Bowls Canada – 2016 Junior World Championships Wrap up for Canadians Ottawa, Ontario

 April 14th, 2016 The 2016

World Junior Championships wrapped up for the Canadians in both the Singles and Mixed Pairs events on Wednesday April 13th at the Broadbeach Bowls Club in Queensland, Australia. The five bowler team of Pricilla Westlake (Delta, BC), Grant Wilkie (Saskatoon, SK), Stirling Wood (Midland, ON), Cameron Lefresne (Enfield, Nova Scotia), and Jaymee Sidel (Victoria, BC) was the largest team Canada has ever sent to this event.

“This team represents an investment in the future of Canadian bowls”, said High Performance Chair Don Caswell. “With the number of international events scheduled for the southern hemisphere, it is critical that our up and coming bowlers learn as early as possible what it takes to compete with the world’s best on the faster green surfaces typically found in Australia and New Zealand”.

The level of competition this year was exceptionally fierce and the experience was second to none for learning what it takes to make the move from domestic play to international play. Due to some countries withdrawing at the last minute, the field was chockfull of Australia’s best young bowlers. Given their home country advantage, it was not surprising that seven out of the nine Australians advanced to the play-off rounds.

Despite the losses and some stumbles along the way, the Canadian athletes learned a great deal about competing on the world stage. “I couldn’t be prouder of the effort and grit these athletes demonstrated on and off the greens,” said Coach Darryl Fitzgerald. “No matter the score, our athletes always continued to battle right down to the last bowls of the final end.” -30- For detailed results please visit: http://www.worldbowls.com/event/world-junior-cup/

For more information, please contact: Katie Gardner, Technical Coordinator, Bowls Canada Boulingrin kgardner@bowlscanada.com

About World Junior Championships The World Junior Championships are an annual outdoor championships that feature Men’s and Women’s Singles and Mixed Pairs events. Eligible athletes must have reached their 18th birthday but not reached their 25th birthday the start of the event. The 2016 event will be hosted at Broadbeach Bowls Club in Queensland Australia from April 9 th -15th . About Bowls Canada Boulingrin Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is the governing body responsible for lawn bowls in Canada. The BCB mission is to advance the sport of bowls in Canada. For more details on Bowls Canada Boulingrin and the sport of lawn bowls, visit www.bowlscanada.com.