The annual provincial five pin youth bowling challenge was held in Regina with over 90 participants from all over Saskatchewan.
Local bowler, Amanda Krochak placed third among all female competitors. The third place finish advanced her to the National Youth Challenge in Regina, to be played March 25 and 26. It will be Krochak's first national competition.
The 18 year-old has been bowling in the Yorkton Bowl Arena youth league since she was about seven years old.
Krochak bowled with her team at the provincial competition. The contest involved three games to advance to the final playoff round.
While the team didn't do particularly well, Krochak bowled very well to emerge as one of the top three bowlers as a single. She says her average for the day was 230 for the four games. Typically, Krochak says her average is 190.
Krochak says she was attracted to bowling by her parents who bowled regularly. "It's just something fun to do," she says.
She strives to play above 200 regularly. "Anything less, I know what I have to work on and I work on it," Krochak states. Generally she needs to work at keeping her shoulder up because whenever she doesn't get a strike it's because she drops her shoulder, she reports.
When she's on her game, Krochak focuses on her mechanics. She takes that extra second, takes a breath before she delivers the ball. "That's usually when I do well," she suggests.
She will be bowling with Team Saskatchewan which is made up of four bowlers from Saskatoon, and one from Regina as well as Krochak herself.
"I think bowling should be fun not all about competition. I'm here to come and have fun and throw the best game I can," Krochak closes.
The excitement around the sport has been growing locally over the past couple years with several bowlers advancing to the national level of competition.
In 2004 Trent Aichele advanced to the Brewhouse Open National Championship.
In 2006, his son, Mitch Aichele advanced to Nationals in the Youth Challenge.
This past year, Jennifer Kostiuk, coach and master bowler, travelled to Sudbury for the Master Bowlers' National Championships.
As well, youth bowlers, Ryan Lebo, Jairus Pellatt, Brett Newton, and Luc Misener advanced to Gatineau, Quebec at the end of May for the Youth Bowling National Championships.
