Three Brechin Lanes bowlers struck gold at the Youth Bowl Canada B.C. provincial championships in Kelowna and will look to strike again at the upcoming nationals.
Maranda Eby and Natalie McCallum took top spot in the junior girls team and Aidan Keller took gold in the junior boys singles at the provincials in March. As a result, the trio will be headed to Regina to represent B.C. at the national championship in May.
“I think that we did pretty well,” said Eby. “It was very consistent … we just stayed steady all the way throughout the tournament.”
“It was pretty chill,” said McCallum. “You could tell that a lot of the other teams were getting in their heads, but I don’t think that we did that. We stayed pretty consistent like Maranda said.”
Keller didn’t think he was as consistent as McCallum and Eby, but when it was time to clutch up, he did.
“I performed when I needed to, so that’s really what mattered and it got me through,” Keller said.
Wendy Boudot, coach, said she hopes the three have a repeat performance at Regina. Gold is realistic, she said.
“I’m hoping that they bowl the same way they did at provincials,” said Boudot. “Because I think we’re in the running for a medal. I’m hoping gold, but we’ll take whatever we can get. I think overall we should do fairly well.”
Given their performances at the provincials, the Brechin players have high hopes as well.
“Personally, I’m on one of my best years I’ve had so far, if not my best year,” said Keller. “So personally my expectations are really high. As long as we don’t get dead last I’m fine.”
In other five-pin bowling news, Brechin Lanes had numerous top finishes at the Vancouver Island championships last month in Port Hardy. Morgan Theedom won the women’s singles category and Brechin won the ladies’ team division and also the aggregate award. Team members included Ayla Plested, Shelley Manley, Morgan Theedom, Kim Sundin, Wendy Boudot, Lindsay Haverstock, John Drnasin, Kevin Phillips, Duane Kravontka, Parry Harder and coaches Devon Cowie and Marc Oliver.
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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