Kyabram's Charlie Boswood and Benalla's Koby Cromie have been nominated for major gongs at the Bowls Victoria Awards. Photo: Marc Grimwade/Bowls Australia
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Marc Grimwade
They do their talking on the greens, but now the Goulburn Valley’s best bowlers will hope to be making acceptance speeches at the state-level night of nights.
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A select group of stars are up for major gongs at the Bowls Victoria Awards, and to little surprise, a well-known Kyabram family features heavily among the nominations.
While now representing Moama, Bombers product Olivia Cartwright is up for the Lightning Bowler of the Year, while Charlie Boswood is in the running for the under-18 Male Bowler of the Year.
Boswood is up against his old Victorian pairs partner Koby Cromie, who hails from Benalla, for the award.
Cromie recently took out the boys’ singles title on Thursday at the Club Sunbury-hosted 2025 under-18 State Championships while finishing second in the mixed pairs.
His older brother Tyson is one of two players nominated for the Thunder Bowler of the Year at the Bowls Victoria Awards.
It’s not just the young pups who have had stellar years, either.
Shepparton Golf permit player Anthony Flapper is in contention for the Coach of the Year prize for his work leading Essendon Bowls Club in the Metro Pennant competition.
Flapper played a hand in Golf’s stunning Goulburn Valley Playing Area division one premiership back in March when the side Blue and Gold felled giant Tallygaroopna by nine shots.
Additionally, Moama gun Cassandra Millerick will hope to add another feather to her heavily decorated cap by taking out the Female Bowler of the Year award.
The Bowls Victoria Awards will be held on May 7 at Mulgrave Country Club.
Meanwhile, the Cartwright siblings have already been honoured for their hard work and talent.
Jacob, who has been playing bowls since he was in Year 2, has gone from strength to strength in his schooling years, which has earned him places in the Victorian bowls team for School Sport Australia Nationals.
He was selected for last year’s under-18 side for the competition and came home with the overall team gold medal.
Jacob Cartwright accepting his award of excellence at the School Sport Awards night at the MCG with Kyabram P-12 principal Marina Walsh (left) and Sarah Halliwell in attendance.
Cartwright has also held a prominent position in the Sport Schools Victoria competition, where he skipped his team to the Year 7-9 gold medal in the 2024 grand final.
He first entered the SSV scene in 2018 where his side made it to the state finals before becoming back-to-back winners in 2021 and 2022.
For his efforts, Cartwright was awarded the Sporting Blue Award at the Victorian School Sports Awards on Wednesday, March 26 for excellence the year prior.
“We got the message that he had won the award about a month ago, and we had to keep it a secret,” mother Naomi Cartwright said.
“The school (Kyabram P-12 College) knew, and they put his name forward, we are all very proud of him and how far he has taken his bowls.”
He has recently trialled for the School Sport Victoria team and if he were to be selected will represent the state in the national championships in Queensland in July.
He also placed runner-up in the open triples at the Under-18 Victorian State Championships.
His sister Olivia has been a main fixture of the Moama Steamers as well as Victorian representative teams.
She has also dabbled in national representation and has been given another opportunity to wear the green and gold, this time overseas.
Cartwright has been selected in the Australian squad for the Lion Cup in Singapore which will be held in July.
The Lion Cup, held from Sunday, July 6 to Saturday, July 12, is a pairs' tournament that will see the green and gold compete in four disciplines with two open teams and two under-25 teams set to compete.
Cartwright will partner Jessie Cottell in the under-25 women’s pairing.
She also claimed silver in the pairs' event at the Victorian state championships on Saturday, April 5.
Cartwright was invited to participate in the 2025 Adelaide Masters where she won two out of her three group play matches but didn’t advance to the round of 32.
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