The annual in-house Short Mat Mixed Triples tournament was held over the weekend of February 16-18, a week later than originally planned, thanks to snow and sickness.
A good time was had – we hope – by all and there were some fiercely-fought games and some surprising results.
After the first round, in which each team played three games, there was one undefeated team, six teams who had won two of their three games and three teams who had been extremely unlucky and not won one.
In clear first place was the team of David Gardner, Lee Ann Daniels and Larry Shorter.
The remaining teams going forward to the playoffs on Sunday were separated by shot difference and the final lineup was not decided until the very last game on Saturday afternoon.
If Jenny Waelti-Walters, Randy Small and Shona Dallison beat Joe Fitzgerald, Linda Simpson and Janet Gardner by at least ten points, they would have squeaked into the final group. As it was, they did win, but by just five points, allowing the team of Deryk Barker, Ted Lewall and Pam Verheul to do the squeaking instead and finish in fourth place. (Deryk and Pam had been watching that last game with their hearts in their mouths…). Second were Don Bellows, Mary Darling and Alana Pearce, and third Mike Lee, Linda Thompson and Jennifer Gunn. As a curious sideline, if the tie-breaks had been resolved by ends won and then shot difference (instead of vice-versa) then Deryk, Ted and Pam would have been in second place.
And so to Sunday’s playoffs.
If there is one thing that history has taught us, it is that the positions going into the
playoffs are, more often than not, shaken up completely.
On this occasion, however, history was up against the Lean Mean Bowling Machine of David, Lee Ann and Larry, who, undeterred by precedent, powerhoused their way past both their opponents to take the title, being undefeated in all five of their games.
The final results, therefore, were:
- 1st place: David Gardner, Lee Ann Daniels and Larry Shorter.
- 2nd place: Don Bellows, Mary Darling and Alana Pearce.
- 3rd place: Deryk Barker, Ted Lewall and Pam Verheul.
- 4th place: Mike Lee, Linda Thompson and Jennifer Gunn.
As ever, the success of the tournament depended not just on the players, but on the hard work of volunteers (the ever-reliable Lakehill Emotional Support Group).
- In the kitchen: Margot Gillard, Dorothy Mindenhall, Barb McLeod, Lesley Symes, Alice Schellenberg, Bev Scheule, Betty Hellwig, Mona Jensen.
- On the computer: Barb McLeod, Lindsay McLean, Mike Lee.
- Umpires: Don Bellows, Larry Shorter, Svend Klausen.
- Filling the gaps and generally getting in the way: Deryk Barker