Perfecto, Big Sandy veteran make news

by Lee Vernoy

1-10-2012

The fun part of this week's column is where to begin. We even have another perfect game to talk about.

Bernie K. Dickman is the first bowler of the New Year to turn the trick, doing so in the Wednesday night MixMasters at Little's.

It turned out to be his only game over 200 for the evening, rolling it after games of 193 and 160 for a 653 set.

Dickman's perfecto is the 18th in the region and 17th in the city this season.

USUALLY WE DON'T MAKEmuch of a fuss when someone rolls a 670 series, but in this case we'll make an exception.

Big Sandy octogenarian Ken Darlington made his first round of the New Year a memorable one. He rolled a 210-237-223 set to finish with a 670 series.

His daughter, Jolene (Darlington) Williams, will tell you that her Dad has been bowling "ever since I can remember." For the record, Ken has been bowling in the Monday Night Men's league at Big Sandy's Pep's Lanes since 1961. He's bowled with three generations of keglers at the six-lane house.

The octogenarian will celebrate his 81st birthday February 10, so you know he's seen the evolution of the bowling ball.

"I was carrying a 184 average for a long time, but the last few years I've been going downhill as I've been getting older," Darlington said. But when asked if he has thought about giving the game up, he says: 'As long as I can do it halfway decent, I'll keep going."

He has never rolled a perfect game — his all time high is a 289 — and he's rolled in the 680's "once or twice."

JIM MCKENZIE DID ITthe hard way. The Butte kegler came up through the loser's bracket to run the table, including a two game sweep of Ted Bertrand of Billings to capture the 2012 40 and Older Scratch Classic at Little's Saturday night.

McKenzie started with a 206-170 win over Great Falls southpaw Paul Dehn, and side-stepped Billings bowler Brad Muri 210-201 before facing the last remaining unbeaten player in the double-elimination format, Bertrand.

McKenzie shot a 236 to Bertrand's 195 in the first match, then came back for a 247-172 win to secure the title.

McKinzie fattened his wallet by $600 with the win. Bertrand collected $461 as runnerup, then Muri took home $330 and Dehn won $225. A total of 57 bowlers were entered.

And, as we reported in Monday's Tribune, Al and Terry Pearsall became the first-ever father-son pairing to score a victory at the 40/90 Scratch Doubles Classic. They also did it the hard way, having to sweep the entire stepladder finals to collect the $1,070 first prize.

Just like McKenzie on Saturday, the Pearsalls had to climb the entire stepladder. They just had to do it in stereo.

AS THIS NEWSPAPERreported Monday, the legendary Don Carter passed away this past Thursday at his home in Miami, Florida. He was 85 years old.

Known as "Mr. Bowling," Carter established himself as the game's original superstar by rolling five 800 series, 13 perfect games and six 299s, in a day when the balls were made of either rubber or hardened plastic. Long before the days of million-dollar endorsements, Carter was the first pro athlete in any sport to sign a $1M pact with bowling ball manufacturer Ebonite in 1964.

A six-time Bowler of the Year, Carter was a famous before the days of Chris Schenkel, Bo Burton, and the Pro Bowlers' Tour on ABC-TV, plying his trade on shows like "Make That Spare" and "Championship Bowling" with fellow greats like Ray Bluth, Carmen Salvino, and the late Dick Weber. He would form the PBA Tour in 1958, watching it grow from three tournaments in 1959 to a nationally televised 32-event barnstorming tour in 1962.

In addition to two wives in the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame — ex-wife LaVerne Haverly and his widow, Paula Sperber — Carter himself is a charter member of the PBA Hall of Fame as well as the American Bowling Congress HOF.

Don Carter helped take our sport with its jargon and idiosyncrasies and placed it in our living rooms at a time when bowling alleys across the nation were flourishing. And he did it all in black and white.

THERE WERE NO SERIESof 700 or over anywhere in the region to start 2012. Snowy Lanes' manager Rex Coleman almost qualified for a "nobody shoots a 699," but fell a stick short in the Monday double's league. Bernie K., of course, gets men's high game honors. Kristen Dehn gets high honors for women with a 244 single and 665 set.

Congrats also to Gloria Johnson, who rolled an 168 All-Spare game to start the New Year, and to second-year bowler Kathy Harrington, with an 84 triplicate that matched her average.

Just a couple of blocks to the south at the Elks Club, Wayne Maurer scored a nice 258 in the Tuesday Men's circuit, but Steve Vernon's 659 in the Friday Night Mixed gets the high series nod. For the women, we have a tie: Lauretta Gifford and Bev James both rolled games of 205.

Up in Fort Benton, Cameron Tuss came oh-so-close at Jack's Lanes ... leaving the 2-pin on his final ball to finish with a 299 game and 692 series to pace the men. Guyla Streit gets the women's nod, shooting at 224 and 603. Linda Willson reminds us that the last time the Fort Benton house saw two perfectos, it was during the 2002 City Tournament. Hmmm ... 10 years ago this month.

Patti Sweeney of Pro Alley Sports Bowl in Belt says: "I'm not sure what you put splits in, but Lauree Ferda picked up the 4-7-10 (Thursday) night." I'm not so sure either, Patti ... but I'll get back with you. Oh, Dave Anderson shot the high game with a 237.

Going back to Snowy Lanes, Dave Pillar shot the men's high game of 280, while Terri Waltari blistered the house with a 212 single and a 607 set.

K-Lines in Rudyard sent us a year-ender for 2011's final week. Dan Hybner cranked out the men's high mark of 279 and tied with Darby Ditmar for top series with a 641. Adria Hind's 179 game was tops for the women.

And in Cut Bank, Glacier Lanes reports a 259 game and 645 set from J.W. Eaton.