Kokomo Bowling's - Top Stories of the 20th Century
Well, we've come to the end of another year, decade, century, and, depending on how you count it, millennium. This is an appropriate time to look back and highlight the top events, or stories, of the 20th century.
It was a difficult task. What criteria should be used? Should it focus on milestones? Should it focus on recent high scoring feats? Should it focus on people or even groups? It wasn't easy, but I forced myself to narrow it down to ten events. (OK, twelve if you count the 3-way tie!)
I had to leave out such notable events as Nick Karnegis' marathon bowling of 110 games in 15 hours and the subsequent first bowling photograph in a Kokomo newspaper, in 1921. Don Sellers' capturing the 1944 Indiana Bowling Association State Tournament singles championship didn't make it either. The 1960's suspension of six Kokomo bowlers by the ABC for sandbagging did not make it, even though it made national news. Nor did the 1922 opening of the ten-lane Recreation Alleys, that enabled league bowling to grow. Hack Thompson's first 700 series in 1929 didn't make it. The first state tournament, hosted by Kokomo in 1940, missed the cut. The closing of Don Lowry Lanes East following the 1997-98 season and the significant impact on the bowlers of Kokomo just missed the list. Tex Thornton did not make it with his 300 at the age of about 65. Brian Graham's three 800 series didn't make it. Lisa Cook's 300 this year fell short also! (Yes, you made it Colleen!)
I told you it wasn't easy! If I left something out that you think should have been included, please keep it to yourself. It's too late now!
Here is the final list with the most significant event, or story, being listed last.
#10 - Tie - Ray Cameron, Dan Gibson and Bob Burge Feats
In 1966, Ray Cameron became the first bowler to roll two 300 games in Kokomo. His first 300, at Sycamore Lanes in 1961, was Kokomo's 5th ever. His second, also at Sycamore Lanes was only the 10th ever in Kokomo. Contrast that to the fact that we had ten in less than a month earlier this season!
Dan Gibson rolled the 13th and 14th perfect games in Kokomo and captured two more firsts in the City of Firsts. On April 2, 1978 Gibson rolled the first 300 game in the Kokomo Bowling Association (KBA) City Tournament. He then became the first bowler to roll two perfect games within a one-year period when he tossed another on October 22, 1978. Both of Gibson's games were rolled at Don Lowry Lanes.
Bob Burge's recent feat was the most recent event to make the list. For those with a really bad memory, Burge shot a 300 game at Cedar Crest on October 22, followed that up with another perfect game and an 824 series, in the City Mixed Tournament on November 7 at Don Lowry Lanes. But Burge wasn't finished. Only three days later he fired another 300 on November 10 at Don Lowry Lanes. This feat even made it into Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crown section. Burge's accomplishment has every bowler making a Christmas wish!
#9 - Peg Hawkins 298 Game and 718 Series
The next significant accomplishment of the century came from Peg Hawkins. On March 5, 1959, Hawkins narrowly missed becoming the first Kokomo woman to throw a perfect game. Rolling for Smitty's Tavern in the Ladies Play Bowl Classic League, Hawkins left the 6 and 10 pins after tossing eleven straight strikes.
The 298 game would hold up for almost 40 years as Kokomo's highest women's game. Had she been able to get those two stubborn pins to fall, she would have had the 4th overall 300 even counting the men. I easily could have ranked this feat higher than I did. Rolling at heavy three pound and eight ounce pins without the bowling ball technology we have today, makes this feat truly extraordinary. High games were not new for Hawkins. In 1947 she rolled a 289 game in the Women's State Tournament which stood as that tournament record for many years also.
#8 - The Great Scoring Barrage of February 3, 1981
The pins at Cedar Crest took a beating on February 3, 1981. Don't remember the date? Well let me help you! Five scores over 700 were shot that night in the Big Payoff League. Steve Preston shot 728. Another lefty by the name of Kelley stroked 751. Dick Armstrong rolled a 761. Jon Kaelin powered a booming 790. Still don't remember huh? Well, it was also the night that Kaelin's opponent, Dan Preston, shot the city record series of 856! Preston rolled games of 287, 269 and 300 for the record that has now stood for almost 20 years!
#7 - The First Kokomo 800 Series
I know that you could question including single game and series scores as some of the most significant accomplishments of the century. Perhaps you are thinking that records over a season or career should be included. One could certainly understand that position. However, in bowling there are magical milestones. The first time they are broken is always a significant event and memorable for all active bowlers at the time.
That brings us to the first bowler to roll an 800 series. This is perhaps the most significant goal of any bowler. To achieve this goal you need to perform extremely well for three games. If you spread out only five single pin leaves you cannot make 800. In other words, you better be throwing lots of strikes and put them in long strings.
The 800 milestone breaker for Kokomo was Ed Martin. On April 2, 1979 Martin unloaded games of 257, 278 and 278 at Cedar Crest for an 813 series.
#6 - The First Women's 300 Game
In the late 1990's, a number of women were starting to roll some very high games. Names like Beth Stanley, Deb Stewart, Lisa Graham, Kim Akers, Kathy Exmeyer and Colleen Holaday were the top candidates to roll the first women's perfect game. The achievement finally went to Holaday with her late season perfect game on April 27, 1998 at Don Lowry Lanes.
#5 - The First Men's 300 Game
On December 20, 1924 Bob Leffert rolled a 300 game in a non-sanctioned match against Homer Kilbuck. Joe Fohn rolled a 300 game in an away team match against an Indianapolis team in October 1929. That was not a sanctioned event either. Neither of these feats are going to show up in Kokomo's record books.
That distinct honor in Kokomo bowling history belongs to Fred Hurstel. On December 22, 1937, Hurstel rolled the first sanctioned 300 at the Recreation Alleys, which at the time, were at 325 N Main Street. Hurstel rolled the game on lanes 3 and 4, which were upstairs at the two-level center. Although this is the most notable of Hurstel's achievements, he accomplished much more that would make him one of the best bowlers ever in Kokomo. He also gets credit for being the first to average 200 when he averaged 199.68 (they rounded up then) in the 1938-39 season. He also held the Kokomo series record on three separate occasions.
#4 - Don Johnson
The career of Don Johnson and the visibility he brought to Kokomo was certainly one the biggest bowling stories of the century. Johnson turned pro first and was followed shortly by fellow Kokomo bowler Carl Babb. Many local bowlers considered Babb the better of the two but it was Johnson who would make his mark in bowling history.
Johnson and Babb's first professional tournament was in Chicago in December 1961. Both averaged about 190, which did not make the finals. Johnson would go on to win about 30 professional events and earn himself a place in the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame and the ABC Hall of Fame. Needless to say, he is also a member of the KBA and Indiana Bowling Association Hall of Fames. He was also responsible for bringing the first PBA tournament to Kokomo in the fall of 1967. This followed Johnson's 2nd place finish in the Firestone Tournament of Champions. One of the most memorable occurrences of PBA television bowling was Johnson leaving a ringing 10 pin for a 299 game in the title match of the 1970 Firestone tournament.
#3 - The Formation of the KWBA
The Kokomo Women's Bowling Association (KWBA) was formed on October 22, 1935. Now in existence for almost 65 years, they have been one of the most active and leading associations in the state.
#2 - The Formation of the KBA
In April 1916, George Strout, one of the leading bowling enthusiasts in the city, received a letter from Ed H. Meyer, secretary of the Indianapolis Bowling Association. The purpose of the letter was to invite Kokomo to a meeting in Logansport to discuss joining the State Association and the ABC while forming a city association of its own.
The Kokomo Bowling Association was formed shortly thereafter on August 17, 1916. The constitution and by-laws were developed and adopted on Friday, August 25, 1916.
For over 80 years, volunteer bowlers have contributed their time and talents towards making organized bowling more enjoyable for all. The KBA has produced many leaders that went on to lead the Indiana Bowling Association as President. They include Bud Fridlin, John Paul Jones, Loren Guge and Jack Bender.
#1 - Don Lowry's Many Contributions
What list of bowling in Kokomo would be complete without Don Lowry? His leadership in the local, state and national bowling organizations was a major contribution to bowling at each level.
Lowry started bowling in 1935 at the age of 24. He would learn from Kokomo's best bowlers and become one of its best. In 1947, he set the all-time series record of 759. Two years later he was a member of the Lord's Jewelers team that set the team series record of 3259. This record would stand for over 30 years. He shot at least seven 700 series by 1950 which made him the 2nd most prolific 700 shooter behind Hurstel. He averaged a Kokomo record 203 in 1947. He captured two city doubles titles and seven team titles, which were the most treasured event of the era.
But Lowry was not recognized so much for his bowling as for his service to the game.
Lowry and bowling partner Clyde Myer opened Play Bowl in 1950. One of the reasons he decided to open his own center was that no bowling centers stayed open in the summer. He was the first to add automatic pinsetters. This opened up the game to more women and children. He initiated junior bowling programs at Play Bowl. He was a strong supporter of junior bowling and got involved in junior bowling at the state and national level.
Lowry was very active in the Indiana Bowling Proprietors of America Association or BPAA. He served as president of that organization twice. He also served the BPAA at the national level. He chaired the Indiana BPAA youth committee for about 20 years. Lowry is generally credited with the creation of the Young American Bowling Alliance or YABA. He served as its first president. The YABA was a product of the merger of the American Junior Bowling Congress and Youth Bowling Association and ended an 18 year feud between ABC and the BPAA regarding junior bowling. He also developed the Indiana State Family Twosome Tournament and promoted it into a national event that is still conducted annually.
Lowry was also a risk taker. At the age of 64 he built Don Lowry Lanes in 1976. He bought Astro Bowl about 10 years later to create Don Lowry Lanes East.
Lowry was very active in local bowling. He was a league officer. He was a three-term President of the KBA, serving in 1952, 1953 and 1964. He also served as a director for about 30 years. He wrote a weekly bowling column in the Tribune for about 10 years. In 1981, he was elected into the Indiana Bowling Association Hall of Fame. He was a charter member of the KBA Hall of Fame when it was formed in 1986.
Two fitting tributes to Lowry, given in the past, are appropriate.
When daughter Judy won the junior state tournament she told her friends "I had to win that one for my dad. He's worked so hard for me and all the kids in bowling."
And Don Johnson standing in front of an ABC television audience saying "Don Lowry taught me to bowl. I owe him an awful lot".
Well there you have it; the best of the 20th century. I may not have picked all of your favorites but I am sure you will agree these were very significant stories in Kokomo's bowling history. Let's hope the next 100 years brings as many special events and people to the bowlers of Kokomo.
Bowling History - Records and Record Scoring
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and are preparing for a joyous Christmas. It is time to roll out the Bowling History column for this bowling season.
If you have followed the Bowling History column over the last few years, you have read about the bowling happenings from the beginning of bowling in Kokomo up through 1980. This season, I hope to summarize Kokomo's bowling highlights from that point through the end of this century. A lot has happened over these last 20 years and I hope to review these events in five-year intervals as in the past. I will wait until the May 2000 time frame to do the 1995-2000 time period summary so I can include this seasons highlights.
If you missed any of these columns, or would like to review them, you can see all the information on the Kokomo Bowling Association (KBA) web site. The address is www.netusa1.net/~kba.
In addition to covering the most recent 20-year period, I plan to sprinkle in a few specialty topics to fill out the year. If you have any topics that you would like to see Bowling History address, please let me know.
Team Series Record Update
I would like to thank Scott Nelson for bringing to my attention that I overlooked the fact that his team set the Kokomo team series record on two occasions in the early 1990's. You may recall that last season Bowling History charted Kokomo's team series record from the beginning of the KBA up through the current record of 3457 set by the Kokomo Sports Center team in 1997.
On March 18, 1992, Arvin Construction set a new Kokomo team series record when they rolled a fabulous score of 3344. They eclipsed the Fletcher's Steak House record of 3318 set at Astro Bowl in 1980. Rolling at Cedar Crest Lanes, Arvin Construction put together games of 1164, 1053 and 1127 for the new mark. Members of the team with their scores were: Bob Dunn (722), Scott Nelson (572), Brian Walker (640), Mike Phillips (683) and Greg Garretson (727).
Then on October 6, 1992, only 7 months later, they broke their own record when they rolled a 3351. Scores this time were: Greg Garretson (782), Scott Nelson (683), Mike Phillips (633), Brian Walker (628) and Bob Dunn (620). Nelson's 683 was a career high.
High Scoring Debate Continues
The great debate surrounding high scoring in bowling is still on as has been discussed in Doug Arnold's recent bowling columns. I thought that it would be interesting to look back on earlier local articles on the subject of high scoring conditions.
Don Lowry first discussed the disparity of scoring in various regions of the country in his column back in the late 1950's. In the 1965-66 season, the issue of "lane doctoring" was covered quite thoroughly in his column. He talked about "sand-blocking" (outside boards dry, or sanded, with heavy oil in the center) and "strip-dressing" (applying lane dressing in strips to create good scoring in a given area of the lane).
Lowry also noted that the issue of "lane doctoring" was a major issue that had no easy solution. At the time there was no American Bowling Congress (ABC) rule pertaining to lane conditions. The ABC contended that "lane-doctoring" violated the spirit of the rules and sportsmanship. Lowry agreed but questioned how you can enforce the spirit of the rules. Lowry expressed his opinion that "lane-doctoring" was prevalent in highly competitive areas where bowling centers had to fight to get bowlers. These proprietors recognized that high scores brought people into their bowling centers.
Lowry cited an example of a league in northwest Indiana that had two 300 games and many 700 series in one week. That center was due to host a national tournament. Ten days prior to the tournament, the ABC moved in and told the proprietor how to dress the lanes. A team of 200 average bowlers couldn't shoot 877 their final game to make the finals. Lowry also reported on some comments made at a then recent PBA tour stop. One PBA member stated that "lane-doctoring" was making a "mockery out of bowling". Another stated that he had hit his mark only two times in a game and still scored a 289!
Since that time, the ABC has tried to define lane dressing rules. First came short oil so that you could not put a path and steer the ball all the way to the pocket. Then came the three unit rule in 1991-1992. It's intent was to force proprietors to put more lane conditioner on the outside boards to prevent "steering" the ball to the pocket.
Although these rules were well intended, they have not solved the problem. As Lowry indicated in his column in the 1960's, this was going to be a difficult problem to solve. Once there were rules in place, the ball manufacturers got more creative and designed equipment to "bite" the lane more in the presence of more conditioner. The reactive resin balls, introduced in 1990, are a good example. So were the urethane balls before that. Even locally, you could see the changes in scoring as new rules took effect and new ball technology was introduced. Today, lanes are not "doctored" as such. But lane conditioner patterns generally laid down are conducive to higher scores. With the sophisticated lane-dressing equipment, it would be easy to turn high scores off like flipping a light switch.
Where will the debate end? Will it end? It's been going on now for over 35 years. How can you go back to tougher scoring conditions? These are certainly tough questions to answer. I sure cannot answer them. Are bowlers now shooting in the 200's going to want to shoot in the 180's? I don't think so! However, many bowlers participating in bowling as a sport, as opposed to purely recreational bowling, are forming leagues with tougher lane conditions. They want to better measure their skill level. They want to improve their games. But will it last when their buddies are getting 300 rings while they are fighting for a measly 200 game? For this reason, I believe whatever is done must be done nationwide. We will probably see additional differentiation between the sport and recreational sides of bowling.
I would like to make a few observations regarding this issue. They pertain to the sport side of bowling. Although I bowl for fun, I also like the competition and continuously try to improve. So, it disappoints me when I see the sport side of bowling decline. So how does getting more strikes hurt the sport of bowling?
It used to be that you wanted to practice in order to improve. You work to reach your goals. We still hold the 200 average as one of our generic bowling goals. If we are already shooting 200 games because striking is easier, why practice? Under the current situation we need to raise our goals. Instead of practicing to raise your average to 200, we should be thinking of raising it to 220 or 230!
The professionals are the elite of bowling. Amateurs are supposed to look up to their skills and achievements with awe. It is tough to look up to professionals averaging a mere 220 when local bowlers, here and around the country, are averaging 220, 230 or even 240. Local bowlers shoot higher scores every night then they see the professionals shoot on television.
The casual public, and many of the higher average bowlers rolling on the same "house" condition each week, do not have a feel for the lane conditions that the professionals encounter. In bowling, you cannot see the "hazards" like you can on a golf course. Only the ball reaction tells you how much conditioner is where. The professionals often bowl on conditions where missing your target by a single board (one inch) means missing the head pin. On the typical "house" condition you might have three to five boards to play with. Most bowlers do not have a feel for the skill level that these professionals possess.
With the number of strikes per game rising, a tap or lucky break now has a greater significance on your score. A tap between two spares only costs you two pins. A tap between a string of strikes usually costs you 21 pins. With more strikes now occurring in a game, it's not just the number of strikes that determines your score, it's increasingly where they occur in the game. Over a full bowling season the breaks should even out. But in a one or three game match the breaks can easily determine the outcome. Maybe we need to look for ways to better quantify the skills and athleticism of the professional bowlers.
The good news is that recreational bowling is up. If we could only get more people interested in the sport side of bowling. One way is through high school bowling which, by the way, is growing significantly across the state. Although not yet an ISHAA sport, bowling will have its first Indiana high school championship this spring. Hopefully, Kokomo can be part of that new wave soon!
200 Averages - It is not what it used to be!
Update from last month
The last Bowling History column covered the team series record progression. As indicated, Kokomo Sports Center holds the men's record with 3457 and Go's Girls maintains the women's record with 3210. Team pictures for these quintets are included with this month's article.
200 Averages
This month Bowling History addresses one of the goals of every bowler - to average 200. This has always been a sign that you have mastered the sport and were one of bowling's elite.
In the last two years, the number of 200 average bowlers in Kokomo has skyrocketed from 32 to 99. Did all the bowlers get that much better? Obviously not. So what are the reasons behind this big jump?
One reason is the highly aggressive bowling balls that generate more friction (hook) and, therefore, strikes. But we have had the reactive balls now for almost 10 years. So this is not the only reason. I believe the primary reason for the big jump in 200 averages locally is due to changes in the lane conditioner "pattern" applied to the lanes.
A few years ago, the highly reactive balls grabbed the lanes too early causing them to lose precious rotational energy and making it more difficult to consistently hit the pocket. At the end of the 1996-97 season, the local bowling proprietors began to apply more conditioner allowing the latest state-of-the-art equipment to be more effective. They had learned what other proprietors had learned, that the new equipment required much more conditioner on the lanes. (This also serves to protect the lanes from the biting friction of the highly aggressive bowling balls.) By applying more conditioner to the "heads" (front part of the lanes) and to the center of the lane (between the 2nd arrows on the left and right), it became much easier for bowlers to get the ball down the lane and hit the pocket more consistently, with more power (for more games).
Many bowlers that were averaging in the 170's and 180's are now averaging close to, or over, 200. Why is this? It comes down to one simple reason - more strikes! It used to be that you had to pick up all your spares and get a double to get your 200 game. Well that much is still true. However, it is not as tough to drive through the pins with the new balls so that getting strikes is easier. Less deflection means fewer "weak" corner pins, 8-10 splits or 5-pins. Combine this increasing striking power with a more "forgiving" lane condition and you have bowlers getting more four and five baggers (or more). If you pick up all of your spares you shoot in the 210's or 220's. If you miss one or two, you still shoot over 200. At least until you bowl in a tournament with a tougher lane pattern!
Scoring conditions in Kokomo have varied over the years. There have been several time periods where scoring was good to excellent. Prior to the current scoring era, scores were up a little in the late 1940's and early 1960's. Cedar Crest had great scoring in the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Prior to the late 1970's, there were very few averages over 200. Lefty Willer averaged 199 for 103 games way back in the 1930-31 season. Fred Hurstel was credited with being the first to average 200 (actually 199.68) when he accomplished the feat in the 1938-39 season. The 1946-47 season saw a flurry of 200 shooters as three men achieved the lofty goal. Eddie Schupp was high that season with 202. Closely behind were Don Lowry at 201 and Herman "Hap" Land with 200.
Carl Babb indicated that he averaged 208 and Don Johnson 205 in the 1962-63 season. Tex Thornton believes that "Bunk" DeWitt averaged 202 one season in the early 1960's. All three of these men also averaged over 200 at Hillcrest Lanes in Peru.
Three tables have been compiled to summarize Kokomo's 200 averages. They were compiled from available Kokomo Bowling Association yearbooks provided by KBA Secretary Dave Turner.
Table 1 shows the highest average in the city by season (60 game minimum). It is apparent that for many years Cedar Crest was the top scoring center by far. Equally apparent was how Steve Preston dominated the local bowling scene for many years before moving to Lafayette.
Table 2 shows the number of 200 average bowlers, the total number of 200 average league seasons (some bowlers had more than one), and where these averages occurred. Again, a 60 game minimum was used which corresponds to about two-thirds of a full bowling season. Cedar Crest dominated the list until the 1997-98 season when both Don Lowry Lanes East and West caught up and put the three centers at similar scoring levels.
Table 3 shows which bowlers have the most 200 average league seasons through the 1997-98 season. It also shows at which centers their averages were recorded.
Beth Stanley and Deb Stewart became the first women to average over 200 for a full season (60 game minimum) in the 1997-98 season. Stanley averaged 204 at Don Lowry Lanes West and 200 at Don Lowry Lanes East while Stewart averaged 201at Don Lowry Lanes East.
If averaging 200 is one of your goals, you might consider developing a reasonably consistent hook release, getting some free "tips" from the better bowlers or finding yourself a coach. You need to develop good bowling fundamentals, key skills and a knowledge base from practice, and experience. Reading books, such as Fred Borden's "Knowledge is the Key" or Chip Zielke's "Revolutions" and "Revolutions 2", allow you to take advantage of the experience that others have learned.
This concludes the Bowling History column for this season. Have a great summer! Practice up and maybe you can average 200 next year!
|
Kokomo's High Average by Season |
|||
|
Season |
Name |
Average |
Bowling Center |
|
1973 - 1974 |
Carl Babb/Charles Branch |
190 |
Play Bowl |
|
1974 - 1975 |
Carl Babb |
191 |
Play Bowl |
|
1975 - 1976 |
Lou Wenisch |
194 |
Play Bowl |
|
1976 - 1977 |
Carl Babb |
192 |
Don Lowry Lanes |
|
1977 - 1978 |
Steve Preston |
200 |
Cedar Crest, Don Lowry Lanes |
|
1978 - 1979 |
Steve Preston |
217 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1979 - 1980 |
Steve Preston |
218 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1980 - 1981 |
Steve Preston |
220 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1981 - 1982 |
Steve Preston |
212 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1982 - 1983 |
Steve Preston |
218 |
Astro Bowl |
|
1983 - 1984 |
Steve Preston |
208 |
Astro Bowl |
|
1984 - 1985 |
Ed Martin |
198 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1985 - 1986 |
Dan Preston |
201 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1986 - 1987 |
Dan Preston |
210 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1987 - 1988 |
Steve Preston |
211 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
1988 - 1989 |
Bob George |
210 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
1989 - 1990 |
Trent Marner |
216 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
1990 - 1991 |
Jon Dieterman |
217 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
1991 - 1992 |
Ed Martin |
216 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1992 - 1993 |
Ed Martin |
215 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1993 - 1994 |
Larry Richards |
210 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1994 - 1995 |
Trent Marner |
214 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1995 - 1996 |
Brian Graham |
221 |
Cedar Crest |
|
1996 - 1997 |
Clint Spencer |
216 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
1997 - 1998 |
Clint Spencer |
222 |
Don Lowry Lanes - West |
|
Kokomo's 200 Average Bowlers |
|||||
|
Season |
Number of Different Bowlers |
Total Leagues |
Cedar Crest |
Lowry's East (Astro Bowl) |
Lowry's (West) |
|
1973 - 1974 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1974 - 1975 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1975 - 1976 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1976 - 1977 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1977 - 1978 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
1978 - 1979 |
6 |
9 |
9 |
|
|
|
1979 - 1980 |
8 |
12 |
12 |
|
|
|
1980 - 1981 |
7 |
12 |
12 |
|
|
|
1981 - 1982 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
1982 - 1983 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1983 - 1984 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1984 - 1985 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
1985 - 1986 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
1986 - 1987 |
7 |
11 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
|
1987 - 1988 |
9 |
16 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
|
1988 - 1989 |
9 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
|
1989 - 1990 |
10 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
6 |
|
1990 - 1991 |
11 |
13 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
|
1991 - 1992 |
14 |
17 |
12 |
3 |
2 |
|
1992 - 1993 |
16 |
16 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
|
1993 - 1994 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
0 |
1 |
|
1994 - 1995 |
21 |
27 |
12 |
5 |
10 |
|
1995 - 1996 |
33 |
40 |
24 |
5 |
11 |
|
1996 - 1997 |
32 |
42 |
16 |
10 |
16 |
|
1997 - 1998 |
99 |
151 |
52 |
41 |
58 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTALS |
|
417 |
212 |
80 |
125 |
|
Percent |
|
|
51 |
19 |
30 |
|
Most 200 Average League Seasons |
||||
|
Ed Martin |
23 |
22 |
1 |
|
|
Dan Preston |
22 |
16 |
3 |
3 |
|
Jon Kelley |
22 |
|
14 |
8 |
|
Steve Preston |
14 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
|
Doug Workman |
12 |
8 |
|
4 |
|
Ted Wooley |
9 |
9 |
|
|
|
Randy Workman |
9 |
9 |
|
|
|
Jon Martin |
8 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
|
Lee Reeves |
8 |
1 |
|
7 |
|
Dave Turner |
7 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
Jim Mote |
7 |
1 |
|
6 |
|
Floyd Russell |
7 |
1 |
6 |
|
|
Greg Garretson |
7 |
7 |
|
|
|
Jon Dieterman |
7 |
|
1 |
6 |
|
Mark Snodgrass |
7 |
6 |
|
1 |
|
Trent Marner |
7 |
4 |
|
3 |
|
Clint Spencer |
6 |
1 |
|
5 |
|
Dennis Branch |
6 |
|
|
6 |
|
Gary Exmeyer |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
Jack Bender |
6 |
|
2 |
4 |
|
Ron Harding |
6 |
4 |
|
2 |
|
Tom Arnett |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
Tom Beale |
6 |
|
4 |
2 |
|
Bob George |
5 |
|
|
5 |
|
Dave McDorman |
5 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
George Grant |
5 |
5 |
|
|
|
Jim McLochlin |
5 |
5 |
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Bryan Ramberger |
5 |
2 |
3 |
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Wayne Burthay |
5 |
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5 |
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Kokomo's Team Series Record Progression
Almost all league bowling involves team competition. Teammates help each other and push themselves to greater levels of performance. In addition to earning themselves recognition, they also get recognition for their sponsor. Just look through the Bowling Honor Roll each week. You will see that many local businesses are highlighted although the bowlers' recognition is at the individual level.
Team bowling isn't what it used to be in years past. You don't see the sharp uniforms although you do often see shirts sporting the sponsor's name.
One way that teams continue to receive recognition, as they have for many years, is to roll a new city record.
On the men's side, that has been done on at least 20 occasions. The team game and series record holders are shown surrounding this article along with the individuals and their contributing scores where known.
From the progression, you see that several names appear several times. Fred Hurstel and Bob Resener appear on the list five times. Lefty Willer, Bob Overton and Elmer Cook appear three times. A number of other bowlers appear twice.
A team record was broken, on average, once per year between 1931 and 1941. Of course, by the end of this period, the record scores were getting sufficiently high that the record was much tougher to beat.
Here are a few other interesting facts I discovered when putting this article together.
The Gerhart Brothers broke their own record of 2816 with their 2927 score. These records were both shot at Menig Alleys. Next the records were all set at Recreation Alleys until the Recreation Five shot 3197 at the new Evan's Bowling Academy in 1938. From there, all the records were at Evan's up to 1979 if you include the renamed Sycamore Lanes record in 1961.
The shortest lived game and series record belongs to the Kelvie Press team. In 1933, Lefty's Stars took the record away after only 50 minutes! Rolling in the City League, Kelvie Press rolled a record 1086 game in their first game. Lefty's Stars beat the record by one in their second game. Then moments after finishing with a new series record of 3015, Kelvie Press could only watch Lefty's Stars beat them again with 3051.
The 1941 Recreation Five records are listed as unofficial because their score was rolled while making up a match and was not bowled against competition.
Honda of Kokomo's team game record in 1979 was set at Cedar Crest Lanes. Astro Bowl, wasted no time getting into the record books when Fletcher's Steak House shot their 3318 in 1980.
Cedar Crest got back in the record books in 1993 when the Cedar Crest Lanes team rolled a whopping 1263 game paced by Bob Dunn's 300 game. This record still stands after six years.
The last two records were rolled at Don Lowry Lanes West by Revs N Resin and the current record holder Kokomo Sports Center.
There have been some close calls that could have altered the record book.
In November 1937, when the current game record was 1114, a powerful Clemen's Oil team could have shattered the record. Unfortunately, Hugh Halstead rolled a 147 game and the team finished five pins short with a score of 1109. Other team members and their scores were Ora Murray (211), Fred Swaney (246), Fred Hurstel (247) and Jim DeVinney (258).
In the 1996-97 season, Trent Marner's 802 series paced the MAB Paint team to a score of 3417, only three pins off the record.
Kokomo Sports Center fired the current record at the end of the 1996-97 season against the Revs N Resin team. In March 1998, the Revs N Resin almost took the record back when they rolled scores of 3434 and 3425 with Clint Spencer replacing Jon Dieterman in their lineup.
The women's records are both currently held by Go's Girls. On April 27, 1998 they shot a record game total of 1155 as well as a series record score of 3210. They were paced by Colleen Holaday's record breaking 300 game.
How long will these records stand?
There were a couple of good attempts at the men's record this year. With the new synthetic lanes at Cedar Crest and the expected higher scores, don't be surprised if the 3500 barriers is shattered before the end of next season. There are some powerful teams out there! With the right combination of men, the record could be broken soon.
Series Record Progression
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GM of Indiana - Bowling Association History
This month the Bowling History column reviews the history of the General Motors of Indiana Bowling Association (GMIBA). For many years, this association ran annual tournaments for employees of General Motors (GM) within the State of Indiana.
No, these men aren't gangsters planning their next heist! It is GMIBA founder George McCartney and inaugural tournament director Fred West.
In the early 1940's, and then following World War II, bowling was growing in popularity at an enormous rate. Many bowlers traveled to tournaments on the weekends to test their bowling skills and compete against other bowlers. There was a sense of pride to represent your local area and bring home a championship.
During this same time period, there were many attempts to organize a bowling tournament for all GM employees within the state. Several matches and multi-divisional tournaments were conducted. However, attempts at forming a single association usually died in committee due to the lack of an organization strong enough to warrant company sponsorship.
As with all worthwhile endeavors, it takes a little time for the right leader to step forward to turn a vision into reality. In this case, that leader was Mr. George McCartney from Chevrolet Body Division in Indianapolis. On September 14, 1947, McCartney organized a meeting among those he knew would be interested in pulling together a GM Tournament. At that meeting, it was decided that the first tournament would be held in Indianapolis in early spring 1948. It was further decided that the tournament would be open to all GM employees in the State of Indiana. In the late 1940's, there were many GM divisions within 50 miles of Indianapolis. This created a large pool of potential bowlers to help ensure the success of the tournament.
Mr. Fred West, from the Allison Division, became Secretary for that first tournament. He had experience running leagues as well as the Moose Tournament and indicated that he could obtain the support of the Delaware Recreation Alleys to host the event. Other GM divisions represented at that first meeting included Delco Remy (Anderson), Delco Battery (Muncie), Guide Lamp (Anderson) and Chevrolet (Muncie).
The inaugural tournament was scheduled to commence on April 3, 1948. Entry fees were set at $3 per event and $1 for all-events. The entries piled in! No one could have imagined that 175 teams, 289 doubles, 512 singles and 353 all-events entries would be received for that first tournament.
The winners of that inaugural tournament were mostly from Allison Division. All the winners are shown below.
Team Actual - Allison
Wayne Ross
Frank Kagle
Carl Hogue
Toivo Lahti
Russell Bellinger
Team Handicap - Allison
Todd Wilbur
Lowell Green
Chuck Ingoldsby
Frank Sourbier
Jim Jung
Doubles Actual - Chevrolet Indianapolis
Harold DeHoff
William Power
Doubles Handicap - Allison
Paul Noe
Leland Thurston
Singles Actual - Allison
Paul Thistlethwaite
Singles Handicap - Allison
Charles Binsbacher
All Events Actual - Guide Lamp
G. Bauner
Most of these champions are shown in the photograph below.
Following the huge success of that first tournament, a meeting was organized to pull together all of the personnel representatives from the various GM divisions in Indiana. Upon seeing the success and some organizational structure behind the tournament, they decided to contribute $5 per team to the prize fund for future events.
The second tournament was conducted at the Welper-Abel Recreation Alleys in Anderson in 1949. The entries jumped up to 246 teams, 440 doubles, 801 singles and 742 all-events. It was obvious that this tournament was going to be a force for many years to come.
Next the group drafted a constitution and obtained final approval on July 19, 1949. The organization would operate from this basic constitution for almost 50 years! The constitution called for a president, vice-president and secretary. The vice-president succeeded the president to provide continuity. The secretary was responsible for running the tournament and, therefore, was from the GM division hosting the next tournament.
The constitution also called for two meetings, one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring meeting was used to finalize the tournament plans and elect officers. Tournament bidding and arrangements were decided at the fall meeting. The constitution also called for two representatives from each GM division to provide communications back to their respective organizations.
Several changes were made throughout the years.
Beginning with the 1955 tournament, bowlers had to participate in both doubles and singles. Prior to that time, they could participate in singles only.
Upon the 50th anniversary of Delco Battery in 1958, the custom of having the host division provide a souvenir was started. Over the years, coffee cups, pocket knives and other small items were provided by the host division.
In 1959, a tournament series was conducted on the same pair of lanes for the first time. Prior to that, each game was bowled on a different pair of lanes. That same year, the president's term was extended to two years.
The tournament changed from a bid system to a rotation system in 1964. This approach allowed each division to host the event on an equal basis. It also allowed the divisions to better plan their events since they knew what year they would be hosting the tournament.
Much of this early history of the GMIBA was obtained from a 15 year history compiled by past-presidents of the organization in 1962.
The tournament continued to grow over the years. Team entries peaked at 400 teams in 1963. That same year there were 1672 singles entries. To give you a feel for the size and success of the GM Tournament, that same year there were only 738 teams in the Indiana State Tournament.
Tournament participation declined to about 225 teams by the early 1970's. Further declines resulted as some of the divisions were downsized or sold by GM. This also affected league bowling in the towns involved. The local divisions ceased their $5 contribution to the prize fund for each team they entered. For these and other reasons, tournament participation dropped to about 50 teams in its last few years.
Eventually, the entries decreased to the point that the association questioned whether the tournament should be continued. The association tried their best to keep the organization alive. They tried various new ideas, incentives and involving the new assembly plant in Fort Wayne. However, their efforts were not successful.
As it turned out, the final tournament (47th annual) was held in December, 1993. The association planned to run a tournament in December, 1994 but only 11 entries were received by the deadline. A total of 21 entries were eventually received but, due to poor communications between division representatives the tournament had already been cancelled due to lack of participation.
A committed group of veteran GMIBA representatives including Joe Pendick (Truck - Indianapolis), Harry Kirchenbauer (Inland Fisher Guide - Anderson), Carroll Faucett (Delco Remy - Anderson), Herald Auker (Inland Fisher Guide - Anderson) and Jon Kelley (Delco Electronics - Kokomo) reluctantly agreed to disband the GMIBA on February 5, 1995. I can tell you that is was a sad time, knowing all the effort put in over the years, forming the association and building the tournament base.
Additional GM divisions, or their earlier names, participating in the tournament over the years not already mentioned above include: Fabricast or Central Foundry in Bedford, Detroit Diesel Allison Division, Allison Transmission, Allison Gas Turbine, Delco Radio, Fisher Body or CPC from Marion, GMAC in Muncie and United Motors Services and GMAC in Indianapolis.
See the attached table for all the Kokomo champions from the GM of Indiana Bowling Association.
Bowling today has largely lost the camaraderie of bowling with fellow workers. I believe this is a significant factor in the reduction of league bowlers in many towns. Locally, we still have the Delco and Chrysler leagues, but there are fewer of them and they are smaller in size. In some cases, these leagues are no longer restricted to employees in order to keep the leagues running at capacity.
Kokomo's GM Tournament Champions
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TEAM |
DOUBLES |
SINGLES |
ALL EVENTS |
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Delco Mavericks - 1960 (A) |
Tom Dinwiddie and Mike Wikel - 1963 (A) |
W. Francis - 1957 (H) |
W. Francis - 1957 (H) |
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Uncouth 5 - 1962 (A) |
Byron Snow and Bryan Thurmond - 1968 (H) |
Dan Gibson - 1971 |
B. Glenn - 1961 (H) |
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Uncouth 5 - 1964 (A) |
Dick Stanley and Harry Westcott - 1972 (A) |
C. Forker - 1973 (H) |
Jim Kenworthy - 1964 (H) |
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Kokomo Kowboys - 1969 (A) |
Joe Sallee and Tom Dinwiddie - 1976 (A) |
Tom Dinwiddie - 1975 (A) |
Dick Stanley - 1967 (A) |
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Live Wires - 1969 (H) |
Ed Hinkle and G. Hanaway - 1976 (H) |
Tim Lindgren - 1979 (H) |
Terry Aeschilman - 1970 (H) |
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Firehouse Five - 1971 (A) |
John Ring and Don Shenk - 1986 (H) |
Larry Moss - 1982 (H) |
Jim Kenworth - 1972 (A) |
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Firehouse Five - 1972 (A) |
Dick Harrison and Bill Stewart - 1988 (H) |
Jon Kelley - 1987 (A) |
Gary Luttrell - 1974 (H) |
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Regulators - 1976 (H) |
Ralph Taylor and Matt Sale - 1989 (H) |
Floyd Russell - 1988 (A) |
Dick Johnson - 1982 (A) |
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Plant 9 Dept 951 - 1982 (A) |
Matt Sale and Ralph Taylor - 1990 (H) |
Matt Sale - 1991 (H) |
Larry Moss - 1982 (H) |
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Strikers - 1982 (H) |
Bob Lindsay and Bob Meyer - 1993 (H) |
Dudley Williams - 1993 (H) |
John Ring - 1986 (H) |
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Firehouse Five - 1986 (H) |
Jeff Wood and Gary Exmeyer - 1994 (A) |
Dave Wolfe - 1994 (A) |
Floyd Russell - 1988 (A) |
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Ed's Pro Shop - 1988 (A) |
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Floyd Russell - 1989 (A) |
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Ed's Pro Shop - 1989 (A) |
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Dave Wolfe - 1993 (A) |
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Cedar Crest Pro Shop #2 - 1990 (A) |
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Terry Beale - 1994 (A) |
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Delco's Best - 1990 (H) |
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Hitmen - 1993 (A) |
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Macho Studs - 1994 (H) |
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