Youth Championships, following New Zealand’s sweep at the National Teams Challenge earlier in the week.

This year’s Teams Challenge had extra significance, as the top four All-Events bowlers from each division—named All-Stars—earned direct entry into Stage 2 of the Masters, adding intensity to the competition.

Qualifying

The event began with Stage 1, where bowlers not named All-Stars battled to earn spots in the Sweet 16.

Samantha Clifton immediately set a high standard, delivering a powerful eight-game set of 1,547 pins (averaging 193.4) to lead the female division. Hot on her heels was Vanessa Hannigan, whose 1,462 finished 85 pins behind Clifton’s top score.

The men’s qualifier was headlined by Julian Dinham from NSW, who delivered a standout performance, averaging 208.5 and posting big games like 247, 256, and 241. His remarkable total of 1,668 pinned him as the top male qualifier. Rising star Jake Sivewright from Ballina Tenpin and Victorian Cooper Hillyer tied for second, 60 pins behind Dinham’s stellar effort.

Stage 2: Group Matchplay – High Drama & Tiebreaks

In Stage 2, the field was divided into two groups of eight bowlers per division, where they competed in seven intense matchplay games, with 3 points for each win and 1 for a tie.

A minute silence was observed to honour the passing of Don Lindsay, a beloved coach who had an impact on many bowlers in attendance over the weekend.

Female Division:
In Group A, Samantha Clifton stayed in top form, winning six of her seven matches to claim 18 points and secure her Final Four spot. Queensland’s Kayla Piffero also advanced with 15 points, fending off Hannah Clark and Emma Blunden, who both finished with 12.

Group B saw New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Hoare surge to the top with 16 points after a remarkable display of resilience. Though she hadn’t earned All-Star status in the Challenge, Kaitlyn clinched her Final Four position with five straight wins in the Masters. Joining her was Tahlia Corbett of Queensland, whose tournament-high 266 score in Game 2 helped secure her position with 15 points.

In the female semi-finals, Clifton narrowly overcame Corbett, winning two nail-biting games, 183-176 and 180-178. Kaitlyn Hoare continued to display impressive determination, bouncing back from a Game 1 loss to edge out Piffero in three games (146-178, 186-175, 177-164) and secure her spot in the final against Clifton. Clifton ultimately took the title in commanding fashion, sweeping Kaitlyn in two games, 222-128 and 248-173.

Male Division:
Group A saw Trent McDougall win six out of seven matches, topping the group with 18 points. The second spot went to Lachlan Howse after a sudden-death playoff with New Zealand’s Daniel Lee, with Howse securing his Final Four place with a 231-204 victory.

In Group B, the competition took a dramatic turn as three bowlers—Nicholas Rajkovic, Jordan Harrold, and Julian Dinham—all finished with 15 points, each winning five matches in their group stage. The resulting three-way tiebreaker saw Rajkovic prevail with 226, Harrold follow with 199, and Dinham, despite his stellar form throughout the tournament, fell short with a 185, missing the Final Four by the narrowest of margins.

Dinham’s elimination was undoubtedly the hard-luck story of the tournament. Having led the male qualifiers with a powerful, high-scoring performance, his consistency and focus brought him to the brink of the Final Four, only to be edged out in the final moment.

The male semi-finals continued the intensity, with Rajkovic coming from behind to defeat Howse in three games (175-212, 227-177, 201-171), while McDougall outlasted Harrold in three games (193-158, 188-200, 207-170) to set up an all-Victorian final.

In the final, Rajkovic claimed the first game 191-168, but McDougall fought back in Game 2, grinding out a 178-169 win. In the deciding game, McDougall strung together strikes that carried him to a 216-207 victory, sealing his first major title in nine years. Winning his first ranked event in 2015 at the SA Junior Cup, McDougall’s resilience was on full display with the victory pointing to his heart yelling “Right Here” alluding to what it took to capture another title for the talented Victorian.

The Youth Rankings will now be processed following the completion of the third of four events in 2024. With Samantha Clifton and Trent McDonald set to collect 100 points for their titles, things will be closer than ever for the grand finale at the Grand National Youth Eliminator in November.

Bowlers capped off the Championships with a mini-golf outing at the beautiful Maroochydore River Golf Club where friendly competition met celebration. The Teams Challenge awards were presented with  New Zealand receiving their trophies, All-Star plaques handed out, and medallions for the podium winners of the divisions.

In addition to this, the TBA21 National Teams Challenge Sportsperson awards as voted by the bowlers were presented to Trent McDougall and Stacey Lister. Finally, the Directors Awards were presented to Luke Doyle from North Queensland and Ella Hoffman from South Queensland. A big congratulations to all who received awards at the function.

With only one event left in the TBA Youth Division—the Grand National Youth Eliminator in Caboolture next month—the competition for rankings points is fierce. Congratulations to all bowlers and especially to our champions, Samantha Clifton and Trent McDougall, for their remarkable performances in this unforgettable Masters!

SAMANTHA CLIFTON

DULLBOY’S SOCIAL CO, NSW
FEMALE CHAMPION

STAGE 1- QUALIFYING

199	244	148	222
154	190	217	173

Qualifying Total	1,547
Qualifying Position	First
Average	193.4
Highest score in Qualifying	244

STAGE 2 – GROUP MATCHPLAY

192	216	186	182
216	179	148

Points in Group Matchplay	18 Points
Position	First
Average	188.4
Wins/Losses	6 wins 1 loss
Highest score in Group Matchplay	216 x 2

FINAL FOUR

Total event Pinfall	3,699
Tournament Average	194.68
Highest Score	248

TRENT MCDOUGALL

ZONE BOWLING WATERGARDENS, VIC
MALE CHAMPION

STAGE 1- QUALIFYING

Received automatic pass to stage two after being named an All-Star in the TBA21 National Teams Challenge where he came in third in the male All-Events.

STAGE 2 – GROUP MATCHPLAY

212	212	191	152
202	256	214

Points in Group Matchplay	18 Points
Position	First
Average	205.6
Wins/Losses	6 wins 1 loss
Highest score in Group Matchplay	256

FINAL FOUR

Total event Pinfall	2,566 (without qualifying)
Tournament Average	197.58
Highest Score	256

TBA21 NATIONAL TEAMS CHALLENGE
CELEBRATION FUNCTION

Overall Champions – New Zealand

Female Champions – New Zealand

Male Champions – New Zealand

Overall Silver – South Queensland

Female Division Silver – South Queensland

Sportsperson Award Winners – Trent McDougall and Stacey Lister

Director Award Winners – Luke Doyle and Ella Hoffman

Female All-Stars – L-R: Stacey Lister, Brenna Sampson, Natasha Goggin, Tamika Pettigrew

Male All-Stars: L-R – Connor Raines, Seth Taylor, Trent McDougall, Nicholas Rajkovic

TBA21 NATIONAL MASTERS
CHAMPION LIST