By:
Mark Martin
YEAR
IN REVIEW
July
– After successfully hosting the USBC Women’s Championships the Metro
Detroit area hosted the USBC Youth Championships for a two-week period. Events
included the prestigious Junior Gold Championships, Pepsi Championships and
Youth Open. Attendance records were set. Christine Bator of Warren finished
second in the Junior Gold Championships thus earning a spot on the 2009 USBC
Junior Team USA team. The PBA Tour schedule was released with Taylor Lanes
hosting an event for the 23rd year. Nick Wissinger of
Utica
won his 13th Budweiser Michigan Majors title at Five Star Lanes in
Sterling Heights
. Terry Bialkowski of
Windsor
won the National Senior Bowling Association event at Troy Lanes in
Troy
.
August
– The official start to the
Detroit
bowling season commenced with the 72nd Annual Gavie Tournament at
Thunderbowl Lanes in
Allen Park
. A longtime staple in the bowling community the event attracted 108 teams among
the largest one-day team tournaments in the country. Winners were finalized in
the USBC Women’s Championships with many local female bowlers finishing among
the tops. Ralph Jennings of
Detroit
won the NSBA event at Superbowl Lanes in
Canton
. Ken Wyatt won the MMBA event at Galaxy Lanes in Grand Blanc.
September
– The Detroit Bowling Hall of Fame Committee elected five new members. They
were Lisa Bishop of Belleville, Jeffrey Austreng of
Waterford Township, Kenneth Wyatt of Sterling Heights, Robert Stempien of
Wyandotte and Margaret (Libbi) Fletcher of Warren. Matt Fiorito of Grosse Ile,
Roger Philipi of
Ypsilanti
and Mark Voight of
Farmington Hills
will receive special awards. Chris Marshall of Mason won the MMBA event at
Royal Scot Lanes in
Lansing
. Roy Sonier of
Southgate
and John Ciantar of
Monroe
won the NSBA Doubles at Sterling Lanes in
Sterling Heights
.
October
– Troy Stus of South Lyon and Ken Lang of Eastpointe were elected to the
Michigan Majors Hall of Fame. Denny’s dropped title sponsorship of the PBA
Tour which was picked up by Lumber Liquidators.
Gemini Sports Marketing is producing the official jersey of the PBA. Dan
Mayer of
Waterford
Township
picked up his first career NSBA title with a victory over Chuck Bork of
Bay City
at Taylor Lanes in
Taylor
. Dave Tulak of
Taylor
won the MMBA event at Bay Lanes in
Bay City
. This ended a 19-year winless streak for Tulak. Paul Benedict of
Wyandotte
and Aleksandra Hudak of
Taylor
won their respective divisions in the Metro Detroit USBC Association Junior
Masters competition. Huey Herron Jr. of
Bloomfield
qualified for the 2009 USBC Junior Gold Championships in
Indianapolis
.
November
– Doug Evans of
Clinton
Township
won the MDUSBC Super Senior Masters tournament at Sterling Lanes in
Sterling Heights
with a victory over Edward Dudek of
Livonia
.
Oakland
County
was well represented led by Jim Burton of
Novi
in third place. Mark Moore and Albert Amella III of
Macomb
team up to win the Can-Am Baker Doubles event at Five Star Lanes in
Sterling Heights
. Terry Bialkowski of
Windsor
picked up his second NSBA victory in the past five months at Oak Lanes in
Westland
. Dale Strike of
Saginaw
moved from fifth place to the championship in the stepladder finals of the
Budweiser Michigan Majors Championship Tournament at Cherry Hill Lanes in
Dearborn Heights
. Terry Haines of Garden City won the inaugural MDUSBC Classic at Kingswood
Lanes in
Clinton
Township
.
December
– Michelle Sterbenz of
Brownstown
Township
prevailed in the MDUSBC Queens with a triumph over defending champion Novella
Daniels of Harper Woods at Van Dyke Bowl in
Sterling Heights
. Results were released on the 78th Annual Old Timers tournament with
William Kandilian of
Farmington Hills
as the only local keglers placing. A total of 570 bowlers participated in the
event. John Nolen of
Waterford
Township
won the PBA Regional Players Invitational in
Reno
,
Nev.
With the title comes a one-year exemption on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour
for the 2009-2010 season. Lisa McClenahan of Auburn Hills has proven that a few
aches and pains can’t keep her down as she embarks on a career year as she
posts her first career 300 game and 800 series.
Jeff
Austreng of
Waterford
Township
recorded nine 300 games in the calendar year of 2008 to pace the metro
Detroit
area. Seven of them were bowled at 300 Bowl in
Waterford
Township
and the other two at Airway Lanes in
Waterford
Township
. Second highest number of 300 games by county residents was seven by Allen
Bordui Jr. of
Hazel Park
and John Nolen of
Waterford
Township
.
Austreng
and Bordui Jr. also shot the most 800 series for 2008 with seven each.
Austreng’s top series was 857 and Bordui’s top was 837.
Eric
Tucker of
Wolverine
Lake
recorded the top series in
Oakland
County
in 2008 with 867 in the Tuesday Night Mixers at Century Bowl in
Waterford
Township
.
------
MDUSBC
MASTERS SET FOR
STERLING
LANES
The
Metro Detroit USBC Association Masters Tournament is scheduled for Sterling
Lanes in
Sterling Heights
with qualifying set for Saturday, Jan. 17.
Qualifying
will be conducted in two squads on Jan. 17. After the seven games of qualifying
is completed the top 31 players plus defending champion Kerry Kreft of Warren
will return for double elimination match play on Sunday, Jan. 18. The top eight
players after the first day of match play will come back on Saturday, Jan. 24 to
complete the competition. Matches consist of three games total pins.
First
place will pay $4,000 with $2,000 for runner-up based on 140 entries.
The
lane pattern this year was created by the Kegel Company especially for the
MDUSBC Masters. The length of the pattern is 45 feet.
Former
champions entered are Jeffrey Austreng of
Waterford
Township
(2005 and 2007), Terence Dockery of Fraser (1993), Doug Evans of
Clinton
Township
(1998), Dave Ewald of
Macomb
(2006), Ken Kossick of
Commerce
Township
(1997 and 2002) and Joe Krajenke of
Clinton
Township
(1999).
For
a complete listing of entrants visit www.mdusbc.com
under tournaments. Qualifying results will be updated on the website after each
day of competition. The graph of the lane pattern is also available on the
website.
There
are still openings for the event. The cost is $140. Contact the MDUSBC office at
(248) 443-2695 ext. 105 to enter.
Sterling
Lanes is located at
33200 Schoenherr Rd.
in
Sterling Heights
, telephone (586) 979-5200.
Turbo
2-N-1 Grips,
Red
Robin
Restaurants
of
Michigan
and Ansara's Big Boy Restaurants are co-sponsors of the MDUSBC Masters.
The
MDUSBC Masters Tournament is an USBC certified event operated by the Metro
Detroit USBC Association, the largest local association of the United States
Bowling Congress with more than 70,000 members.
------
BOWLING
ON TV THIS WEEKEND
The
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour travels to
Medford
,
Ore.
this week for the Earl Anthony Medford Classic. The telecast will be at 1 p.m.
on Sunday.
------
HONOR
SCORES
300
Games
Date,
Name, Hometown, Center, League
Jan.
8, Ryan Lash, Commerce Twp., Country Lanes, Pisgah Lodge
Jan.
8, John Sawyers,
Waterford
Twp., 300 Bowl, Thursday 3 Man Major
Jan.
8, Joseph Jacobites,
Waterford
Twp., Century Bowl, Thursday Men’s House
Jan.
8, Timothy Clement,
White
Lake
, Century Bowl, Barhoppers
Jan.
8, Matthew Bucher,
Troy
,
Detroit
Athletic Club, Thursday 5:30
Jan.
9, Andrew Lynn,
Clawson
, Universal Lanes, Metro
Detroit
Friday Night Mixed
Jan.
10, David Lezotte,
Sterling
Hts., Bowl One Lanes, Bags ‘N Balls
Jan.
11, Jeffrey Brown II,
Southfield
, Woodland Lanes, Painter’s
West Chicago
Jan.
11, Floyd Speer,
Waterford
Twp.,
Cherry Hill
Lanes North, FOE District 10 Travel
Jan.
11, Kevin Stubblefield, Auburn Hills,
Cherry Hill
Lanes North, FOE District 10 Travel
800
Series
Date, Name
(Score), Hometown, Center, League
Jan.
9, Steve Zientak (802),
Rochester
, Imperial Lanes, Imperial Friday Night Men
Jan.
10, Brian Young (813), Madison Hts., Five Star Lanes, Hits N Misses
Jan.
11, Jeffrey Brown II (803),
Southfield
, Woodland Lanes, Painter’s
West Chicago
Jan.
12, Kurt Trambley (834), Sterling Hts., Bowl One Lanes,
St.
Malachy Men’s
Jan.
13, Robert Chamberlain Jr. (803), Holly, 300 Bowl, Tuesday Shootout
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.