They may not have won, but Big Country Lanes’ seniors’ bowling team still had a ton of fun at Bowl Canada’s National Club 55 Cup Championships.
Darlene Dionne, Joyce Vaillancourt, Carol Cannon and Lorraine Jerema all travelled to Wellings, Ontario earlier this month to represent British Columbia. The ladies gave it their all and came in sixth place, which Ken Clarke, owner of Big Country Lanes and president of Bowl B.C., was incredibly proud of.
“Our bowlers did a wonderful job of representing Big Country Lanes, 100 Mile House and British Columbia,” Clarke said. “I was really proud of them and how well they did, especially being as this was their first time attending a national championship.”
Dionne remarked that the trip was an experience none of the team will ever forget. In addition to the tournament she said they got the chance to explore Toronto and Niagara Falls, which were a first for her.
“They had a beautiful bowling alley and I really enjoyed it. Everyone was so friendly and Niagara Falls was beautiful,” Dionne said. “It was awesome. I couldn’t have had a better time.”
Clarke, who travelled with the team to cheer them on, observed that even when they were down, the 100 Mile team remained positive and sportsmanlike. He added that the bowling alley the nationals were held at is waxed more often than the lanes they’re used to, which impacted their game.
The local team competed against players from across Canada, with Team Saskatchewan ultimately taking home the gold. Next year, both Dionne and Clarke hope to see a team from 100 Mile head to nationals again.
“They did really well and were excellent sports with all the players they met. They bowled the best that they could and I was really glad I was there with them,” Clarke said. “We’ll do our best to send another team next year but you never know. It doesn’t happen too often, but we’ll see what happens.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.