Extra-curricular Achievements

Highsted student Imogen J has achieved success for the second year running in being selected for the International Bowls Series, due to take place in Aberdeen in October.  She was selected during the Under-18s Mixed England Indoor Bowls Trial at Rugby on 15 May.  She said:  “I am very pleased to have made the squad again as there were many changed this year with 52 trialists and only 12 places in the squad.” 

Imogen’s evenings and weekends are usually non-stop bowls, and this winter season was definitely her busiest. Imogen represented Kent Under-25s and the Kent Ladies’ Squad on several occasions. Her biggest achievements were getting through in February to the National Ladies’ Finals in the Under-25 and more recently, for the second year running, she reached the National Finals (last 16) of the Under-18 Mixed Singles, where she played some of her best games and achieved fifth place.

Imogen is a very active member of Swale indoor bowls club and she represented them in the 8-person squad of the National Double Rink Under-25s, where they lost in the semi-final by only one shot. She was also in the mixed team for the National Egham Final played at Boston, where Swale lost to Norfolk. Finally, Imogen has recently won an Under-16s Open Singles competition at Rugby, which she followed the next day in Bristol by playing for the Swale Ladies’ Squad of 16 in the National Ladies’ Yetton Trophy semi-final against Bournemouth. Having won, they then became champions by beating York Ladies that afternoon.

Imogen commented: “It has been a very successful year personally for me and for my club, Swale. This year I have been involved in winning the International Series with the Under-18s England squad, two national titles with my club (National Top Club and National Yetton Trophy) and getting to two finals, one with my club (National Egham Trophy) and one on my own (National Under-18 Singles finals.)”  She added: “This weekend I am travelling up to Royal Leamington Spa, as the outdoor season has begun, for an England Academy squad weekend in preparation hopefully for further matches against Wales in the summer. Despite this, I still have a lot more I would like to achieve in my bowling career.”