Women’s 500 Invitational coming up on Sunday at Bellevue Bowl

The Merced/Atwater Women’s 500 Club will be hosting their 45th Annual 9-pin no-tap Invitational this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Bellevue Bowl.

The club has a great reputation of having great no-tap tournaments in the Valley. It has grown in the past several years with the tourney featuring a great lunch, super payouts, great raffles, big money 50/50 drawings, and gifts given to all the women who enter.

This year the club will be giving out totes that you can take to your favorite grocery store and a surprise gift to all 500 club members courtesy of Delta-Sierra Beverage of Modesto.

Entry forms are now available at Bellevue Bowl and the entry fee is $25. Lunch is free for the women and only $5 for guests. You will be using your 2016-17 composite averages, if none, then summer 2017. Remember, it is a no-tap and it is always fun. Entries close on Nov. 10.

High Rollers

Kenna Campbell rolling her first 500 series in the Commercial Classic, Mark Whitcomb 225, Tom Ragsdale 200, Billy Pimentel 171, Donna Stephens 164, John Eversole 223, Mark Heffner 239, Mike Robb 219, Rod Hoofard 206, Karen Hunter 179, George Souza 571, Steven Sanchez 179, Jim Taliaferro 234, LaDonna Stone 603, Julie Egleston 580, Jamie Shank 202, Ron Labuga 180, Kay Koehn 188, Jan Moore 170, Joann Baker 159, Ron White 557, Dave Cline 537. Lura Ruell 180.

Bennett scores big at senior singles

Greg Bennett rolling in the B division (60-69 age groups) of the 48th Cal-State Seniors singles started with a 279-223-197 for a scratch 699. His handicap of 124 was added with a final score of 823.

Top score in the B singles in last year’s Cal-State was an 816 rolled by Bill Whitman of Watsonville USBC for $250. The tournament runs till 18 & 19 of November, with any luck Bennett could score in the money.

Senior no-tappers

Mark your calendar for the following senior no-taps coming up this month. On Friday, Nov. 17 is the Annual Turkey Shoot at McHenry Bowl starting at 1 p.m. Check-in starts at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $16. With any luck you might come home with a bird.

Yosemite Lanes is hosting their monthly senior no-tap at 1 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24. Entry fee is $13. Both centers have separate divisions for men and women in the high game pots and overall series.

Scratch bowlers

Yosemite Lanes is hosting their November edition of their Scratch 6 gamer this Saturday. Saturday you will be rolling on the Yosemite Lanes House shot and there will not be a step-ladder final.

Entry fee is $60 and one in every three bowlers will cash. Optional brackets, high game last game pots, and senior insurance will also be available. Check-in starts at 5 p.m. and bowling starts at 6 p.m. there are a few bowlers who need one more six-gamer to qualify for the December Invitational and the 2017 TOC. A few locals are included are Sean McCulloch and Dan Erreca.

The 10th frame

We have lost another right hander in Jim Boyenga. He was 80 years old. Boyenga passed away at a Rehab Facility in Turlock last Saturday.

A bowler until the very end of his life, as he was rolling in the Tuesday Seniors at Bellevue Bowl for years and this year too. Prior to that league he was in the senior league at Castle Lanes before it closed down.

A good friend of his Marge Casaletto said that when he finished bowling he would go out and play a round of golf. I remember him in the leagues at Century Bowl. As the President of the senior league at Bellevue, I remember his bowling and then he would be gone for a week or so with aches and pains. But, then he would pop up to bowl again.

I met Jim when I was in men’s fast pitched softball and he was the coach at Weaver Union School on Childs Avenue. I was looking for a field so my team could practice on and Jim said I could use his.

In his bowling career that he had a league average of 176 in 1973. Then in 1985 he took a jump up to roll in two leagues with averages of 189 and 197.

His wife said that the last words he spoke were “I want to bowl two more frames.” A true bowler to the end.

Don Surdich is a Sun-Star correspondent and can be reached at 209-777-1111

or via email at desurdich@aol.com.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 12:18 PM with the headline "Women’s 500 Invitational coming up on Sunday at Bellevue Bowl."