USBC decision keeps bowlers on homefront

by Curt Backa

5-4-2010

And one bowler has to stay home.

I don't often criticize decisions made by the Montana USBC, but its decision to go from five down to four bowlers per team for next year's state tourney in Helena puzzles me.

When the decision was made I did not say much about it, until I could get some of the reasons why the change was needed.

To facilitate the open tourney being held in one house, the 24-lane Sleeping Giant Lanes, the state board decided to hold both the doubles and singles at the same time along with the team. It would be more feasible to drop down to four-person teams so shifts could end at approximately the same time.

Thus it would keep the number of weekends the tournament would run down to the minimum.

My question is why can't the doubles and singles shifts alternate with the team shifts? Bowl a full shift of 24 teams, followed by a full shift of doubles and singles. This would also keep the number of weekends down.

So you can't bowl back-to-back team shifts, which has always been popular, but allowances have to be made.

When the women switched to four-person teams a few years ago, the participation fell dramatically.

Another question, why are we eliminating bowlers? As an example, 500 teams times five is 2,500 bowlers compared to 500 teams times four which is 2,000.

And that is not counting the bowler that has to stay home, which by my estimate could be another 500 bowlers if 500 teams entered the state tourney.

We should be promoting our tournaments and trying to draw as many bowlers as we possibly can.

A good example of that is this year's tourney in Billings where entries are being taken up until Sunday, May 9 — four weekends into the event.

Board member Tom Brendgord, who recently moved from Great Falls to Billings, understands the dilemma but sides with the decision.

"We don't need to run the tournament anymore weekends than we have to," said Brendgord. "It's hard to get volunteers to help as it is."

My solution is to have board members — or capable representatives —from the local associations fill in a shift or two while they are bowling in the state tournament.

I fully understand how exhausting and demanding holding a six or seven-week tournament can be. Ask for some help.

I would be very happy to help out a shift or two.

Brendgord believes that the shift to four-person teams may only be for next year, but my feeling once the move has been

made it would be difficult to go back to five-member teams.

I believe that decision can be looked at again in this fall's USBC Jamboree weekend. Make your feelings known — one way or another — to your local state board representative, sorry Fred Sadler.

  • Here is an update on Bozeman's Karen Bockemuehl's run in last week's USBC Senior Queens Tournament in El Paso, Texas.

    Bockemuehl, who finished 25th in qualifying, advanced into the match-play rounds and opened with a 568-499 victory over Lisa Wasson of Murphy, Texas.

    In the next round, Boekemuehl fell to Florida's Barbara Batt, 675-624.

    In that match Boekemuehl tossed a 158 in her second game. "I had two pretty good games to go with that one," she said.

    That sent Boekemuehl into the loser's bracket where she faced Shelley West of Omaha, Nebraska.

    West ended Boekemuehl's run with a lopsided 696-513 victory.

    "I would prefer the matches to last only two games," Boekemuehl said. "Sometimes you have to wait up until an hour and half before you bowl again.

    "You can get pretty stiff waiting."

    Boekemuehl was the only Montana bowler competing in the senior event.

    "I absolutely loved it," said Boekemuehl. "It was my first senior Queens ever and I had a blast and made a lot of new friends."

    It didn't hurt that she bowled well.

    Boekemuehl was unsure of what place she finished but she will be receiving a pretty sizeable check in the next couple of days that will tell her how she stood.

    Char Hammel of Las Vegas won the senior crown.

    Besides Boekemuehl, Montana was represented in the regular Queens portion of the tournament by Helena's Michelle Anderson and Terri Johnson, Great Falls' Doris Kimmerle and Billings' Julie Redfern.

    Kelly Kulick went from fifth to first defeating Tennelle Milligan, 232-188, in the championship match to capture the Queens crown.

    • Unfortunately, this is the last column of the season, but I will be keeping up with the happenings in both Anaconda and Billings for the next few weeks as well as any other significant bowling news that may cross my desk.

    I thank Don Jordan, Kay Kinzinger, Linda Willson, J.W. Eaton, Nate Beebe, Rex Coleman and Wayne Quinby for their help in providing me the scores each week. I couldn't have done it without you.

    Curt Backa, a proud member of the Bowling Writers Association of America, is a Tribune sports writer, copy editor and kegling scribe during the season. Backa can be reached at 791-6569, 800 438-6600 or e-mailed at cbacka@greatfallstribune.com

    Until next season.

    Here is the final wrap up of scores:

    Little's Lanes

    Women's scores

    Tuesday Spring Mixed— Kristen Dehn 249, 222, 253 - 724, Karen Arps 201.

    A to Z— Veronica Myre 192 +59.

    725 Classified— Kristen Dehn 203, Jackie Graham 211, Tracey Halman 202.

    Thursday Night Mixed— Patty Curry 268-607.

    Men's scores

    Tuesday Spring Mixed— Mike Carrethers (sr) 223 - 607, Steve Volk 226, 235, 244 - 705, Gary Willits (sr) 236, 205 - 624.

    725 Classified— Mearl Christianson (sr) 205, Rich Crawford 256-679, Fred Sadler (sr) 202, Ron Corkin 235, Jim Kernaghan 234, Kyle Wheatley 267, Mel Willey 225, Al Pearsall (sr) 212, 222-611, Willie McGee (sr) 208, 245-623, Dan Schaaf 246-675, Duane Zeier 268, 239- 724.

    Thursday Night Mixed— Ken Curry 226, Joe Paranteau 226, Todor Todorov 181 + 57.

    Straight-A-Way (PBA Experience)— Bob Orham (sr) 254, 227, Jim Pickering (sr) 201, Bruce Steffani 257, Willie McGee (sr) 202.

    Family League— Roy Hensley 185 +64, 175 +54, Tarl Dixon 235.