Corinne Stallan (second right) with her fours gold medal-winning team of Stella Palmer, Sophie Kiepe and Dekota Brindle.
COOKTOWN’S teen bowling sensation Corinne Stallan has reached the pinnacle of junior competition, taking out gold and silver at the Australian under-18 championships.
It capped a stellar year on the greens for Corinne as she became the first junior from Far North Queensland to play in a Queensland v New South Wales match earlier in the year and then selected as one of only five girls to represent Queensland at the Australian Championships.
“I came home with three medals, a gold in fours, a silver in triples, gold for Queensland as we also got the overall girls’ trophy and overall winners of the national competition,” Corinne said.
The 16-year-old said winning gold in the fours on her first day of competition was incredible.
“My whole team was so happy that we got to bring home a gold medal and add to the points for Queensland on the first day; I was just so happy to win my first gold medal in my first national titles,” Corinne said.
“I was also thrilled when we won silver as I was skipping the triples team and I felt we really bonded well together to win our games and make it to the gold medal match.”
Proud mum Katrina Lewis travelled with Corinne to the championships and was joined by fellow Cooktown Bowls Club member Gloria Savage, Corinne’s coach Mal Mackney and parents of other junior Queensland players.
Corinne Stallan in action for Queensland on the Gold Coast.
“We were so excited, we were all jumping up and down, cheering as loud as we could,” Ms Lewis said.
“The Australian Championships is the peak of where you can go as a junior bowler and the experience of being there to support Corinne was just amazing.”
Corinne said Queensland’s success at the competition didn’t surprise her, crediting hard work, training and friendship for the success.
“I knew from the very start that Queensland had only picked the best of the best to win the competition,” she said.
“Leading up to the event I was working so hard on what needed to be fixed.
“Going into the competition we just kept thinking positive which would bring home the win.
“In both triples and fours we had really strong teams that got along really well, encouraging each other and creating stronger friendships.”
So what’s next for the teenage bowler?
First, she will celebrate her 17th birthday this month, and then continue training and enjoying bowls at her hometown club, Cooktown Bowls Club, in preparation for the 2023 season.
