Found myself wondering the other day if the bowling season ever closes.
There are bowling leagues at different houses as well as different scenarios where the houses will be re-purposed to entertain the bowling community. Before you know it we will be in Coldwater and then Wapak ushering in the new season with PBA regular and regional events.
As for the summer entertainment notions, check the Facebook pages for Astro and Southgate Lanes.
There are different league options available to you this season, if you are over 50 and want to try no-tap try 20th Century at 419-222-1876.
20th Century Lanes has a very good scratch league that has already begun on Thursday evenings at 6 that offers entertainment for those who love to watch great bowling.
Varsity Lanes has a league coming up on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. It is a summer sport shot handicap league that begins on May 23rd and will run for ten weeks. Handicap will be based on 80% percent of the difference of average and 200 which could lead to some interesting moments. It will be a good time and St Marys is not that far away. Call Varsity Lanes at 419-394-2915 or Stefanie Lowry at 419-953-9917 for more information or to sign up.
Speaking of Varsity Lanes and the Lowry family lets give praise to Peg Lowry and four of her closest friends who captured the recently completed Ohio Inter City tournament. We promise to update you with their feelings on the event for as I said the bowling season never really ends.
The Lima area does an amazing job in this event each season and this year was no exception. Not only did the Lowry quintent bring home the gold but Shelley Ambroza, a regular prize winner in this event earned yet another top-ten finish, this time 8th in the All Events category. Ambroza is clearly one to the top three or four performers of all-time in our area.
As the season winds down, this writer has learned that our area will be represented by Onalee Shepler in the Ohio Buckeye Belle. My money says that the young lady will medal in the event. She is merely a notch or two behind Ambroza on the all-time list. Records also indicate that she is one of the more dominant performers in our area this past decade, holding the all time series record of 864. In addition she has a passel of 300 games.
I have chronicled at times that I have been blessed to be around some incredible moments involving this sport in our community.
This past Friday evening was yet another of those moments.
The young men and women of 20th Century Lanes each captured the Youth All StarN Showcases, defending home turf at 20th by noteworthy margins. The young ladies of 20th Century did drop a game of the three game set to Westgate Lanes but grabbed the overall title when they took an actual win over
the 20th Century boys who had previously defeated the young men of Southgate and Westgate.
Alexis Werling and DJ Riepenhoff sat out the final match and when the final call was in Julia Riepenhoff, Megan Atkinson, Jayde Neth, Olivia Miller and Allie Meeker had defeated Cameron Patrick, Camren and Brayden Dalton, Christian Nutt and Gabe Diallo in the finale.
The young men of 20th should not be overly concerned as the final battle where the young ladies took overall title reaffirmed what many in the bowling community felt was a great back-story to the season.
This was the season of the young ladies in our community. There were more individuals than myself who felt that if you were to put the best seven ladies in a match with the best seven boys that the young ladies would prevail.
Friday was indicative that such a fact may well have been true. If you do not agree find me the seven boys and maybe we can arrange things … again this would be open to LBA youth only.
Big moments for this past season would be tough to call but clearly the title earned by Bryana Twining at the state would rang pretty high.
It was also great to see Cameron Patrick strong and healthy enough to win a significant tournament, the Jessica Sanford Memorial. It was also one proud grandpappy J that saw Olivia Miller at the age of 11 averaging a touch under 190 to win the girls 10-14 division. You can be sure that Parker Larimore will win a lot before he hangs up his bowling shoes.
The state title of the Celina Bulldogs was another very special moment as was the state finishes of Josh Wahl and Morgan Twining.
It was so long ago but the fact that Coldwater is now a regular stop on the professional tour has to be considered noteworthy. The pros will return in August and who knows maybe Duke and Barnes and Weber my try to take down defending champion Rhino Page.
Finally Mike Moore will be on his way to Seattle in about six weeks or so to roll in the National Special Olympics of Bowling. Will he bring home the gold. Abby Conley of Lima will be there to compete in track and field as well. We will try to meet with them before they leave and get back to you.
For now … think I am going to hit the links for a couple of weeks and then off to the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremonies …
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