Rookie wins Title.

Day four of the 26th Puma Australian Darts Championships at the Mounties Club in Mt Pritchard ended with Australia having two new Australian Singles Champions. Two Rookie Players at these Championships in 2007 contested the Boy's final and two Girls from New South Wales fought out the Girls title.

Emily Austin [left] representing New South Wales for the 2nd time became the 2007 Australian Junior Girl's Singles Darts Champion when she defeated fellow New South Wales player Kylie Walker 3 - 2 in the final.

Austin who hails from Inverell and is just sixteen years of age showed her class today to throw the big darts when she had too. She had some challenges along the way but was able to succeed all of these challenges to come through. She is only the second girl from New South Wales to win this title, the other being Linda Gardiner back in 1995. Austin is representing New South Wales at this level for the second time. She won the NSW Junior State Singles back in 2005 so she has a good grounding for this level of darts. The opportunity is still there for her to compete at another Championships next year.

There appeared to be plenty of nervous tension for these two campaigners in the final. Neither of them could get their full game going like they had shown in previous games throughout the day. I don't know if it was because they are close friends or because of the situation they were in - an Australian title up for grabs. Walker had the lead off shot and her first few throws tended to wonder away from the twenty. Austin started with a 121 and then followed with some steady scoring for the rest of the leg. Late in the leg Walker had picked up her scoring and after Austin had blown two chances to take the leg Walker hit double 10 to claim it. Austin was away in the second leg and like in the first started with a score of 121. She continued the good scoring and pegged 36 with her 23rd dart to take leg two. Leg three was a case of missed opportunities. Walker could not get her scoring going while Austin was scoring really well but could not find the double to claim the leg. In the end she hit double 12 and was now leading 2 -1 with a break. Leading off in leg four missed darts at the double again cost Austin. Walker was getting her scoring going in this leg and was not far behind Austin. When Austin missed with her sixth dart at double ten, it let Walker in and she hit double top with her first dart. The final was down to a tie breaking leg. Austin was away first and both players were matching each other score wise. The pressure was on both players now. Austin hit double top with first dart at it and the title was hers. Walker was left sitting with 18 left.

Disappointment for Walker (right) I'm sure. These two have played each other many times before in New South Wales competitions so they new what each other was capable of. And with this being Walkers last year at this level, I'm sure she wanted that title more than anything before finishing up with junior darts. She has improved greatly over the last three years competing at these championships.

The semi finals were really close encounters as the scores indicated. The first semi final saw Austin defeat Tasmanian Lauren Seabourne (left) 3 - 2. Both these players were so evenly matched. They matched each other for scoring and finishing. The two were finally separated in the fifth and deciding leg when Austin threw 100 to leave 90 that she pegged next shot for a 24 darter. Seabourne was left stranded with 48 left. Austin won the first two legs and had a chance to with this match in three straight legs but missed a chance at double 10. Seabourne grabbed that opportunity to claim the leg and won the fourth leg with the darts to send the semi final into a deciding leg.

In the second semi final, Walker started brilliantly, hitting the big scores and finishing cleanly. In a flash she was two legs up and having darts at the double to win the semi in three straight legs. She wasted darts at the double and let her opponent 17 year old from Victoria Emily Wills in. Wills was back in this semi and the fourth leg neither player wanted to claim. Wasted darts at the double again was costly but Wills finally hit the winning double to send the final into a tie breaking leg. Walker was away first. Not big scoring but straight darts by Walker in this leg was enough to give her the advantage and this time hit the winning double cleanly to advance into the final.

Quarter final scores:
Emily Austin (NSW) defeated Chelsea Owens (QLD) 2 - 0
Lauren Seabourne (TAS) defeated Kelsey Warren (SA) 2 - 0
Emily Wills (VIC) defeated Brie Peters 2 - 1
Kylie Walker (NSW) defeated Sharni Evans (SA) 2 - 0

The Girls qualified for the quarterfinals by either topping the six-player 'pool' or placing second. There were four 'pools' and each player in each 'pool' played a round robin against all players in that 'pool'

'Pool A' had Emily Austin (NSW) (5 wins-10 legs) finishing top and Sharni Evans (SA) (2 - 6) second advance to the quarterfinals. This was an amazing 'pool. Apart from Austin the other five players were so close that all of them tied on two wins. They were Kayla Kennedy, Coralie Fitt, Kirsten Nunn and Natasha Rush. This meant a tiebreaker had to be played amongst these five girls. One leg of 1001 with all five playing at the same time which resulted in Evans coming out the winner. 'Pool B' had Kylie Walker (NSW) (5 wins-10 legs) topping the pool, with Chelsea Owens (QLD) second (4 - 8). Emily Wills (VIC)) (5 wins-10 legs) finished in first place with Kelsey Warren (SA) (3 - 8) second after winning a three way tie breaker against Raylee Parsons (Qld) and Krissy Smith (WA) in 'Pool C'. Final group 'Pool D' saw Lauren Seabourne (TAS) (5 wins-10 legs) finish the round robin undefeated topping the pool, with defending Champion Queensland's Brie Peters filling the final quarter final spot at the end of the round robin.

Girl's Competition
Winner Emily Austin (NSW)
Finalist Kylie Walker (NSW)
Equal 3rd Lauren Seabourne (TAS)
Emily Wills (VIC)
Equal 5th Kelsey Warren (SA))
Chelsea Owens (QLD)
Brie Peters (QLD)
Sharni Evans (SA)

Congratulations Emily Austin - Australian Singles Champion

Rookies Title

Young Gavin Dann from Kwinana in Perth won his first Australian Junior Darts Singles title today when he defeated Nathan Paice (both pictured left) of Wynnum in Queensland 4 - 2. These two players were representing their state at darts for the first time this year. A great achievement by both players to make an Australian Singles Championship final on your first representation at such a big event. Dann at 16 years of age has more chances in future years to win the title again. He comes from a darting family where his father is a top player and his mother has started playing since Gavin took up playing the sport seriously one year ago. He is a talented sportsman excelling at football as well and is known to be a practical joker keeping everyone on their toes.

There was some brilliant darts thrown by both players in the final. Dann started the final the better of the two taking the first leg against the darts. He finished from 24 for a 23 darter to open with after Paice had missed finishing off ten with three darts. The second leg stuffed their averages for the final as neither player could hit the winning double. It was Paice's 10th dart at double 8 that he claimed the leg to break back and square up the final at 1 - 1. He was not throwing badly at double 8, it was that they were all sitting right on the wire and would not go in for him. The remaining legs were of high quality. Paice won the third to give him a 2 -1 lead. Dann was away first in leg four and missed double top with his 17th dart, but cleaned up next throw to even up the final. Leg five and both players were hitting the big scores. Paice missed a 76 finish to leave 20, giving Dann a shot at 50. He finished clean in two darts to break Paice's throw and a 3 - 2 lead. He had the advantage of throwing first in the sixth leg but Paice was really putting the pressure on Dann. After 15 darts he was sitting on 40 and failed to finish with the next two walks. Dann had a shot at 63 and just missed but hit double 10 with his first dart on his next walk to take the leg and the title.

Paice had thrown great darts all day and although disappointed he must have been happy with his performance.

The semi finals saw some great action. Both finalists had to defeat another rookie at these Championships to make the final. Paice had to defeat Western Australia's Jamie Miles (16 years) that he did. Both players were in pretty hot form here but the finishing by Paice was brilliant - cleaned up neatly on all legs. Paice (both pictured right) won the first two legs in 19 and 23 darts, Miles fought straight back taking leg three in 21 darts with a great 80 peg. The fourth leg saw Paice score brilliantly. On his sixth walk he missed an 81 finish but cleaned up next shot for a 3 - 1 win and to advance into the final. Miles has another chance next year to have a shot at the title. He must be proud of his first performance at an Australian Championships and hopefully he can go one further next year.

The other second semi final saw 13-year-old Rookie Bradley Vine from South Australia take it right up to Dann in this final. Vine was in pretty good touch after coming off a great win in the quarterfinals over 2006 Champion Mitchell Clegg. Vine was away first and won the first leg in 18-darts with a 125 finish. Dann was not messing around either and won leg two in 21 darts. Leg three and both players had a chance at winning it, but Vine hung in there after being out scored on the way down to the double and claimed the leg with another good finish of 70. Dann came back strongly again with some great scoring and wrapped up the leg in 20 darts. It was down to the final tie breaking leg and the pressure was starting to show. Both players got down to the double fairly smartly yet both wasted darts at trying to win this deciding leg. In the end Dann managed to hit double six for a 3 - 2 victory.

Young Bradley Vine had had a great run in this event and he has many years ahead of him in which he will have a chance at taking out this title.

Quarter Final Scores
Nathan Paice (QLD) defeated Simon Bryant (TAS) 2 - 1
Jamie Miles (WA) defeated Harlee Chauntler (QLD) 2 - 0
Gavin Dann (WA) defeated Matthew Lukat (SA) 2 - 1
Bradley Vine (SA) defeated Mitchell Clegg (NSW) 2 - 1

The boy's competition was very tight in three Pools. In "Pool A' Nathan Paice (QLD) (5 wins-10 legs) topped the group with South Australia's Bradley Vine (right) (3 - 6) placing second after throwing a great tie breaking leg against James Gregory of New South Wales to advance to the quarter finals. Harlee Chauntler (5 wins-10 legs) was undefeated in 'Pool B' and Gavin Dann (WA) (4 - 8) also made it through. 'Pool C' was really tight as well. Matthew Lukat (SA) (4-8) ended up on top while Jamie Miles (WA) (3 - 7) defeated Shaun Kopecki (QLD) and Robert Walker Jnr from Tasmania in another tiebreaker. Mitchell Clegg (NSW) (5 wins-10 legs) topped 'Pool D' with Tasmanian rookie Simon Bryant (4-9) also advanced.

Boy's Competition
Winner Gavin Dann (WA)
Finalist Nathan Paice (QLD)
Equal 3rd Jamie Miles (WA)
Bradley Vine (SA)
Equal 5th Mitchell Clegg (NSW)
Simon Bryant (TAS)
Matthew Lukat (SA)
Harlee Chauntler (QLD)

Congratulations Gavin Dann - Australian Singles Champion

Friday sees the Mixed Doubles being played and Saturday the best girl and boy from each state participate in the Australian Youth Masters to complete a wonderful six days of junior darts.

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