Kyabram product and current Moama Steamers star Olivia Cartwright and Tallygaroopna ace Mitch Sidebottom cannot seem to miss.
And on Saturday, they were at their zeroed-in best.
Contesting the 2025 Victorian Indoor Championships at Chadstone Bowls Club, Cartwright and Sidebottom saluted to claim the women’s and men’s singles titles, respectively.
In doing so, both have secured a ticket to Tweed Heads to compete at the Australian Indoor Championships from August 11 to 14.
With an elite field stepping up for a condensed, sets-play format on Saturday, Cartwright’s first test arrived in the form of Sandra Tillson in the quarter-finals.
The 21-year-old knocked off her Geelong-based opponent 9-4, 6-5 to book a semi-final berth against City Colac’s Hayley Murnane, whom she tore past 9-6, 13-0.
Then, the big one.
Cartwright stepped up to meet Caulfield Park Alma’s Shelley Beder in the big dance, and after a tense 12-4, 9-5 tussle, the Moama marvel had another grail to add to her ever-growing collection.
Though unsurprising, Cartwright’s run over the past few months is worth recounting.
She was named in Bowls Australia’s squad for the 2025 National Development Series before reaching an Australian Open singles final, and with her star ever rising, it seems Cartwright is destined for the Jackaroos after her latest bit of silverware.
Meanwhile, on the men’s front, Sidebottom had a slightly trickier run to the title but he too came out grinning with a trophy in his hands.
The Redlegs representative downed Essendon’s Michael Stevenson 8-5, 11-7 to progress to the semis, where he’d defeat Craigieburn’s Bob Watt 8-6, 11-3.
Against Ararat VRI’s Clayton Holcombe for all the marbles, Sidebottom drew the second set 6-6 — but thanks to a 7-4 win in the earlier set of ends, the Tallygaroopna man was crowned king of the men’s singles.
Sidebottom and Cartwright will now shift their focus to Tweed Heads, where they’ll be joined by 18 other Victorians who’ve also qualified for the Australian Indoor Championships.
