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By PHIL GULICK
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 12, 2001
The ABC and WIBC Championship Tournaments ended last week at opposite ends of the country, winners' checks are being cut and the organizations are counting their blessings.
The ABC event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., drew 16,104 teams for its 141-day run, second-largest field in tournament history. Reno set the record with 17,285 teams in 1995.
The WIBC event in Fort Lauderdale attracted more than 49,000 women for its 72-day stand. It was highlighted by pro Carolyn Dorin-Ballard's Queens victory and the dominance of Bradenton pro Lisa Wagner in the Classic Division standings.
For the second time in ABC tournament history, two teams tied for the Regular team title. Joliet Town and Country Lanes No. 2 of Joliet, Ill., and K.J. Excavating of Toledo, Ohio, posted identical 3,273 pinfalls. Each team won $20,000. Nicholas Hoagland of Bloomington, Ind., won the Regular singles title with a 798 and Kevin Noble of Elmwood, Ill., captured the Classified singles crown with a 691.
Clearwater's Top of the Line Pool Service, captained by James Campbell, finished 10th in Regular team competition and won $5,000.
Wagner, winner of 32 pro titles, won the singles crown with a 756 series, then teamed with long-time partner Nancy Fehr of Cincinnati to capture the doubles title with a 1,412 pinfall. Esther Gurr of Tallahassee and Myrrel Stokes of Woodville won the Division 3 doubles crown.
High games were cut nearly in half from last year. Only 20 300 games were rolled, including the first by a woman, Christina Kropf of Concord, Calif. Only one 800 series was rolled.
Complete unofficial results are at www.bowl.com.
ON A ROLL: Queens winner Dorin-Ballard, of North Richland Hills, Texas, became only the fourth woman to win three consecutive pro titles when she beat Wendy Macpherson of Henderson, Nev., 226-195 for the Southern Virginia Open title at Danville, Va.. Patty Costello, Tish Johnson and Wagner also accomplished the feat.
Dorin-Ballard started her remarkable run with a victory in the Fort Worth Texas Classic on June 21, captured the Greater Memphis Open on June 28 and won the Danville event July 6. It was her fourth title this year and 15th in her career. She won $9,000 for each victory.
Results may be obtained at www.pwba.com at the site's Webscorer feature.
SOUTAR WINS: Bradenton's Dave Soutar won his fifth PBA Senior title and $8,000, roaring through three opponents, including tourney leader Larry Laub of Reno, at the Tucson Senior Open June 28.
Soutar defeated Henry Gonzalez of Colorado Springs 202-197, stopped Bob Glass of Lawrence, Kan., 217-176, then beat Laub 233-190 for the title.
Laub came back the next week to stop Rohn Morton of Vancouver 279-233 for the Northern California Senior Classic title at Brentwood, the final stop on the Senior tour.
After a special conference call with media and fans, the PBA decided it would carry over statistics of this year's first eight events to the final total at the end of the 2001-02 season starting in September.
With that clarified, it's possible Jason Couch could become the second consecutive PBA player of the year from Clermont, following Norm Duke's choice last season.
- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes8@msn.com.