WELL AWARDED: Narooma Sporting and Services Club sports director Noel O’Hehir presents Jay Breust with the Sportsperson of the Year award last week.
AT just 15 years of age, Narooma lad Jay Breust is attracting plenty of attention in the world of lawn bowls.
Last week he was named Club Narooma’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2012, having won the junior sportsperson title in 2011.
With only two years on the greens he has made quite an impression and he’s not afraid to take on the big guys.
“Because I’m one of the few juniors down here I compete with seniors on a regular basis,” Jay said.
At club level Jay has won the Narooma Men’s Bowling Club (NMBC) fours, been a finalist in the triples and mixed fours, as well as a semi-finalist in the mixed pairs and consistency championship.
At district and zone level Jay has been junior singles champion, a member of the junior fours championship side, of which he became the semi-finalist, and featured in the district open team and the junior zone team.
At state level Jay has been a semi-finalist in the state junior singles and fours championships.
Other impressive achievements include a gold medal at the South East Regional Academy of Sport (SERAS) Games and runner up at the Australian Open qualifying triples.
Jay was selected last year by SERAS for a tour of New Zealand. He headed off in December and drew the test series with the New Zealand academies.
“It was a wonderful experience meeting the other bowlers and the country is fantastic with great scenery.” Jay said.
Having just won the singles at the Junior South Pacific Championships, a personal highlight for Jay, he is now set to head to Melbourne for the Junior Australian Open in two weeks.
Jay is appreciative of all the support he has had. “Thanks to the Narooma men’s and women’s bowling clubs and Narooma Sporting and Service Club group for everything they have done for me,” he said.
The youngster is flat out at this time of year juggling his schoolwork around training three times a week and playing competition bowls on the weekends.
The Year 10 Narooma High School student knuckles down and does his best, according to his father John, who said the school was very supportive of his bowling ambitions and that his mates were happy for him.
“I’m really excited for him,” John said. “He’s playing really well and I’ll support him as much as I can. I’m very proud and I feel honoured to be his dad.”
It all began when Jay’s grandfather, Garry Breust, suggested Jay and John come down for a bowl one day. Jay proved to be an absolute natural.
Within six weeks he had won the men’s major pairs at Narooma, and two months later, with grandpa Garry, father John and uncle Paul Naylor, he won the Narooma man’s fours.
“Not a bad start to a career,” John said.
Jay seems well on his way to achieving his ambition to play for the state and for Australia.
Good luck to him.