LaFreniere glad to have the ‘Blues’

For someone with a case of the “Blues,” Emily LaFreniere was sporting a hefty smile here Sunday afternoon.
The local bowler saved her best for last, rolling a 211 in her sixth and final game to finish with a +138 and capture the ladies’ pins over average portion of the Mid-Winter Blues tournament at Plaza Lanes.
Leading fellow local Kayne Shaw by one pin entering the last game, LaFreniere far and away exceeded her normal 142 average to clinch the best result for any local participant at the tourney.
Shaw managed a 201 in her last game to wind up second at +129 while Plaza Lanes manager Sharon Larocque put aside her duties long enough to rack up a +104 to finish third.
Other local competitors in the 16-bowler division included Jeanie Townson in fourth (+55), Barb Marusyk in seventh (+17), and Shirley Jensson in 15 (minus-125).
In the ladies’ scratch competition, Dryden’s Maureen Desserre grabbed top spot with a tournament-high single of 271 that vaulted her to an eventual total score of 1,370 pins.
Fellow Drydenite Brenda Hazelwood was second (1,214) while Larocque grabbed third (1,190).
The rest of the Plaza Lanes contingent included Marusyk in seventh place (1,097), Shaw in ninth (1,053), Townson in 10th (1,053), Jensson in 13th (991), and LaFreniere in 14th (990).
In the men’s scratch division, Kenora’s Kevin Blake was on fire with a 287 in his first game that paved the way to him winning the title with a total of 1,398.
Dryden’s Arnie Rollins took second (1,316) while Bob Petawanaqueb of Fort Frances was right behind him at 1,314 for third place.
Other local bowlers in the 11-man field included Rick Stamarski, who tied for eighth (1,144), Terry Wood in 10th (1,136), and Don Smeeth in 11th (887).
Stan Hazelwood ruled the roost in the men’s pins over average division, rolling up a +176 to beat Kenora’s John MacDougall (+130) by a sizable margin. Wood turned in the best local showing with a third-place result (+38).
The other local finishers included Smeeth in seventh (minus-43), Petawanaqueb in ninth (minus-102), and Stamarski in 10th (minus-122).
In related news, the YBC “4 Steps to Stardom” season swings into action this weekend in Atikokan when the singles competition will be held.