Four 100 Mile House young bowlers competed at the Bowl B.C. Bantam Provincials in Chase, with two of them claiming bronze.
Josh Ohlund, Madelynn Stevens, Olivia Gobin and Elias Neustaeter qualified for the provincials, after honing their skills over the past few months at Big Country Lanes.
Josh and Elias won six of their 10 games and a tie-breaker to claim bronze in their category. The girls had fun but missed a podium finish.
Coach Jaynie Gobin said that up until this year, none of the players had bowled competitively.
“There are so many people who don’t get to go to provincials, so I’m super proud of them,” Gobin said. “It’s already a win to have them able to represent 100 Mile because they have done so well and they’re just starting.”
During the weekend the four played in 10 games, five on Saturday and five on Sunday. Josh, 10, joined bowling for a change of pace from hockey. He said he enjoyed coming every Wednesday to bowl with his friends. Competing in Zones to qualify for provincials was a lot of fun
He even set a new record of 243 points. “I was really happy to make provincials. I kind of expected it,” Josh said. “I just want to try my best and have fun. I’m going to try and beat 200 again.”
His teammate Madelynn, 9, was also excited but a little nervous ahead of the provincials. “I’d like to score past 100,” she said of her goal at the tournament. “My top score is 165.”
Gobin said she started coaching the team because she was an avid bowler as a youth. As she competed in several Youth Bowl Canada competitions across B.C., she knew how to help them improve their game.
“When I saw that they were struggling, I just kind of jumped in there to help out,” Gobin said. “I absolutely love it. I love watching the kids improve and watching their faces light up when you tell them they’re doing a good job.”
Josh said the key to bowling success is focus and not throwing the ball too hard. He has also found that since he started bowling with one hand he has a lot more control over the ball.
“I used to bowl between my legs but then I tried one-handed. I bowled way faster and the pins have a better chance of falling down,” he said.
Before provincials, Gobin said she focused on the fundamentals and taught her players how to support one another. She said people tend to bowl better when they know that their teammates believe in and support them.
“I like that the bowlers work together as a team, but also independently. It’s mostly just fun and not super competitive,” Gobin said. “You get to go up there and work on your own structure and poise.”