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Sunday, November 17, 2002

By Phil Axelrod, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League will open its season Dec. 1 with a record 25 teams of boys and girls in four sections.

East Section: Franklin Regional, Greensburg Central, Greensburg-Salem, Hempfield, Penn-Trafford and Woodland Hills.

South Section: Baldwin, Duquesne, Central Catholic/Oakland Catholic, Seton-LaSalle, South Allegheny and West Mifflin.

North Section: Carlynton, Chartiers Valley, Langley, North Allegheny, North Hills and Quaker Valley.

West Section: Ambridge, Canevin, Montour, Moon, Our Lady of Scared Heart and West Allegheny.

The Pennsylvania state championships will be March 15-17, with the singles competition at Brunswick Playmor Bowl and the team championships at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes.

Campus chatter

Community College of Allegheny County-South campus finished 19th in the 25-team Kent State Invitational in its first competition of the season. The South Tigers had a 184 average for 51 games.

In the men's division, Jason Wunderlich (Steel Valley) led South with a 206 average, followed by Daryl Sherred (Baldwin) at 182 and James Hiles (South Fayette) at 177.

In the women's division, Kristan Mitchell (West Allegheny) led with a 174 average, followed by Connie Cook (Baldwin) at 169 and Kelly Owens (Baldwin) at 164.

Perfecto

Pete Baumiller recorded his sixth 300 and a 716 series in the Wednesday Bud Lite Classic League at South Hills Bowl.

Nearly perfect

If it weren't for a stubborn 4-pin, Harley Schultz would have rolled a perfect three-game series. That's all he left in games of 280, 290 and 300 for an 870 series in the Thursday Bud Lite Trio League at North Versailles Bowling Center. He left a 4-pin in the second frame of the first game and then again in the first frame of the second game.

Schultz, 24, averages around 220 in three different weekly leagues.

The PWBA tour

Tiffany Stanbrough won the Storm Las Vegas Challenge with a 236-189 victory against Kendra Gaines in the final match in the season-ending tournament on the Professional Women's Bowling Association tour.

Michelle Feldman finished as the tour's leading money winner with $74,130 earnings in 19 national events. She cashed in every tournament and won three titles. The only other three-time champion was Leanne Barrette, who won the Three Rivers Open at Princess Lanes in Whitehall. Barrette had the highest scoring average of 216.45, followed by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard's 215.46 and Wendy Macpherson's 214.39.

League leaders

Ed Keefe's 223.25 average tops the Coors Light $10,000 Classic League at South Hills Bowl, followed by John Fichter's 213.88 and Griff Williams' 212.89.

On a roll

Bethel Park's Dottie Gire, a member of the Western Pennsylvania Bowling Hall of Fame, rolled a 235/633 for the Bowling Buddies at Princess Lanes in Whitehall. A righthander who throws a 10-pound ball, Gire leads the league comprised of seniors with a 184 average.

Wayne Chabassol led the way with a 279/785 in the Wednesday Businessmen's League at Sports Haven Bowl.

Ken Street threw a 269/762 to top the charts in the Thursday Men's Classic League at Princess Lanes.

The tournament trail

Don Hipkiss Jr. (Wellsburg, W.Va.) defeated Bob Moore (Waynesburg) in the final match, 279-209, to win the weekly Head-to-Head tournament at All American Lanes in Steubenville.

Travis Glies defeated Ray McNurlen, 213-212, to win $1,000 in the Tri-State Bowlers tournament at AMF Mt. Lebanon Lanes. Tri-State Bowlers will sponsor a scratch tournament at Manor Lanes in Uniontown, with $1,000 for first place.

The Pittsburgh Brunswick Team, composed of Jeff Poholsky, Robert Alexander, Robert Kossert, Doug Becker, Bruce Hollen and Mike Chontos, finished in third place and picked up $3,500 in the American Bowling Congress/Brunswick World Team Challenge Grand Champion at the Gold Coast Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

What's happening

The Pittsburgh Bowlers Tour is sponsoring a handicap tournament today at West Pike Bowl, with $500 for the winner. Entry fee is $19. It also is sponsoring a scratch tournament next Sunday at Freeway Lanes, with $1,000 for first place. Entry fee is $29. For more information on the tour, check its Web site: http://www.bowlthis.com.