Sharon selected for State bowls side

Sharon Harper, a 16 year old student from Umina High School, has been selected to represent NSW in a junior women’s bowls side against Victoria in January of 2002.

Sharon says it is the first state game she will compete in without her sister, and also her first time on an aeroplane.

The game will be played in Victoria against a Victorian State side.

This is not the first time Sharon has been selected in a State side.

She has collected a long list of achievements since she began playing bowls in 1992.

Both Sharon and her sister Kristy began playing bowls when their parents ran the Central Coast Junior Bowls.

They then joined Everglades Country Club as members of the Ladies Bowls Association.

Sharon says although she is yet to win a district championship, she has placed runner-up in the Fours in 1998,1999 and 2000 as well as this year.

Sharon said: "I was also runner-up in the Pairs with my sister Kristy in 2000."

Last year Sharon travelled to Mudgee, where she was selected to compete with 11 other girls in the State Academy Side.

The team travelled NSW and played various clubs and top pennant sides, including St Johns Park, Bateau Bay and The Entrance.

Also in 2000, both Sharon and Kristy were selected to play in the Junior Girls Test Series.

In this tournament six girls were selected from NSW to compete against a Queensland team at North Haven Bowling Club.

In the past, Sharon has also competed in the Combined High Schools team and in 2000 along with Kristy and Darren Morrisen, of Umina High received the School’s Sports Team of the Year Award.

This year Sharon will travel to places such as Mudgee, Batemans Bay, Dubbo, Coffs Harbour and Ballina, where she will compete in Academy Tournaments.

She will also receive a certificate in this year from the NSW Premiers Department for representing NSW.

Sharon said: "This year I’m aiming to make the NSW Girls Side (three girls only) to play in the Australian Championships in October. My sister has played in the last three and achieved two silver medals in the pairs and triples."

Sharon says she loves the game because she has travelled to so many places and made so many friends, who she keeps in contact with all the time.

"I believe it’s a great sport for juniors. It teaches them respect and involves a lot of concentration."

Amanda Jackson, April 3