It was a weekend when a local duo captured an elusive title, a bowler avenged a stunning loss from a year ago, and a pair of Great Falls bowlers displayed kegling perfection in the Eagle Beverage 40/90 Doubles and Over 40 Singles Classics at Little's Lanes.
For the last few years Tom Brendgord and Duane Zeier have been knocking on the door trying to win a 40/90 Doubles championship.
On Sunday the duo walked right through the door, winning their first-ever title with a convincing 225-173 victory over Great Falls' Bruce Steffani and Helena's John Brodersen in the championship match.
"We finally won this thing," said Brendgord, who has qualified for the stepladder the last four years.
"Tom and I bowl really well together and we always cash in this tourney," said Zeier. "This year we finally won."
"If it hadn't been for Duane," said Brendgord, "I would have been in the middle of the pack.
"He must have averaged close to 250 today. He really bowled well."
The pair collected $1,010 for their efforts and were part of three and half local doubles teams to make the finals.
In Saturday's singles, Butte's Mark Hodges, who got beat in the 2008 final by a 300 thrown by Calgary's Jack Guay, came back in 2009 to capture his first-ever Over 40 Singles title.
Hodges outlasted Great Falls' Steve Martin 258-247 in the title match of the stepladder. Martin had to beat Hodges twice in the double-elimination format, and succeeded in the first match 206-182, but the talented Mining City southpaw wasn't about to let history happen again.
Hodges, who joins a select group who have won both the doubles and singles tourneys, pocketed $600 for the win. Martin, who bowled a 300 in Saturday's qualifying, took home $417.
Martin's 300 was his 10th of his career and matches the number of 800s the former PBA tour player has rolled.
"I really struggled wanting to bowl another 300," said Martin. "I was the only one I knew who had more 800 series than 300 games."
Ron Simonsen also tossed a 300 in Saturday's qualifying, the third of his career.
"Somehow, I always seem to bowl really good here," said Simonsen. "This weekend was no different."
In other matches in the doubles stepladder, the Billings' pair of Dave Winslow and Stu Summers opened the finals with a 230-149 victory over Martin and Paul Dehn.
Winslow and Summers then got past Great Falls' Mike Arps and Steve Volk, 202-158, before tasting defeat at the hands of Brendgord and Zeier, 193-173.
In the championship match of the doubles, Brendgord and Zeier faced a pair of multiple winners of this event in Steffani and Brodersen, who were teaming up for the first time.
After opening with a miss in the first frame, Brendgord and Zeier combined for a turkey in the Baker-style alternating frame format to put the pressure on early.
Steffani, uncharacteristically put his team in a deep hole, opening in both the fourth and sixth frame with splits.
Brendgord and Zeier stayed clean with marks and the twosome closed out the match with four strikes in a row.
"They (Steffani and Brodersen) beat us pretty bad in the position round on lanes 3 and 4," said Brendgord. "I was thankful we didn't bowl the final on those two lanes."
Saturday's singles drew 59 entries and it took a five-game 206.4 average or 34-over to qualify in the top 24 and match play.
A total of 29 doubles teams bowled on Sunday, the top eight duos cashed.
In rare bowling news out of Hi-Line Lanes out of Havre, Kelly Olson set a new house record throwing a stunning 822 series in last week's Monday Straight Away League.
Olson, formerly of Fort Benton, reeled off games of 265, 279, and 278 and then added a 246 for a four-game 1,068.
Olson's 822 breaks Rusty Hostettler's old record of 787, bowled around 1977.
Two weeks ago, Olson, who just turned 21, rolled his third 300 game of his career.
Leonard Peterson had one of those dream nights in last Monday's 535 League at Pin & Cue.
Peterson put together games of 245, 278 and 231 for a big 754 series, which led the week.
The westside house contributed both leaders last week as Linda Michel led the women with a 626 series, on games of 234, 207 and 214.
At Little's, Lucas Cyr's 679, on games of 244 and 247, was high for the men. Cyr was bowling in the popular Straight-A-Way PBA Experience league.
For the women, Max Frank's 236 game earns honors.
Dan Jackson, bowling in the Tuesday Men's League, fired a 254 game and 683 series to lead the men at the Elks. Lauretta Gifford's 215 game and 600 set was high for the women.
Here are the rest of last week's honor scores from an abbreviated holiday week:
Snowy Lanes / Lewistown
Women's scores:
Mon. Fresh Air: Dorothy Taylor 201
Tue. Trio:Stacy Danzer 211
Tue. Skyliners: Dorothy Taylor 226-576(+162), Kelly Bracha 200
Men's scores:
Mon. Commercial: Tyler Thomas 245, Merl Coats 231, Glenn Roberts 224(+62), Tim Thomas 224(+51)
Tue. Trio: Don Houser 213(+69)
Tue. Skyliners: Tim Anthony 218(+55), Rick Fulbright 193(+52)-535(+112)
Little's Lanes / Great Falls
Women's scores
Senior Citizens —Shirley Christianson 202.
Monday Ladies Classic— Pat Hilgendorf 207, Tami Nardinger 184 + 53, Pam Bigelow 229, Marlene Samuels 176 + 51, Tracy Eisenbarth 201.
Casino League— Vicky Carroll converted 5-7 split, Terry Tobiness 223.
Tuesday Night Mixed— Laurie Ueland 201, Roxie Arps 215.
Wednesday A.M. Trio— Max Frank 236.
Straight-A-Way (PBA Experience) — Doris Kimmerle 215.
Satellite Mixed— Jackie Graham 202.
Men's scores
Senior Citizens— Roger Sherman 234, Ed Dobeas 214, Darwin Reeve 242 - 606, Leonard Buls 224, 223 - 623, Steve Lyczewski 208, 205, 236 - 649, Dennis Smrdel 205, Jim Pickering 246 - 605, Bob Chesko 201, Al Decker 233, Wendell Pexk 194 + 60, Dale Sirucek 213, Roger Deitz 208, Jim A. Miller 215.
Casino League— Roger Deitz (sr) 204, 201, 219 - 624, John Dixon 236.
Tuesday Night Mixed— Mike Agamenoni 199 + 57.
Little's City— Ron Fleming (sr) 207, Frank Blaney (sr) 218, Howard Clodfelter (sr) 236, 226 - 644, Steve Krattiger 245, 233 - 678, Trevor Cummings 243, Paul Porter 165 + 51, Fred Bigelow 235, Curby Dennis (sr) 213.
Straight-A-Way (PBA Experience) — Willie McGee (sr) 203, 226, 222 - 1002 (5), Don White (sr) 201, 226, Mike Christensen 255, 233, Wayne Quinby (sr) 215, 215, Lucas Cyr 244, 247 - 679 - 1108 (5), Bruce Stefffani 245 - 1016 (5), Steve Martin 232, 244, 254 - 660 - 1158 (5), Bob Orham (sr) 209, 202, Eric Crawford 274, 246 - 1027 (5), Pat Terry (sr) 204, Paul Dehn 267, 247 - 1075 (5).
Satellite Mixed— Matt Ramsted 235, Abe Zigan 226, Bernie K. Dickman 241, Jo Ovalle (sr) 220, Greg Romanchuk 221 + 51, Mike Sharp 232, Lucas Cyr 242 - 661, Brian Cook 258, 226 - 652, Mike Arps 225, Hank Rimkus (sr) 216, Mike Feller 224 + 62.
Elks Lanes / Great Falls
Women's scores
Jack & Jill Mixed— Sheila Brady 219, Amber Pedersen 219, Lauretta Gifford 215-600.
Men's scores
Jack & Jill Mixed Monday Night: Steve Vernon 243; Rod Hackett(sr) 225/221/638; Bob Dompier 234; Jerry Brown(sr) 220/216.
Tuesday Nite Mens: Al Ridder 257(+53); Dan Jackson 254(+76)/246/683(+149); Ken Ferguson 248/227/651; Jack Anderson(sr) 245/201/645; Bill Brown(sr) 215; 241/602; Lee LeVeque(sr) 225; Mel Wardell(sr) 214; Rod Hackett(sr) 243/204/615; Norm Miller(sr) 243(+58)/203618; Darwin Reeve(sr) 202; Dennis Vandenberg 231(+50)/213/642; Ron Harris 227(+63); Bob Rioux(sr) 226; Vince Geocke(sr) 225; Shane Brown 225; Aaron Paul(sr) 210; Dave Woolsey(sr) 205; Ed Buresh(sr) 200.
Murph's Party Bowl / Great Falls
Christian Intramural— David Amdahl 205, Lewis Zanto 232, Del Erickson 200-222 (sr.), Tom Fundis 203
Friday Alibi— Del Erickson 211 (sr.), Jim Miller 218-223 (sr.), Al Debortoli 213 (sr.), Terry Brus 237, John Windler 201 (sr.)
Black Eagle Lanes / Great Falls
Monday Volunteers— Jim Miller 209 (+52)
Black Eagle Bums— Tony Forster 229, Chet Pietrykowski 174 (+57)
Pin & Cue / Great Falls
Women's scores
Sunday Mixed— Linda Michel 234-207-214-626
Monday 535— Nobi Sirucek 224, Pamela Bentley 203
Men's scores
Sunday Mixed— Leonard Peterson 205 (sr.), Don White 211 (sr.)
Monday 535— Dan Woodcock 208-209-213-630 (sr.), Leonard Peterson 245-278-231-754-959, Steve Edwards 238, Randy Guill 232, Les Bruner 226, Chuck Lull 223 (sr.), Mike Bowles 224-204-211-639 (sr.)
Friday Mixed— Mick Brown 235-604 (sr.), Bill Sybrant 200 (sr.), Joe Smith 232
Curt Backa, not last and certainly not first in Saturday's Over-40 Singles, is a Tribune sports copy editor and resident bowling scribe. Backa, who again lost the chance to become best media bowler to radio's Scott Hirschi, can be reached at 791-6569, 800 438-6600 or e-mailed at cbacka@gft.com