Ann Sawatzky

Athlete (2000)

Bowling

Ann made Canadian women's five-pin bowling history on March 16, 1974, when she bowled 1,134 for a three-game block, a record that has never been equalled. One of her games was a perfect 450; and another was a 420.

Ann was born at Hague on Sept. 27, 1928, moved with her family to Langham and then to a farm 20 miles north of Saskatoon. She and Ike were married in 1948 and moved into Saskatoon a year later.

Ann began league bowling in 1965, jumped into competitive bowling in 1968 and had a 1,041 triple in the 1968-69 season and city high average in 1969-70.

Ann was a member of the Saskatoon team at the Western Canada championships in 1969, a playoff format that would soon be discontinued, but Ann made a mark on Saskatchewan teams when the new Canadian championship system was introduced.

Ann was part of a Saskatchewan all-star team, which made a dramatic comeback when the Canadian finals were held in Saskatoon in 1972. They rose from fifth place on the final day to steal the Canadian title away from York west of Toronto. Ann rolled 1,185 in her final four-game block. Her teammates were Helen Leskun, Barb Phelps, Hennie Irvine, Joyce Hudson and Marion Taylor, and Cy Quayle was the coach.

Ann's Canadian record feat of 1,134 for three games took place at the King George Bowl while she was qualifying for a TV series called Beat The Champ. She had a chance for a perfect game in the first but punched the head pin on her 11th ball, finishing with 420. She was perfect in the second game. And then threw 264 in the final game. Her success on Saskatchewan teams continued in 1977 when she was part of the team, which competed, in the Canadian master Bowlers' Association finals in 1975.

Ann and her teammates, Stella Mantach, Pat Sears, Penny Hunter and Lori Moffatt, won silver medals at the 1977 Canadian Masters in Vancouver.

* Deceased *