The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Sonith Lockhart, who has predicted that he will be a medal contender this year, has gotten off to a pretty good start at the 49th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at the ‘World Class’ fitness centre and Hilton hotel complex in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk, in Siberia.

Lockhart, one of two Bahamians competing in the week-long tournament, opened his first six-game bloc on Monday with a high game set of 268 and 1,427 total pinfalls for an average of 237.83. That has him sitting in 10th place out of a field of 74 competitors on the men’s side.

Meanwhile, Driskell Rolle made her debut at the prestigious tournament by posting a 205 set and a total of 1,106 pins for her average of 184.33. Rolle, a 37-year-old professional accountant, ended the day in 44th place out of the field of 64 competitors on the women’s side.

Leading the women is Caroline Lagrange from Canada with a 251.67. She is followed by Luminita Farcas Bucin of Romania with 253.33. American Danielle McEwan rounded out the top three with 2.33.33. Cherie Tan of Singapore is fourth with 231.50 and Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic is sitting in fifth place with 229.00.

Lockhart, a 54-year-old electrical technician, sits just ahead of Derek Lee of Macau, who is in 11th place with 237.67.

On top of the men’s standings is Peter Hellstr�m of Sweden with 257.17. William Ching of Venezuela (249.17), Benshir Layoso of the Philippines (246.50), Vincent Cayez of France (246.33), Bodo Konieczny of Germany (244.67), Alex de Vries of the Netherlands (239.50), Dmitri Chilkine of Belarus (239.33), Mykhaylo Kalika of the Ukraine (239.33) and Alexei Parshukov of Russia (238.17) make up the remaining spots ahead of Lockhart.

Also on day one, Kestutis Gudauskas of Lithuania earned the 42nd men’s 300 set in the history of the tournament. But he was joined by de Vries and Lee, who inked their names with the 43rd and 44th marks respectively. Gudauskas closed out his day by turning in his perfect game on his sixth game, while de Vries opened his 300 in his first game and Lee got his in his fifth game.

Both the men and women are playing for a place in the top 24 for the quarter-final. From there, the top eight will advance to the semifinal.

Lockhart and Rolle were afforded the opportunity to represent the Bahamas by virtue of winning the Bahamas Bowling Federtion’s national titles earlier this year at Mario’s Bowling and Entertainment Centre. The Bahamas is the only English-speaking country in the Caribbean participating.