A VICTORIAN state singles title win has provided Kyneton's Chloe Stewart with the perfect going away present.
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The 20-year-old defeated Koroit's Kellie Bowles 25-15 to clinch her second Bowls Victoria singles championship at Bendigo East Bowling Club on Thursday.
Stewart trailed 4-7 early in the final, but was able to get the game back on her terms when she led 11-10.
It was a case of one-way traffic from there on, with the soon-to-be Queensland-based star powering away to a 10-shot lead.
Stewart admitted to a few anxious moments when she feel behind by three shots twice in the early going.
"I just crawled my way back and kept slugging away and was eventually able to get out to an 18-13 lead," she said.
"From there I just kept powering through.
"It was exciting. State titles are always hard to win - winning another is fantastic, especially because I'm leaving Victoria.
"It's fairy tale finish I guess."
Stewart has moved to the Gold Coast-based Broadbeach Bowling Club, where she will work as a receptionist, and her continue her training with the aim of qualifying for Australia's 2018 Commonwealth Games team.
"I want to give myself the best opportunity for future events like the Commonwealth Games and World Bowls, which are going to be played at Broadbeach and surrounding clubs around the Gold Coast," she said.
"Hopefully it pays off."
Stewart, who won here first singles crown in 2013 and is also a two-time under-18 singles champion, said she was keen to record a win in front of supporters who included several club-mates from Kyneton, bowlers from across the Central Victoria and Bendigo Campaspe districts, and family, including her grandmother Val.
She said there was some sadness in leaving the "comfort zone" of Kyneton, but stepping "outside the box" would be for the betterment of her game.
Stewart will next compete in a major singles tournament at South Tweed Bowling Club, in which she finished runner-up last year.
She advanced to the final with a comprehensive 25-10 semi-final victory against Peninsula Casey’s Sandra McColgan.
Bowles ensured her finals berth with a nail-biting 25-24 win against Geelong’s Nicole Shortis, who on Wednesday upset champion of champions singles winner Carla Krizanic.
Sate Champions Week winds up on Friday with the semi-finals and finals of the men’s triples and mixed pairs.
Bendigo Bowling Club’s Amelia Bruggy and Andrew Brown will meet Gippsland’s Jan Morton, Ken Sceney in a semi-final showdown at 9.30am.
The winner will pay the victor of the clash between Yarrawonga’s Joy Johnson and Les Spencer and Altona’s Sharon and Len Callus.