The spotlight this week is on Newman's Phyllis Wallbaum, who went on a tear in the month of July. She started her roll as she won the San Jose Women's 500 Club Invitational on July 14 with a handicap series of 894 and a check for $50.
Apparently, she was just getting warmed up as she continued her streak. In the Vanessa Brown senior pro-am at Yosemite Lanes she had an 890 with handicap and another check for $150 for second place. Her pros rolled a super total of 860 to help Wallbaum. She took a third in the monthly Bellevue Bowl senior's no-tap for $15. In the Bellevue Bowl no-tap doubles, Phyllis and her husband Mickey had a second place finish for $80.
Just call her money bags.
We had a ton of locals rolling at Yosemite in the senior and adult pro-ams. Mickey Wallbaum placed eighth place for $65 in the seniors. Missing the cash by just four pins was Manuel Frade. Others rolling in the seniors were T.J. Jensen, LaDonna Stone, Ed Rowen, Julie Wescott, Mary Ickes, Jim Hamilton, Mary Hamilton, and Jim Mullings. A total of 86 seniors were bowling, paying down 18 places. In the adult pro-am, Carol and Lee Almeida were competing and they missed cashing in the tourney. Thirty-eight bowlers were rolling in the adult pro-am.
You might remember my column mentioning southpaw Rod Tramp of Porterville as being a great bowler. At the Silver Foxes yearly meeting prior to the TOC, Tramp's name came up in front of the board. I guess the guy has been running away with the Foxes brackets during their tournaments. At one time, I heard that he won more than $500 in brackets in one day. There is now a rule, that if your average is over 220, you cannot get into the handicap brackets. The handicap brackets are now for bowlers with averages 219 and below. Wow. This rule should have been effect along time ago. On the Foxes schedule for 2012-2013 there's Bellevue Bowl on Nov. 10, and McHenry Bowl on Jan. 12. Black Oak Lanes has been dropped this year. By the way, Tramp had a fourth place finish at the TOC for $790.
Last weekend some local 500 club members traveled to Las Vegas for the seventh annual 500 Club National doubles and singles tournament at the Gold Coast Lanes and Casino. Club members were: Maria Herrera, T.J. Jensen, Dee Bayer, and Kristin Weimer. I believe this is a first for our local 500 club women participating in a National 500 club tournament.
A week ago today, at West Acres Bowl in Wichita, Kansas, Katie Verbil narrowly missed becoming the first woman to roll a 900 series. She rolled 33 consecutive strikes to start the Battle of the Sexes league, but a 10 pin stopped her run. The left-hander had 300, 300, and a 279 for an 879. Pending approval, Verbil's series would be the highest in bowling history for a woman. She had a chance to shoot just the 22nd perfect series in USBC history. "That darn 10 pin," Verbil said. "I'm just glad it wasn't the seven pin because I probably wouldn't have spared because I was more nervous throwing my spare ball."
The previous record was 878, which was set on Dec. 12, 2001, by Karen Rosenburg of Rolla, Mo. Verbil, who competed collegiately at Wichita State from 1998 to 2002. Her previous best series was a 845 rolled in 2007.
Don Surdich is the Sun-Star's bowling columnist and can be reached at (209) 777-1111 or via e-mail at desurdich@aol.com.
LEADERS
SCORING: Doug Laidlaw 231, Roger Ross 245, Ed Gann 199, Ed Rowen 222, John Eversole 223, Noel Garcia 201, Amber Danel 143, Don Layton 204, Bill Simpson 204, Jim Hamilton 226, Bob Weimer 210, Richard Moore 212, Larry Valenti, Sr. 237, Jay Cairncross 213, Travis Mason 229, Debbie Duda 176, Bob Nush 204, Paul Harvey 207, Adam Andrino 237, Keith Docherty 233, Kristin Weimer 193, Melisa Eldridge 210, Kevin Wagner 228, Nevora Nush 189, Peggy Docherty 198, Ed Huddleston 213, John Neidhardt 214.
SERIES: Peggy Docherty 566, Bill Simpson 572, John Eversole 574, John Neidhardt 574, Larry Valenti, Sr. 583, Mike Robins 585, Mickey Wallbaum 596, Keith Docherty 650.
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