Big Sandy's Jim LaBuda brought in a little end-of-the-season bowling excitement last Monday night.

LaBuda, bowling in the Monday Men's League at Pep's Lane, rolled his first-career 300 game. It was the third ever recorded in the Hill County house.

"I was pretty excited that night," said LaBuda Monday afternoon. "And I'm still pretty excited today."

"I played the 5-board all night and never had to make a move," said LaBuda. "My shot at an 800 pretty well went away when I opened up the third game with a big split."

He turned in an impressive 10 strikes in the first game, then had 12 more in the second and eight in the third.

th

LaBuda, whose previous high game was a 299 — when he left the 7-pin in the 12— wasn't nearly as nervous this time on his final ball of the 300 game.

"Everybody stopped to watch and to make matters worse the lane next to me broke down and I had to wait five minutes before I could throw the last ball," said LaBuda. "It was just more time to get me even more nervous."

Not to worry, LaBuda laced the pocket to record the elusive 300.

LaBuda's younger brother, Jerry, and Kenny Martin have also rolled 300 games at Pep's. Jerry tossed his in 2000 and Martin was the first to record a perfect game at the center in 1993.

THE BUTTE HIGH girls captured their third straight Montana High School state bowling championship Sunday at Little's Lanes.

The Bulldog girls beat out Great Falls High in the 3-on-3 matchup.

On the boys' side, Helena High outpinned Butte High and Missoula Big Sky for the team championship.

In the singles, Butte's Chris Doyle turned in a 796 over four games to claim the boys' title, while Butte High's Amanda Mulcahy totaled 784 to win the girls' championship. Mulcahy beat a trio of Great Falls High girls, including Joleen Martinich, who was second with a 755; Hillary Vukasin, who was third with a 735, and Marynda Martinich, who tied Hardin's Joelle Link for fourth with 694 scores.

GREAT FALLS' SHAWNA LANE rolled a 10-game total of 1,852 to finish as the top Montana bowler at the USBC Queen's Tournament in Detroit.

Lane averaged 185 to finish 167th after two five-game rounds at Super Bowl Lanes in greater Detroit.

After 10 games, the field was cut to the top 100. It took a 191 average or a 1,917 total to qualify for Monday's third round.

Billings' Julie Redfern was 191st with an 1,824. Great Falls' Doris Kimmerle was 247th with a 1,758 and Fort Benton's Guyla Streit was 327th with a 1,530.

The top five after Monday and Tuesday's match play will bowl for the title Tuesday night at 5 p.m. Those matches will be televised on ESPN2.

REGRETABLY, THIS WILL be the last bowling column of the season. But I will be keeping a close eye on events in both Missoula and Butte during the final weeks of the open and women's state tournaments. Also, don't forget the hall of fame banquet, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Knights of Columbus in Great Falls.

Here are last week's honor scores from around the region:

Little's Lanes / Great Falls

Women's scores

Little's Seniors— Della Johnson 202

Tuesday Afternoon Trio— Max Frank 200

Casino League— Pam Brendgord 204, Moe Gipson 168 (+55), Terry Tobiness 233, Doris Kimmerle 234

Men's scores

Little's Seniors— Jim Pickering 204-206-601, Bill Claassen 214, Dennis Smrdel 232, Roger Sherman 200, Pat Terry 245, Dick Gipe 213, Boyd Wolverton 224, Rod Hackett 213, Leonard Buls 240, Dave Shadrick 211, Chuck Dailey 200, Darwin Reeve 242-608

Casino League— Vance Weckworth 211-201-603 (sr.), Bruce Hruska 278-257-740

Tuesday Night Mixed— Rex Sonsteng 225, Tony Degele 224-211-606

Little's City— Louis D'Antouno 244, Fred Bigelow 244, Howard Clodfelter 226-245-665, James Livingston 244

725 Classified— Mike Carrethers 251, Mike Arps 235, Wes Baker 224 (sr.), Al Pearsall 246-214-205-665, Tom Brendgord 275-238-737, Jack Lien 237-231-236-704, Mike Christensen 236-247-662, Mel Willey 245, Bruce Hruska 247-226-678, Carl Conte 236-661, Tom Balzarini 225, Doug Yates 232-226, Scott Craig 236-236, Glenn Jeffrey III 230

Park Lanes / Browning

Monday Night Trio— Larry Woolf 254-233, Carl Arnoux 247-246-227-876 (4)

Thursday Mixed— Karla Fitzpatrick 203

Thursday Men —Casper Rutherford 246-231-873 (4), Marc White 246, Carl Arnoux 235-227-865 (4)

Snowy Lanes / Lewistown

Women's scores

Monday Doubles— Norma Monfils 167 (+64)

Tuesday Trio— Carol Strander 211

Tuesday Skyliners— Karin Longshore 214

Thursday Money— Cherie Errecart 211

Men's scores

Monday Commercial— Fred Wood 259

Monday Doubles— Gary Mane 245-659

Tuesday Skyliners— Tim Norling 196 (+74)-490 (+124)

Thursday Seniors— Bill Baldwin 210, Jim Duncan 200, Floyd Jenni 164 (+48)

Thursday Money— Rod Wesselmann 221 (+59)

Thursday Merchant— John McBurney 218 (+57), Wes Ehlert 199 (+53), John Johnson 181 (+53)

Curt Backa, more worse than wear after his state tourney journey, is a Tribune sports and news copy editor and resident bowling malcontent. Backa can be reached at 791-6569, 800 438-6600 or e-mailed at cbacka@greatfallstribune.com