11th Frame

Bowling can be as much fun in the spring and summer as it is during the winter league season. Plus, you can bowl in air-conditioned comfort even n the hottest of days.

Al-Mar Lanes is looking to make to make sure the good times continue to roll this year. Part of the fun involves the replacement of the wood lanes with new Brunswick Pro Lane synthetic surfaces. The new synthetics are slated to be installed beginning June 26. During the replacement, Al-Mar will remain open regular hours with at least eight lanes available at all times.

The “Final Fling” is a tournament, the final fling on the wood lanes. It has already begun and will continue on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Running through June 22, there is a $25 entry fee with a first place prize of $400, based on 100 entries. The tourney is open to all Al-Mar league bowlers from the last three seasons. Bowlers can enter more than once, but can only cash once. One in five cash and return on June 23 to bowl four games across eight lanes against all other cashers to determine final prize list based on total pins for eight games.
There will also be the final Scratch Sweeper on the wood lanes on June 25. There will be two squads, one at 10 a.m. with the second squad rolling at 3 p.m. In this unique tournament each pair of lanes will have a different oil pattern. Each bowler will bowl eight games across the house one game on each pattern. All the patterns are the PBA “animal” patterns, from the shortest Wolf, to the longest Badger, and the others in between, Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Bear, Scropion and Shark. This tournament is hoping to award a $1,000 first place prize based on a full field of 96 bowlers. There will be a $10 high game jackpot based on the high game on each pair of lanes. entry fee is $85 per bowler.
One other special event will be a transitional summer league which will begin on the wood lanes and finish on the new synthetics. starting June 8, the Thursday league will use the Cheetah oil pattern, the PBA’s highest scoring pattern. Details are still being finalized, but this will be a way to become familiar with the new lanes prior to the start of the fall/winter season.
Many of the best senior bowlers in the world will again compete in the annual senior regional at Al-Mar in August. More details will be announced on this in July. But make your plans now to team with a pro partner in the annual team Baker Shoot Out. Four amateur bowlers will team with the pros. Pro partners will be auctioned off, with money going directly to the prize fund. Details on this at Al-Mar, but get your team together and save your bucks to bid for the best pro partners money can buy.

Kids Bowl Free reminder
Area students are again enjoying summer bowling with two free games each day Monday through Friday. Sign up can be done at kidsbowlfree.com and even on a smart phone. More details at the website or at Al-Mar.

High Rollers
Many bowlers found the pins falling well over the last league season with one 800 series and five 300 games. Kyle Waynick shot the 800, an 817 on Feb. 1 in the American League. He rolled a high of 290 in that set. He also had one of the 300 games, notching perfection on Dec. 11 in the City Tournament. The other 300 games were rolled by Dennis St. Peter on Oct. 20 in the Eagles League; Brad Simon on Dec. 14 in the American League; Roger Pierstorff on Jan. 28 in the Mixed Up Guys and Gals; and Doug Trumbull on March 29 in the American League.
The “they came close” group featured three bowlers who shot 299. Pierstorff was one of those with his 299 on Dec. 1 in the Eagles League. Bill Riffner hit 299, also in the Eagles League on Nov. 20l while Dustin Zachariah had his 299 on March 1 in the American League.
Turning to the ladies, Pancha Melendrez cracked the 700 mark several times. Her high last season was a 745 in the Ladies Major on March 20. She stroked out 726 in the Farm League onfeb. 15; 715 in the Ladies Major on Jan. 21; and 708 in the same league on Dec. 5. Yogi Wammes bowled a 715 in the Elks League on Dec. 27.
In the Randy Miller Memorial League, they bowl four games and the only bowler to break 1,000 was Gene VanDeVelde with 1,007 on Jan. 19.
In addition to Kyle, nine other bowlers opened with a spare then strung 11 in a row for 290 games. Those bowlers were (in order of the pair of lanes bowled on) Lucas Jenne, American, Jan. 11;Chris DeLuca, American, Nov. 9; Kurt Wood, American, Dec. 14; Michael Wachter, Eagles, March 16; Kris Kolk, Randy Miller League, March 30; and Juan Ybanes, Randy Miller League, Feb. 2

Off to Nationals
A local contingent of bowlers is heading to the USBC national tournament next weekend. There will be 30 bowlers on the squad including friends from across the country. As part of the trip, Yogi and Bill Wammes will try to defend their Hall of Fame Extravaganza tournament championship.