Tracy Smith has excelled in “bowling”, including 5 Pin, tenpin, duckpin and even the outdoor variety, lawn bowling.
A native of St. Catharines, she was the youngest of three children, with two older brothers. She was introduced to 5 Pin bowling at the Pen Centre in her hometown. Her parents, Al and Jennie Hand, were the program directors at the centre and, by the age of five, Tracy was on the lanes.
She enjoyed moderate success in the Youth Bowling Council and the Young Adult Bowlers Association before beginning a career as an elementary school teacher, initially hired by the Niagara South School Board in 1989.
With her priorities in order, Tracy married Kevin Smith in July of 1990 and, a son, Brody, followed three years later. By 1998, Brody was in school and Tracy embarked on an exciting bowling career, first with the O5PBA and the provincial Open and followed by success in the Master Bowlers Association.
In the Provincial Open, Tracy has qualified 18 times with 12 years in the singles, 17 years on ladies teams and just one mixed team. Her first provincial championship was in 1999 and she followed with titles in the ladies teams in 2015, 2017, and 2023. She added a mixed team championship in 2006, and this Niagara group that earned a bronze medal nationally. These five victories allowed Tracy to travel for national competition to bowling centres from Edmonton, Alberta to St. John’s Newfoundland.
Since 2019, Tracy has qualified four times in the Open senior division. The Niagara seniors were victorious in 2019 and Tracy was the senior singles champion in 2022 and 2025.
Buoyed by her success in the provincial Open, Tracy joined the Master Bowlers Association in 2002. While she may have doubted her ability, Tracy excelled as she won four events from 2004-2013 and, in 2013 was the ladies tournament player of the year and qualified for the national team. However, Tracy chose to attend her son’s graduation instead of travelling to the MBAC finals Nationally, in the tournament division, Tracy qualified for four national teams and won a gold, a silver and a bronze medal. In 2016, Tracy was the first and only woman to win aggregate titles in both the tournament and senior divisions. By the rules, she was obligated to compete on the tournament side and, in Surrey, she placed fifth. From this involvement, Tracy and her husband, Kevin, are now members of the MBAO board of directors.
In addition to her tournament division success, Tracy has dominated the senior division. Provincially, she has 11 wins and nationally, she also has a gold, silver and bronze medal. In addition, in 2023 in St. John’s, Tracy posted a 240 average, the highest average ever for a senior lady at the MBAC nationals.
With this success, Tracy also tried the duckpin tour in the United States and even bowled tenpin for one season. Several Canadian bowlers have tried the duckpin tour and some have done well. Tracy added her name to that list with a victory on September 3, 2023 in Suitland, Maryland. In addition, bowling in a tenpin league at Fairview Bowl in 2007-08, Tracy qualified for the Bowling Proprietors of Canada Pins Game and, bowling at Burlington Bowl, finished third provincially. Tracy also added a perfect 5 pin game to her resume, bowling at Pla-Mor Bowl in St. Catharines on April 23, 2013. Recognizing her success, Tracy was inducted into the Niagara 5 Pin Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in 2018.
Over the years, Tracy has coached in the YBC and the Special Olympics. In her early years, Hall of Famer, Verna Bryan, was a strong influence and, in the adult ranks, her husband, Kevin, has been her number one coach and fan. Currently, Tracy volunteers at the local hospital, beginning as a volunteer directing visitors, then on the children’s floor, as well as working with kidney dialysis patients and, these days, cuddling the young babies.
As a family, their son, Brody is a high school teacher in Welland and, with his wife, Nicole, have a daughter, Ella, making Tracy and Kevin proud grandparents. In addition, Tracy and Kevin are avid campers, enjoying sites on both sides of the border in a well-equipped trailer.