Surdich on Bowling: Merced/Atwater 500 Club Friendship results

The Merced/Atwater Women’s 500 Club had another great turnout with 21 teams rolling in their annual Friendship Tournament at Bellevue Bowl recently.

Each team had one 500 Club member and a non-member rolling. Taking first place was the team of Peggy Docherty and Ashley Dehart with a combined handicap score of 1,531 for $80 each. Placing second were Gina Claxton and Betty Brown with a 1,414 for $68 each. Following in third were Sharon Roper and Kenna Campbell with a 1,407 for $55, and Phyllis Wallbaum and Judy Layton totaled 1,382 for $47 each.

Up next for the club is their Three on a Team on June 12.

League champions crowned – The first league to crown team champions after a roll-off was the Bellevue Bowl Senior Trio on Tuesday afternoon. Three of a Kind took first place. Team members and their averages were Joe Nesnidal (154), Ed Rowen (167) and John Nunes (177). Individual awards went to Dan Erreca (278) and Betty Brown (216) for high scratch game, and Don Surdich (704) and Jan Moore (502) for high scratch series.

League highlights – Dennis Gray, rolling in the Commercial Classic, was hitting the pocket in the first game and had three 7-10 splits. ... Also, Tommy Cardoza rolled a fine 727 series. ... In the Guys & Dolls, Renate McIntyre rolled her first 600 series with games of 192-231-178 for a 601 set.

Senior no-tap – April 22 is McHenry Bowl’s Senior Any Doubles Will Do It, starting at 1 p.m. They host a potluck at noon with sign-ups at 12:30 p.m. Entry fee is $15. Get a partner and take the short drive to Modesto. On April 29, Yosemite Lanes will host its monthly 9-pin no-tap singles for men and women at 1 p.m. Sign-up starts at noon. There is no potluck, and the entry fee is $13.

CVSBC results next week – Results from the Central Valley Senior Bowling Club singles tournament at West Valley Bowl in Tracy will appear in the column next week. They had a very good turnout. The club will be at Harvest Park Bowl in Brentwood on April 23 for a doubles event starting at 1 p.m.

The 10th frame – We lost one of our league secretary/treasurers with the death of Judy Fisher in Turlock. She was my secretary in our Commercial Classic league when I was president.

I know many bowlers will remember her as the “Candy Lady.” During league play, Judy could be found all over the center with her silver hair. She would have a box of candy bars you could win if you won a Bingo game she had going. During the game, she had bowlers’ Bingo cards with 25 boxes with pick-up 10-pin, miss 5-pin, sloppy-sloppy strike, and on an on. Sometimes, all you had to do was pick up something to get a candy bar. In one box, she had “hug the league secretary.” Bowlers would line up to get the candy.

In the fall of 2006, Judy was featured in a story in the U.S. Bowler news published by the USBC. It included a photo of her and bowler Bryan Wenger checking his Bingo card.

Judy had a long battle with cancer. During her illness, she would always stop by and visit the Classic during her time in town. She lived in Reno but always had time to visit her bowlers. She was rural mail carrier and worked one time for her daughter, Donna, a postmaster in Hilmar.

A memorial service was held last week in Turlock.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Surdich on Bowling: Merced/Atwater 500 Club Friendship results."