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RISING STAR SHINES IN WODONGA CLASSIC AGAINST AUSTRALIA’S ELITE
Up and coming bowling sensation Grace Fahy’s return to the National Training Squad (NTS) this year is paying dividends, as the 21-year-old put on a dominant display to reach the final of the inaugural Tenpin Premier League (TPL) Wodonga Classic earlier this month.
In an event headlined by a variety of premier Australian bowlers including PBA veteran Sam Cooley, and reigning World Cup champion Rebecca Whiting, it was Grace Fahy who grabbed the headlines through her consistent performances in her journey to the final.
Taking place at 3D Lanes, Wodonga, Fahy was matched against ‘King of the North’ Jarrod Langford in the final who proved too strong in the deciding fixture, with Langford winning the title 97-75 in the five-frame format.
However Fahy was not discouraged by the result, and really happy with her performance in Wodonga
“I’m so happy. I honestly had no expectations going into this,” she said after finishing second.
After taking time away from national team commitments, the Benidgo-local rejoined the NTS in 2022 and has won two youth titles this year, the Werribee Youth and Sydney Youth Cup, and was runner-up at the SA Youth event.
Her silver medal performance at the inaugural TPL was her first major senior result.
With Langford bowling three strikes in his final frame of the match, Fahy knew she could no longer win the gold, however with all the pressure off her final frame, she bowled three strikes as well.
“I was so relaxed by that point, that’s just the way I like to bowl”
Fahy credits her Victorian country background in assisting her in her Wodonga Classic success.
“It was more dry than we usually would bowl on and coming from a Victorian country centre, we all have very dry conditions. So I was more used to the lane conditions and felt a bit more comfortable,” she said.
Despite not achieving victory in the final, Fahy took away a number of important learning experiences and will take confidence into her next event.
“I should probably get some self-belief, because I clearly proved that I can do something,” she laughed.
“I’m very excited about the next TPL event in Suncity, apparently there could be different formats, and I think it’s a great experience and it’s a great step for bowling.”
The next TPA event will take place at Suncity Bowling Centre in the Sunshine Coast on October 8-9, followed by the TPL Final at Melbourne’s Keon Park on October 29-30.