Ingersoll Lanes YBC junior bowlers hoping to strike gold at 5-pin nationals

From left to right, Ingersoll Lanes-based bowlers Mason Morris, coach Brandon Morris and Kayson Stewart will compete in the junior division at the YBC Nationals in Edmonton on May 5, 6 and 7. The boys qualified with a 16-pin victory at provincials on March 2 in London. (Contributed Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Two Ingersoll Lanes Youth Bowling Canada (YBC) junior (aged 11-14) bowlers are hoping to strike gold at national 5-pin doubles championships May 5, 6 and 7 in Edmonton.

“That’s it, right?” laughed coach Brandon Morris, whose son Mason and compatriot Kayson Stewart will be representing Southern Ontario at the eight-team competition. “Trying to strike gold is a good one.”

Mason and Kayson qualified for the 12-team provincial championship on March 2 at Fairmont Lanes, London, as top seeds for their region, which encompasses a geographical range from Windsor to Sarnia to Brantford. Each team bowled five games, positioning based on the combined totals from both bowlers.

“It’s a best-of-the-best scenario,” said coach Morris.

Mason and Kayson came out of the gate with solid game one and two scores of 425 and 462 respectively, surging into the lead on strength of a tournament-high 549 in their third outing. This gave them an apparently comfortable 240-pin lead with two games to go, however it began to dwindle with scores of 338 and 299 in their final two outings. The second-place team from Chatham Bowlerama made a late charge with a 502, however when the final ball had been bowled, the final pins dropped, the Ingersoll Lanes duo’s 2,073 was good for a 16-point victory.

“We kind of sat on that lead and they started to catch us,” said coach Morris, alluding to a sense of almost feeling ill following the victory. “I don’t know if it was from the stress or what,” he laughed.

“It was a big win for these boys and the whole of the YBC program from Ingersoll. “It was emotion, happiness, excitement,” Mason summed up of his reaction.

“I was really happy,” added Kayson, admitting to being ‘very nervous’ as the scoring gap tightened uncomfortably.

The provincial banner is the fifth earned by Ingersoll Lanes bowlers, a ‘good showing’ says Brandon for a small alley. Kayson won a bantam provincial singles title in 2022, finishing fourth at nationals, the highest local finish to date. Mason and Kayson have bowled since they were young, coming up through the sport together.

“We’ve played together so long I just think we have chemistry,” said Mason.

They have put in the work credited their coach, both during Tuesday evening league play and on Saturday mornings, as well as maturing as both players and individuals. Mason’s average is around 200 per game, Kayson roughly 15 points higher, both extremely credible numbers for bowlers of their age.

“They were dedicated as a team to make this happen,” said Brandon.

YBC Nationals are scheduled for May 5, 6 and 7 in Edmonton. The YBC provides partial financial support says coach Morris, but local fund-raising activities are also in play. Following opening ceremonies at the University of Alberta’s Saville Community Centre, eight teams representing provinces or territories from across Canada will face each other three times, a total of 21 games across three days. Combined-score winners from each game will receive one point ultimately deciding positioning, with, if necessary, tie-breaking criteria for gold, silver and bronze medals on down.

“I’m just excited for the experience,” said Mason.

Kayson is ‘both nervous and excited’, looking forward to representing Ontario again, building on previous experience.

“Never give up, every pin counts,” he stated of lessons learned. “And even if you bowl badly one game, it’s only one game. You can do better and get it back.”

Coach Morris is looking forward to a lifetime experience for the bowlers to remember. “We’re going to soak it all in while they’re there, and if we could win a medal, that would be amazing.”

“That’s my goal,” agreed his son, Mason.

“Hopefully gold,” Kayson concluded.