It was a case of the veteran and rookie looking for an upset at the CBC provincial roll-offs Sunday at Plaza Lanes here.
While neither grabbed top spot and a trip to the national roll-offs, both were pleased with their results.
Plaza Lanes manager Dino Morelli rolled a 2,526 total in 10 games to finish third overall, just 105 pins behind front-runner Darryl Rollins of Dryden (2,631).
Rollins, 23, will compete in his first CBC national roll-offs later this month for a chance at the $27,000 top prize.
Maureen Dessere, also of Dryden, finished a close second with 2,619 pins.
John Smith, a local high school bowler and first-year CBC provincial competitor, was not too far behind with a 2,468 total—good for sixth place out of the 16 competitors.
“That was very good for [John’s] first time out. It’s a good start for him,” Morelli said of his 19-year-old charge. “To get a taste of that competitive level at that early stage is very good.
“I’m very excited about that,” he added.
Morelli, meanwhile, improved on last year’s fifth-place showing to finish in third—a personal high. His downfall was in the fourth game, where he only managed a 168 score.
“When you have that many top calibre bowlers, it’s just 10 points in a few games that can make the difference,” Morelli noted. “That’s average. I’ve done better.
“Overall, I’m very pleased.”
Former Fort Frances resident Dale Jenssen, a two-time provincial champion who now bowls out of Dryden, finished ninth overall with a 2,411 total.
Sixteen of the top bowlers from Thunder Bay, Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout played in the all-day event here.
Morelli and Smith will have another crack at competing against provincial bowlers in Thunder Bay this weekend—this time for the TSN roll-offs.
In related news, the local YBC wrapped up play for the season by crowning its team champions last weekend. Teams of four squared off in six game, with the top pins-over-average squad taking top honours.
The “Lucky Strikes” (Lyle Dolph, Katie Shoemaker, Emily Hyatt, and Jordon Jewell) were the top PeeWee team while “The Strikers” (Joey Ballan, Andre Valenzuela, Michael Brady, and Emily Shoe-maker) captured the Bantam division.
The foursome of Jeff Watts, Melissa Abigosis, Jon McCoy, and David Holditch were crowned the junior division champs while senior bowlers John Smith, Tina Smith, Bryan Patterson, and Megan Bale took first-place in their division.
The annual YBC awards banquet will be held next Friday (May 10). Tickets cost $16 for adults and $8 for children 12 and under.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call Elaine Ossachuk at Plaza Lanes (274-9712) or at home (274-5101).