1983 Prince Albert Mixed Five-Pin Bowling – Team
Seven Prince Albert bowlers ‑ four men and three women ‑ along with their coach captured the Canadian Five‑Pin Mixed Bowling Championship in 1983.
Rosemary Bear, Shelley Plummer (Mathiason), Patricia Gaudet, Wayne Akers, Don Hlewka Jr., Bill Miller and Doug Primeau, coached by Lloyd Whitehead, took the national title in a competition at Thunder Bay, Ontario. The performance by the Prince Albert team helped Saskatchewan capture the overall tile at the Championship.
The Prince Albert Mixed Team took the gold by accumulating 87 points, five better than second place Manitoba. Bear sparked the Prince Albertans to victory with a 262 average, including a team high 340 single, while earning a spot on the Women’s All‑star Team. That team later competed at an international event in Toronto.
Hlewka topped the Prince Albert team with a 269 average including a 321 single while Miller rolled a 329 en route to a 263 average. Akers had a single of 321 and an average of 245.
Whitehead brought bowling experience from 1974 to the team, including a World Men’s Classic Singles Championship in 1975 at Calgary. He turned his attention to coaching in 1978, becoming registered with the Masters Bowling Association. He achieved Level 1 Coaching Certification in 1980 and became a certified lane agent for the Saskatchewan Five‑Pin Bowlers Association in 1982.
He coached at the youth level for more than 10 years and managed many local teams at provincial roll offs and Saskatchewan teams at national competitions.
A special recognition from his peers came with the Kay McKenzie‑Eileen Boulding Memorial Trophy in 1976.
Rosemary Bear’s bowling accomplishments include representing the Prince Albert Zone 12 times in further competitions.
Shelly Plummer’s bowling career began at the Youth Bowling Council level, as she represented Prince Albert in numerous provincial events. In 1975, she earned a bronze in National Single Competition for her age group and in 1979 was a National Youth Champion in the Pepsi‑Cola finals. In 1980, she finished fourth in National Singles Bowling Competition.
Patricia Gaudet represented Prince Albert at many Western Canadian Bowling Championships.
Wayne Akers represented the Prince Albert zone in provincial competition on 16 occasions ‑ 15 times with men’s teams and once with the mixed team. He was a Provincial Singles champion and went to the Canadian Championship in 1977, where he was chosen for the National All‑star Team. In 1978, Akers was part of the Prince Albert Men’s team which won the World Championship (that team was inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1990). Other appearances at National Championships included 1979 and 1981 with the provincial men’s team.
In 1990 while bowling at the Saskatchewan Open Championships he rolled a perfect 450 single, winning a $5,000 cash prize. He received the Kay McKenzie‑Eileen Boulding Memorial Trophy in 1982.
Don Hlewka Jr., began more than two decades of bowling at the YBC level. He competed at the provincial level every year though YBC, earning a silver medal in 1975 in Bantam Singles competition. In 1982, he went to the National Championship, as a member of the Senior Boys Team. Also in 1982, Hlewka was a Saskatchewan Winter Games Gold Medallist. In 1987, he qualified to be on the Saskatchewan Master’s Team to the Canadian Championships.
Another bowling accomplishment for Hlewka came in 1985 when he was a member of the Prince Albert Men’s Team which set a single game pinfall record of 1,616. Other members of that team were Akers, Doug Primeau, Brian Falconer and Daryl Primeau.
Since 1983, he has also coached and taken two teams to National Championships.
Bill Miller has been a strong bowling competitor since starting the sport in 1949. He has represented the Prince Albert zone 27 times in higher levels of competition. Miller was also part of the 1978 Prince Albert Men’s Team which captured the World Championship. He also was on men’s teams at the National Championships in 1979 and 1981.
Miller received the Kay McKenzie‑Eileen Boulding Memorial Trophy in 1986. He was made a Life Member of the Prince Albert Five‑Pin Bowlers Association in 1989.
Doug Primeau participated in five‑pin bowling for more than 30 years. Beginning in YBC where he was the Provincial Boy’s Champion in 1965 and 1966. He moved through the ranks to represent Prince Albert at 13 different Provincial Championships. A member of the 1978 World Champion Men’s Bowling Team, he competed at the 1979 National Championship as well.
Primeau received the Kay McKenzie‑Eileen Boulding Memorial Trophy in 1988.
Inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
