2024 Nationals: Day 16 wrap
Victoria struck gold twice at Broadbeach today, earning the state’s maiden gold medals, prevailing in both blue-ribbon singles disciplines at the 2024 Australian Championships.
Women’s
Clayton’s Canadian representative Kelly McKerihen saluted to earn the Big V’s first medal of the golden variety.
McKerihen advanced to the decider with an unblemished record and 30 shots in the black, courtesy of a 25-10 first up win against Northern Territory’s Colleen Orr, 25-22 against ACT’s Chloe Morrison and 25-13 over NSW’s Dawn Hayman.
Her opponent, Manning Memorial’s Kristina Krstic was undefeated after her two sectional rubbers, courtesy of a second session bye, having toppled fellow Jackaroo Chloe Stewart, representing Queensland, 25-20 to open proceedings followed by a 25-9 victory over South Australia’s Unyamanee Moffatt.
McKerihen burst out of the blocks in the golden decider, racing away to 19-9 lead to set the tone for the match.
A shift in the conditions of the green saw Krstic launch a strong response, with McKerihen stranded on 19 shots for seemingly eternity, before Krstic clawed back to draw level 19-all.
McKerihen knuckled down, progressing to 22-19 and holding game, with a Krstic drive collecting the jack to pinch 1 and keep the Western Australian women’s fours gold medallist from yesterday within the hunt.
The Victorian responded with three successive ends of 1 shot to fight off the Western Australian come-back and post a 25-20 result to earn the Big V’s first gold medal of the Australian Championships.
St Johns Park’s Dawn Hayman secured the women’s bronze medal with a 25-21 win against Queensland’s Stewart, and will attempt to strike gold in tomorrow’s mixed pairs, her fourth discipline of the 2024 Australian Championships.
Men’s
Deer Park’s Jay Bye-Norris made it a rare double for Victoria moments after McKerihen, after a thrilling nip-and-tuck live-streamed encounter against the reigning champion, Western Australia’s Cody Packer.
Bye-Norris, who now calls NSW home, collected two wins from as many starts, upstaging Queensland’s Brendan Wilson 25-14 and NSW’s Jay Breust 25-19 before a third session bye.
Packer, who also now resides within NSW, had an untarnished record after the three sectional rounds, toppling Northern Territory’s Daniel Baker 25-20, South Australia’s Craig Mills 25-11 and Tasmania’s Jade Groenewege 25-20.
The golden encounter was a tense edge-of-your-set spectacle, with both players trading barbs and unable to split 21-all.
Bye-Norris was quick to unleash, with gritty, hard-fought successive ends of 2 shots to secure victory.
NSW’s Jay Breust collected the men’s bronze medal with a 25-21 victory against Tasmania’s Groenewege.
The 2024 Australian Championships wraps up tomorrow with the last of the disciplines, the mixed pairs, with live-scoring available but no further live-streaming taking place.
View the results HERE
