Friedrich led from start-to-finish in the 143-game event, after opening strongly with 255, 267 and 279 for a rare 801 series. His low game was 202 as he went 11-3 in match-play.

 

Sandoval finished well with nine wins from his last eleven games as did Irwin winning six of seven to push newcomer, Scott McDonnell and Seth Muller into minor placings by virtue of those win bonus pins.

 

Local bowler, Linda Herrera, competing in her record twenty-fifth tournament closed with clean games of 209 and 213 when only 22 pins ahead of fourth place at that point in a tightly-bunched women’s field.

 

She beat Johanna Friedrich by 114 pins in final standings followed by Becky Fisher of Rio Rancho third 25 pins back.

 

Lane Grado, who learned to bowl in Southern California’s bowling hotbed in the 1960’s and 1970’s held a commanding 86-pin lead going into the senior’s final match and all but threw it away with a nerve-wracking 151 game, this after averaging 221 the previous five matches.

 

He won by twelve pins from Friedrich with Dan Brenning, Pete Sheridan and Terry Schmidt finishing three through five.

 

A somewhat different story in the youth final when late starter, Sebastian Medina of Rio Rancho secured a run when an Albuquerque bowler has to withdraw. 

 

He took full advantage of the unusual opportunity to go 7-1 and win the title over nine-year-old “prodigy”, Genesis Bajonero of Rio Rancho and third-placed Liam Martinez.

 

* Jacob Gill has become the first bowler to successfully defend his “King of the Hill” title in action at Tenpins & More on Sunday.

 

Barely surviving in round two of the eliminator format (with a 184 game), Gill added 210 and 207 before facing left-hander, Haskell Lee for the championship.

 

It was close throughout the ten-frame match, only one pin the difference in the eighth frame however a solid two strikes in a row by Gill and a difficult spare conversion in the tenth gave him the win, and  $400, 193-175.

 

* Four area league members won their respective age divisions in the Northern New Mexico Senior Olympics bowling tournament at Strike Gold Lanes this month.

 

Ken Friedrich, Arthana Hampel, Willie Edwards and Perry Hampel came away with gold medals from the tournament that packed the 16-lane Center for two days during the multi-sport festival.

 

* Calendar:

Sun Feb 2: Color Pin Cash at 9.30am: Annual NMAA Foundation Bowlathon at 1pm

Sun Feb 9: Superbowl Sunday Doubles Marathon at 8am