Two local youths enjoyed home-alley advantage and won provincial championships.
JoJo Anglin, 18, and Gregory Sorensen, 15, won Youth Bowling Canada’s B.C. titles earlier this month at Nanaimo’s Splitsville Entertainment 10-pin alley.
Anglin said she went into the competition just happy to be there, not feeling like she had to win. But after a strong first game, she “had it locked,” she said, and kept in contention. She went into her fifth and final game trailing by 20 pins, and made up exactly what she needed, 21 pins, in the last game.
“There was some drama,” she said.
Even though the lanes were familiar, Anglin said bowling for a championship is a little different than usual league play.
“It’s more serious – if you want to win you need to push yourself,” she said. “You’re just more interested in the game. It’s not about fooling around, you’re just focused on bowling and winning.”
Sorensen said it didn’t seem like too much added pressure at provincials, as he’s competed at that level many times.
“After bowling for years and going to lots of provincials, you know everyone, so it’s sort of more fun bowling in provincials,” he said.
Still, he avoided looking at the scoreboard until he had rolled his last ball, and saw he had an insurmountable lead.
“I was pretty excited,” he said.
The youths now get to compete at YBC nationals in Vancouver in early May. In the meantime, Sorensen will try to heal a collarbone injury suffered at the hockey rink and Anglin will break in a new ball and practise sparing corner pins.
She looks forward to going at nationals with one of her good bowling buddies.
“We get to experience this and go together,” she said.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com