2024 Nationals: Day 17 wrap
It was a golden day for the Nation’s Capital, collecting the final trophy on offer at the 2024 Australian Championships at Broadbeach today.
The ACT’s Ruth Moore and Jamie Smith led the gold medal decider from go to whoa tonight, recording a 15-10 victory over Victoria’s Kelly McKerihen and Ali Forsyth to secure the territory’s first title from the nine discipline event.
Moore, from Queanbeyan RSL Memorial, and Smith, from Canberra, became the second mixed pairs titleholder from the Capital, following in the footsteps of Gayle Young and Matthew Styles, who prevailed in 2022.
Moore and Smith booked passage to the decider with two wins, prevailing 24-5 in their opening sectional encounter against South Australia’s Kate Argent-Bowden and Nathan Black, but met with defeat at the hands of Western Australia’s Bill Brandsma and Lisa Featherby 5-15 in the following rubber.
Moore and Smith responded with a comfortable 21-9 win against Northern Territory’s Barry and Colleen Orr to finish off the sectional rounds, ending 14 shots clear of Western Australia on the count-back for the spot in the ultimate decider.
Their opponents, the Canadian and New Zealand international pairing of McKerihen and Forsyth weren’t able to add to the golden medal haul that the state experienced yesterday, when they pocketed both blue-ribbon singles titles, including the women’s crown for McKerihen.
McKerihen continued her untarnished run, following her four singles victories yesterday, with a further three in the mixed pairs sectional rounds today, at opposite ends of the Broadbeach greens.
A first up 18-12 victory over Queensland’s Bolivia Millerick and Kane Nelson, who himself had struck gold twice in the event, kick started their quest for glory, in a hotly contested section.
A second rubber 18-14 triumph against Tasmania’s Amity Bickley and Codi Marshall, and a last rubber 17-13 win over NSW’s Thomas Webb and Dawn Hayman solidified their spot in the golden play-off.
Moore and Smith were in scintillating touch, aided by Smith’s local knowledge of the greens, having been a member of the Broadbeach Bulls for five years, relegating the Victorians to silver.
Western Australia’s Lisa Featherby and Bill Brandsma secured the bronze medal with a 12-9 victory over NSW’s Thomas Webb and Dawn Hayman.
From the four events contested, Hayman impressively walked away with one gold and two bronze, prevailing in the pairs and coming third in the singles and triples.
The 2025 Nationals will be staged in Tasmania’s North West Coast, courtesy of support from Events Tasmania and Devonport Country Club, from November 12-27, 2025.
View the results HERE
