The City of Quesnel has four more provincial champions to celebrate as Marly Rutherford, Lis Quinn, Leona Curtis and Horst Teetzen brought home the gold medals from the Club 55+ Provincial Championship in Abbotsford on April 19.
The next step for the local bowlers is a trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the Club 55+ National Bowling Championships on July 8-9.
The road to the Nationals started with House Round at the Rev Bowling Lanes in a pins-over-average format with the top four bowlers moving on to the Provincials.
Lis Quinn says there are typically two teams in this zone and the Roll-Off alternates between Quesnel and Prince George every year.
“This year’s Roll-Off was in Prince George and we were pleased to advance to the provincials.”
She explains the format was “Pins Over Average.”
All four members had to submit their average scores from their league play before the start of the Provincials’ Roll-Off at Galaxy Bowl in Abbotsford.
Points were awarded or deducted depending on whether players are over or under their average scores.
Quesnel’s team average was 604 going into the provincials, Quinn says, adding it was the lowest of the six teams in the competition.
Quesnel played their nemesis Kamloops, which came in with a 681 total average, in the first game.
“The last time we played Kamloops was two years ago in the Provincials and they beat us by three pins. This year was ‘sweet victory’ as we beat them by quite a lot.”
While Quinn doesn’t remember the other two teams they beat before the finals, she says they won the games quite handily.
This set them up for a rematch against Kamloops to decide who was going to move onto the Nationals.
For the second time that day, Quesnel took it to Kamloops, and the local bowlers were able to strike a pose with the gold medals.
At the end of the Provincials, Quinn says Quesnel was first with 104 pins over average and Kamloops was second with 57 pins over average.
She notes the local team members all bowled well.
“Horst was spectacular all day long. Leone and I were close to our averages and Marly was over her average.”
Quinn says they got some financial assistance at the Provincials because the local bowling club took care of their rooms and provided gas.
At the Nationals, where they’ll bowl 10 games, everything will be covered, she says, adding they may have to come up with $100 each but that hasn’t been determined at this time.
Quinn is quite an accomplished bowler having started 29 years ago in Edmonton and fell in love with the game. She became a certified bowling coach and made sure her children and grandchildren took up the game.
“In 1981, I bowled in an open tournament against the best bowlers in the country. I also bowled in a national tournament in 1982.”
Leona Curtis represented Quesnel at the Club 55+ Nationals in 2004 and the local team came home with the gold medals.
“I would like to see us do that again.”