Jackson McGifford 17, Sam Graham 14, Glenn Moore 14, Danielle McKenzie 18, Jenna Gore 17, and Alannah Gore 15, will contest the Victorian Junior Cup.
GIRL power will lead the way when Warrnambool ten pin bowlers contest the Victorian Junior Country Cup.
Warrnambool Ten Pin Bowling Association will send a six-member squad to the cup in Mildura this weekend.
WTBA junior co-ordinator Sharon Gore said three girls, Danielle McKenzie, Jenna Gore and Alannah Gore, would have a major say in the squad’s fortunes.
Boys Jackson McGifford, Sam Graham and Glenn Moore make up the rest of the squad which is hoping to earn best-of-the-bush honours.
Alannah and Glenn are in the squad for the first time.
“A lot of the centres have battled to fill the girls’ portion of their teams,” Gore said. “We’ve got some older girls and we hope that’ll be enough to carry us through to a medal.
“We’re not too bad (for female numbers) for the next couple of years but we might battle after that.
“At the moment our girls are 15 and over and some of the teams have had to resort to primary school-aged girls.” Warrnambool will take on squads from Latrobe Valley, Mildura, Albury, Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton and Colac at the two-day event.
Two boys and two girls bowl during each round and can earn one point for a match-play victory.
The team with the highest collective pinfall also earns two points — meaning a maximum six points are up for grabs each round.
Colac won the 2011 Junior Country Cup at Albury.
“Just the fact we’ve got a team with experienced girls may be enough to help us,” Gore said.
“Two of the girls age out so we hope it’s the year we do something really good.”
Gore said squad members had trained once a week under coach Tony McKenzie.
“The kids on a whole have improved their averages (this year) and that’s all we can ask for,” Gore said.
“Any improvement is great, and that puts them in a better standing.
“They’ve got experience in tournament environments, all the kids have bowled the Emerson Junior Shield.
“The noise and pressure, they’re used to that.”
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