September 5, 2008
By: Mark Martin
FIVE
ELECTED TO DETROIT BOWLING HALL OF FAME
The
Detroit Bowling Hall of Fame Committee, a committee of the Metro Detroit USBC
Association (MDUSBC), has elected five new members to its Hall of Fame and named
three others for special awards. This will increase the number of hall of fame
members to 221.
Lisa
Bishop of Belleville, Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford Township, Kenneth Wyatt of
Sterling Heights, Robert Stempien of Wyandotte and Margaret (Libbi) Fletcher of
Warren earned their place in the prestigious hall. Matt Fiorito of Grosse Ile,
Roger Philipi of
Bishop
has been an outstanding performer beginning as a youth bowler and continuing
until this day. As a youth bowler she earned the “Star of Tomorrow” award
from the Michigan Women’s Bowling Association.
As
a member of the Detroit Women’s Bowling Association she had a high average of
228, won four team titles, two singles title and three all-events titles.
Additionally she won a WIBC team title in 1995 with the Contour Power Grips
team.
In
1995 as a member of Team
In
2000 she rolled a 757 series as a member of the All Star Grille team which set
the then record 3,600 series for a five-woman team. The series still stands as
the second highest all time series by five women bowlers.
In
2002 she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Bowling Association Hall of
Fame. She won the state singles one time and was on the championship state team
three times.
As
a professional she won four titles and was named Rookie of the Year in 1997.
She
boasts 16 career 300 games and four 800 series with a high of 834.
Austreng
has been elected in the men’s performance category. His impressive resume
includes two Detroit Masters titles in 2005 and 2007 and the Michigan Masters
title in 2008.
He
has been selected to the All-City first team twice and second team twice. He was
named Rookie of the Year in the 2001-2002 season in the Detroit All Star
Traveling Classic.
In
Michigan Majors competition he has two titles including the Championship
Tournament in 2000.
In
1999 Austreng rolled a perfect 300 game at the ABC Championships in
His
high lifetime league average is 243 in the 2005-06 season. He has 48 300 games
and 23 800 series including a 879, which is tied for the all time best three
games series in Detroit.
Wyatt
has been a stellar performer in local elite competition for over 20 years
recording his first 300 game in 1985.
He
posted a lifetime high average of 236 in the 2007-08 season. He has 37 career
300 games and 28 career 800 series including a high of 874 in 1990.
In
tournament competition he has won seven Michigan Majors titles and was inducted
into the Michigan Majors Hall of Fame in 1997. He was the Michigan Majors Bowler
of the Year in 1990.
He
won the
Wyatt
has been named to the All-City first team four times and the second team four
times.
He
has bowled in 20 ABC / USBC Open Championships with a lifetime average over 200.
Stempien
enters the hall in the Veteran’s Category. His accomplishments include 18 300
games and three 800 series including a high of 815 in 1983.
He
earned two first team All-City nods and one second team.
He
won seven Michigan Majors titles between 1985 and 1988, was named Bowler of the
Year in 1985 and elected into the Michigan Majors Hall of Fame in 1991.
He
won the Detroit Masters in 1983, team titles in 1983 and 1986 and all-events in
1986.
Fletcher
earned election by virtue of her service to the sport on a local and national
level.
Fletcher
joined the Board of Directors of the Detroit Women’s Bowling Association in
1985 and thus began her journey to the hall.
She
served on the DWBA Board for 21 years until the formation of the Metro Detroit
USBC Association as director and First Vice-President.
She
was honored as 2005 Woman of the Year by the DWBA.
She
served on the WIBC Board of Directors from 2002 until 2006 with various
committee assignments including strategic planning, certification review,
collegiate, transition and bowling technology task force.
Once
the United States Bowling Congress was formed Fletcher was instrumental in the
formation of the MDUSBC serving as the Transition Board chairperson. She was
elected the first President of MDUSBC in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008 for
another two-year term.
In
2007 she was appointed to the USBC Board of Directors and serves on the Bowling
Foundation Board, national policy manual committee and awards and recognition
committee.
She
has bowled in 27 consecutive city, state and national tournaments and has
organized squads in each for the past 20 years.
In
2001 she won the Pontiac Women’s Bowling Association doubles title.
Matt
Fiorito will be honored with the Thomas W. McKay Award for a lifetime of service
to the sport of bowling.
Roger
Philipi, will receive the Judge Watts Award for making outstanding contributions
to the promotion of bowling.
Mark
Voight will receive the George Prybyla Industry Award presented for someone
involved in the ownership or management of a bowling center that has contributed
to the promotion of the sport.
Induction
ceremonies will take place Sunday, November 16, 2008 at DeCarlo’s Banquet and
Convention Center,
------
HONOR SCORES
300
Games
Date,
Name, Hometown, Center, League
Aug.
27, Larry Collins,
Aug.
28, Karen Martin, New
Aug.
28, John Nolen,
Sept.
2, Thomas Tubbs Sr.,
800
Series
Mark Martin writes a weekly bowling column for The Daily Oakland Press and is the association manager of the Metro Detroit USBC Association. He can be reached at (248) 443-2695, faxed at (248) 443-2690 or e-mailed at mark.martin@mdusbc.com.