Three different 10-pin bowlers managed to strike gold in provincial competition this year.
Nanaimo’s Splitsville Entertainment is celebrating the accomplishments of three members of its youth program.
Jordan Singer is a double champion for 2017 as she was able to win her bantam girls’ division at both the Youth Bowling Canada B.C. provincials last month in Kelowna, and then the Canadian Tenpin Federation B.C. championships earlier this month, also in Kelowna. Tyler Radelja won the senior title at YBC provincials and a bronze at CTF provincials and David Swailes won the B.C. junior title at the CTF provincial championships.
“We have a good youth program here … They’ve really come along this year,” said John Radelja, a coach at Splitsville.
Singer took silver at YBC provincials last year and John said the 11-year-old’s potential was something that drew him to coaching.
“She has very good fundamentals for her age,” he said. “I couldn’t pass it up. I had to jump in and coach … It’s been a joy working with her.”
Swailes’s championship is remarkable because the 14-year-old is autistic.
“Coaches are amazed … at what he’s done and how he’s done in the last five years,” John said. “He’s really matured. It used to be they’d say, ‘the child’s full of energy.’ He’s tamed it into bowling. He loves it, he watches all the pro bowling on TV and he’s really come into his own this year.”
As for Tyler Radelja, his 2017 title makes it back-to-back championships. John said it was “quite an accomplishment” for his son to win last year after a five-year hiatus from the sport, “and this year he’s more focused. He was determined to get it.”
Tyler’s average score is higher than it’s ever been.
“It’s been my best year. It’s probably just from focusing on only bowling, bowling a lot more than before and practice,” he said.
YBC championships will be held in Guelph, Ont. from April 20-25 and CTF nationals will be in Kelowna from June 1-4.
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