Daily Recap 3: Aussies Claim Four Medals at IBF World Seniors Championship
By Matt Stevens
Team Australia capture first medals in Reno with strong Singles and Doubles performances.
Team Australia has opened its medal tally at the 2025 IBF World Seniors Championship in Reno, claiming four medals across the Singles and Doubles events.
Later in the day, all teams commenced their final discipline of the Championship – the Teams event.
Senior Men’s Singles
Top seed Adam Hayes continued his superb form in the knockout rounds, defeating Belgium’s Gery Verbruggen 244-196 in the semi-final to advance to the gold medal match.
In the final, Adam faced USA’s John Janawicz, a seasoned campaigner who edged out the Aussie 241-181. Adam walks away with a silver medal in his debut senior international appearance – a fantastic achievement on the world stage with many more opportunities ahead.
Grand Senior Women’s Singles
Australia was guaranteed multiple medals in the Grand Senior Women’s Singles with two Aussies qualifying for the semi-finals.
Top seed Julie Harrison faced her long-time teammate and friend Robyn Flynn in an all-Australian showdown for a place in the final. In a match that could have gone either way, Julie prevailed 199-188 to book her spot in the gold medal match, while Robyn claimed a well-earned bronze medal.
In the final, Julie went head-to-head with France’s Jacqueline Faure (Boissier) in a gripping contest that went down to the final frames. The French bowler narrowly prevailed 199-181, with Julie earning a silver medal for Australia.
Grand Senior Women’s Doubles
Fresh off facing each other in Singles, Julie and Robyn reunited for the Doubles – and the chemistry was back in full swing.
The pair entered the finals as the number 2 seeds and produced a dominant 419-347 win over Japan, powered by Robyn’s outstanding 245 game.
In the Gold medal match, they met England’s Angie Brown and Diane Johnson in another thriller. Despite a brave effort and consistent teamwork, the Aussies fell just short 382-361, collecting a second silver medal of the day.
Wrapped in Australian flags, Julie and Robyn proudly stood on the podium – a fitting reward for two incredible competitors and humans who continue to inspire the next generation of senior bowlers.
Teams Event – Australia Starts Strong in Team Play
With Singles and Doubles finals in the books, Team Australia quickly shifted focus to the Teams event – the final discipline of the 2025 IBF World Seniors Championship.
The format sees each bowler complete six games across two days, adding to their overall 18-game All-Events total.
Day one featured the opening three games, with the women’s divisions taking to the lanes first.
Grand Senior Women
Riding high after their Singles and Doubles medal success, the Grand Senior Women stormed into the Teams event with confidence and class.
The Aussies made a statement early, topping the standings after Game 1 with a 713 team total, led by Julie Harrison’s 205.
Momentum built in Game 2, where the team fired a superb 782 – the highest single-game score of the division at that time – thanks to Heather Robertson (216) and Robyn Flynn (202) joining the 200+ scores club.
Although scores dipped slightly in Game 3 (678), the consistent effort kept Australia right in the hunt finishing in second place, less than 10 pins short from the leaders from France.
| Athlete | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Total |
| Julie Harrison | 205 | 186 | 156 | 547 |
| Robyn Flynn | 161 | 202 | 170 | 533 |
| Heather Robertson | 173 | 216 | 175 | 564 |
| Robyn Bull | 174 | 178 | 177 | 529 |
| TOTALS | 713 | 782 | 678 | 2,173 |
All four bowlers posted totals in the 500s, underlining the team’s depth and consistency.
In the All-Events standings, Julie Harrison continues to lead the field with a running total of 2,915, holding a 136-pin cushion over her nearest rival heading into the final day.
All four Australians currently sit inside the top 12, comfortably within the Masters cutline – an impressive showing from the entire squad.
All-Events Race
| Athlete | Total | Position |
| Julie Harrison | 2,915 | 1st |
| Robyn Flynn | 2,669 | 8th |
| Robyn Bull | 2,635 | 11th |
| Heather Robertson | 2,632 | 12th |
Senior Women
The Senior Women hit the lanes alongside their Grand Senior teammates and produced a gritty performance to keep medal hopes alive.
Sue Cassell opened the campaign with a brilliant 228, helping Australia post 779 in Game 1 to sit near the top of the early standings.
The second game saw Dena Buxton step up with a powerful 234, though the team slipped slightly with a 691 total to fall to sixth overall.
Dena stayed hot in Game 3, firing another 230 to lead the Aussies to a 741 finish and a 2,234 total after three games – good enough for fifth place, just 27 pins shy of Germany in fourth and the medal round cutline.
| Athlete | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Total |
| Dena Buxton | 193 | 234 | 230 | 657 |
| Sue Cassell | 228 | 157 | 187 | 572 |
| Mary Dodds | 173 | 185 | 158 | 516 |
| Samantha Matthews | 145 | 178 | 166 | 489 |
| TOTALS | 739 | 754 | 741 | 2,234 |
Dena’s standout performance was the highlight of the session – her 657 series was the highest of any bowler in the division across the first three games.
In All-Events, her consistency has been rewarded as she moves into 5th place overall heading into the final day. Several of her teammates remain in striking distance, with little separating the mid-pack contenders.
All-Events Race
| Athlete | Total | Position |
| Dena Buxton | 2,977 | 5th |
| Samantha Matthews | 2,746 | 29th |
| Sue Cassell | 2,729 | 33rd |
| Mary Dodds | 2,646 | 52nd |
Grand Senior Men
Inspired by their Female counterparts, the Grand Senior Men came out firing to begin their Teams event campaign, delivering their best collective performance of the Championship so far.
Jim Bakirtzidis set the tone early with a brilliant 240 in Game 1, while Jim Karakostas backed him up with 211 as Australia posted an 816 total to sit third after the opening game.
Karakostas stayed hot in Game 2, rolling 212 to top-score for the Aussies as they notched a 748 and slipped just one spot to fourth overall.
The final game of the block saw the team return to form in style – posting 813, led by David Farquharson’s 233 and Karakostas’ third consecutive 200+ score (200). That strong finish propelled the Australians to the top of the standings on a combined 2,377, putting them in prime position heading into the final three games.
| Athlete | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Total |
| Jim Bakirtzidis | 240 | 176 | 190 | 606 |
| Andrew Campbell | 183 | 163 | 190 | 536 |
| David Farquharson | 182 | 197 | 233 | 612 |
| Jim Karakostas | 211 | 212 | 200 | 623 |
| TOTALS | 816 | 748 | 813 | 2,377 |
Three of the four bowlers sit inside the Masters cutline after 15 games, with the fourth still in contention. David Farquharson leads the charge in fourth overall, just ahead of Karakostas in sixth who had a brilliant day.
All-Events Race
| Athlete | Total | Position |
| David Farquharson | 3.009 | 4th |
| Jim Karakostas | 3.002 | 6th |
| Jim Bakirtzidis | 2.894 | 15th |
| Andrew Campbell | 2.778 | 34th |
Senior Men
The Senior Men opened their Teams campaign solidly with a 794 in Game 1, powered by Adam Hayes (224) and George Frilingos (216) to sit 10th after the first game.
A tough second game (682) saw the Aussies slip down the leaderboard, with Michael Muir the lone bowler over 200 as others struggled to find rhythm.
But the squad bounced back strongly in Game 3, producing their highest team score of the block (831) to finish on a high note. Ashley Riley delivered his best game of the Championship with a 237, supported by Muir’s 231, lifting Australia to 13th place overall on 2,307 – just 138 pins off fourth place and a potential medal round berth.
| Athlete | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Total |
| George Frilingos | 216 | 166 | 179 | 561 |
| Adam Hayes | 224 | 145 | 184 | 553 |
| Michael Muir | 172 | 213 | 231 | 616 |
| Ashley Riley | 182 | 158 | 237 | 577 |
| TOTALS | 794 | 682 | 831 | 2,307 |
In the All-Events race, Adam Hayes continues to lead the Aussies in 14th place (3,101), closely followed by Michael Muir (3,092, 17th). Ashley Riley sits just outside the Masters cutline in 27th, with George Frilingos further back in 62nd.
All-Events Race
| Athlete | Total | Position |
| Adam Hayes | 3,101 | 14th |
| Michael Muir | 3,092 | 17th |
| Ashley Riley | 3,022 | 27th |
| George Frilingos | 2,838 | 62nd |
What’s Next?
The teams will return to the lanes tomorrow to bowl the final three games of the Teams event. It will also help finalise bowlers 18-game-totals for the All-Events race with the hope to sit within the Top 24 that will advance to the Masters.
Let’s Go Aussies!!
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
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