QUEANBEYAN's Jacob Macfarlane says he does not know why Bowls ACT keeps picking him in its under 18s squad, after the states' youngest ever player bowled for them at the Darwin nationals from September 29 to October 3.
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While his fours team did not make the finals at the event, Macfarlane still had a big five days of competition, with his team still able to win two matches in a row, and even secure an eight-pin win- where all eight bowls from the side finished closest to the jack.
The 10-year old year five student of Queanbeyan South Public School has also represented the ACT at the junior championships in the last two years, taking out the boys title in Canberra this year.
But while Macfarlane felt proud of being selected in the under 18s side a record eight years ahead of schedule, he said he was surprised in being selected to go to Darwin.
"They probably just needed more players, but I guess I'm good enough," he said tongue-in-cheek.
"It was exciting though, and it made me feel special that I was the youngest person ever in the team."
He said fellow Queanbeyan bowler and under 18s teammate Trent Britton was his idol in the sport, but it was his father Jim Macfarlane that got him playing in the first place.
But Jacob said he still had some work left in him to be as good as his father.
"I still don't think I'm as good as him yet, even though he tells me I'm almost like a professional," he said.
He was happy with how he bowled in Darwin, where he played in six matches, but said the weather made conditions tough to play in.
"It was very hot and humid, and I was nervous- nervous about winning because it was my first time at the championships," he said.
With no representative bowling action taking place until next year, and with the men's competition at the Queanbeyan Bowling Club closed indefinitely, Macfarlane said he would stick to social bowls there and at the RSL Memorial Club until next year.