\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
![\"RUTH](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4098889_web1_260325-Bowling-group-.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
A historic five Manitobans were named to Team Canada\u2019s tenpin bowling team including Chase McVicar (left), Kristen Jolly (centre) and Israel Potter (right).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a really proud feeling in a sense, but also nerve-racking,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt like I was carrying the weight of all the women in the bowling community on my shoulders because it was International Women\u2019s Day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naylor-McCall said she\u2019d been throwing well all day, trusting in her practice and cruising to victory in the final.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy game has been on a level that I personally haven\u2019t seen in a long time,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s just been riding that high for the past few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Naylor-McCall was named to Team Canada\u2019s roster for the fifth time. The veteran bowler is one of five Manitobans selected for this year\u2019s national team \u2014 another provincial record.<\/p>\n
Among those named was 23-year old Kristen Jolly, joining the women\u2019s national team for the first time.<\/p>\n
Jolly is a seven-time provincial youth champion, winning her first in 2015. Accolades aside, Jolly said she\u2019s thankful for everything bowling has given her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt kind of just brought us all together in a way I can\u2019t really describe,\u201d she said. \u201cThese people are my friends, they\u2019re my family \u2014 they\u2019re my everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jolly started bowling at five years old at LaV\u00e9rendrye Bowling Lanes with her grandfather, Loren Jolly, one of Naylor-McCall\u2019s first coaches. She said Manitoba\u2019s tight-knit bowling community enriched her love for the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s given me the best experiences of my life,\u201d said Jolly. \u201cIt\u2019s brought me to my best friends, the love of my life\u2026 it\u2019s just surrounded me with some really great people.\u201d<\/p>\n
That love of her life is partner Israel Potter. Jolly and Potter grew up together on the lanes, and have been together for nearly four years. This year, both were named to Team Canada for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s great to be able to experience all of this together,\u201d said Jolly. \u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to a great year ahead and hopefully we both get selected to go somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
A bowling power couple, both Potter and Jolly dominated the province\u2019s bowling scene, showing no signs of slowing. Potter said he loves getting to bowl and compete with his partner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get to go to a ton of tournaments together, so it\u2019s great getting to travel with her,\u201d Potter said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely impacted my life greatly and it\u2019s been awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potter grew up in Brandon, bowling at T-Birds before moving to Winnipeg. Then a multi-sport athlete, Potter said he found his passion for bowling during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he grew tremendously through practicing at home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when I started to take it a lot more seriously,\u201d said Potter. \u201cThat\u2019s when I really started practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t RUTH BONNEVILLE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n A nine-time provincial youth champion, Chase McVicar is also the youngest Manitoban to record a perfect game.<\/p>\n Potter\u2019s happy to be part of the national team, but his chances of competing aren\u2019t guaranteed.<\/p>\n There are only two events on the docket for the men\u2019s national team this year, the International Bowling Federation (IBF) World Cup in April and the PANAM Champion of Champions tournament early next year.<\/p>\n Potter\u2019s one of eight bowlers on the men\u2019s roster. Only four will be sent to the IBF World Cup and two to the PANAM tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to compete\u2026 you want to represent your country,\u201d said Potter. \u201cSo I\u2019m just still working hard and trying to get as good as I can, hoping to get selected.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Jolly, Potter\u2019s trophy room is full of accolades, including eight provincial awards in 2024. As he sets his sights on the world stage, the 22-year-old said his competitive spirit has been a factor in his success.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I come out to a tournament, I just want to win,\u201d said Potter. \u201cI don\u2019t really look at the money, I don\u2019t look at anything else. I just want to win. I love winning.\u201d<\/p>\n Another up-and-coming star in the province is Winnipeg\u2019s Chase McVicar, who qualified for Team Canada\u2019s youth roster. McVicar and Potter were teammates on the provincial youth team. McVicar, 15, said Potter\u2019s approach helped inspire his game.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the person I wanted to be,\u201d said McVicar. \u201cI wanted to be that guy who was winning every tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n McVicar has been bowling since he was a toddler. A nine-time provincial youth champion, he\u2019s also the youngest Manitoban to record a perfect game. Last year he broke another record at the Wyoming Junior Bowlers Tour, winning the U21 championship as a 14-year old.<\/p>\n Entering a new chapter, McVicar said he\u2019s taking nothing for granted.<\/p>\n \u201cOh man, I don\u2019t think anything could prepare me for this next step,\u201d he said. \u201cTalking to some of my teammates, the biggest thing that prepared them was experience at the tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n A champion at every level he\u2019s competed in, McVicar\u2019s taking a humble approach to this new opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving that experience against some much better bowlers than me, I think it will help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n McVicar will compete in the IBF World Youth Championships in Sarawak, Malaysia, this summer. He said he and his dad can\u2019t wait to try some local cuisine.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n