Kinney, Bucknall team up to take bronze medal
Youth and talent triumphed over experience for Joe Kinney and Trisha Bucknall at the Canadian Mixed Pairs Lawn Bowling Championships.
The novice lawn bowlers won a bronze medal at the championships held at the Glenridge Lawn Bowling Club last week versus much more experienced competition.
“It was only Joe’s third year and my fourth year,” Bucknall said. “We were bowling against every province in Canada and bowling against players who have played for 15-20 years.
“They were very experienced bowlers. We are still considered novice, which is under five years. We were going in as novices going in against all the other people who were way above us. Our plan was to win one game at the Canadians and be happy with that but making into the bronze-medal game was phenomenal.” Kinney couldn’t agree more. “It was so exciting. It was such a great experience. I’m so glad we did it,” he said.
Kinney and Bucknell are both 23 and live in Niagara Falls.
“To be on our home green with all our supporters and just to make our club proud was such a special moment for both Joe and I along with our club,” Bucknall added.
The duo had to endure a long road to qualify for the Canadians, starting at the district playdowns at Glenridge, then moving to the provincials in Woodstock the second week of August where they came out on top.
“The district and provincials were three 12-end games and then Canadians — we weren’t expected to go as far — were 18 ends. That was 20 ends over a five-day period,” Bucknall said.
The duo agreed keeping things in perspective was the key to victory.
“Stay calm and every new end and new ball is a new chance to get some new points or not gets points at all,” Bucknall said. “We just take it one end at a time because anything can happen in 18 ends. You can be down 12-2 and come back and win 26-12. It’s a long process.
“It’s a lot of co-ordination and planning and a lot of mental strategies. We have to figure out what shots he wants to make and I want to make. It’s a lot of staying calm. You can’t get frustrated with each other.”
“It’s just a game when it comes down to it. We’re there to have fun and be patient with each other,” Kinney added.
Kinney and Bucknall were introduced to the sport by Bucknall’s mother
“She (Bucknall) went out with her mom one night — I guess she was bored at home — and fell in love with it,” he sad. “She threw a couple of balls and that was it. I kind of made fun of her bowling with her. She got me out one night and I threw a couple of balls as well and fell in love with it as well. I’m addicted.” BPotrecz@Postmedia.com