Pinellas league will get the ball rolling

By PHIL GULICK

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

The Pinellas County High School League opens its 28th year with a 12-week season starting Sept. 14, some rules changes, a few new coaches and possibly a few new teams from upper Pinellas County.

Individual tryouts for bowlers wishing to compete are scheduled for Aug. 28 and Sept. 8 at the participating centers. The registration fee is $70 per bowler, and prospective players can contact their centers for more information.

The league competes every Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at the various centers. Scoring is based on a 21-point system, and the handicap has been changed to 100 percent of 220 in an effort to avoid the same team winning handicap and scratch titles.

Host centers provide the shirts, and an optional 13th week has been added for a position round.

Last season, the league included boys' and girls' squads from Clearwater, Dixie Hollins, Northeast, Boca Ciega, Seminole, St. Petersburg, Osceola, Pinellas Park, Gibbs, Lakewood, Largo, Palm Harbor University and East Lake high schools.

The Gibbs boys captured a state championship earlier this year. Teams from the league have won 15 titles since the league started in 1972. The Boca Ciega girls and Dixie Hollins boys are the defending champions in handicap and scratch divisions.

Upper Pinellas County parents and players formed a summer league at Largo Lanes that included Clearwater, Largo, Palm Harbor University and Tarpon Springs high schools. Efforts are underway to include other schools in the down-county league.

"Any upper-county school is welcome to the Pinellas County High School League this season, and it is possible they may want to form their own league next season," said league coordinator Matt Stevenson of Seminole Lanes.

Janet Waddell is the league's executive secretary. For more information, contact Stevenson at 392-2271.

OLM, HEYM WINNERS: Tampa's Dave Olm and Lisa Heym of Pinellas Park won the National Classic Bowlers Association's 11th annual state rankings tournament at Tampa's Crown Lanes two weeks ago.

Olm totaled 2,795 pins over 12 scratch games to beat St. Petersburg's Ed Perry by 78 pins, averaging 233 and collecting $1,000. Tampa's Ben Heugel was third at 2,661, St. Petersburg's Tom Milton took fourth at 2,632 and Tampa's Pete Dohan finished fifth at 2,558. Payoffs went to the top 24 placers.

Heym toppled 2,816 pins and averaged 234 to beat Tampa's Kristy Castendyk by 124 pins and collect the $500 payoff. Largo's Stephanie See was third at 2,596, Clearwater's Jeanette Hensell placed fourth at 2,543 and Tampa's Sharri Johnson was fifth at 2,568. Payoffs were through the top 16.

MATCH-PLAY OPEN: Entries are open for the Florida Ladies and Men's All-Star Match-Play Tournament, which started July 29 at Sunshine Bowl.

The entry fee is $45. ABC and WIBC sanctioned bowlers may enter until the final qualifying squad at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The men's winner earns $1,200 and the women's $800, both based on 50 entries. The defending champs are Largo's Tom Wheeler and Tampa's Bonnie Joel.

Qualifying is scheduled for July 29-30 and Aug. 5-6 with the double-elimination matches Aug. 11-13. For more information, call 727-521-3585.

AN 80-GAME GRIND: The Suncoast Vietnam Veterans Association and Sunshine Bowl will host an 80-game scratch marathon with stepladder finals Aug. 18-19 at the center.

The marathon is open to all men and women, and proceeds go to the Suncoast Epilepsy Foundation. For more information call Mike Vitel, 545-8995.

Tampa's Tom Daugherty won the 30-game Iron Man marathon recently, defeating Clearwater's Steve Kenyon in the five-man stepladder finals and earning $1,000.

Daugherty led after 10 games at Sunrise Lanes and 10 at Seminole Lanes, but Kenyon took over the lead after the final 10 qualifying games at Sunshine Bowl. St. Petersburg's Bill Hicks finished third.

TEAM 6 HOLDS ON: Billy Kitchens, Scott Meredith and Shawn Ryan helped push Team No. 6 into first place in the Junior Scratch Classic at Countryside Lanes last week before the league ends its season Wednesday.

Kitchens fired a 279 game and Ryan shot 258 to boost Team 6 to a six-point lead over Back For Seconds. Team 14 is in third place.

Scoring is based on total points won and lost. Team 6 has the season league high team game of 740 and top scratch series at 2,128.

Other high scorers were Nick Gates with a 784 series, Jessica Robinson with her first 700 (704), Stephen Rodriguez with a 279 game, Jessica Loiacano, 248-661, and Jamie Potter, 228-613.

ROBERTS IS FIFTH: St. Petersburg's Cedric Roberts, 13, finished just out of the money in fifth place at the Coca-Cola Youth Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., last week.

Roberts was one of four Florida state qualifiers for the tournament and finished behind fourth-place Nathan McManus of Honolulu in the boys' Division III competition.

- Phil Gulick can be reached at Xerxes6@aol.com or Xerxes6@Juno.com.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.