TBA21 National Teams Challenge Day 1 Recap

Day One Recap: 2024 TBA21 National Teams Challenge

The 2024 TBA21 National Teams Challenge kicked off this afternoon at the AGL National High Performance Centre on the Sunshine Coast, with the first medals awarded in the singles event.

Singles Event
Bowlers faced six games with the goal of scoring as high as possible for team points, with the top three performers earning medals.

In the Female Division, which features a head-to-head clash between South Queensland and New Zealand, the Kiwis dominated, sweeping the podium.

• Gold: Breanna Sampson (NZ) – 1,081
• Silver: Kaitlyn Hoare (NZ) – 1,015
• Bronze: Natasha Goggin (NZ) – 1,008

Stacey Lister (NZ) also finished in the top four, securing New Zealand’s strong position. Tamika Pettigrew was the best for South Queensland, scoring 979, with teammate Renee Kyte recording the highest individual score in the division at 210. New Zealand leads 170-154 in points heading into day two.

In the Male Division, North Queensland’s Connor Raines claimed gold with a stellar total of 1,374, finishing +174 for the session. Raines posted the highest score of the event—a 278 in the final game.

• Gold: Connor Raines (NQ) – 1,374
• Silver: Trent McDougall (VIC) – 1,317
• Bronze: Daniel Lee (NZ) – 1,285

Luke Doyle (NQ) supported Raines with a 5th place finish, helping North Queensland take the points lead after the singles with 153 points. Victoria and New Zealand are tied for second with 149 points, while South Queensland trails with 133.

Teams Event
After the singles, bowlers teamed up for the first block of the Teams event, completing six of the twelve games scheduled. The Teams event uses the Baker format.

In the Female Division, with two teams it all comes down to pinfall with New Zealand holding a narrow lead over South Queensland, 1,106-1,000. South Queensland showed potential to strike back when day two begins boasting a block-high score of 246 in the opening game.

In the Male Division, New Zealand continued their strong play, finishing on top with 1,231 and currently providing 176 points (interim). Victoria followed closely with 1,140 and 160 points, while North Queensland sits third with 1,112 and 144 points. South Queensland rounds out the group with 1,064 and 128 points. Theres not much in this race, so it should be interesting to see what movement occurs in the second block tomorrow.

Teams will return tomorrow to complete the final six games of the Teams event after the double’s competition in the morning.