THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503030217
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
The area may be losing one of its 20 bowling centers.
Bowlers at Plaza Bowl in Virginia Beach have been informed to conclude league play by May 11.
The 40-lane center on North Plaza Trail is the only center in Virginia operated by the Brunswick Corporation. The lease on the building which houses the center is expiring. Owners apparently have other plans for the site.
Brunswick officials plan to decide on March 15 whether to relocate or close the operation.
``At this point we are not optimistic,'' said a Brunswick spokesman, Randy Wagner. ``But on March 15 we will make our final decision.''
Plaza Bowl is the lone non-military tenpin center in the area not operated by Dwight Mitchum.
Plaza once was a split house with tenpins and duckpins. When it was sold by Nick Rinaldi to Brunswick, it was converted to only tenpins.
The Norfolk Bowling Association championship tournament headed into final weekend action with some imposing scores on the leadership board.
After three weekends of competition, the Dream Team remains atop the team standings with a handicap total of 2,887.
Only one frontrunner was replaced last weekend. Robert Edwards took over the handicap all-events lead with 2,302. He unseated second-week pacer Chris Wilcox, who had 2,205.
Michael Jordan still tops handicap singles with 819. Garland Self and Edwards are the doubles leaders with 1,504.
Joey Cruz leads scratch all-events with 2,006. He had 761 in singles, 585 in doubles and 660 with his team.
A survey by the National Sporting Goods Association on sports activities shows there was a 2.8 percent drop in bowling participation the past year. Contrast this with tennis, which had an 18 per cent decrease, and bicyling, which fell 12.3 per cent.
Bowling ranks in sixth place in this activity survey.
No. 1? Exercise walking with 64.4 million participants.
Bowler of the Week honors are shared by Andrea Thorpe and Danny Mausolf.
Thorpe registered the second highest series ever rolled in local league play by a woman bowler with 778 in the Saturday Nite Mixed Tenpin League at Pinboy's of Western Branch.
She had games of 222, 267 and 289, which was one pin shy of the area record by Beth Bulko in the 1991-92 season. It broke the women's house record at Pinboy's of Western Branch by 64 pins.
Thorpe was participating as a substitute after posting series of 630 and 603 earlier in the week in her regular two leagues at the same center where she works. She had 10 strikes in a row in her 289 game. This was her second 700 series ever.
Mausolf nearly had a 300 game and an 800 series in different leagues at different centers.
He rolled his 300 in a 724 series in the Lynnhaven Masters at Pinboy's of Lynnhaven, sandwiching it between games of 203 and 221.
Mausolf slammed 790 in the Tuesday Mixed Majors at Plaza Bowl, putting together games of 245, 288 and 257. He needed a 10th frame strike to go over the 800 barrier but left the 4-7, converting the spare and then filling with a strike.
In his 288 game Mausolf racked up 10 strikes in a row before leaving the No. 10 pin.
Duckpin data: Sandi Erickson of Falls Church won the Virginia Ladies All-Star February tournament at Victory Lanes. Eileen Cherry finished second and Margaret Lowrance was third. Top qualifier was Christy Mattern with 1,025. George Smith won the Star-Am prelimiary with 903. Don Feguson was second with 893, Paul Rabel third with 868 and Raymond Askew fourth with 863. The All-Star leader was Sandy Jenkins with 415. . . . Bowling lost one of its most ardent participants with the death of Mamie Byrd. She would have been 94 years old in July and may have been the oldest active bowler in local leagues. She competed regularly for many years in two leagues, once was a three-league member and was active this season in the Monday Morning Mixed League. . . . David Driskell whacked out a 191 game en route to his 439 series in the Tuesday Major Trio League. In the same league Joanna Cubilla pitched a 170 on her way to a 444. . . . Jim Bateman showed the old touch with a 452 series in the Sunday Fun League. . . . Jane Atwood and Don Ferguson paired to win the second round the VPA Wednesday Doubles League. . . . The 21 Tournament resumes today at Victory Lanes with Donnie Long holding a three-pin lead over Martha Rush. Competition starts at 5 p.m. . . . Between a 486 series in the Tuesday Major Trio League and a 413 in the Monday Industrial League, Ronnie Sult was awakened by police at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday to be told they had found his Blazer, which had been stolen from his driveway and totaled across town. Those who know Sult, one of the area's All-Metro standouts, know he had more love for his Blazer than his bowling.
Tenpin topics: Dave Williamson joined the 300 Club with a 12-striker in the Charles Peete League at Pinboy's of Norfolk. The 198-average shooter struggled out to a 635 series after the big opening game. . . . Chesapeake's Phil Aspiras won the 10th annual Newmarket Classic, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Scratch Bowlers Association. The 13-year-old Aspiras qualified fourth in the tourney but defeated all five of his opponents in the semifinal round with games of 217, 223, 258, 256 and 246. Marc Daniels of Virginia Beach finished fourth and Harold Credle of Portsmouth was sixth. Joey Reid of Newport News took runner-up honors. . . . Brian Stephens racked up 10 straight strikes before leaving the 10 pin en route to his 278 in the Tuesday Nite Mixed League at Indian River. . . . Celebrating their first 200 games are Theresa Paschedag with 207 in the Cosmopolitan League at Pinboy's of Norfolk, Mike Whited with 205 in the NORSHIPCO League at Indian River, Lee Tolliver in the Strikers League at Pinboy's of Lynnhaven, Brenda Oberdorf with 215 in the Sunday Nite Hawks League at Indian River and Dot Gregory with 205 in the Primetime Seniors League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. Whited averages only 126. Classic League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake. . . . Richard Fain zipped 150 over average with his 733 series in the Ford Mixed League at Indian River. by CNB