THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505190224
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around The Alleyways
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Long : 154 lines
There was a major shuffle among the top bowlers this year and only perennial Queen of the Hill Fran Sansone in women's tenpins was able to repeat among the No. 1 pinbusters.
For the seventh consecutive year the leader has changed in men's tenpins. Chris Baron vaulted into the front spot for the 1994-95 season.
Jon Stites led a year ago. In 1992-93 it was David Cupp. Rich Finnigan headed the field the previous year and Cupp won in 1991. Gil Brown was No. 1 in the 1990 season and Mike Luck topped the 1989 rankings.
The long hold on first place in duckpins by Tiger Baker and Dot King also came to an end. Donnie Long climbed to the top in the men's division and Kendra Allen, a youth league bowler, grabbed the women's title. King was sidelined by an injury and missed virtually the entire season. Baker had been No. 1 for four consecutive years and King had been the women's pacesetter for three.
Following are Around the Alleyways rankings based upon nominations and a compilation of averages provided by league secretaries:
TENPINS
MEN
As scores continue to soar, combined averages of 210 were required for even honorable mention rating, three pins higher than last year.
Only three of last year's top 10 ranked bowlers managed to hold spots on the two All-Metro squads.
In his finest season, Baron put together averages of 223, 214 and 210 for an overall 215 to be the frontrunner. Last year he was an honorable mention with 207 for five leagues.
Rodney Moody just missed an overall 215 in taking second place. He was unranked two years ago and zipped to No. 7 last season.
Not ranked a year ago with a 192 average, Rodney Waterfield jumped into the No. 3 position with 214 for a pair of leagues.
Jack Gray climbed a notch from fifth a year ago with a 214 average. Gray boosted his average from a three-league 209 last year.
Bumm Beach, one of the area's most active bowlers who competed in six leagues, claimed the fifth position with an overall 213. Beach maintained a 221 in his best league and had 216 in another. He did not rank last year with an overall 198.
Chuck Richey headed the second unit, also at 213. Richey moved up from ninth a year ago when he had 211 and 206 in two leagues for an overall 208.
Seventh place went to Larry Martinez, also a 213 bowler. Martinez registered 218 in one league. A year ago he was accorded honorable mention with an overall 207 for three leagues.
Another at 213, Steve Boesdorfer took the eighth spot. He's a newcomer to the rankings. Last year he had an overall 198 for three leagues.
The ninth position went to Danny McDermott with 212. McDermott also posted a 218 in one league. McDermott had an overall 191 for two leagues last season and was not ranked.
Jeff White, at 212 overall with a 216 high, grabbed the final berth.
The honorable mentions were headed by Jim Marrion and Rusty Martin, who rolled a 300 game on Wednesday night at Pinboy's of Lynnhaven, and included last year's 1-2 finishers, Stites and Todd Allred. Other honorable mentions were Gary Faulkner, John Masaitis, Roger Dunaway, Bud Jacobson, Pat Dineen, Danny Mausolf, George Ensor and Tom Linton.
WOMEN
The one-two women's punch packed by Sansone and Carolyn Cotterell continued for the fourth straight year. Sansone claimed her fifth crown in six seasons with Cotterell taking top ranking four years ago.
Sansone had an overall 198 for four leagues. She sported 207 in one loop. In 1994 she had an overall 196.
Averages of 197 and 196 gave Cotterell the No. 2 position. She was up two pins from her 194 in two leagues last season.
Andrea Thorpe jumped into third place, nipping Carrie Paisley. Both had overall averages of 195. Thorpe carried 195.75 and Paisley had 195.33.
For the past three years Thorpe, a four-league bowler, has been ranked fourth. Paisley continues to move up in the rankings. She was fifth last year.
With an overall 193 for four leagues, Gina Forehand vaulted to fifth place. It was her best ranking yet. She was an honorable mention last season.
Competing in adult leagues for the first time, 19-year-old Leslie Livesay captured the No. 6 position with an overall 192.
Rosita Padilla, with an overall 188, placed seventh. She advanced from last year's honorable mentions.
Averages of 188 and 187 in two leagues gave the No. 8 spot to Pam Westfall. She also was on the honorable mention list last year.
Anna Sawyer took ninth place with 186. A 179 bowler a year ago, she was unranked.
Dori Gribok and Regina Cullom tied for the last position at 185. Gribok was sixth last year and seventh in 1993. Cullom was seventh last season and unranked the year before.
Four bowlers with overall 184 averages gained honorable mention. These included Sheri Zanke, Dot Dy, Monica Bauserman and Sharon Kunkle.
DUCKPINS
MEN
Long regained the No. 1 ranking he last held in 1990 with averages of 145 and 143 in two leagues. He was the pacesetter in both.
A fixture among the average leaders, the Chesapeake bowler was fifth last year, sixth the year before and second for the two previous seasons.
Baker tumbled into second with an overall 139 for three leagues. A year ago he had 143, 142 and 141 for three.
Runner-up last year, Ronnie Sult slipped a notch into third place. He led the only league in which he competed a full season with 141 but had a 133 parttime average in another.
Larry Cubilla gained the No. 4 berth with 138. A year ago Cubilla shared third with Jimmie Coiner. He was not ranked the previous year and was eighth in 1992.
Enjoying his finest season ever, Bobby Wetherbee moved into the top five for the first time with a 137 average.
Veteran Joe Rabel, an honorable mention last season, climbed into sixth place. He also scored at a 137 clip.
Seventh went to Ronnie Ketchum with an overall 136 for two leagues. Ketchum was on the honorable mention list a year ago.
At 136 Tim Hux finished eighth. Hux tied for seventh and eighth last year and was eighth the previous season.
Wilton Drury, an honorable mention last season and ranked No. 4 two years ago, had averages of 137 and 133 to take the No. 9 position.
The 10th berth went to Raymond Askew, on the honorable mention list for several seasons. Askew led three of the four leagues in which he competed and finished with an overall 135.
Jimmy Boswell, who tied for seventh last year, carried a 135 in a single league but missed several weeks of the season due to knee surgery. He led the honorable mentions along with Oneil Wynne, a former No. 1 bowler, at 134. Also placed on the honorable mention list were Walter Laughon and David Driskell.
WOMEN
A shoo-in for All-America youth ranking for the second year in a row, Allen breezed to the head of the adult pack with a 134 average.
She was ranked second for the past two years, holding 126 last year and 132 the previous season. She was fifth three years ago.
Steadily pushing for the top rung, Willie Sraver captured runner-up honors at 124. She was third a year ago, fourth in 1993 and second in 1992.
In a significant jump, Suffolk's Mary Underwood climbed into the No. 3 position with averages of 123 and 121. Last year she was seventh. She was 10th the year before.
Lefthander Lynette Narciso grabbed the fourth berth with averages of 122 and 121. She moved up one spot from last year. The previous season she was third.
At 120 Lynne Harris placed fifth. Another perennial All-Metro, Harris was fourth last year, sixth in 1993 and fourth in 1992.
The second unit consisted of Martha Rush, Brenda Aguiar, Marie Bright, Joanna Cubilla and Robin Driskell.
Rush placed sixth with averages of 121 and 118. She was in the honorable mention category last season.
Aguiar, Bright and Cubilla shared the next three spots with overall 119 marks. Bright was 10th last season and eighth the year before. Cubilla was on last year's honorable mention list.
The No. 10 position went to Driskell with an overall 117. She finished ninth last season.
Three other bowlers were accorded honorable mention - Trudy Walker, Hope Shull and Gerry Jones. All had overall 116 averages. Walker was sixth last year, Shull was eighth and Jones was not ranked. Shull was No. 1 in 1991. MEMO: This is the final Around the Alleyways column of the season.
by CNB