Youth Masters shine at Latrobe

The 24 th Australian Junior Darts Champions at the Latrobe Youth Centre in Tasmania concluded today with the Australian Youth Masters and Mystery Mixed Doubles being played. The results from the Australian Youth Masters saw a new Champion in the Girls Masters and back-to-back titles in the boy’s.

The Australian Youth Masters commenced in 1992 and pits the best boy’s player and girl’s player from each state against each other in a round robin competition.

Girls Youth Masters 2005

She may only be 16, but she’s is quite a talent. In the Girl’s Youth Masters, South Australian Simone Keogh (left) became the third South Australia to win this event behind Barbara Douglas (1997) and Kylie Langmair (2003).

This is Keogh’s 3rd year representing South Australia and has made a big impression on these Championships. From Adelaide she had a great event today, winning all of her round robin matches. It was not as easy as it sounds but she did come through some tough matches against Brie Peters of Queensland and Western Australian Patricia Gary 3 – 2. She also had a good match with Victoria’s Penny Gritty (3 – 1) but was too strong for the rest of the field. She finished with an overall average 18.987.

Belinda Vellanff, the 17 year old from New South Wales completes her final Australian Junior Darts Championship with a second place in the Australian Youth Masters. She has had a very good week. She lost only the one match and that was to Keogh in the third round. She completed the competition with a final average of 18.245.

2004 and defending Champion Brie Peters finished in third place. The young Queenslander lost two matches with a 3 – 2 score line to both Keogh and Vellanff to lose her title. She has years ahead of her and she will win the title back but finished today’s competition with the highest average of 20.376.

Winner: Simone Keogh (SA)) (18.987) 6 wins – 18 legs

Second: Belinda Vellanff (NSW) (18.245) 5 – 15

Third: Brie Peters (QLD) (20.376) 4 – 16

Fourth: Patricia Gary (WA) (15.578) 3 – 12

Fifth: Penny Gritty (VIC) (16.392) 1 – 11

Sixth: Robyn Richardson (NT) (13.049) 1 – 5

Seventh: Tameka Enniss (TAS) (13.641) 1 – 3

Kyle Anderson (pictured left) won his third Australian Youth Masters title backing up his first title in Brisbane and Altona last year. This young talented Western Australian has surpassed his brother’s feat by winning this title three times. Kyle’s brother Beau won this title in 1999 and 2000.

Australia’s Boy’s Youth representative at the recent World Cup in Epinal France was in blistering form today. He showed why he is rated the best junior boy’s player in the country. He marched through today’s competition undefeated blitzing everyone. He lost just two legs of darts in the whole event and that was one leg to Queensland’s Ben Gaiter and one to Tasmania’s Dwayne Seabourne.

The 17 year old completed the competition with a record overall average of 25.146, way in front of his nearest rival. He had a high average of 31.250 in his fifth round match against Tassies Dwayne Seabourne.

Dwayne Seabourne of Devonport finished off his third Australian Darts Championships with a second place win 5 wins and 16 legs in the Youth Masters. The 16 year old lost only the one match to Kyle Anderson and finished off with an overall average of 23.469. Third place with an average of 21.392 and three wins went to Queensland’s Ben Gaiter.

Winner: Kyle Anderson (WA) (25.146) 6 wins – 18 legs

Second: Dwayne Seabourne (TAS) (23.469) 5 – 16

Third: Ben Gaiter (QLD) (21.392) 3 – 11

Fourth: Travis Richards (VIC) (20.222) 3 – 10

Fifth: Aaron Kocjancic (SA) (20.484) 2 – 9

Sixth: David Clegg (NSW) (21.064) 1 – 6

Seventh: Allan Spence (NT) (17.172) 1 – 6

This tournament is open to all players of the current year’s Junior Representative teams except those players selected to compete in the Australian Youth Masters. Performances in the Australian “Host Drawn” Mixed Doubles do not count towards the Australian Junior Championship Champion State.

Players are divided into four pools and play a round robin preliminary series, within each pool. No player may be drawn to pair with a player from the same State, unless, it is a fill-in player from the host State.

This is a fun event for everyone involved and after the Pools rounds were completed the top pair from each pool made up the semi finalists. Making the semi finals were Tara McArthur of Northern Territory partnered by Robert Carpanoni (WA) whom defeated Queensland’s Kylie Langmair and NT’s Adrian Spain. In the other semi final Tassie Jackie Upston and Damon Heta of Western Australia defeated Jessie Breneizeris (VIC) and Sean Methven (TAS).