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Okotoks youth bowlers repeat as provincial champions

Bowling: Elizabeth Honish, Elisha Delehay earn return trip to nationals

Okotoks’ first youth bowling national medallists have earned a shot at a repeat trip to the podium. 

Elisha Delehay and Elizabeth Honish won the Youth Bowl Alberta Fivepin Bantam Girls Doubles provincial championship for the second year in a row earlier this month. 

As the Bantam girls champions for Alberta, they qualify for the May 7-9 national event in Regina. 

“Their game has elevated a fair amount and our margin of victory was less this year,” said Okotoks youth bowling coach Kyle Honish. “Elisha had her highest ever game at provincials, a 233, and Elizabeth was the highest Bantam girl on the day.” 

At provincials, Honish and Delehay had a combined score of 1,877 through the six-game competition, besting their next closest opposition out of Toppler Bowl by 109 points. 

“The quality of play was certainly stronger this year than last year,” Honish said. “A real benefit to us it was held in Calgary, last year it was Edmonton, and we were able to practice at that centre leading up to it and I would say it gave a lot of confidence heading into it.” 

Their coach said physical growth in the 10-year-olds has led them down the path of ascendency with Elizabeth’s average seeing a 40-point year-over-year increase and Elisha elevating her average scores by 20.  

The dynamic duo had a strong showing at the 2022 Youth Bowling Canada Fivepin Nationals last July in Oshawa, ONT. 

As the first team out of Millennium Lanes to make it to the national stage, Delehay and Honish won silver in doubles and earned bronze in mixed team, grouped with Alberta’s Bantam boys squad. 

They were the only Bantam girls team in the competition to medal in both the doubles and mixed team events. 

Coach Honish said the Okotoks team will face a familiar foe in the defending gold medallists out of Quebec, but the other six provinces represented will have new teams at the competition. 

“It’s rare enough to go once,” the coach added. “But to go twice in a row at that age.” 

Also at provincials, the Bantam girls team of Chasity Serson and Elyssa de Boer earned a fourth-place finish with a collective score of 1,631. 

In the Bantam boys division, the team of Jager Wetmore and Ryan de Boer finished in ninth place. 

“It was all their first experience at provincials and that can be a little nerve-racking, not knowing what to expect, but they did really well,” he said. “Ryan was around his average all day, Jager was about 20 over his average and he’s only eight. 

“Chasity, she didn’t tire out and held her own very well and Elyssa was the most over her average of all our girls.” 

Coach Honish said the Bantam age group in particular has benefited from competition from within with many of the young bowlers looking to follow in the footsteps of its national medallists. 

For more information, visit millenniumlanes.com/youth-leagues.html. 


Remy Greer

About the Author: Remy Greer

Remy Greer is the assistant editor and sports reporter for westernwheel.ca and the Western Wheel newspaper. For story tips contact [email protected]
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