Columnist John McCarron: Howell wins at Sam’s Town

John McCarron

Thursday, Oct. 30, 1997 | 9:28 a.m.

MURIEL HOWELL took home Division 1 first-place honors at the Donna Furl Memorial Singles 600 Club tournament at Sam's Town.

Howell's 595 ($66) beat Susan Johnson's 590 ($40). Chris Halladay's 582 ($30) gave her third while Yvonne Fredieu 579 ($20) held on for fourth.

Anna Shifflett scored the high series of the day (603, $66) to win the Division II title. Tournament Director Dora Gottlieb (527, $40) gained second while Joan Boggioni 515 ($20) held on to third place. Chris Halladay, Dora Gottlieb, Susan Johnson, and Joan Boggioni were side pot winners. Women's Association secretary Marilyn Williams had a fine showing, finishing eighth in Division 1.

The Women's Avocado 600 Club of Southern California is hosting an event at the Gold Coast. Call 367-4700 for details.

* TRIVIA TIME: Who is the youngest inductee into the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour hall of fame?

* COMING UP: Terrible's Town has its last eight-gamer of the year but bowlers have one more chance there in the WildDOG Sweepstakes scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 9 at noon. Call Bart di Bartolo (451-7474) for information.

Mahoney's Fall Shootout is set for 9 p.m. Sunday. Call Gary Griffin (657-2750) for details.

Tournament director Rick Fessler tells bowlers to look for the Mt. View Madness event, a two-tournament day set for Saturday, Nov. 29 at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. that may be used for three credits toward December's NTBA Championship Tournament that will be worth over $4,000 to the winner.

The next SSBT event is at the Santa Fe at 10 a.m. Sunday. Call Gary Walters (646-8466) for details.

Wally Fellman invites area scratch bowlers to try their skill in the next Grind Out scheduled Sunday at 10 a.m. at Renata's Sunset Lanes. Call 736-2695 for details.

Exciting events are happening at the Orleans. The PBA Senior pros take the floor next week, and a pro-am and the National Team Tournament is scheduled right behind it. Call general manager Mike Monyak (365-7400) for details.

* COACH'S CORNER: The winter leagues have been running for eight weeks so now you have a picture of how your team is performing. Being in the league's top five gives you an indication that the year will be fine, but if you and your team are slumping it's evaluation time. What can you do to become competitive again?

Get the team out for a practice session or yourself out for an individual tune-up. Lane conditions are always changing and you may not have made the correct adjustment. As teaching pro Mike Procaccino points out, having a smooth, well balanced approach, clean release and hitting your target makes for above average consistent scores.

Another simple checkpoint is spare shooting. If you're missing the corner pins, try rolling an entire game at the pin you have the most trouble with. If you're trying to cover a corner pin with an aggressive ball, a spare ball (plastic) might be a good investment.

Find a trained eye to evaluate your game. Ask the pro at the bowling center what equipment best suits the lane condition. Today's technology has come a long way. Having the right stuff can improve your game by leaps and bounds. Professional instructors can enhance your knowledge. Knowing your own game will make you a more consistent and higher average player.

* TRIVIA ANSWER: Lisa Wagner, inducted in 1996 at the young age of 35. The LPBT Hall of Fame can be viewed in the bowling center at Sam's Town.