Paritutu had a weekend to remember when it claimed seven of the 12 Taranaki titles that were concluded at the club on Saturday and Sunday.
Across those seven victories in the TCM-sponsored champion-of-champions series, five players collected their gold star for five Taranaki wins – Bridget Fletcher, Gale Fache, Daryl Read, Kaylin Huwyler and Briar Atkinson.
Atkinson, aged 19, became the youngest ever gold star holder when she skipped her triple of Gaye Holub and Jackie Moeahu to a commanding 24-5 win over Inglewood’s Lorraine Crofskey, Loris Ropitini and Cindy Nicoll in the last of the events that were completed.
Atkinson had earlier won her fourth title on Saturday when she overturned a 12-4 deficit to beat Trish Howard (West End) 21-16 in the senior women’s singles final.
Fletcher and Fache combined with Holub and Kileigh Barber to post a big 26-9 win over Tower’s Alethea Rowlands, Faye Hopkins, Alison Sayer and Jane Augustine in the women’s fours final.
For good measure Fache added a sixth title on Sunday, when in a dramatic finish, partner Brendon Walton ran the jack into the ditch with the last bowl of the Cross Country Rentals mixed pairs final. That enabled the duo to pip Val and Maurice Symes (Fitzroy) 16-15.
Huwyler had the added satisfaction of winning the men’s triples with his father, Phil, and Kevan Sellers. They beat Sam Geers, Ian Spurdle and Matt Watson (Hawera Park) 21-9. Huwyler, a fourth-year player, became the quickest ever to win the star having only played in the province in the past two seasons and then on just a part-time basis. He has claimed two Wanganui titles during that same period.
Read’s fifth victory came in the men’s pairs with Aidan Zittersteijn, after they overcame Tower’s Mark Hawken and Kevin Hills 24-14.
Veteran Maurice Symes had earlier taken his fourth senior men’s singles title, a remarkable feat, given his last one was 40 years ago. Symes beat Gerry O’Sullivan (Inglewood) 21-17 in the final. O’Sullivan had led 17-14, before Symes took a four, a two and a single.
A tense and exciting finish came in the men’s fours, when Nathan Goodin, Rodger Hassall, Adam Collins and Darren Goodin (Paritutu) prevailed 17-14 over Bruce Lilley, Steve Temperton, Bruce Hall and John Garrud (West End). Paritutu led by six with two to play, before two bombs from Garrud saw West End take a four and then hold two on the last end. However, Goodin, with the last bowl, put the jack into the ditch for one.
Howard was also left frustrated in the women’s pairs, with Lorraine Heal, after she suffered her second finals loss, going down 31-17 to Fitzroy’s Faye Gecse and Maree Gadsby.
Rowlands, after the fours loss, got some consolation in beating Irene Taunt (Manaia) 21-11 in the women’s junior singles decider.
The men’s junior singles title went Camron Horo (Rahotu) who beat Craig Murray (Oakura) 21-13.
In the Dean File Colliers Hugh Moss junior pairs, Merv Dew and Michael Mathews (New Plymouth) came from 8-3 down to beat Shelley and Mike Baldwin (Paritutu) 15-10.
Gold star winners
Gale Fache: champion-champions pairs (1999), champion-of-champions fours (2014), champion-of-champions pairs (2015), open pairs (2017), champion-of-champions fours (2023).
Bridget Fletcher: champion-champions pairs (2017), champion-of-champions triples (2020), open triples (2022), open triples (2023), champion-of-champions fours (2023).
Daryl Read: champion-of-champions junior singles (2012), champion-of-champions triples (2020), mixed pairs (2021), open fours (2023), champion-of-champions pairs (2023).
Kaylin Huwyler: centre fours (2022), champion-of-champions triples (2022), centre fours (2023), open fours (2023), champion-of-champions triples (2023).
Briar Atkinson: mixed pairs (2021), open triples (2022), open singles (2023), champion-of-champions singles (2023), champion-of-champions triples (2023).