Local female bowlers carry the day

The men were off the mark so it was up to the ladies to uphold local pride at the Sunset Country Open roll-offs at Plaza Lanes here last weekend.
Three of the four ladies representing Plaza Lanes secured berths at the provincial showdown in Sudbury in March.
But none of the four local males managed to make the grade in the 20-game event, which saw 38 bowlers from Kenora, Dryden, Atikokan, and here battling it out for the 18 provincial spots up for grabs.
Amy Gushulak was the sharpest of the local contingent, finishing second overall with a total pinfall of 4,560 to qualify for the ladies’ singles and ladies’ team event in Sudbury.
Joining her on the ladies’ team are Dixie McDonald, who took fourth overall (4,342), and Carla Hanzuk, whose 4,244 total nosed out Dryden’s Jackie Miner by 27 pins for the sixth and final berth.
Other members of the Sunset Country ladies’ team include Maureen Desserre (Dryden), who won the division with a 4,737 total, Shelley Petsnick, who was third at 4,424, and Pauline Kressall in fifth (4,299).
Miner, in seventh at 4,217, along with fellow Dryden bowlers Cyndi Lucier (4,021) and Terry DeLaronde (3,845) will make up the female contingent of the Sunset Country mixed team at the provincials.
Carolyn Stamarski of Fort Frances finished 10th overall (3,717), coming up just short of the final ladies’ berth on the mixed squad.
The men’s division was ruled by Dryden bowlers, including overall champ and former local bowler Dale Jensson, who cracked the 5,000-pin plateau by a whisker with a total of 5,005.
He will be joined in men’s singles play in Sudbury by runner-up Jim Cook (Dryden), who finished with a 4,876 total, and Kenora’s Kevin Blake, who was third overall (4,872).
Rounding out the Sunset Country men’s team will be Roger Peterson of Dryden, who was fourth (4,860), followed by Charlie Alexander of Dryden (4,854), and Darren Skrenski of Atikokan (4,779).
Earning the men’s berths on the mixed squad by finishing seventh through ninth overall were the the all-Dryden connection of Darryl Rollins (4,597), Chris Gadd (4,535), and Jeff Hazelwood (4,482).
Bobby Joe Wilson placed 19th (4,079) for the best finish for any Plaza Lanes male bowler, followed close behind by Rick Stamarski in 20th (4,015) and Terry Wilson in 21st (3,990).
Terry Wood rounded out the local males with a 23rd-place showing (3,856).