WARRNAMBOOL indoor bowler Maureen Drennan is back on top of the state.
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Drennan reaffirmed her reputation within the sport with victory in the Victorian Indoor Bias Bowls Association’s women’s singles at Sunshine.
The 20-14 win against Colac’s Candice Hodgetts on Sunday was her second at state level and first since 2004.
She also won the women’s singles at an inter-region tournament at Ballarat the previous weekend, for the fifth time.
“I always enjoy singles, that probably helps,” Drennan said.
“Also, you need a bit of luck as well as good bowling. If you don’t have a bit of luck, you don’t have success either.”
Drennan said the state title triumph was reward for the amount of travel she had to make to compete against the best.
“Five games of 21 ends is something like 450 bowls and you expect every one to be perfect,” she said.
Drennan was one of six Indoor Bowls Warrnambool members who competed at the state titles.
Jacinta Marney reached the semi-finals of the women’s singles but lost to Hodgetts in a match which went down to the wire.
Marney led Hodgetts in the closing ends but couldn’t hold on as the reigning Australian women’s singles champion surged late.
“She performed well leading in the ladies’ pairs at Ballarat with Gill Phillips as her skipper,” Drennan said.
“She’s playing very, very well. She’s only a new bowler. We’re very excited about her future prospects.”
Gilmour Bates, Neville Blackmore and Alan Bell competed in the men’s singles for the first time, but lost in the first round.
Shane Cashill went one better but lost his second-round match with the last bowl on the 21st end.
“It’s great for us as an association to have them going down,” Drennan said.
“I think a lot of people here think they’re not good enough but there are many capable of going down and holding their own in these competitions.”
Meanwhile, IBW will have 12 members vie for state squad selection at Sunshine this weeekend.
Nationals are at Mount Gambier in August.