September 27, 2005

 Groat could make history in Willey Open
Repeat winners in the $3,000-added Coors Light John Willey Memorial Open are a rare breed.

Three-peat winners are even rarer — there are none.

Chuck Groat will try to change all that this weekend as the Utah bowler will be trying to capture an unprecedented third straight Willey title as the annual tourney opens Saturday at Little's Lanes.

Last year, Groat dominated the event averaging a lofty 228.6 in Sunday's 12 games of match play and beat the formidable Josh Hale, of Billings, 235-210 for his second title.

"It was an awesome day," said Groat, who hails from Kerns, Utah.

Making history won't be an easy task for the talented righthander.

As usual, the field is littered with some of the top keglers from around the Northwest and Canada, including former champions Jack Guay of Calgary and Great Falls' Paul Dehn.

Other contenders include the dangerous John Brodersen of Helena, who perennially bowls well in this tourney. Hale, one of the best lefthanders in the state, is expected to compete as is Mark Hodges, a former champion who teamed with John Hall last January to win the 40-90 Doubles.

Great Falls' entrants expected to compete include Jody Bastas, Pat Terry and former champion Ken Curry.

Eight-game qualifying shifts on Saturday are at 8 a.m., 1 and 7 p.m., with the last two shifts also being used for re-entries.

The top 32 qualifiers from Saturday will begin match play at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday with the stepladder finals usually starting between 3:30 and 4 p.m.

Entry fee is $125 and there are plenty of openings in each shift.

Phone Little's at 452-4116 for more information.

 

  • Being able to bowl in the finals of a national tournament is usually a difficult accomplishment.

    This year the Bowling Proprietors Association of American (BPAA) is making it easy.

    The BPAA is sponsoring the National Mixed League Championship, Dec. 5-8, at Sam's Town in Las Vegas — and anyone is eligible to bowl.

    Four-person teams will vie for a first-place prize of $20,000.

    Teams must have a member of the opposite sex and the maximum team entering average is 780. Handicap is 100 percent of 880.

    Team entry fee is $695, which includes six games of bowling, and three nights lodging at Sam's Town. For $1,995 the entry fee includes air fare along with bowling and lodging.

    "I think it's a great deal," said Tom Brendgord, executive secretary for the BPAA in Montana. "It's not often you don't have to bowl in a house or state final to qualify for a national tournament."

    Entry forms and rules can be downloaded at BPAA.com or for more information phone (817) 649-5105 or e-mail Lucy@bpaa.com.

    Missoula's Mary Porter stopped the brilliant finals run of Butte's Laurie Tripp with a 192-172 victory to capture Sunday's first stop of the Montana Mountain Glass-Harrington Pepsi Ladies Traveling Club, held at Dillon's Ned-Eva Lanes.

    Porter qualified as the tourney's top seed and waited as Tripp rolled through the stepladder with victories of 235-170 over Bozeman's Jamie Webster; 226-184 over Dillon's Susanna Donnelly and she earned a final berth with a 226-168 win over Bozeman's Tamii Roper in the semifinals.

    A total of 16 bowlers competed in the stop.

    "I thought turnout for the first stop was great," said club organzier Kay Kinzinger. "Hopefully, we will draw more at future stops."

    Karin Osborn was the top Great Falls bowler, finishing sixth.

    The next stop for the club is Sunday, Oct. 16, at Whitefish's Pin & Cue Lanes.

    For the second straight week Willie McGee rolled the top score of the week. McGee, bowling in Little's Straight-A-Way League, fired games of 254, 242 and 245 for a 741 set and finished the night with a 1,432 six-game score to take honors.

    For the women, Guyla Streit, no stranger to high scores, rolled a 664 in Little's MixMasters, which included a 664 game.

    Other scores worth mentioning included a nice 707, turned in by Drew Wanner in Murph's Wednesday Men's League. Wanner's set included games of 262 and 244.

    Gale Swanson continued his hot hand with a 686 set at the Elks, while Don White totaled 247 and a four-game 991 in Pin & Cue's 535 League.

    Nobi Sirucek had the women's high on the westside with a 607, with games of 227 and 224, also in the Monday 535.

    Curt Backa, when not keeping tabs on the hurricanes badgering his home state of Louisiana, is a Tribune sports and news copy editor and resident bowling mook. Backa pens a weekly bowling column during the season and can be reached at 791-6569, (800) 438-6600 or e-mailed at cbacka@greatfal.gannett.com

    Here are the rest of last week's honor scores:

    Little's Lanes

    Women's scores

    Monday Ladies Classic — Debbie Skinner 203, Deb Geiger 222, Tammy Cady 206

    Casino — Autumn Salvage 198(+66), Pam Brendgord 234, Judy Jackson 225, Lynn Naylor 600 series, Sheila Bender 184(+56), Terry Tobiness 204

    Tuesday Mixed — Bobi Brown 173(+50), Janet Myers 194(+51)

    Wednesday A.M. Trio — Donna Wingard 223, Sharon Yaeger 199(+61)

    A to Z — Connie Thompson made the 8-10 split; Wauneata Gehrke coverted the 5-7-9 split

    MixMasters — Barb Lankford 207, Guyla Streit 245-219-664, Karin Osborn 244-223-637, Teresa Solomon 238

    Thursday Mixed — Patty Curry 210-200

    Little's Classic — Doris Kimmerle 230, Nadine Symons converted the 5-7 split

    Satellite Mixed — Theresa Schreder 211

    Men's scores

    Casino — Mark Pettis 245-239-666, Robby Jackson 227-239-671, Tarl Dixon 231-227

    Tuesday Mixed — Bill Claassen 201(sr.), Ed Archey 223(sr.), Norm Miller 236-226-674, Tim Drazich 244

    Little's City — Elwood Sayler 203(sr.), Howard Clodfelter 234, Keith Hayes 230, Keith Kercher 245, Mark Schwantes 220(+85), Ron Fleming 226-657, Ross Bartell 235, Sergio Carrion 234

    MixMasters — Bob Orham 226, Brian Christianson 226-227-656, Chuck Lull 225, Donnie Zuhoski 254, Mel Willey 244-672, Mike Bowles 225-235, Mike Carrethers 233, Paul Dehn 234-226-652, Rich Crawford 225, Rick Cummings 231, Terry Pearsall 237

    Business House — B. Mook 233, Erik Onsager 192(+62)-540(+150), Kyle Grossman 249-226-660, Pat Terry 225

    725 Classified — Dale Owen 233, Glenn Jeffrey III 243, Hank Rimkus 248-650, Mel Willey 259, Mike Carrethers 279-225-673, Paul Dehn 231, Rod Hackett 226, Ron Underwood 237, Scott Craig 246

    Utility — Adam Thoroughman 232, Doug Cox 243-655, Larry DeBolt 250, Norm Miller 268, Rick Suek 236

    Straight-A-Way — Bernie K. Dickman 259-229-680, Brad Harthun 265, Dan Jackson 256, John Balzarini 237-222, Mike Carrette 258-267-268-748-1,411(6), Mike Christensen 245, Ron Corkin 226-266-683, Willie McGee 254-242-245-268-741-1,432(6)

    Satellite Mixed — Cory Arps 227, Don Jordan 230, Jack Patton 229, Kyle Grossman 267-698, Mel Willey 231-228, Mike Arps 258, Ron Hensley 200(+59)

    Little's Seniors — Andy Anderson 225(+105), Cal Hering 233-237-634, Chet Knab 202, Dave Shadrick 241, Dennis Smrdel 242-203-628, Kay Kinzinger 202, Rod Hackett 217, Wes Martin 277-613

    Murph's

    Intramural — Crystal Martinich 215, Amanda Steffani 200, Al Roberts 203(sr.)

    Wednesday Men — Scott Thompson 248, Shane Brown 225, Kiel Brown 225, Lucas Cyr 236, Steven Ketterling 241, Drew Wanner 262-244-707, Jim Chaisson 234, Larry Taylor 225-247, Stephen James 234

    Thursday SkyRaiders — Linda Broughton made the 2-10 split; Sharon Gribble converted the 5-10 split

    Friday Alibi — John Brus 222-224(sr.), David Amdahl 253-235-677, Ron Miller 225

    Black Eagle Lanes

    Women's scores

    Friday Fallouts — Roxie Foster 220, Stretch Richards 208

    Black Eagle Seniors — Mary Reuter 190

    Tuesday 55 Club — Betty Butler 195(+63)

    Men's scores

    Friday Fallouts — Corey Johnson 179(+53)

    Black Eagle Seniors — Frank Thompson 226

    Aces High/Malmstrom

    Thursday Mixed Doubles — Larry Morris 231-236-671, Mary Shampo 215, Robby Robinson 256, Jerry Rangitsch 245

    Elks

    Women's scores

    Jack & Jill — Sandi Woolsey 203

    Elks Seniors — Barbara Bessler 189(+55)

    Thursday Ladies — Karin Osborn 225-204-614, Lauretta Gifford 209

    Friday Mixed — Lisa Dunn 205-204, Jan Green 190(+82)-428(+104)

    Sunday Early Birds — Becky Carter 236

    Men's scores

    Tuesday Men — Wayne Maurer 232, Jim Rothweiler 228, Bob Michalies 212(+50), Myrle Gollaher 209(+62), Eugene Leafty 205(+70)

    Bull Elks — Gale Swanson 258-661, Norm Miller 246-225-686, Jim Pickering 237, Ron Kimball 209(+52), Dave Sand 202(+57)

    Elks Seniors — Dave Shadrick 231-600, Don Thrush 231-606, Roy Curtis 217, Jim Remsh 206, Fred Rubino 203

    Sunday Early Birds — Bob Standley 248-236-656, Chuck Martin 233-232-655

    Snowy Lanes/Lewistown

    Women's scores

    Tuesday Skyliners — Karin Longshore 212-601

    Wednesday Ladies — Lois Smith 179(+53)

    Wednesday Pinetoppers — Karin Longshore 201, Sue Hicks 177(+53)

    Thursday Money — Cherie Errecart 233-600, Fran Coats 210

    Sunday Mixed — Phyllis Hall 182(+62)

    Men's scores

    Tuesday Skyliners — Tim Anthony 219(+54)

    Thursday Seniors — Bill Baldwin 219, Babe Ermundson 200

    Thursday Money — Rex Coleman 236, Bob Hanson 232, Bill Munich 211(+54)

    Pin & Cue

    Women's scores

    Friday Mixed — Shanna Konesky 209

    535 — Nobi Sirucek 227-224-607

    Thursday Leftovers — Mary Orham 202

    MFCU — Terry Cross 200

    Wednesday Mixed — Kristin Girres 202

    Ladies Nite Out — Misti Bowles 234

    Men's scores

    Friday Men — Jeff Dennen 235

    Friday Mixed — Richard Marten 237, Drew Wanner 228

    MFCU — Adam Henley 228, Nathan Beebe 200

    Monday 535 — Arnie Judd 276, Tank Judd 245-852(4), Joe Skaggs 241-237-256-887(4), Don White 247-991(4)