The 2020-21 Awards Ceremony summary by Lindsay Knight
Three greats of the game, Ivan Kostanich, Brent Turner and Carole Fredrick, were added formally to Bowls North Harbour’s “legends” when they were inducted at the centre’s award’s function at the Birkenhead club at the weekend.
They joined Marlene Castle, Barbara Kunicich, Danny O’Connor and Jean Ashby, who were the inaugural inductees last year.
There appeared to be widespread acceptance that this distinguished trio, all of whom sadly have passed away, were worthy recipients of what are arguably with life membership the centre’s ultimate accolades.
Kostanich did spend most of his illustrious bowls career within the Auckland centre, but after the Harbour centre was formed in the mid -1980s he did win four Harbour titles and was forever identified with one of the Harbour’s most celebrated clubs, Helensville.
Acclaimed for his exploits both in New Zealand and Australia, he won three national titles, the singles in 1977 and 1993 and the pairs in 1984 with his Helensville club-mate.
Turner played with distinction at the Silverdale, Orewa, Browns Bay and Helensville club, won a staggering 28 centre titles as well as achieving success at national levels. He was also part in 2005 of the only Harbour representative team to win the national inter-centre title.
And the much- respected Fredrick, as well as winning 27 centre titles, won two national fours championships, in a Marlene Castle-skipped composite four in 1999 and to her great satisfaction in 2012 an entirely Birkenhead club line-up which included her great bowling friend, Ruth Lynch.
Reflecting her outstanding season, Takapuna’s Black Jack international Selina Smith at Sunday’s awards ceremony was acclaimed the centre’s supreme bowler of the 2020-21 season.
Selina won both Harbour singles titles during the season, as well as finishing runner-up in two national championships, the pairs and fours. She also was in the Takapuna inter-club sevens team which finished a close runner-up to Nelson in the national play-off in Christchurch.
Her deeds went a long way to earning Takapuna the club of the year title. But there were others from that club who also had successful seasons, with third year bowler Skye Renes being acclaimed Harbour’s young bowler of the year. She was also the one-to-five year-women’s winner while Orewa’s Matthew Higginson won the male award
Other award winners from Takapuna were Graham Dorreen (coach of the year), Robyne Walker (administrator of the year) and Sue Rossiter (umpire of the year).
Helensville’s Bart Robertson, another to have an outstanding season, was the open men’s bowler of the year, and his club-mate Ron Cowper, who has been a stalwart Helensville member for nearly half a century, received the volunteer of the year award.
Notable contributors to the centre to be recognised were Jenny Daniels (Orewa), official of the year, centre secretary and events manager Lesley Langer, the President’s Cup, while long serving board and match committee member Norma Claassen and the centre publicity officer Lindsay Knight were given life-time achievement awards.
Brendon Kelly, whose expertise has benefitted several Harbour greens, especially those of Browns Bay and Birkenhead, was the green-keeper of the year.