Lucas Punkari
Though unable to retain the overall banner, a contingent of Fort Frances bowlers still had a successful weekend at the annual Sunset Country five-pin aggregate event hosted by Plaza Lanes.
Having snapped a 17-year drought last year in Atikokan, the locals were hoping to use home-lane advantage in their quest for back-to-back banner.
But they ended up in third place overall with 27 points, just three behind runner-up Kenora.
Dryden took home the banner with 43 points while Atikokan was last with 20.
On the bright side, the Fort Frances contingent captured three of the six team titles, sweeping the mixed divisions while also winning the men’s scratch crown.
The mixed handicap team of Debbie Armstrong, Robert Bombay, Cheryl Goldamer, Len Noonan, and Denise Parker saved the best for last—racking up almost 1,300 in total pinfall in their final game Sunday afternoon to erase a 106-pin deficit and top Atikokan by 131 pins.
The Fort quintet finished with a total of 8,091 over the seven-game stint (four games Saturday and three more on Sunday).
Parker also earned the Mike Pavey Memorial Award for the highest single game score in the ladies’ handicap ranks with a 296 in her first game of the tournament.
Noonan finished third in the men’s handicap singles event.
Completing the mixed sweep was the scratch lineup of Dixie McDonald, Bobbi Jo McKenny, Nancy Noonan, Bill Plumridge, and Rick Stamarski, who totalled 6,994 over seven games to take first place over Atikokan.
Meanwhile, the men’s scratch team—Mike Behan, Bob Petawanaqueb, Gerry Rousseau, Rick Stamarski, and Jeff Watts—nearly blew their Day 1 lead.
But thanks to a 350 rolled by Watts in their final game Sunday morning, the squad totalled 7,679 to edge Kenora by just 77 pins to capture the title for the second-straight year.
Watts won the Mike Pavey Memorial Awards for the highest single among the men’s scratch bowlers (350) and also had the second-best total, trailing Kenora’s Kevin Blake by just 87 pins.
The men’s handicap squad of Ray Dolph, Dave Robar, Rich Walton, Jeromy Wensley, and Don Wood finished in fourth spot in their division with a 7,393 total.
In the ladies’ divisions, the top local squad was the scratch lineup of Toni Benning, Kathy Bois, Carolyn Stamarski, Jeanie Townson, and June Wood, who finished in third place with a total pinfall of 6,190.
The handicap squad, Anne Marie Armstrong, Shirley Dolph, Patti Fraser, Kathleen Lawrence, and Susan Taylor, took fourth spot with a 7,569 total.
Next year’s aggregate will be held in Kenora.
