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Participation in big bowling tourney a nice reward

Steve Brownlee

I’ve watched it and even described the action on the radio before, but I have to admit actually participating in the Eagle Radio All-Star Bowling Tournament on Jan. 26 and 28 really got me pumped.

This was the 26th annual edition of a scratch — no handicap — event started and mainly attended by western Upper Peninsula bowling centers in Houghton, Baraga, Ontonagon and Gogebic counties, along with Hurley, Wisconsin.

Some years a few teams have come from further east, like River Rock Lanes in Ishpeming and Recreation Lanes in Iron Mountain. River Rock proprietor Clay Sandberg got an invitation from this year’s tourney host, Ron Whitman of the Whirl-I-Gig in L’Anse, to attend.

So did Uptown Lanes of Niagara, Wisconsin, making it an eight-center field this year.

Sandberg asked me to bowl on their senior men’s team as I’ve hit — and bypassed — the ripe ol’ age of 55, now that I’ve spent more than a month at 56.

For me, it was an inauspicious beginning to say the least at the “Gig,” a six-lane center I’d never been to despite all my bowling in the Upper Peninsula for what will be 30 years this fall.

I never broke 165 in the three-game qualifier (a 483 series) on Friday afternoon, not being able to get my ball to hook unless I hung it right on the gutter, which then grabbed so hard it usually went Brooklyn.

But with my teammates carrying my heavy load — Sandberg, Steve DeBakker, Mike Trickey and Dave Abraham — we made the final three for the stepladder finals and I bowled a 234 in the first game against Larry’s Lucky Strikes of Ironwood on Sunday afternoon.

We snuck by that game when anchorman Sandberg doubled in the 10th frame for a 971-962 win, but we — and I with a 160 — couldn’t keep it going in the championship match, falling to the home team in the championship match, 931-901.

The Gig champions included Jimmy Cheek, Floyd Crawford, Billy Rolof, Mike Gauthier and Bob Heikkinen.

Let me set the scene — 27 teams in four divisions came in to bowl their qualifier between Friday afternoon and Saturday night.

The top four major division teams — read that as the younger-aged open division — and top three in the senior division advanced to their respective men’s and women’s stepladder finals on Sunday.

Eagle Radio — that’s WGLI 98.7 FM of Hancock and WCUP 105.7 FM of L’Anse — broadcast the finals in all four divisions. That included me doing the color in the major division, since I wasn’t available during the simultaneous senior men’s and women’s finals.

As soon as I was done bowling, though, play-by-play man Skip Schultz got me seated, found me a headset and checked my voice levels for two hours of the major division women’s title match, then the major men’s finale.

It’s about the fourth or fifth time I’ve been invited on the show as the bowling “expert.”

It’s great fun, and staying up with the action really keeps you on your toes, since unlike the pros, there’s always somebody up to bowl while you’re trying to edge in a comment.

Both of River Rock’s major teams got knocked out one match short of the finals.

The RR men were one of three victims of the Whirl-I-Gig, which came from third place to win it all.

The Gig took out their nearby rivals at Press Box Lanes in Baraga, 1,071-1,004, in the opener, then pulled out a 986-965 win over River Rock before downing No. 1 Larry’s 1,069-953 for the title.

The Gig guys included Todd Chosa, Chris Chaudier, Jerry Fish, Charlie Parrish and Brad Dakota. Dakota shot 278 in the final match to lead his team to victory.

River Rock’s impressive lineup included Justin Stephens, Glenn Ayotte, Steve Windahl, Josh Larson and Greg Bisel.

Miller’s Recreation of Laurium made its No. 1 seeding in the women’s major division stand up, beating Logger’s Alley 923-893 in the finale for that title.

River Rock, composed of Diana Windahl, Heather Sandberg, Brenda Carlson, Jen Ogea and Donna Sandberg, squeezed out an 851-833 win over Whirl-I-Gig in the opener.

Then Loggers’ won another close one, 934-906, over River Rock to advance to the finals.

And for the senior women, the No. 1 seeded Whirl-I-Gig team of Jeanne Anderson, Bev St. George, Susis Lafernier, Dianne Bennink and JoAnn Kemppainen were winners.

Whirl-I-Gig won the closest game on Sunday, 777-775, over Miller’s in the championship match with LaFernier leading the way with 178.

Miller’s reached the final by downing Mineshaft of Houghton 827-724 a match earlier.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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