THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510130166
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around the Alleyways
SOURCE: [Bill Leffler]
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
An average league bowler rolls about 90 games each year, usually missing a few weeks in a season that typically runs from 32 to 36 weeks.
Occasionally there are a few in this group who manage to match strikes and spares with the high scorers. Not often. To rank with the best, you have to play a lot of games.
Most of the area's top tenpin bowlers compete in several leagues. The best duckpin bowlers primarily are two-league participants.
Last year's top-ranked male tenpinner was Chris Baron. He bowled 363 games in four leagues. The No. 2 ranked bowler, Rodney Moody, rolled 425 games in six leagues.
Perhaps the most active were Todd Allred and Bumm Beach. Allred, ranked No. 5 by the Norfolk Bowling Association, had 644 games in nine leagues. Beach, rated No. 1 by the Norfolk Bowling Association and fifth by Around the Alleyways, shot 575 games in seven leagues.
The top-ranked woman tenpinner last year, Fran Sansone, competed in four leagues. She registered 351 games. Runner-up Carolyn Cotterell had only 153 games in two leagues.
Perhaps Irene ``Sam'' Davis, who had averages ranging from 170 to 185, was the busiest. She rolled 1,410 games in eight leagues.
No. 1 duckpinner Donnie Long was a two-league participant with 207 games. The top-ranked woman, Kendra Allen, vied in only a single league. This year both are competing in two.
The area's most active duckpin bowler last season was Barbara Turner, who bowled in four leagues.
Contrast this with a national survey on athletic activities. People were asked how often they bowled.
Sixty percent said never. Fifteen percent said once a month. Twelve percent said twice monthly. Nine percent said once or twice weekly. One percent said daily.
Three percent said they didn't know. I would hope that meant they didn't know how often they bowled and not whether they bowled or not.
As the scores indicate, it's not nearly as much fun if you don't know what you're doing.
Bowler of the Week honors go to Ken Day.
Bowlers in the Military Doubles Tenpin League at Pinboy's Military seem to be making a habit of pitching 300 games.
Two the past week were followed by another this week by Day, who zipped 127 pins over his 173 book average. His series went 221 over as he rolled other games of 228 and 212 for a 740.
Tenpin topics: David Rood joined the 300 Club in the Sunday Nite Mixed/Just for Fun League at Pinboy's of Norfolk, adding games of 235 and 210 in a 745 series. It was the second 300 ever for Rood, who averaged 191 last season. . in the Big Chiefs League at Indian River. Bowlers in this league really went on a scoring spree. Kevin Anderson chalked up a 299 and Rich Finnigan pitched a 290. . . . Fifteen-year-old Mercedes Clear sports a blistering 202 average after four weeks of action in the Junior Gator League at Little Creek. She blasted out a 647 series behind games of 199, 234 and 214. Last year she averaged 151. . . . Penn Cummings made threatening gestures at a perfect game, finishing with 289 in the Monday Scratch Doubles League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. Other gems of the week: Thomas Shipley's 280 and Jim Marrion's 279, both in the Tuesday Men's Commercial at Pinboy's of Chesapeake; Tee Bunch's 279 in the Tuesday Men's Commercial at Pinboy's of Western Branch; Danny Pargoe's 279 in the C & P Mixed at Pinboy's Military; and Russ McGuire's 279 in the Monday Scratch Doubles League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Laura Journigan became the second girl bowler at Pinboy's of Western Branch to post a 600 series. The 18-year-old Journigan finished with exactly 600 in the Junior/Major/Senior League, powered by a 236 single. . . . Mike Olenik opened with 192 in the Military Doubles League at Pinboy's Military and roared back with 269 and 287 for a 749 series. . . . Dwight Mitchum quietly added another bowling center to his Pinboy's chain with the acquisition of a 40-lane center in Grafton. He renamed it Pinboy's of York. . . . The historic first combined meeting of the ABC, WIBC, BPAA and YABA boards of directors will be held on Oct. 20 in Milwaukee. . . . The Tidewater Association of YABA will host the State Jamboree on Nov. 5. The TAYABA also will conduct the youth state tournament next June and July.
Duckpin data: The Herman Gaines Open concludes today at Victory Lanes with one 6 p.m. shift. The first weekend leader was Charlie Wilkinson with Jim McNaney in second place and David Leffler in third. A $1,000 prize awaits the winner of the five-game event. . . . Needing a triple strike to win a match, Sunday School League bowler Joe Koon quipped: ``I've struck out many times in softball. Wonder why I can't do it in bowling?''. . . Christy Mattern tossed a record 467 series in the Tuesday Major Trio League. . . . Alice Carlo racked up a triple strike in her 153 game in the Thursday Night Ladies League. In the same league newcomer Judy Wright trekked down the ladder with games of 111, 110 and 109. . . . Joan McCook registered five strikes in the first 15 frames of her Monday Elimination Doubles match. . . . Rebecca Ashe, who averages 105 in the Victory Youth League, heaved a 141 game. Other big games by the youth leaguers included Brandon Long's 158, Beau Hoggard's 147 and Billy Schoenfeld's 130. . . . The Navy Yard bowlers erupted for big scores with Mike Price firing a 193 game and 440 series. Ralph McElfresh, who averages 101, hit a 417 and was just two pins shy of winning a National Congress ring. Wendell Johnson, who averages 99, notched a 171 game. Dennis Ralph, with a 111 average, smacked a 417 set. by CNB