Sports reports: Murray Bridge Darts Club wins fifth title in a row
Plus the latest in rifle shooting, basketball, 10-pin bowling and more.
This story includes a contribution from Daniel Irvine and Michael Potts
Congratulations to the Murray Bridge Darts Club for winning the SA Country Championships for a fifth year in a row.
The team, comprising captain Kevin Young, Martin Rose, Dion Rehn, Dwayne Wilson, Danny Scally, James Little, Colin Wilson and Craig Atze narrowly took the title from Port Pirie Darts Club and remained undefeated throughout the tournament.
Individual awards handed out during the tournament included rookie of the year to James Little and the SA country team of the year, honouring the top eight players of the tournament, including locals Kevin Young and Craig Atze.
The championships, held in the Riverland, featured 12 regional teams from across the state competing in singles, doubles, and team events.
Participants and representative sides frequently use this tournament as a key pathway to qualify for higher-tier state trials and national events.
Ally Wilson cut from Washington roster
The Washington Mystics have waived Murray Bridge basketballer Alex Wilson, removing her from their WNBA roster.
Wilson was cut after playing four of the Mystics’ first seven games, despite having averaged more than 14 minutes per game off the bench.
She averaged three points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game in the big league.
The team had a 2-2 record with her in the lineup, and was 3-4 at the time she was cut.
“God’s timing, not mine,” she posted on Instagram.
Wilson will join the Australian national team, the Opals, for two games against China in Melbourne early next month; then suit up for the Sydney Flames in the upcoming WNBL season, which starts in October.
Windy conditions for the penultimate round of Rifle Club Champs
Tough wind conditions have tested everyone as Murray Bridge Rifle Club shot the penultimate round of its annual championship from 800 metres.
In F-open on Saturday, Adrian Conlon was in outstanding form, reading the conditions brilliantly to shoot a double possible of 120.13.
He finished three points clear of Ryan Yeates, who also handled the conditions well and posted 117.04, including a second-round possible.
Conlon’s strong performance also earned him the F-class handicap win,
ahead of F-standard top-off rifle winner Brett Larwood.
In TR, Robert Paech led the field with 97.07, taking the top-off rifle win by two points from Greg Traeger.
Paech also claimed the handicap win, finishing one point ahead
of Daniel Irvine.
The day also featured the Patron’s Trophy, an important event for the club as
members remembered former patron Larry Caspers, who passed away last year.
The trophy is decided by percentage of handicap achieved, and this year’s clear
winner was Conlon, with 133.4 equating to 95 per cent.
This week the club will shift to a more light-hearted format with a coached teams event, where the captain and vice-captain will draw teams and go head-to-head.
The final championship shoot will follow the week after, with a catch-up round from 400 metres.
Local trainers continue their winning streak across three courses
It was another outstanding week for Murray Bridge trainers, with winners recorded across Gawler, Hawker Cup Day and Morphettville.
Dominant victories, feature race success, and a host of placings once again highlighted the strength and depth of the Murray Bridge training ranks.
In mid-week racing at Gawler, Michael Hickmott got off to a flying start in race one as Lynch, ridden by Todd Pannell, produced a dominant performance to score by 4.02 lengths.
Seven-eight-nine no-tap double attracts full field at Bridge Bowl
Six games with handicap have decided the winners for a recent day of competition with Logain and Damon coming out on top by just 18 pins.
Travis Redwood's five out of six 300s, and a high scratch average for the day of 296.17, wasn't quite enough to get the win, with Travis and Brad Thompson coming in an incredibly close second.
Addi finished up the day with an HC average of 313.17 and Travis and Ebs Mar bowled the first 300s for the day.
Now we turn our attention to an upcoming masters event; with qualifying well under way, it looks as though we'll have an open field full of 200-plus average bowlers, setting up for an epic final on June 21.
Naughton claims another Saturday success
Not long out of his teenage years Cohen Naughton continued his steady march deep into "A" grade ranks by claiming another Saturday victory on the weekend.
Winning the day's Stableford competition with a "modest" 38 points, he proved too good on a glorious day weather wise but one difficult to score on nonetheless.
Playing unspectacular but very steady golf with nothing out of the ordinary to report, Naughton's superb short game gave him plenty of chances to drop putts from not too far away seeing his score mount up to a winning total.
The course was in excellent condition although a touch damp in some places with players also now having to contend with playing the ball as it lies with the "preferred lie" rule having just been lifted.
All the more reason for players to ensure they repair their fairway divots, lest another competitor lands in the hole left behind, unfilled with sand.
The lush fairways were still not giving up much run making the course play fairly long for the shorter hitters.
Fabian Poharama was the only other player on the day to match his handicap and he was rewarded with victory in the "A" grade.
Star 1 handicap golfer Jared Thoman would have been shocked to learn that he was the runner up with just 31 points.
Mario Grande won the "B" grade with 35 points on a countback from runner up Wayne Duthie who claimed he would have probably had 45 points if the mud rule had been declared on.
Troy Penhall won the Pro comp for his 21 point back nine while perennial first group of the day player Joseph Marcus put his tee shot on the 11th closest to the pin to deny the other 75 players any chance of beating him for the Yabby.
One piece of trivia...there has still been no hole in one recorded in a competition at the Ritter Street circuit for the past 20 months now when there are usually three or four per year - what's going on?
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