CORNER BROOK — Jonandrew Evans never felt any pressure to perform because he didn’t think he had a reason to be nervous.
The 15-year-old Corner Brook kegler managed to grab third place at the 2012 provincial five-pin youth challenge in Paradise to earn a berth as one of three male bowlers representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the national challenge slated for Sherbrooke, Que., in March.
Evans, who has been hitting the hardwood for about five years, had no idea what to expect in Paradise since it was his first time competing in a major bowling event.
“The boys were telling me there was going to be a lot of competition out there so I just tried to stay focus,” he said.
Evans, son of John Evans and Kim Smith-Evans, finished in third spot with a 234.2 average over five games bowled, but admits luck was on his side so he appreciates the opportunity to bowl on the national stage.
“Some guys were off that day. I mean, the best bowler was off a lot so I got pretty lucky,” he said. “It was a great experience and a lot of fun.”
Evans had no idea he was in the mix for a spot on the team because his coach wouldn’t tell him where he stood, while other coaches kept scooting around the lanes letting their keglers know their positioning.
Not knowing he was close to a trip to nationals allowed Evans to relax and have fun.
“Coming into the last game I was ahead of this one guy next to me, but I didn’t know, but he did because his coach told him,” he explained. “All my coach told me was he wanted me to bowl a good game but I didn’t know why, and I ended up bowling a good game.”
He is looking forward to seeing how he stacks up on the national stage and believes he’s in for a good experience. He has never been to Quebec before and heard many people say it was a nice place, so he is eager to check out the sights and sounds with his fellow bowlers. They include Corner Brook’s Meghan Davis and Keisha Brown on the female team.
“It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a good experience for my bowling career and I am going to meet a nice few people,” he said.
National stage or not, Evans doesn’t plan on changing too much.
“Hopefully, I will represent Newfoundland the best I can,” he said.
