THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410210309
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The week of Dec. 4-10 will be National Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour Week and guess who has agreed to do a 30-second spot announcing his support on ESPN?
President Bill Clinton.
The LPBT will be promoting the special bowling week with spot announcements from governors of many states. Part of the official recognition includes the observation being read into the Congressional Record.
Actually, it's a salute to all the 25 million women bowlers across the country.
As part of the special week, the LPBT is coordinating plans with proprietors to stage a pins-over-average tournament. The grand prize winners - one male and one female - will receive a free three-day, two-night stay at Sam's Town, which is a hotel, gambling hall and bowling center in Las Vegas.
Entry fee in the tournament will be only $2. More information will be available later.
BOWLER OF THE WEEK honors go to Brad Shipley, a 13-year-old kegler in the Junior/Major/ Senior Tenpin League at Pinboy's of Western Branch.
Shipley zipped a whopping 246 pins over his average by posting a three-game series of 645. He averages only 133.
He banged out a 253 game.
TENPIN TOPICS: Perfect games are starting to be an annual feature of the Southern Regional PBA Tournament at Franklin Bowl. There were four this year - by eventual champion Sam Zurich, John May, Jim Lewis and John Tragert. Zurich, from Melbourne, Fla., won the $2,800 top prize, defeating May in the final, 244-214. Thirteen-year-old Amanda White won the Junior Pro-Am, and Fannie Bowers captured the Senior Pro-Am. Bowers had a 255 game, her best ever. The Adult Pro-Am winner was Anthony Ransome, who won $425. . . . Richard Morgan gained Century Club membership with his 266 single in the Saturday Classic Mixed League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. He averages 159. . . . Thomas Linton is scorching the lanes at Pinboy's of Norfolk. He had a 290 game in the Industrial League and chalked up a 781 series in the Cosmopolitan loop. . . . In the Senior Social League, Joan Gray forgot her 124 average and smacked a 183 game. . . . Jon Stites is starting to flash the form that won him the No. 1 area ranking last year. Stites pounded out a 741 in the Masters League at Pinboy's of Lynnhaven. . . . Indian River Saturday Morning Youth Leaguers have tossed two 279 games. Jonathan Hampton and Mark Daniels accomplished the feats. Daniels had a 664 series. . . . Don Lesieve pitched a 266 game and 628 series in the Sassy Seniors League. . . . In the Captains League at Pinboy's of Military, Donnell Taborn whacked a 234 game. He averages only 117. . . . Roxie Martini fired a 635 series in the Little Creek Thursday Morning Trio League. . . . Pat Anderson had the thrill of hitting her first 500 series with 503 in the Ladies Nite Out loop at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Games of 279 were rolled by William McBeth (Saturday Nite Streakers at Indian River), Rodney Moody (Military Doubles at Pinboy's of Military) and Jim Joyce (Big & Little at Pinboy's of Chesapeake). . . . Tickets are now on sale for the Tidewater Bowling Council Hall of Fame dinner/dance at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Radisson Hotel in Virginia Beach. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by contacting Arlene Williams at 436-6395 or Irma Peterson at 340-7353. Joe Hoppel will be the DJ. . . . Virginia bowlers donated $37,420.58 to the BVL Fund last year and that helped in bringing Re-Creation, a nationally recognized troupe of young entertainers, to the Salem Veterans Administration Medical Center Oct. 18. Celebrity bowler Helen Duval, the BVL honorary chairman, is coming to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton Nov. 9 to conduct a clinic for hospitalized veterans. . . . Curious about how many bowling centers there are in the United States? There are 7,469. The average size increased to 19.66 lanes, and 69 new centers opened last year.
DUCKPIN DATA: Charlie Southworth won the first Herman Gaines Open at Victory Lanes, posting a five-game handicap series of 869. He pocketed $1,000. Other prize winners were Paul Wetherbee Jr., second with 833; Mike Wall, third with 819, and Gaines, fourth with 812. Herman said he didn't think it would be proper for him to win a tournament named in his honor so he held back a little. . . . Raymond Askew barely missed the exclusive 500 Club with games of 165, 154 and 172 for a 491 series in the Industrial League. Most bowlers have never shot a 500 but it wouldn't have been a first for the 138-average Askew. He has pitched 11 through the years. . . . Ronnie Ketchum heaved a 217 game in his 471 series in the Tidewater Pro League. . . . The Portsmouth Match Game Championship will start at 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at Victory Lanes. Only 64 bowlers are being accepted. The winner will reign as city match game champion for a year and be accorded free registration next year, in addition to earning $300. . . . Chris Ricks, who averages 111, registered a 159 game in the Victory Youth League. In the same league, Beau Hoggard tossed a 143 and Billy Schoenfeld hit a 141. Kendra Allen had her third 400 set of the year with 413. . . . Most improved area bowler to date has to be Charlie Oakley, who is sporting a 128 average in the Elimination Doubles League. . . . Chris Beale made threatening gestures at a 500, finishing with 478 in the Tuesday Major Trio League. by CNB