Staff
Sunset Country was well-represented at the provincial “Open” bowling roll-offs in Dryden last week.
The Sunset Country men’s team, which included Fort Frances native Andrew Stamarski, took the gold medal for the first time in more than 30 years.
The five-member squad now will represent Northern Ontario at the nationals in Saskatoon in June.
Sunset Country had finished second behind Gateway (North Bay) in the round-robin portion of the roll-offs, but then went undefeated through the step-ladder playoffs to claim gold.
They first beat the Nickel Belt 1,129-1,117, then upset Gateway in back-to-back matches (1,143-1,092 and 1,295-12,26).
In the mixed division, Sunset Country finished third in the round-robin but lost out to North of Superior by a score of 1,082-1,039 in their opening match of the step-ladder.
Fort Frances’ Ken Dick averaged 221 with the mixed team while Tammy Kankkunen averaged 200.
Meanwhile, the Sunset County ladies’ team failed to advance out of the round-robin after finishing fifth.
Local bowler Dixie McDonald averaged 195 for the ladies’ team, and a 204 average in the singles’ competition.
Stamarski finished 18th in men’s singles’ event with a 209.8 average.
Jeff Watts, originally of Fort Frances but currently living in the Sudbury-area, bowled for Cambrian North at the “Open,” where he averaged 257 in the team competition and 251 in singles to land himself on the tournament all-star team.
