Simon claims 500 Club crown

Ronette Simon was in the groove as she rolled games of 205, 236 and 201 scratch with a total handicap score of 728, which was good enough to win the Merced/Atwater Women’s 500 Club Championship tournament last Sunday at Bellevue Bowl and $131.

A total of 33 local 500 club members were in the mix for the Championship. Coming in second with a 666 was Niki Abernathy for $107. Third place went to Gayle Sagin with a 662 for $95, fourth was Kim Heller with a 653 for $83, fifth went to Dana Lee with a 650 for $71, in sixth was Patty Harrell with a 648 for $59 and in the seventh and final spot was Phyllis Wallbaum with a 64 for $47.

Two names will be added to the club perpetual trophies. Julie Wescott, the 500 club’s tournament director, said that Simon will have her name engraved on the club’s championship trophy for winning the tournament and Rae Coonce for rolling a high game of 219 on the high game trophy.

A club member can’t win both. Up next for the club will be the Friendship Doubles tournament on April 12 at Bellevue Bowl at 1 p.m. It will be a 9-pin no-tap with an entry fee of $22. Entry forms are now out.

Veterans tournament

The California Bowlers to Veterans Link state finals are March 21 at McHenry Bowl in Modesto.

Opening ceremonies are slated for 10:30 a.m. The scratch tournament will have two squads with an 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and a possibility of three.

The following association members qualified for the state finals in their divisions during our local tournament: Men – Sean McCulloch (Classic), Bob Weimer (A), Fred Ruell (B), Dominic Pugliese in the (C); women – Rae Coonce (Classic), Dawn Fernandez (A), Lauren Moosbauer (B), Barbara Huddleston (C), Amanda Ulmer (D), and Maria Pugliese in (E). Ejijah Torres qualified in the boys division.

The winners of the BVL State tournament will earn a jacket, watch and medal. Our association reached $1,661 in donations from every league, the BVL tournament and a ball raffle. Make us proud in Modesto and bring home a jacket.

Silver Foxes in Hanford

The Silver Foxes Bowling Club will be at Kings County Bowl in Hanford on Mar. 14 for a singles event starting at noon. Check-in desk opens at 10 a.m. Entry fee is $45 and it’s $25 to join the club.

Senior no-tap

There is still time to register for the 10th annual Black Oak Lanes Senior no-tap tournament on Mar. 13 at 1:30 p.m. Entry fee is $15. Register by calling tournament director Sandy Taylor at (209) 928-9437 or contact me.

Remember when

In March of 1978, 96 of Merced’s bravest bowlers entered Century Bowl’s 10-game bowlathon, including your editors, who were pleased with their bowling, but didn’t make it into the money. The scratch winners were Larry Mires, Pete DeBries, Pat Brannon, and Wes Greenwald. In the handicap were Betty Brown, Duane Reynolds, Mark Condell and Ron Hickman. (Merced-Atwater bowling news)

On a sad note

The association lost another longtime bowler with the passing of Bobby Hermosillo, whose career was cut shot by an accident at his home years ago. I bowled with Hermosilo on the M&M Carpet team with John McMurray, Harvey Verduzco, J.R. Munoz and Pat Garcia.

Hermosillo passed away in a San Francisco hospital last Sunday night at 75. He rolled at Century Bowl for years and also Continental Bowl in downtown Merced. He never served on a bowling board, he was just a steady bowler, showing up on time to bowl, paying his fees and bowling, having fun and making new friends.

During his time at Century, Hermosillo won the Roth Chevrolet-Geo Classic Singles tournament, which featured a new Chevrolet Geo for anyone who rolled a 300 game.

His services were held last Tuesday and he was laid to rest at the Winton Cemetery. Rest in peace, Bobby H.

This story was originally published March 4, 2015 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Simon claims 500 Club crown."