Now that we are fully in the decade of the 2010s, I recently had a discussion about how things have
changed over the years in the sport as a whole and in Bowling Green. This columnist began bowling
locally in the 1970s, so this marks the fifth decade I’ve rolled the ball down BG lanes.
While there are numerous bowlers who have certainly seen more, it is still amazing to thing of the
changes over the last 40 roughly years.
Rubber balls and wooden lanes were the only options. Ball technology has changed with the addition of
plastics, urethane, particle and reactive resin shells, and sophisticated cores that help the bowler do
more with the balls. With that change, the one-ball bags have been supplemented with two- and three-ball
bags and sophisticated carts to carry more balls. Synthetic lanes are often replacing the old maple
wood.
Terminology has changed as well. To be proper, the gutters are channels, and alleys are called lanes or
centers, depending if you are talking about the playing field or the building. And the term
"hambone" is creeping into the lexicon for four consecutive strikes.
The 5-man scratch leagues have vanished in Bowling Green; and the former men’s leagues and tournaments
are now open to the ladies.
Scoring tables with large hand-written score sheets have given way to overhead "telescores"
then computers which do all the math for the bowler. Many regular bowlers may have a basic understanding
of scoring, but wouldn’t know how to keep score today without the automatic scorers.
We won’t even venture into the realm of scoring escalation over the decades.
This only scratches the surface of the changes. A time traveler would be surprised to see the modern
game. Bowling was terrific in "the good old days" and it remains terrific today.
While fun to reminisce, there is no way one can go back in time – nor should anyone truly want to. But it
is fun to recall how things have changed.
Though it would be nice, one thing that will never change is bowlers complaining about the lanes and/or
lane conditions.
Ohio Queens: Jodie Woessner, a summer league bowler in Bowling Green, won the championship last weekend
at the Ohio Queens tournament. Pancha Melendrez performed well in the event making the first cut, but
fell short of advancing to Sunday’s match play round.
League ‘lites: Chase Ferguson, a youth bowler in the Rally’s All Stars League at Al-Mar Lanes, recorded
his first 600 series on Saturday. He had games of 215 and 206 in his 604 series.
Youth of the Week: Youth bowlers who bowled the most pins over their average last week, with pins over,
were as follows.
Al-Mar: Bantam/Prep, Adam Iler, 44; Khloey Hutton, 39; Major/Junior, Chase Ferguson, 59; Alisha Noon, 34.
Varsity: Did not bowl this report week.
Surviving the game: The four bowlers eliminated in Al-Mar’s "Surviving the Game" with pins
under average were: Joyce Calderon, Stadium View, 95; Mondo Calderon, American, 72; Gary Luken,
American, 69; and Teresa Firsdon, Ladies Major, 47.
High Rollers:
Bowler (Lanes) Game Series
House shot
Ken North (V) 300 –
Pancha Melendrez (A)
245,226 686
Pancha Melendrez (A)
278 682
Yogi Lorenzen (A)
255,225 671
Yogi Lorenzen (A)
226 666
Nikki Bagrowski (A)
245,234 659
Pancha Melendrez (A)
248 644
Tiff Turner (A) 227 612
Ron Steinman Jr. (A)
– 763
Don Genalo (V) 279 –
Brent Norris (V) 276 –
Youth tourney shot
Chase Ferguson (A)
215 604
Jacob Spangenberg (A)
212 –
