The two 17-year-old bowlers and school mates from Goulburn High say they’ve heard it all.

But things are changing for the talented duo.

The pair donned State colours when they were selected for the recent Australian Junior Nationals Bowls Championships held in Darwin earlier in the month.

And while the Goulburn pair enjoy each other’s company, Ryan had been representing NSW while Swift was draped in the colours of the ACT.

“It was really good, a great experience,” Swift said.

“I tried to sneak a peek at how Ellen was going. It was hard to see the scoreboards but I tried to keep an eye on her and peek our heads over to have a look.”

The event was Swift’s first national tournament. Although she had previously paired with Ryan at last year’s Trans-Tasman Championships in New Zealand.

For Ryan however, the tournament is the fourth and final time she would compete at an under-18 level.

She took home a gold medal for the pairs, and a bronze medal for the fours to cap off her junior years in style.

“To go out of my under-18s career with a gold medal is pretty awesome,” Ryan said.

“That’s probably my second best year and it’s a really good way to finish my junior career.”

The results continue the remarkable run Ryan has journeyed in her budding bowls career.

She recently took out the prestigious Golden Nugget only a few months before and has been on the State and National radar for a few years now.

Her efforts in Darwin earned her a place in the Australian under-18 squad.

She also finished a commendable fifth out of 64 players at the City Masters Singles held at Cabramatta Bowling Club last month.

Her results included a victory over the world’s best indoor bowls player Jeremy Henry, an achievement that not only is a highlight for Ryan but for her mother Kathleen also.

“He had his bag and was walking out and she (Ellen) took a quick photo and sent it to a couple of friends,” Mrs Ryan said.

“Bye bye Jeremy it said. It was a bit cheeky.”

While Swift has another year of under-18s under her belt, Ryan now heads into the under-25 age group.

It’s the start of a whole new chapter in her career as she’ll no longer be held in junior regard.

“I’ll probably be the little fish again and I’ll have to fight my way up the top sort of thing,” she said.

“Because I’m in the under-25s and opens now, a lot of people have that experience at that level.”