The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DRISKELL Rolle and Sonith Lockhart were the last junior girl and men’s national champions when the doors of the Village Bowling Lanes were closed in the 1990s. On Sunday, they made history again when they emerged as the first female and male national champions at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment Palace.

The Bahamas Bowling Federation’s week-long nationals came to a close yesterday with Rolle out-striking Xynea Johnson 225-154 for her title, while Lockhart was too much for Ritchie Pyfrom to handle, taking the men’s title with an impressive 247-180 decision.

By virtue of winning the titles and finishing as runners-up, both Rolle and Johnson will represent the women, while Lockhart and Ritchie will carry the flag in the men’s division as they represent the Bahamas at the World Cup in Russia in November.

“The tournament lived up to the experience. Xynea, in fact all of the ladies, provided some stiff competition,” said Johnson about her victory. “You really had to bowl well against them. Today was a good day. I tried to stay calm and that seemed to work.”

After having to go through a playoff with Joy Lockhart in the semifinal after they both finished tied at 192 (before winning 224-208), Rolle bowled four consecutive strikes to take the early lead against Johnson in the live television final on Cable Bahamas and she wasn’t challenged from there.

“I should have done a better job in closing out that game (against Lockhart), but I knew in the 10th frame, I had to go out there and do my best,” Rolle said. “Going into the final, I knew I had to focus on my game and after winning the first game, I knew that I was going to be on a roll.”

Rolle, who was accompanied by her husband Perry, one of her two daughters P’Ante, and her father Cedric, said she will savor the moment.

For Johnson, who went into the final day of competition as the top contender, said she’s disappointed, but she was beaten out by a worthy champion.

“It was a really good match. I think I bowled well, but I had some problems with my game,” she said. “I tried to play it inside out, but it was a little carry down for me. You live and you learn. This is my first nationals, so I’m not too disappointed. It’s a learning experience.”

Johnson said Rolle was in the pocket throughout the game, so she felt good losing to her.

“I will definitely be back and I want her to be back because this is going to be long,” Johnson said.

As for her heartbreaking defeat, Joy Lockhart said she will get over it because she still had a good year, winning the roll-off for the national team and she took the victory in another tournament in November.

“I won two. I would have liked to have gotten three, but I was happy with the way I bowled,” she said.

As for her brother, Sonith Lockhart watched as Ritchie Pyfrom opened up with five strikes for 135 up to the fifth frame. But Lockhart turned things around when he answered with four strikes to post a 148. Pyfrom opened the 7th, 8th and 10th games as Lockhart put the icing on the cake with three strikes and he closed two spares to seal the victory.

“It was great. I was feeling real good for the last several weeks and I was in great shape,” Lockhart said. “I could do in better shape, but I believed that I could win the tournament outright and so as the tournament steadily pressed on, I climbed the ladder. I came into the final in second place, but I’m the champion today.

“We had the top five bowlers in the country today on TV, so it wasn’t easy. We all had to bowl to try and make it to where I am today.”

Lockhart, who won a silver medal at the World Cup in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia, said he’s eager to go back to the tournament and pull off the gold.

Ritchie said he simply got beat.

“It’s tough to be sitting for so long and all of a sudden turn it on,” he said. “Sonith got into a groove when he beat Slatter, who is the best bowler in this country and he was able to hold on. I figured I bowled well throughout the tournament. I got a lot of career highs. I just need to work on my sparing. That’s where my flaws are. Once I correct them, I will be back.”

In the semifinal, Lockhart blew past David Slatter 225-205. Slatter had just secured a 240-209 victory over Leonardo ‘Lee’ Davis. The first round of the finals saw Davis pull off a close 205-201 decision over Mario Brown in what turned out to be the closest match of the day.

“I bowled the way I wanted in the first game, but unfortunately in the third game of the championship, but my second game, I missed a sixth pin and with only 10 frames, I wasn’t able to get back into it,” Slatter said. “If I had picked up my spare and carried the eight pin, we would have had a match.

“But between my mistake and bowling against someone like Sonith, who is bowling very well, it’s very difficult to win that game. All the credit to him. I didn’t bowl well. He deserved to win. I’m very disappointed because the winner and runner-up go to the World Cup in November in Russia and I’ve been to that tournament and I really wanted to go there.”