Surdich on Bowling: No trophies, no prize fund; but veterans benefit from BVL event

The 2015 Brightening Veterans Lives singles tournament for our association members is set for Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. at Bellevue Bowl.

There are six divisions each for women and youth boys and girls, and five for men, according to your average. Entry fee is only $10 and you’ll roll three scratch games. Entry forms are available at Bellevue, and your 2014-15 book average will be used.

Last year, we had 10 association members representing our Merced County USBC in the finals at McHenry Bowl in Modesto. Our very own Elijah Torres was crowned the boys B division state champion.

This year, the Helen Duval Veterans Memorial Tournament finals will be held at Keystone Lanes in Norwalk on May 14, 2016. Come out and bowl and support our vets. There are no trophies, no prize fund. If you win your division, you represent our association in the finals.

Bowl for Veterans – The Gold Country USBC and Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne are sponsoring their fifth annual Bowl for Veterans No-Tap Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 7, with three squads at 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.

You can roll as a four-person team, doubles or singles. Entry fee is $20 per person, which gives everyone a chance to win prizes. You have a chance in a free drawing, as you could win a bowling ball, a player’s club booklet, restaurant gift certificates, meal vouchers and arcade vouchers. Sign up by calling 209-928-9419. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available.

New senior club forming – There is a group of Modesto bowlers who are forming a senior bowling club that will travel in the northern part of the Valley starting in the new year.

Leading the way are members Dave Brown, Rick Lazaro and James Brodie. They are holding meetings to go over rules, regulations, by-laws and suggestions for the Central Valley Senior Bowling Club. The club will be open to men 55 and older and women 50 and older. They might consider a super-senior division for older bowlers. The old Nor-Cal Senior Tour had a super senior that rolled at Yosemite Lanes and Bellevue.

The club will be USBC sanctioned. They’re working on a tentative schedule that will include the two houses in Modesto, two houses in Stockton, Manteca, Tracy, Brentwood and Bellevue and are setting up terms and contracts with each center.

Membership will be $20 per year. I’ll have more information as it becomes available in the coming weeks.

Halloween at Black Oak – A busload of bowlers from McHenry traveled to Black Oak Lanes for the annual Halloween party. A total of 47 bowlers, including a few from Bellevue, competed in the 9-pin handicap no-tap Friday morning.

Janie Schropp of Merced picked up a few bucks with her fourth-place high-game finish in the third game, a 291. Then, she came in fourth again with a 776 series. Yours truly took first in the men’s high series with an 890 and first in a high-game pot while placing in the other two high-game pots.

Up next for McHenry is its yearly turkey shoot, where you can win a turkey for a strike with a colored head pin. Entry fee is $15 and it starts at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Come up and try for a gobbler.

League highlights – It seems that splits were the norm last week as Gene Wallace and Richard Pazin each picked up the 4-6-10, and Don Gamble converted a 2-4-8-10. Tommy Cardoza rolled a 299 game with a 747 series. John Eversole had a 634 series, Jess Donohue rolled a 232 game, and Joanne Abraham had a 177 game.

Women’s 500 Club results – Results of the 43rd annual Merced/Atwater Women’s 500 Club Invitational will appear in next week’s column with some scores and the top three on each prize list.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Surdich on Bowling: No trophies, no prize fund; but veterans benefit from BVL event."