Youth Masters shine
The 27th Australian Junior Darts Champions at Gloucester Park in Perth 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 both the Boy's and Girls Masters.
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 2008
(Above - Girls Youth Masters Field Fom the left Chelsea Owens, Jucinta Dann, Ashley Manico, Lauren Seabourne, Sharni Evans and Emily Austin)
This is Chelsea Owens (right) 3rd year representing Queensland and continues to make a big impression on these Championships. From Sarina in the Queensland Zone 7 region she had a great event today, winning all of her round robin matches. It appeared pretty easy going for her today, losing just four legs of darts for the whole competition. Those to take just two leg off her were defending Champion Emily Austin of New South Wales, and Sharni Evans of South Australia. She finished with an overall average of 17.300.
Jucinta Dann, the 14 year old from Western Australia completed this Australian Junior Darts Championship with a second place in the Australian Youth Masters. From Kwinana a suburb of Perth she has had a very good week. She lost two matches and they were to Owens 3 - 0 and to Emily Austin of New South Wales 3 - 0. She completed the competition with a final average of 15.976.
2007 and defending Champion Emily Austin finished in third place. The young New South Wales player could not quite get her game going today. She still finished with the second highest average per dart (16.441), but could not find enough wins. The 17 year old ends her junior darts career here after three years representing her State, but definitely has the talent to go on and make a successful at senior level.
Every player in the Girls Youth Masters won at least one round.
Place, Average & Wins
Winner: Chelsea Owens (QLD) (17.300) 5 wins - 15 legs
Second: Jucinta Dann (WA) (15.967) 3 wins - 9 legs
Third: Emily Austin (NSW) (16.441) 2 wins - 12 legs
Fourth: Sharni Evans (SA)) (14.905) 2 wins - 11 legs
Fifth: Lauren Seabourne (TAS) (15.495) 2 wins - 6 legs
Sixth: Ashley Manico (VIC) (13.534) 1 win - 6 legs
(Above - Boys Youth Masters Field From the left Nathan Paice, Joe Ennor, Sean Methven, Matthew Lukat, Jamie Miles and Mitchell Clegg)
Boys Youth Masters 2008
Nathan Paice (right) won his first Australian Youth Masters title here in Perth. This young talented dartie from Wynnum in Queensland made his second and final year at Australian Junior Championships this year. The experience he has gained playing in senior competition in Zone 2 in Queensland helped him today. He has had a brilliant darts and today's performance topped of a great week. He won most round fairly comfortably except against South Australia's Matthew Lukat where the match went the five legs for a 3 - 2 win. He lifted his performance in the remaining two rounds after that close encounter with Lukat to win them 3 - 0 and to win the Masters undefeated throughout the competition. The 17 year old completed the event with an overall average of 22.284.
Sean Methven of Devonport finished off his fourth Australian Darts Championships with a second place win 3 wins and 11 legs in the Youth Masters. The 16 year old who won the Australian Singles two days ago lost two match to Nathan Paice and WA's Jamie Miles and finished off with an overall average of 21.91. He had a great game in the last round against Matthew Lukat hitting two 180's.
Third place with an average of 23.007 the highest average for the event, with three wins went to Mitchell Clegg of New South Wales..
Place, Average & Wins
Winner: Nathan Paice (QLD) (22.284) 5 wins - 15 legs
Second: Sean Methven (TAS) (21.91) 3 wins - 11 legs
Third: Mitchell Clegg (NSW) (23.007) 3 wins - 10 legs
Fourth: Jamie Miles (WA) (21.76) 3 wins - 9 legs
Fifth: Joe Ennor (VIC) (21.09) 1 win - 6 legs
Sixth: Matthew Lukat (SA) (20.40) 0 wins - 9
Host Drawn Mixed Doubles
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 was Rebecca Webster (QLD) partnered with Taylor Reid (VIC) whom defeated Tarmeks Nestor (WA) and Nathan Seabourne (TAS) 2 - 0.
In the other semi final New South Wales Melissa Murray and Mitchell Browning from Queensland missed making the final when they went down to Courtney Bren (SA) and Victoria's Stuart Coburn 2 - 0. (left) Courtney Bren and Stuart Coburn were victorious in the final winning 2 - 1.
Quarter Finals.
Rebecca Webster (QLD) & Taylor Reid (VIC) defeated Kirsten Nunn (WA) & Liam Philpott (TAS) 2 - 0
Tarmeks Nestor (WA) & Nathan Seabourne (TAS) defeated Kayla Kennedy (QLD) James Gregory &(NSW) 2 - 1
Melissa Murray (NSW) & Mitchell Browning (QLD) defeated Sarah Brown (VIC) & Shane Wilson (NSW) 2 - 0
Courtney Bren (SA) & Stuart Coburn (VIC) defeated Chloe Hoskinson (TAS) & Michael Conlon (SA) 2 - 0.