Okotoks girls bowlers continue to have the Midas touch at provincials.
Elizabeth Honish struck her third consecutive Youth Bowl Alberta Fivepin Bantam Girls Doubles provincial championship, this time with a new partner in Elyssa de Boer, to move through to nationals.
“I was happy because I know she’s good, we’re both good so I knew we had a good chance of winning,” said Honish.
Honish, 11, won two bronze at last year’s event, the second in Bantam mixed, and silver and bronze at the 2022 nationals.
Her teammate from the past two provincial titles, Elisha Delehay, aged out of the Bantam division leading to the new duo being formed.
Fortunately, it’s a division rich in talent in Okotoks.
“We’ve had a lot of strong girls at that age for a few years and probably because competition has bred competition,” said coach Kyle Honish. “They’ve grown up together, they have fun together, they attend each other’s birthday parties, play dates and they really push each other.
“Elyssa has stepped up into the role taking Elisha’s spot. There are other girls too that are certainly capable, but Elyssa was the stronger of the group, they went forward as the top pair at zones in Calgary.”
Underscoring that depth in talent, Okotoks finished first and second in zones in Bantam girls.
Boasting a top score across Alberta through zones leading into provincials, the Millennium Lanes outfit was on paper in a good position to succeed at provincials.
“Going in we knew that we had a good chance,” the coach added. “That we were probably a favourite and it was a matter of it’s a different centre and how do others respond to that.”
The results followed with Honish and de Boer’s score of 1,888 over six games more than 400 pins above the next closest finisher.
“We’re both really good and strong bowlers,” said de Boer. “We work together as a team.”
Their score was higher than any attained amongst Bantam boys provincials competitors as well.
“At this age, boys are far more physically developed than girls and often have higher scores because of that,” coach Honish added.
The Okotoks tandem takes its talent to the capital for nationals in early May with the Youth Bowl Canada competition held out of Ottawa and neighbouring Gatineau, Que.
“One competitor knows what to expect, I know what to expect and Elyssa is just ecstatic to be able to go,” said coach Honish.
de Boer’s mother Ashley competed in youth bowling as well and made it to the national stage.
In addition to the competition, the chance to reconnect with the bowling community is paramount. The Okotoks team has developed friendships with its provincial counterparts across the country and will be hanging out with its friends from Quebec.
“We’ve been invited over dinner one night,” the coach added. “It’s not about competition, it’s about getting to see people you haven’t seen in a year, the connections are amazing.”
At the provincial event at Chinook Bowl in Calgary, Okotoks teams posted a pair of strong performances.
Jack Hunter and Jager Wetmore, along with coach Tom Evans, finished fourth in the Bantam boys competition. Dustin Sobry and Cade Corrigan, with coach Wendy MacDiarmid, earned a 12th place finish in the junior boys ranks.
For more information, go to millenniumlanes.com/youth-leagues.html.
