Saturday 28 April 2012

Hornsby Rockets Invitational 2012

The Invitational is an annual two day tournament, hosted by Hornsby Rockets Ten Pin Bowling Team Inc, at AMF Hornsby.  This year, about 100 bowlers will attend, from six clubs, bowling in singles, doubles and teams events. That is a lot of bowling!

Day 1, today, was relatively quiet with Hornsby Rockets and Illawarra Strikers competing - tomorrow will be another story, with all the other clubs arriving for a 9.30 am start.

Competition was keen today, and the Hornsby Rockets acquitted themselves well.  Here are a few highlights ...


8:50 am: the banners are hung ...

the lanes are oiled ... ready for play!


Patron, and State MP for Hornsby, Matt Kean officially opened the tournament (with Rockets captains, Natham Constable and Georgie du Pille)


Bowlers stretched, warmed up, threw a few practice balls ...

... and play began.

Matt spent some time with the players, and Tim explained some of the finer points of the game.
 

Strikes started to mount up early ...
 
... including these two in a row for Georgie in her first game - a great confidence boost!
 

Mark Lagden was the highest scoring Rockets member, in a single game today, with this very impressive 230 ...

... note his Turkey (3 strikes in a row), followed two frames later by a 4-bagger (4 strikes in a row)! Congratulations, Mark!

Also scoring over 200 were Jenny Jones (with a 216, and a broad smile, below), Kevin MacPherson (with a cool 209), and Adam Mandarano (with 204 in his last teams game). David Hunter scored his first ever 4-bagger rounding out his first game in the teams event; Angela Moxham bowled well all day, including a 66 over-average of 171; and Tayla Walley bowled her highest ever score of 140 during the doubles event.


Our thanks to:
  • the parents and carers who volunteered to support the players, score, sort out any lane hitches, and cheer the players on;
  • to Illawarra Strikers and their supporters for travelling up from Wollongong to compete;
  • the Rockets Committee members who planned and organised the staging of the event, especially to Annette Seymour, and to Lesley and Natham Constable who managed entries, play and scoring (three enormous tasks);
  • and to AMF Hornsby for their assistance and financial support, and for their continued interest in the Hornsby Rockets. 
More news after tomorrow!

Friday 13 April 2012

Rockets in The Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate


(Hornsby and Upper North Shore Advocate, digital edition, Thursday 12th April, 2012)

Congratulations Tim!

Hornsby Rockets members have done very well in State and National competitions  over the last few months.

Congratulations to Tim Wilson, on his recent success in the Blind  and Vision Impaired Ten Pin Bowlers (BVIT) National Championships in Canberra, where the NSW team won the National BVIT State Shield. 


NSW Team members were Glenn Barwick from Illawarra, Russell Hart from Rooty Hill, Stacey Tuohy from Macarthur, Donna Holland from Orange and Tim Wilson from Hornsby.
(Thanks to BVIT for permission to use their photo of the NSW State Team 2012)

The competition was strongly contested with a large WA contingent.  All the NSW bowlers bowled well in what was a well run and friendly competition, concluding with a presentation dinner.

All members of the NSW team won medals, with Stacey, Donna and Glenn collecting trophies. Tim combined with Glenn to win a silver in the Doubles.

Pictures, including several of Tim (and his cheer squad) are here on the BVIT website, along with further information about BVIT. From the home page:

BVIT is an Incorporated Association set up to further the goals of blind and vision impaired Australians in the sport of tenpin bowling.

The Committee representing the Association organises regular national championships and social events to enable its members to pursue their sport and to interact with other members of the national and international bowling communities.