Dean Florell is having a breakthrough season on the five-pin bowling lanes. He hopes to keep rolling big totals when he competes in his first national championship next week in Ottawa.
Florell, a 16-year-old who represents Prince George's Nechako Lanes, is one of six members of Team B.C. for the Canadian Youth Challenge Championship, set for March 23-26 in the nation's capital. He landed a spot on the team at a recent qualifying tournament, and so did two other P.G. bowlers - siblings Jordan Arnett and Jesslyn Arnett of Black Diamond Lanes.
After being hampered by a wrist injury last year and playing to a 190 average, Florell has pushed his mark to 249 this year. In the Youth Challenge qualifying event, he averaged 238.5 in eight games. When he arrives in Ottawa, his goal is simple: to play the way he knows he can.
"I just want to make average - I don't want to show up and bowl 130s or something," he said with a chuckle. "I want to prove I earned my spot."
Province-wide, the top three males and top three females made Team B.C. In male qualifying, Florell finished behind Noah Erickson of Port Coquitlam (254.13 average) and ahead of Jordan Arnett (235.13). In female qualifying, Nanaimo's Mikayla Eby placed first with a 278 average and was followed by Port Coquitlam's Dakota Heth (261.38). Black Diamond's Kassidy Johnson finished in a tie with Heth but declined her position on Team B.C. because of another commitment so fourth-place Jesslyn Arnett (228.75) is taking her place.
At the Youth Challenge, a match-play format will be used. In other words, when B.C. faces the other provinces, specific bowlers from each team will go head-to-head against each other. Strategy will come into play, as one bowler will be relegated to the sidelines for each match. For Team B.C., coaches John Cassidy and Kelly Gorsek will make those decisions.
In Florell's view, the B.C. squad has a chance to do well.
"I feel like it will be a strong group if we have the right person sitting for the right games," he said. "Average-wise, there are a couple higher and a couple lower but I feel like it's going to be a good balance for who's against who."
Even though Florell hasn't been to a national tournament before, he has gathered some information from fellow Nechako bowler and friend, Ben Hendrickson, who competed at the Youth Bowling Canada nationals in the senior boys singles category last year and won the bronze medal. Based on Hendrickson's words, Florell expects the skill level of the players to be extremely high.
"There are some good bowlers out there that have 280 averages," said Florell, whose highest single-game score is 381, which he accomplished a couple months ago.
"It would be nice to come back with a medal, but being my first time going to nationals, I feel like it will be a nice thing just for the experience. If you average the highest out of everybody in the tournament, you get a thousand-dollar scholarship so that would be nice too."
The Canadian Youth Challenge Championship is sanctioned by the Canadian 5 Pin Bowlers' Association.
