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Sixty championships and never a miss for local 88-year-old

By Times Staff
Published May 5, 2006

The pins make the miles worth it. The memories though, make it all worthwhile.

For Mini Tvaska, stepping out of a white stretch limousine and into Reno's National Bowling Stadium ultimately will overshadow her 358 series last Sunday in team competition at the U.S. Bowling Congress Women's Championships in Nevada.

That her niece was with her for the ride, makes it all the more meaningful.

"It's so wonderful that she has this moment in the sun," Tvaska's niece Nancy Nelson, from Waterford, Mich., told USBC reporters at the tournament. "She's a very special lady and has been so reserved about it, never blowing her own horn. For everybody to recognize her, it's so wonderful. She really deserves it. The family always knew she's special - now everyone knows."

Here in the Tampa Bay area, Tvaska is known as the 88-year-old St. Petersburg resident who has been to 60 consecutive women's championships, starting with the very first in 1947 at Fanatorium Recreation in Grand Rapids, Mich., near her hometown of Dearborn. After her first ball in the team competition last Sunday, she is now one trip shy of record-holder Mary Covell of Chicago, who retired in 1992.

Tvaska was given a commemorative plaque and spoke with camera crews and honorees. She needs to bowl in next year's tournament in Charlotte, N.C., to tie Covell; and in the 2008 competition in Detroit to eclipse the record. She told the USBC officials and reporters to count her in.

"I'm already planning for Detroit," Tvaska told Bowl.com. "I'll be 90 years old and bowling close to where I grew up. I'm feeling fine now and still bowling. Even after 60 years bowling, I'm still excited by tournament play.

"I love bowling and I love watching bowling. I root for all the women and I really enjoy being with them. After the tournament in Reno, we're taking a bus to San Francisco. It's such a beautiful drive."

This will be Tvaska's fifth trip to Reno for the championships and her fourth time competing at the National Bowling Stadium. With tournament sites such as Seattle, Miami, Baltimore and San Diego, it's estimated Tvaska has traveled about 67,777 miles one way just to bowl. That's more than twice the circumference of the earth. If you count her travels in round-trip terms, she's logged 135,554 miles. That's more than halfway to the moon.

Self-described as "not a star bowler," she currently averages "around 125," down from 150 in her salad days. Tvaska entered the 2006 tournament with a relatively new eight-pound ball and rolled games of 103, 136 and 119 - not enough to place.

900 APPROVED: Milwaukee-area bowler Mark Wukoman's perfect three-game series was approved last week, giving him the ninth official 900 series in the 111-year history of certified league bowling. The USBC authorization also means that Wukoman, 50, becomes the oldest bowler to roll an approved 900 series.

His feat makes Classic Lanes in Greenfield, Wis., the only bowling center to have more than one certified 900 series rolled on its lanes by more than one bowler. The mark comes just more than two months after the last perfect series was rolled by Lonnie Billiter Jr. of Cincinnati (Feb.13).

TARPON LANES - Highland Lakes: Paul Lapatra 197/550, Don Shattock 210/546, Sylvia Archer 199/520, Eileen Subbiondo 173/501. Monday Mixers: Tim Clark 267-257/736, Drew Kousaleos 264-210/664. Lake Tarpon: Ed Grabeau 176/512. Sr. Men: Don Shattock 225/605, Paul Cameron 234/593. Breakfast Beat: Luann Johanning 208/567, Gloria Elliott 191/528. Key West: Joe Riendeau 279-277-267/823, Rick Butcher 231-225/644. Stonehedge: Gary Campbell 219/542, Mal Hunt 196/505. Sr. Birds: Roy Mistretta 225-219/649, George Noorts 181/521. Highland Lakes Sr.: Gary Rock 221/570, Don Shattock 197/528. Industrial: Sean Bailey 269-223/705, Joe Riendeau 244-230/663.

SEMINOLE LANES - Keith Glasgow 800, Dennis Sliniger 782, Kevin Krauss 276/769, Ron Demillion 765, Ziggy Podlas 761, Mike Pittman 300/757, Greg Ickes 753, Drew Beierlein 752, Calvin Esaw 741, Steve Felsman 739, Bill Bunton 736, Russell Welsh 287/730, Mike Byrd 730, Chuck Minor 726, Gysin Bardo 719, Gary Halstrom 719, Jerry Hood 716, Leroy Goffer 715, John Randazzo 710, Ed Gancar 710, David Jones 710, Tim Davis 703, Don Hodgon 278/692, Craig Dennis 280/691, Mark Burke 290/666, Harvey Schultz 247/634, Marilyn Sullivan 615. Cokette's: Cindy Gieschen 201/541, Kati Hendricks 202/524, Ave Hickmann 190/524.

TEN PINS LANES - Men: Jerry Robinson 277/668, Glenn Jeffers 268/755, Bob Ashmun 267/622, Pete Sahner 258/654, Jeff Wilcox 256/605, Dale Drum 255/699, Jim Ina 253/658, Dennis Blakely 253/732. Women: Jen Layton 250/682, Ida Obrian 222/560, Barb Ina 212/652, Ester Motzne 212/553, Ivy Kemp 203/572, Kari Militello 202/601. Sr. Men: Dave DeLorenzo 235/631, Chuck Willey 213/536, Tom McKenzie 200/563, Jinx Talbot 535. Sr. Women: Darla Brown 211/524, Mary Girouard 198/540, Marion Love 192/486, Margaret Glover 188/489, Claudia Patton 181/452.

[Last modified May 5, 2006, 02:30:26]