Kelsy Hogh was already a veteran of the five-pin bowling lanes by the time she started playing fastball.
Coming from a family of bowlers and fastball players, it was inevitable she would gravitate to both sports.
But as much as she liked ball, a sport she played for 12 years, bowling brought her more satisfaction -- and success. On the provincial lanes last year she earned her first B.C. singles championship. On Friday she began defence of that title at the Coastal Insurance Provincial Open women's five-pin championship, playing in the singles and women's team tournaments.
As part of Team North, the 22-year-old helped her Prince George squad grab an early lead in the eight-team tournament.
"I like the team aspect but I prefer singles, last year was a good year," said Hogh. "
As B.C. women's champion, Hogh went to Winnipeg, and came home with a bronze medal, the highlight of her bowling career, so far
"I really enjoyed that, it was a good experience," Hogh said. "I went to nationals a few times in YBC but that was probably my best. I'm hoping to get there again but I'm going to have to pull up my socks. Today I averaged 240 through five singles games, but there were some pretty big scores. Some people were around 260 or 270. But I still have five more games, so it's anybody's game."
Today's singles matches will determine the top-five finals qualifiers. Whoever finishes first, based on their 10 -game total scores, will have to be defeated twice to lose the provincial crown.
Chelsea Ealey of Surrey knows all about Hogh's capabilities. She's been dealt her share of losses in the years they used to compete in Youth Bowling Council tournaments. But on Friday, Ealey got the better of Hogh. Playing for Fraser Valley South, Ealey won a head-to-head match with Hogh, but Team North won the team battle 8-6.
"Kelsy was always singles and I was always on a team and she's always been awesome," said the 23-year-old Ealey. "She's got a good style, she gets down really low and she's consistent. I know she's good and we're around the same age, so it's good fun."
Ealey defeated Hogh 198-190.
"We both bowled bad," laughed Ealey. "I had to get a strike to win it."
The collective point totals of Hogh and her Team North teammates Kim Thompson, Kayla Clark, Leighanne Paull, Mary Ann Sanders and Darci Shelke topped all six team opponents Friday at Black Diamond Lanes, giving them three extra points per match. They head into today's games first in the standings, capturing 36 of a possible 48 points through six games.
"They were phenomenal," said Team North coach Ed Stepski.
The ability to carry a tune above the din of a noisy bowling alley is not a requirement, but on Friday it worked for Team North when their fourth match of the day, against Vancouver Island, went down to the wire. Responding to her team's chant calling for just one more strike, Paull came through in the 10th frame, leaving nothing standing at the end of her lane. But Vancouver Island's Jennifer Eby rolled four straight strikes to finish her game and the pressure was on Thompson, who responded with a tough spare and a strike on her last shot to give Team North a 12-pin margin of victory.
"We all have bowled competitively together for a number of years and we get along really well," said Thompson, 34. "If you have good chemistry with your team, you can pull it off in any lane, but it's definitely nice to be home, playing where we're comfortable."
Victoria Decoste of Fraser Valley South rolled a 435 and leads the women's singles standings.Paull bowled a 336 in the early rounds Friday, the best game of the day for Team North bowlers.
Shelke, 19, averaged 240 on opening day, well above her season average of 215.
The top B.C. singles, men's and mixed teams will also be determined following games Sunday at Black Diamond and Nechako Lanes. They will advance to the national championships in Langley/Surrey, June 1-4.
