The Hood River city bowling championships were conducted at Orchard Lanes last week. It’s the premier challenge of the year for all local league bowlers and it’s been an annual happening right here in our little town for the past 70 years, how about that! To make it fair for all, the tournament included handicap. Bowlers tested their skills with three games in each of singles, doubles, and team events. There was also optional handicap and scratch all events which is a combination of an individual’s scores for all nine games. Turnout was excellent with 206 bowlers competing in the tournament.
Wunderkind Kristen Kawachi successfully defended her singles crown that she won last year. She did it in spectacular fashion with a clear-cut, virtuoso performance. Kristen’s beautiful, crisp, down and in game that fits the oil pattern at Orchard Lanes like a glove, was just what the doctor ordered as she pummeled the pins with a huge 811 total. Winning two in a row like this is a big deal — it’s hard enough to beat all of the good bowlers here once but it’s simply astonishing to do it two years in a row! Ladies, take note, once again this proves you can bowl and beat the best, so get involved with this great game. Let’s go bowling!
Joey Sheirbon and Jeff Hasegawa each won two events, team, and doubles. Mr. Reliable, the always steadfast Stuart Kawachi joined with Joey and Jeff in the team win, chipping in a nice set. And, after that nice warm up, Joey really turned it on, unleashing his pin-busting, down and in game on the unsuspecting sticks, logging a career best, gaudy 776 series that keyed his doubles win with Jeff. It’s good to see “Hase” back in ten-pin action; after all, Jeff is famous for the “English” he imparts on his bowling ball that somehow keeps the sticks low so instead of them exploding upwards like what happens to most bowlers, they fight to knock each other down on the pin deck which results in many amazing mixer action strikes.
Lanky Matt Hodges bowled lights out all week posting big numbers in every event. Matt, who looks down to the 6-foot 5-inch level, revved up his “A” game, using that powerful, off the corner down and in line that he’s famous for and it clicked like clockwork as he crunched the sticks for a super-dooper 747 in team. He continued on, hot as a firecracker averaging 231 for the tournament, winning handicap all-events by 116 pins over his nearest rival, the ubiquitous Kristen Kawachi.
Finally, we can’t overlook the over-all, dominating performance by Jeff Miller, our local, long-time, renowned No. 1 bowler who clearly demonstrated he’s still the best. Jeff’s big, roundhouse curve couldn’t miss as he led all of the big shooters in the tournament with a painful but awesome 799 series in the team event. Ouch! Just one silly little pin away from a monumental 800 series! Unflustered by that slap in the face, Jeff went on to win the prestigious scratch all-events crown averaging 235 for the tournament. Obviously, winning this event is the pinnacle of bowling prowess because you get no help from handicap, it’s all on you — you only get what you bowl, period. We always say, at least for one brief shining moment that the scratch all events winner is the best bowler in town. All hail to Jeff Miller, the best bowler in town!
Here are the final results for the top places in each event:
SINGLES EVENT:
1st - Kristen Kawachi: 670 + 141 handicap: 811 total pins
2nd - Patrick Olson:745 + 0 handicap: 745 total pins
3rd - Matt Hodges: 647 + 69 handicap: 716 total pins
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