Mid West stars Emma Bowen and Lauren Newman selected to represent Australia in hockey tournament

Mid West hockey stars Emma Bowen and Lauren Newman have been selected to represent Australia in the country team after a successful showing at the WA Country Hockey Championships.

The Mid West stars will leave in April to represent Australia in Singapore, before jetting to Hong Kong for the second half of the tournament.

The journey started back when the pair starred for Geraldton at country week in Perth in June, when the team came third.

Bowen and Newman were then selected in the WA Country team that travelled to Goulburn in New South Wales, where they finished fourth overall.

Bowen and Newman represented WA alongside fellow Mid West residents Holly Stubberfield and Jackki Greiner.

The Mid West foursome won all but one match, which was a draw during the round robin fixtures. Making finals with a depleted side because of injuries, WA finished a respectable fourth overall.

Having played in previous WA country tournaments, Newman said the result was an improvement on past years.

“In previous years, we’ve come fifth and six, so the fact that we made finals — I was stoked,” she said.

“It was a bit disappointing and stuff to come away with fourth, with how well the girls played and stuff, but still a really good chance, and everyone had a ball.”

After both played an impressive tournament with WA, Bowen and Newman were selected for the Australian country side.

Bowen said it was a welcome surprise to hear she had been selected.

“I actually got a phone call a couple of weeks after returning from the WA Country tournament to say that there was a position available for me, and that was quite exciting, very surprising, but exciting to hear that news,” she said

“I never thought I’d get to that level in my hockey.”

Being selected in the national team together was the icing on the cake for the Mid West pair, as they will have a familiar face on the team as they represent Mid West hockey on the global stage.

Newman said news of Bowen’s selection added to the excitement.

“It’s just another level, having someone from your home town actually getting selected in that team as well,” she said.