The complete results are available here, or if you prefer you can also take a look at the game by game summaries.
The successful defending champions are Colin Finnie (Men) and Sylvianne Moisan (Women), while new champions were crowned in the other divisions. There was no "Peewee" (age 9 and under) division this year.
The Men's competition was very well-matched. Local favorite Duncan McKenzie was the leader after day one with a 4-1 record and 71% average. He was tied with Tom Gallina (70%) and Colin Finnie (62%). Playing a double round-robin, the 9 players beat each other to the point where a 4-way tie for first with 5 losses was possible. The last round pitted Finnie (4 losses) vs Leclerc (5 losses), but also Gallina (4 losses) vs Leis (8 losses), while McKenzie (5 losses) also hoping a loss by the two leaders had to handle Nanninga (7 losses). Stan Leis (66.7) defeated Tom Gallina (62.1) 41-35 in 66 shoes. But meanwhile Colin Finnie nailed his best game of the tournament (79.6%) defeating Leclerc (63.0) by a score of 40-16 to capture his 4th straight Men's Canadian title. McKenzie lost 35-40 to Nanninga relegating him to 4th place. McKenzie and Gallina recorded high games of 83.3%.
In the women's division, Sylvianne Moisan won her fifth consecutive Women’s Canadian Title, but with a new runner-up this time. Lucille Leis from Ontario took second place with a 9-3 record. Sylvianne's title was confirmed in the next-to-last round when she defeated Lucille 42-15 with an 86% game. A round earlier, Sylvianne and her mother Angeline hooked up in the best game of the championships. Angeline shot 77.3% and got only 10 points. Sylvianne, helped by a start of 56 ringers out of her first 58 shoes (!!!), and strings of 12 and 14 doubles in a row, rang the stake for 92.4% (61 for 66) in this 40-10 win. Lucy Thibault, who won her last 4 games, climbed to 3rd place by defeating Sylvianne 40-35 with a 74.2% game in the last round.
Drew Becker, two-time World Junior Champion, won his second Canadian Junior Boys title this year, going undefeated against Nova Scotia's Mark Harrison and Alberta's Bryce Thomas. Raquel Schaefer, from Grande Prairie, Alberta, is the new Junior Girls Canadian champion recording a 43.5% average, higher than what was pitched in that division at the 2005 World Tournament. Defending champion Jaala Curren from Saskatchewan was 3rd behind Ontario's Jessica Deline. Samantha Johnson was 4th while Shivonne Arnold (age 11), youngest participant in these championships, took 5th place.
Jack Adams won the Senior Men's 30' division for the first time. As Jack mentioned when he received his trophy, his first title was the Saskatchewan Junior Championship in 1937. His next one was the Maritime Championship he won in the Halifax area back in 1945! It took him about 60 years to get another major title, so don't give up! The 2002 champ, Wilf Gregory, leader during this tournament, dropped his last 4 games and took 2nd place. Nova Scotia's Hughie McKenzie ended with 8 straight wins to capture his 2nd Senior Men's 40' title. He edged defending champion Charles Fromm who recorded the high game of 80%. Bonnie Clemmensen, who played in the Open Women's division, where she placed 6th, was crowned new Senior Women's champion.
At the banquet held Saturday evening, winners and champions received their awards. Among other special presentations made, Andre Leclerc received the Sharon Ellison Award, presented by Charolette Demmans. Andre acted as translator for this award discovering midway through it was given to him. Among other presentations was the induction of Sheila Leis (formely Sheila McGrath) into the Horseshoe Canada Hall of Fame as an outstanding female player. Sheila gave a memorable speech. To the NSHPA, Halifax and Dartmouth clubs team, the crews in charge of the courts, the computer (Larry and Lorraine Lynch did a tremendous job), the kitchen, the tournament director, the scorekeepers, judges, and to all volunteers who helped make this 2005 tournament a success : thanks !
P.S.: The 2006 Canadian Championships will be held in Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan from July 26-29, 2006.
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