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Drew Beierlein opened the defense of his title in the seventh annual Florida Senior All-Star Match-Play Championships on Friday at Sunshine Bowl.
Beierlein, of St.Petersburg, limped into his double-elimination competition against Kent Worrall, still recovering from a broken ankle that kept Beierlein out of action for more than five months.
Today's semifinals are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., with the finals at 11:30. There were 49 entries, which began the eliminations April 17. The winner receives $750.Other opening-round matches had Ed Duer against Don Kiger, Bob Burns battling Clay Hatfield and Jerry Koenig facing John Werner. Kiger was sixth last year and Hatfield third. Koenig recently moved to the Clearwater area after a long career as ABC general counsel, FIQ president and USA Bowling executive director.
ABC UPDATE: Milwaukee's Robin Crawford shot the highest series ever by a woman in the 101st American Bowling Congress Championships at National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., on Monday.
Crawford, originally from Canada, posted 774 in Regular Singles, moving into third place. She had 268, 228 and 278 games.
Crawford, marketing manager for the Young American Bowling Alliance, was the Canadian woman bowler of the year in 2001 and '02 and last season owned the country's highest Sport Bowling average by a woman (203.17).
She was a member of the Morehead (Ky.) State University team and the collegiate rookie of the year in 1998. She was a National Collegiate Bowling Association first-team All-American in 1998 and 2001. Along the way, her teams won titles in 1998 and 2000.
IMPORTANT VOTE: The ABCWIBC plan of merger vote by WIBC delegates is Wednesday at their annual convention in Wichita, Kan.
The plan, if approved by the WIBC, would merge the ABC, WIBC, YABA and USA Bowling into one organization called the United States Bowling Congress.
ABC delegates have voted, and the results are sealed until the WIBC votes are announced. A two-thirds majority by WIBC delegates is required for adoption.
LANGTON THIRD: Seminole's Richard Langton finished third in the PBA South Regional Tournament at Lakeland last Sunday. He tied for fifth in the regional at Tampa's Florida Lanes on April 11.
Tampa's Tony Brooks won the Lakeland event. New Port Richey's Steve Hoskins, a 10-time tour winner, was fifth.
Orlando's Kendra Gaines cashed in at the Canton, Ga., regional two weeks ago and finished 160th at Lakeland in her third regional.
GALANTE TOPS: Palm Harbor's Ashly Galante, 15, the youngest competitor in the U.S. National Amateur Championships in January, gathered three more local titles recently.
Galante won the Scott Russell Junior Gold League girls championship at Countryside Lanes with a 649 series and 183 average. Plus her squad, with Andrew Owens and David Krutzler, captured the team crown.
In the Amateur Junior Gold League, Galante won the singles with a 648 series over the Sports Shot, finishing eighth in the country in the young women's standings. She also took the Saturday morning singles title with a 700 series, and her squad - with Allie Edgar and Joe Kuligowski - claimed the championship.
AROUND THE LANES: High scorers - Nick Moldovan, 300-836, Greg Vanderloop, 300-765, Brent Dewar, 300-723, Jake Creech, 300-785, Sam Watson, 298-688, and Steve Weyand, 298-750, at Liberty; Tim Quick, 280-828, John Dewer, 300-677, and Tom Wiegand, 299-811, Rainbow; Kevin Krauss, 300-847, Don Schroeder, 300-754, Cindy Hall, 300-794, Len Schroeder, 299-749, Tank Harris, 805-810, Wayne Nickson, 290, and Dennis Slininger, 290-741, Seminole; Gary Hampshire, 815, Southland; Mike Williams, 300-684, and Bob Williard, 300-729, AMF Kenneth City; Angelo Rampino, 290-754, Dunedin; and Norb Treutel, 300-768, Jason Manning, 299-749, and Tri Duong, 298-709, Sunshine Bowl. ... Jim Gaillard, Safety Harbor, defeated St.Petersburg's Lori Lloyd 196-189 to win the NABI Club Tournament and $185 at Seminole Lanes.