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Bowling

Area pair posts some of nation's best 700 series

By ERIC MUSKATEVC
Published December 23, 2005

Marianne Zipse of Pinellas Park finished fourth among national competitors in the Women's National 700 Club Mail-o-Graphic Tournament Nov. 6-13.

Bowling a 737 series at Seminole Lanes in the Florida Mixed Senior Stars, Zipse, 69, entered her score, with only three women from Wisconsin holding higher ones.

Open to women who have had a 700 series and belong to the National 700 Club, scores from league play during the designated week were mailed from all over the country. St. Petersburg's Arlene LeVine placed 12th overall with a 702 series.

Both Zipse, who bowls in two leagues and first posted a 700 on Feb. 5, 1999, and LeVine were in the Senior Division, 60 years and better, which had 69 entered 700s.

PBA: The Denny's PBA Tour takes a two-week hiatus for the holiday season with lefty Mike Scroggins (Amarillo, Texas) leading the 2005-06 PBA World Point Rankings.

Scroggins, who has four top-6 finishes over his past five events, also leads the Tour with a 229.94 average and $136,000 in season earnings.

Norm Duke (Clermont) is second on the points list, having made eight match-play appearances over the first nine events of the season. Behind him are two of the Tour's "young guns" in Tommy Jones (Simpsonville, S.C.) and Wes Malott (Austin, Texas), who are third and fourth, respectively.

The Tour resumes with the Earl Anthony Medford Classic Jan. 4-8 at Lava Lanes in Medford, Ore. The live televised finals will air on ESPN on Jan. 8 at 1 p.m.

In the region roundup, Brian LeClair (Athens, N.Y.) all but locked up a spot on the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour by increasing his lead on the 2005-06 PBA East Region points list with a victory last weekend at Bowlers Club in Latham, N.Y.

In the Central Region, Riga Kalfas (Florence, Ky.) holds a 23,000-point lead over Ken Abner (Cincinnati). In the PBA South Region, John May (Lincolnton, N.C.) is looking to lock up an exemption and holds a 7,000-point lead over Pete Dohan Jr. (Tampa).

With three events remaining in the PBA Southwest Region, Mitch Beasley (Arlington, Texas) holds a commanding 74,000-point lead over David Anthony (Austin, Texas), who recently won the Regional Players Invitational.

USBC: The seventh approved 900 series, three more 600 men's doubles games, the first mixed doubles 600 game and three other record scores proved to be the most notable scoring achievements of the 2004-05 season, announced by the U.S. Bowling Congress.

Darren Pomije rolled a 900 series on Dec. 9, 2004, in New Prague, Minn.

That followed previous 900s by Jeremy Sonnenfeld in Lincoln, Neb., in 1997, Tony Roventini in Milwaukee in 1998, Vince Wood in Moreno Valley, Calif., in 1999, Robby Portalatin in Jackson, Mich., in 2000, James Hilton in Salem, Ore., in 2001 and Jeff Campbell in New Castle, Pa., in 2004.

The duos of John DeBenedetta/Phillip Platko, Michael Bryant/Emory Corron and Boyd Comer Jr./Mark Quinn became the 30th, 31st and 32nd such groupings with 600 games. DeBenedetta/Platko rolled their 600 in Las Vegas on Feb. 26, Bryant/Corron in Dayton, Ohio, on March 21 and Comer/Quinn in Bessemer City, N.C., on July 19.

Mike Firzak and Sue Schottke became the first mixed doubles team with a 600 game in Amherst, N.Y., on Sept. 27, 2004. The previous record was 599 by Allison Johnson and Rob Grimmitt in Oklahoma City in 1994.

Josh Becker, Beth Graham, Alex Bairos and Rick Graham collectively called 14D$, rolled 1,108 in Lancaster, Pa., on Oct. 8, 2004, to set the record for three men/one woman game. They beat the 1,099 by Chalupa & the Boys in Valparaiso, Ind., in 2001.

Sparta Lanes ( Mike Angle, Liz Christensen and James Zucknieovich) broke the record for two men/one woman series with 2,408 in Newton, N.J., on Sept. 13, 2004. The previous standard was 2,384 by Team Matrix in St. Louis in 2001.

The final record was set by Angela Brick and Susan Jeziorski-Smith in two-woman doubles with 1,591 in Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 22, 2005. Brick and Carolyn Key-Reed had the old record with 1,561 in 2003.

COMING UP: From the desk of the USBC, the National Women Bowling Writers' 10th annual Mail-o-Graphic Tournament is Feb. 5-11.

The event is open to all USBC certified bowlers. Entry fee is $10 per bowler per league (multiple entries are permitted), but the bowler may cash only once. A USBC certified ID number for each bowler must accompany entry.

The entry form and subsequent score sheet must be completely filled out or the bowler may be disqualified without refund of entry. Entries close on Feb. 1.

All scores bowled and score sheets must be returned and postmarked by Feb. 20. There are three divisions: women's 156 average and over, women's 155 and under and men's division. Bowlers may participate in one division.

For more information and entry forms, write Ellen Goss, Tournament Chairman, 2204 Forest Brook Lane, Garland, TX 75040, call (972) 530-8372 or e-mail megoss@verizion.net

The first meeting for the spring high school league went well, signing seven teams.

There is room for more and another meeting is planned for Jan. 4 at Countryside Lanes at 7 p.m. Those interested should contact Ray Durbin at Ray@raydurbin.com

Times correspondent Eric Muskatevc can be e-mailed at Emuskatevc@aol.com

[Last modified December 23, 2005, 01:13:18]