High roller heading to Taj Mahal of Tenpins

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This article was published 16/08/2024 (411 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Marissa Naylor has bowled in some high-profile places, but next week’s venue for the Pan Am Tenpin Championships in Reno, Nev., probably tops them all.

The 26-year-old Winnipegger will represent Canada at the National Bowling Stadium, known informally as the Taj Mahal of Tenpins. The facility covers 363,000 sq.-ft. and features 78 lanes with spectator seating for 1,100.

“Between golf and bowling, I’ve seen my fair share of international and national competitions so the actual setting itself, I don’t think will intimidate me that much,” Naylor said Friday before departing for the U.S.. “It takes a lot for me to feel intimidated or feel scared or nervous.”

Naylor, a member of the national senior team for three years, made her world championship debut in Salmiya, Kuwait, last year by combining with Canada’s Samantha and Jennifer Besana to claim bronze in the women’s trios event.

Naylor also finished 27th among 80 competitors in the women’s all-events category at worlds.

Top national teams from North and South America will compete in the five-day event beginning Tuesday. Good results will help bowlers in the qualifying process for the next Pan Am Games, slated for 2027 in Lima, Peru.

Naylor will be joined on the senior women’s squad by Calgary’s Felicia Wong, Jade Coté of Farnham, Que., Montreal’s Mei Yen-Lachapelle, Karine Bouchard of Milles-Iles, Que., and Montreal’s Brittney Turcotte.

Coté, Bouchard and Turcotte claimed the world championship silver in senior women’s trios, losing to South Korea in the final.

Kerrie Watson of Winnipeg is a member of Canada’s squad in the masters women’s division.

“I actually feel better for this event than I did last year, which is kind of funny considering I got the bronze last year in the trios,” said Naylor. “But these Pan Am championships are a different format from IBF (worlds). You are bowling six games in every event…

“You’re throwing more shots, and it’s a little bit more physically demanding, but not demanding to the point of exhaustion. It’s just a lot more bowling.”

Naylor said Canada’s team chemistry is on point.

“I’m excited to go with the girls because we have a very similar team to Kuwait and we’re looking to repeat the success from last year, too,” she said. “We’ve all been colleagues, friends and teammates and competing against each other since the youth days.

“I know Felicia is a little bit older than us and but for the most part, all of us have competed against each other in some sort of way.”

The American team, headlined by Professional Women’s Bowling Association tour members Breanna Clemmer, Hope Gramly and Crystal Elliott, the PWBA rookie of the year, will be tough to beat on home soil.

“I think it’ll be an exciting week with a lot of good matchups,” said Naylor. “The format’s pretty straightforward. It’s just six games and knock them down, count them up, total pinfall. And then it’s singles, doubles, trios and teams.”

“I need to perform well and perform as well as I can in the all events division out of all the countries, and then try to be the top Canadian,” said Naylor. “From a team standpoint, I think we have to do top four, if not top three.”

Winnipeg’s top male bowlers — Austyn Ducharme and Mitch Hupé — will not be competing in Reno.

Ducharme won the gold medal in the all-events division at last year’s worlds while also leading Canada’s golden effort, with Hupé, in the men’s team event.

Hupé also won team and individual silver at the 2023 Pan Am Games.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca