Daily Recap: Team Australia Impresses as IBF World Seniors Championship Gets Underway

Team Australia has made a strong start on Day 1 of the 2025 IBF World Seniors Championship in Reno, Nevada – with multiple bowlers advancing to the Singles medal rounds and several others posting standout performances.

The opening day featured the Singles event, where all athletes bowled six games in one block aiming for a top-four finish to reach the finals and kick-starting their 18 game Championships total.

Senior Men

The Senior Men kicked off the Championships and immediately set the tone for the Australian campaign.

Adam Hayes (VIC) launched Australia’s run in style, finishing as the top seed in the Senior Men’s Singles qualification.

Making his debut at a senior international event, the 52-year-old from Victoria  was outstanding from start to finish. After opening with 186, he hit his stride with five consecutive 200+ games, peaking at 259 in Game 5 to average an incredible 231.7 (1,390 total) in a field of more than 150 bowlers.

Hayes now advances to the Singles semi-finals on Monday morning (AEST), where he’ll face Belgium bowler Gery Verbruggen  in a one-game head-to-head. The winner progresses to the Gold Medal Match, with the other claiming bronze.

“Representing your country has always been what it is about for me and to get a score on the board in a really good field is very rewarding” explained Adam following his block. “Very much looking forward to the doubles and team events over the next few days”.

All four Senior Men finished inside the top half of the standings – a promising opening for Team Australia.

Senior Men Results

Grand Senior Women

Australia’s Grand Senior Women kept the momentum rolling with two bowlers advancing to the medal rounds.

Julie Harrison (NSW), a multi-medallist from last year’s Asian Senior Championships, again proved world-class. The 66-year-old from Campbelltown started steadily before finishing with four 200+ games – saving her best for last with a 230 closer – to top the field with 1,172 (195.3 avg).

Close behind, Robyn Flynn (VIC) continued her strong form, posting 1,117 with three 200+ games to claim the fourth seed.

The two Australians will now face each other in Monday’s semi-final – guaranteeing Team Australia at least two medals, with one advancing to the Gold Medal Match and the other claiming Bronze.

“It’s absolutely fantastic – a real dream come true,’ said Harrison. “I’ve always wanted to win a medal at Worlds and now I’ve done it!”

Grand Senior Women Results

Grand Senior Men

While no Australian advanced to the top-four cut, the Grand Senior Men produced consistent results – all finishing inside the top 25.

Andrew Campbell (ACT) led the way in 15^th, averaging 195.3 (1,172 total) in his World Championship debut. He was followed closely by David Farquharson (VIC) (18^th), Jim Karakostas (NSW) (19^th), and Jim Bakirtzidis (NSW) (25^th).

Grand Senior Men Results

Senior Women

The Senior Women were the final division to hit the lanes on Day 1 for their Singles block – and all four Australians delivered consistent performances to finish inside the top half of the field.

While no Aussies advanced to the medal rounds, all four finished within just 100 pins of each other in a tightly contested division.

TBA Hall of Famer Sue Cassell (QLD) led the charge, finishing in 14^th place with a strong 1,152 total (192 avg). Cassell produced three 210 games in her block and ended just 61 pins shy of the top-four cutline.

Not far behind was Dena Buxton (VIC), who placed 23^rd with 1,124, followed by Samantha Matthews (WA) in 28^th (1,101) and Mary Dodds (VIC) rounding out the group tied in 52^nd place (1,058).

Senior Women’s Results

What’s Next?

Day 2 brings Doubles action – with all divisions returning to the lanes for another full day of competition. Check out the Day 2 Preview on our website shortly.

A terrific start to the IBF World Seniors Championship campaign for the Aussies!

Aussie, Aussie Aussie!