23-05-2025
Paddy Stewart named Bowls Gisborne-East Coast men's player of the year award
While Stewart has been outstanding value for Te Karaka Bowling Club during his four years in Gisborne, he has also been a mentor for younger bowlers. Most improved junior men Kyle and Liam Pinn are among those who have benefited from his advice and encouragement.
Women's player of the year Whiteman won three centre titles this season – the women's open singles, women's open triples and champion of champions women's open triples with Dayvinia Mills and Karen Pinn.
Whiteman and her team will play in the national champion of champions women's triples in Auckland from August 22 to 24.
Sixth-year bowlers Kyle and Liam Pinn, of the Kahutia and Poverty Bay bowling clubs, won the Kahutia senior men's pairs and represented the club in the champion of champions senior men's pairs. They also won the champion of champions junior triples alongside their father Geoff Pinn, and the Burnside Trophy for the mixed junior (up to eight years of bowls experience) interclub alongside Geoff Pinn, Gerry Kora and Salvie Rickard.
Kyle and Liam had encouraging results in their first three-day Kittyhawk national under-21 singles tournament in Wellington. Kyle finished fourth equal in the second division of the competition and Liam was third in Division 3.
First-year bowler Raklander, of Gisborne Bowling Club, finished third-equal in the centre women's open singles and won her first centre title as a member of the winning team in the Ella Gibson Women's Open Fours. She was selected and played in the senior women's octagonal and intercentre. Raklander was out of town when the prizegiving was held.
