By Dean Acker
Register Bowling Columnist
RICHMOND —
Although only three leagues were in action last week because of the holidays, there were several outstanding scores recorded.
John Hickam set a new high for the season at Galaxy with a 794 series which included two 277 games.
Glenn Masters rolled the top game for the week at 279.
Sara Zuercher became the fifth member of this season’s 600 club for women with a 603 series in the TGIF League. Her series included the high women’s game for the week at 236.
League Highlights
Early Birds
The top games in this league last Wednesday were 198 by Beverly Shearer and 180 by Ruby Jo Ward.
Patricia Harris (523) and Karen Kensicki (504) rolled the best series scores.
Friday Night Mixed
There were several high scores bowled in this league last week.
John Hickam narrowly missed reaching the coveted 800 series level with a 794 score, which included two games of 277.
Only six men have bowled an 800 series at Galaxy. The most recent were Brandon Simpson in Feb. 2011 and John Poynter in Jan. 2012.
Glenn Masters rolled the top game for the night at 279 and the second-best series (690).
A 600 series was also bowled by Lewis Jones Jr. (661), Bill Bowles (655), Kenny Smith (648), Mark Rogers (631), Ron Gugel (622), Steve McKnight (609) and Steve Woltering (601).
Narita Rose led the league’s ladies with a 203 game and 579 series, followed by Beverly Shearer at 171 and 476.
TGIF
Sara Zuercher set new season highs for the women in this league with a 236 game and 603 series. Zuercher is the fifth woman to roll a 600 series at Galaxy this season.
Sandy Reynolds bowled the second-best scores for the league’s women with a 187 game and 525 series.
Merle Meade (221) and Charles Harris (213) bowled the top men’s games last week, while the best men’s series were 561 by Ollie Gasser and 534 by Meade. Splits were converted by Rich Wells (3-6-7-10), Becky Wells (5-7) and Margaret Tilsley (2-7).
Cash Money
The top three teams in this league’s fall season were listed in a previous column. The individual leaders are recognized in today’s column.
The Untouchables (Mickey McAllister, Patricia Norris, Ronnie Norris Sr. and Ronnie Norris Jr.), Champion’s Sports Bar (J.J. Reisig, Steve Dalton, Pete Young and Nate Rosenbauer) and No Name Bowlers (Jim Collins, Sam Spangler, Debra Robertson and Mike Aldrich) finished in the top three positions.
Nate Rosenbauer finished with the highest average (176), followed by Mike Aldrich (175), J.J. Reisig (172), Ronnie Norris Sr. (168) and Ronnie Norris Jr. (167).
Rosenbauer bowled the top series (660) with Reisig (629), Norris Jr. (595), Norris Sr. (581) and Aldrich (569) next in line.
Rosenbauer also rolled the top game (257), followed by Aldrich (249), Reisig (244), Norris Jr. (234) and Sam Spangler (230).
The highest women’s average was compiled by Colleen Jackson (136), followed by Lanette Rosales (128), Sara Burgess (116), Debra Robertson (116) and Mary Mink (110).
Rosales bowled the top series (473) with Jackson (462), Burgess (402), Robertson (401) and Janet Bird (393) next in line.
The top women’s games were 180 by Jackson, 170 by Robertson, 168 by Burgess, 162 by Rosales and 160 by Beth Voorhees.
The most improved awards were earned by Ronnie Norris Jr. for the men and Patricia Norris for the women.
January league schedules
Four leagues will be in action this week. The Wednesday Early Birds, Friday Night Mixed and TGIF leagues will continue with their full year seasons. The Classic Doubles League will open a new season at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
The other six Galaxy leagues will swing into action during the following week.
The Galaxy Girls will resume their 30-week season on Jan. 8.
A new winter season, or the second half of a split season, will get under way the following week for the other five leagues.
The Galaxy Classic and Cash Money Leagues will start their winter seasons on Jan. 7. The Arlington and Bad Bowlers No-tap Leagues will start new seasons on Jan. 8 and the Wednesday Wonders League will start the second half of its split season on Jan. 9.
Galaxy leaderboards for men
The reduced league activity last week provides an opportunity to recognize the top performances to date for the men bowling in sanctioned leagues at Galaxy.
Fifteen men have compiled an average of 200 or higher thus far this season, while 13 men had reached that level at this point last season.
The average listed is the bowler’s best average in any one league in which he has bowled a minimum of 21 games.
A series score of 700 or higher has been bowled by 17 men this season compared to 16 last season.
The number of men who have bowled a game of 275 or higher is 14 this season — up from the 10 men who had reached that level at this point in the season last year.
Two men — Ron Gugel and John Hickam — have rolled a 300 game this season, while a 300 game had been bowled by four men at this point last season — Gugel, Brandon Simpson, John Poynter and Neil Haggard.
Best men’s averages
Brandon Simpson 227
John Hickam 222
Tyler Morgan 213
Mark Rogers 211
Ron Gugel 211
Matt Joyce 210
Glenn Masters 208
David Norman 207
Neil Haggard 206
Mike E. Bryant 206
Lewis Jones Jr. 204
Brandon Lutes 204
Aaron Rose 202
Joe Reichel 202
Barry Miller 200
Best men’s series
John Hickam 794
Brandon Lutes 790
Neil Haggard 773
Brandon Simpson 751
Joe Reichel 747
Mark Rogers 746
Ron Gugel 739
Jeff Napier 738
Tyler Morgan 729
Ollie Gasser 717
Ron Roberts 715
Randy Burgess 715
Matt Joyce 712
Aaron Rose 711
Barry Miller 710
Shawn Barton 704
Glenn Masters 701
Best men’s games
Ron Gugel 300
John Hickam 300
Mike E. Bryant 290
Brandon Simpson 290
Brandon Lutes 286
Joe Reichel 280
Cody Dapkus 280
Glenn Masters 279
Mark Rogers 278
Todd Young 278
Ollie Gasser 278
Neil Haggard 277
Tyler Morgan 276
Shawn Barton 276
Happy New Year to all!
To the bowlers - may your strikes be many and your splits be few.
Last week’s top scores
Men’s games
Glenn Masters 279
John Hickam 277
Lewis Jones Jr. 246
Kenny Smith 245
Ronald Richmond 238
Mark Rogers 234
Donnie Barger 226
Bill Bowles 224
Merle Meade 221
Steve Woltering 215
Ron Gugel 215
Charles Harris 213
Ollie Gasser 211
Steve McKnight 210
Ronnie Hurd 203
Women’s games
Sara Zuercher 236
Narita Rose 203
Beverly Shearer 198
Sandy Reynolds 187
Ruby Jo Ward 180
Pat Harris 180
