Feb. 2 league standings update

After winning one point from “Spare Change”, “Turkey Hunters” have slipped to the bottom of the second half standings, 10 points behind “Bowling Stones”, who have yet to lose a point three weeks into the half. They lead three teams, “Y Not Us”, “Spare Change”, and “Striking Gentlemen” by four points. We bowl against “SR Spares” Wednesday night.

2015 Mass. state tournament information

As usual, I make a post annually when I have all of the information on the year’s state tournaments:

  • The open state tournament, as I’m sure my readers know, will be at Westgate Lanes April 25-26, May 2-3, May 9-10, and May 16-17. Mail-in entries will close April 11, and the entry form can be downloaded from the Brockton Bowling Association here.
  • The women’s state tournament will take place at Brunswick Zone Lowell May 9-10, May 16-17, and May 30-31. Mail-in entries close April 1 (unless schedule is filled sooner), and the entry form can be downloaded from the Mass. Women’s Bowling Association here. Note: For the first time, optional scratch events will be offered in the women’s tournament.
  • The 50th youth state tournament will take place at AMF Chicopee Lanes on April 25-26 and May 2-3. Entries will close on Feb. 25, with an entry form available from the Mass. youth association here.

Jan. 28 league night recap

My Week 20 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

This was no disgrace tonight, but I thought I bowled a little bit better than I scored, too. The main thing was that I closed my games well, and it’s often not how you start, but how you finish. The 6-7 in the second game was as tough a split as I’ve made in a while, as well.

Result: 202-194-175=571
Average (60 games): 167
Average for last 9 games: 173
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 545

As well as I bowled, we managed only one point on the night.

I’ve been having a few “dry” weeks in brackets, mostly due to poor first games, but I should be a threat in them this week.

Jan. 27 league standings update

After failing to win points from “Bowling Stones”, “Turkey Hunters” are now tied with “SR Spares” at the bottom of the standings. “Bowling Stones” have won all eight of their points so far in the second half, and they lead by two over a four-way tie involving “The Doables”, “No Names”, “The 508 Boys”, and “Knock Em Down”. With the storm, bowling tomorrow night is still in question, but “Spare Change” will be our next scheduled opponents.

Winter 2015 Week 2 virtual league results

“Diamond Flush 2.0” won four points from Team 8 and are now tied for 2nd with Team 3, three points behind “The Big Red One”. Individually, “RayRay”, a member of Team 5, posted a 290 game last week.

With a winter storm approaching, I might not know if I’m bowling until that afternoon, but, if my league is canceled, I do try to make it up that weekend for the virtual league, if I need to.

Fran Varin’s blog added to blogroll

I have not made an addition to my blogroll in a while, but after I posted the article on the RI Ladies Classic, Fran Varin pointed me to his blog, mostly focused on Rhode Island bowling news. My initial thought was to pick up the blog’s RSS feed, but where he hasn’t been posting very much recently, I thought an RSS feed less useful; however, I still have put a link to the blog up in the blogroll (in the sidebar).

Shirley Major wins Westgate debut of RI Ladies Classic

Finalists of Jan. 2015 RI Ladies Classic (L-R): Shirley Major (winner), Courtney Parenteau (runner-up)
Finalists of Jan. 2015 RI Ladies Classic (L-R): Shirley Major (winner), Courtney Parenteau (runner-up)

The following is the order of finish of the cashers in yesterday’s RI Ladies Classic event:

  1. Shirley Major
  2. Courtney Parenteau
  3. Tina Gannon
  4. April Raines
  5. Amy Aldridge

Shirley won the final match over Courtney 235-207 (This is a handicap tournament, but both bowlers in the final match were bowling scratch.). Shirley and Courtney are pictured above.

Thank you and congrats to the 19 bowlers who came out, and to the cashers. Thank you also to Fran Varin, the tournament director, for allowing me to post his photo of the finalists. 🙂

Senior E. Mass. Bowlers Association to launch in Feb.

Ed Roberts has recently laid the groundwork for a senior bowling tournament organization in the region, the Senior Eastern Mass. Bowlers Association (SEMBA), which I will be involved with. Our plans include an inaugural tournament on Feb. 22 at Town Line in Malden, followed by a tournament at Westgate Lanes a month later (Mar. 22). Those wanting more information can find Ed at Westgate Lanes on Monday nights, but I will be updating the blog’s calendar with the March tournament.

2013-14 state youth association awards follow-up

Following up on my earlier report about Shane Litchfield’s high series state award, Rose Hamilton has forwarded me a list of other Westgate youth bowlers who have earned state association awards for last season, as follows:

High Major/Senior Boys Average: Kevin Thibeault 224
High Prep Boys Average: Ethan Reyes 173
High Bantam Boys Series: Dylan Major 454
High Bantam Boys Game: Corey Major, James Theriault 173

Kevin, as well as Stephen Major, have also earned special awards for their respective 300 games during the season.

Congrats to all! 🙂

Shane Litchfield gets high series in state

I reported on it when he shot it, but Shane Litchfield yesterday was notified that he officially had the high junior boys series in the state last season with his 708. He has been invited to the opening ceremonies of the Mass. USBC Youth Association state tournament in April to receive his award. Good job, Shane! 🙂

Jan. 20 league standings update

The one point we won from “No Names” put “Turkey Hunters” in a tie for 11th with seven other teams, led by “Oddballs” and “Striking Gentlemen”. “Y Not Us”, “Bowling Stones” (our opponents tomorrow night), and “Creeks Mustangs” were the teams winning all four points to start the second half.

Winter 2015 virtual league ramp-up

Meant to post this earlier in the weekend, but the new virtual league finds me as teammates with “6_ball_man”, “BOSStull”, “Smooth Stroker”, and “Vic44”, with “BOSStull” being the only teammate I’ve been with previously. Recycling a name I had when my virtual league’s team number was 6, the team’s name will be “Diamond Flush 2.0”, with 2.0 being the “version number” (To explain the logic, 6 is the atomic number of carbon, which, when under pressure, can become a diamond; flush can mean the poker hand of all diamonds, as well as how we hope to hit the pocket. 🙂 ).

Bob Hamilton, Jack Gagne elected to Brockton BA Hall of Fame

The voting body for the Brockton Bowling Association Hall of Fame had its election last weekend, and I am now able to formally report that Bob Hamilton and Jack Gagne were elected this year. Bob was elected in the Bowling Achievement category, and his accomplishments, particulary his recent ones, have been well-documented here. However, I need to say something about Jack Gagne, who was elected for Meritorious Service: Jack is a past president of the association, and has worked with the North Bowl junior program for over 20 years.

Details on the Hall of Fame Dinner are being worked out, and will be announced here at a future date.

Bruce Perry throws first honor score at Ryan Family Amusements

I usually don’t report on honor scores away from Westgate Lanes unless they involve Westgate bowlers, but, due to the notability of this one, I’m making an exception: Bruce Perry threw a 298 game in the NAAITL league Tuesday night at Ryan Family Amusements in Raynham, MA, which is the first honor score thrown in USBC-certified competition there since the center converted duckpin lanes into tenpin lanes in the summer of 2013. The league itself had been bowling at AMF Taunton Lanes, which closed last summer. One of the league’s officers, Steve Parmeggiani, told me on Facebook that Bruce only left a 7-10 split in the game.

Congrats Bruce! 🙂

Jan. 14 league night recap

My Week 18 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

One thing summed up my night tonight: I left the 7 a lot and missed it a lot. Oddly enough, however, I was dead perfect on all of my other single pins, including my 10. A couple of doubles covered up two open frames in the third game for my only decent one tonight.

Result: 142-160-189=491
Average (54 games): 166
Average for last 9 games: 170
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 552

My good third game turned out to be the point we won tonight.

Link to “Bowling. Seriously?” added to sidebar

A female bowler who competed in the Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen league last year, Joanne Herman, came to bowling very late in life and found she liked the game enough to want to learn to bowl better, and I’m pleased that she has launched a website, “Bowling. Seriously?”, on which she offers advice and guidance to those making the transition from being a casual bowler to being a serious competitive one. The site has been added to the sidebar (under the “Bowling Sites” list, but also linked in this post for easy reference), and, for those bowlers making use of her site who found this site via a search, keep in mind that I have a lot of links to bowling resources on the Internet in my sidebar, too, so I’d hope you make use of those. 🙂

Jan. 11 league standings update

I’ve already mentioned that “Striking Gentlemen” won the first half in my league, but “Turkey Hunters” ended up in a tie for 6th with “The Doables” and “The 508 Boys”. We begin the second half Wednesday night against “No Names”. Individually, Barry had the high handicap game for the men last week.