St Paul 700 Club Tournament

      While most of the nation, and even the world, are waiting for a certain ball player to move into the history books, we in the Twin Cities don't have to wait.

      We had a history-making event at Maplewood Bowl a few weeks ago in the 61st annual St. Paul 700 Club Tournament.

      Michelle Perry, 38, from Isanti. In her 14th season of competition, won the class A portion of the tournament. She posted games of 238-248-258-245 for a winning 989 total.

      She is the first woman to win any divisional championship in the 700 Club's 61 year history.  Her 989 score topped the previous Class A record of 956 by Dave Pate in the 1999 meet at Falcon Bowl.

     It's her second major state championship.  In the fall of 2005 she captured the title in the Minnesota State Women's 600 Club Tourney. She began bowling with her husband in a mixed league in Isanti in 1992.  She has a 300 and a 299 to her credit and 729 is her high series.  She was third in the Metro 600 Tourney in March.  Michelle entered the 700 meet with a 198 average.  Dwayne Castleberry finished second in class A with a 932 total on games of 206-236-246-244.  Gary Green, who entered the St. Paul Hall of Fame last year, claimed his second 700 title, winning Class AA with a 1,018 total while veteran Doug Sabby edged his former Venetian teammate, Dale Hanson for the Class B title, by eight pins.

      Green, who has 11  St. Paul City titles, and three each in Minneapolis and the State tourney, rolled games of 258-234-258-268 for his winning total to win the title by ONE pin.  Sam Sylvester Jr. rolled games of 226-300-268-223 for 1,017.  There has been one tie for a championsjip in 61 years, that a 996 in Class A in 2004 between Gene Arlandson and Jim McGuiggan.

      Sabby, who became eligible for the B division this spring this spring (age 60 and older), rolled games of 258-202-258-222 for his 940.  Ex-teammate Hanson had games of 224-233-236-239 for his 932.  Sabby formerly owned three pro shops and one year sponsored 58 men's, womens and mixed teams.

      In addition to Sylvester, there were two other bowlers who posted 300 games.  They were Craig McDonald and Hal Abrams, while Mike Cowan posted a 299 game, leaving the 10 pin.  Prior to this year, There were only four 300's rolled, they, coming in 1984 (Ron Shursen), 1994 (Scot Arndtson), 1997 (Charles Rudy) and 2005 (Ricardo Flores).

      The two 1,000 series in Class AA brings to six the number of series in that total.  Heading the list in the 1,048 by Dan Beckjordan in  winning the AA title in 1996.  The St. Paul Tourney drew 386 entries, three short of the record in 2005.

      Meanwhile the Minneapolis Men's Association renewed it's 700 meet after a four-decade relapse and drew 148 entries, including a dozen women, in its meet at Lyn-Del Lanes in Bloomington.

      Robert Slayton won the Class AA title by TWO pins over Brad Larson.  Slayton rolled games of 229-210-267-268 for a 974 total with Larson firing games of 243-280-237-212 for a 972.

      Larry Hopkins posted games of 202-257-225-258 for a 942 set in capturing the Class A crown.  Mike Toft was runner-up at 905 on games of 244-160-266-235.  Phill Hoiosen rolled games of 200-235-211-222 for a winning score of 868 to capture the Class B crown.  Larry Line was runner-up at 843 on games of 220-238-182-203.

      Greg Glowacki had high game of tournament with a 289.  There were 84 entries in Class AA, 44 in Class A and 20 in Class B.

  Bob's past articles   

    

©2006 - Max Bowling, Inc.
Reproduction without written permission is prohibited

Photo of Bob Schabert courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Used by permission