LIVONIA, Michigan - Sixty-eight bowlers, a $9,200 prize fund, 24 qualifiers and one of the most exciting final matches in GLSBA history. All of this, at the fourth annual Great Lakes Senior Bowling Association Championship tournament at Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights in early December.
Victor Portalatin of Jackson was crowned the new GLSBA Champion and pocketed the $2,000 first-place prize. Gary Simons of Maumee, Ohio, took home the $1,000 runner-up prize.
B.J. Galloway of Alpena led the six-game qualifying block with 1445, followed by Nick Beelaard of Windsor, Ontario, with 1431 and Dan Mayer of Waterford with 1405. High-game honors in the qualifying round were posted by Roy Biggs of Canton with 299, Ken O'Brien of Troy with 290 and Galloway with 289. A two-game knockout was used to determine who would move from the top 24 to the sweet 16 and go on to the double-elimination match play.
Portalatin started on his way to the finals by winning his first match against Ron Lefebvre of Horton, 222 to 178. Emilio Mora Sr. of Defiance, Ohio, then defeated Portalatin 258 to 236, sending him to the losers bracket. Portalatin took the loss in stride and went on to beat Tom Lis of Deford, 224 to 167; Galloway, 236 to 210; and Mayer, 257 to 197. Portalatin again met Mora Sr., who had just fallen into the loser's bracket. This time the results were in Portalatin's favor: A 247-to-227 win moved him into the finals.
Meanwhile, Simons took no prisoners on his way to the finals as he cut through the field and never left the winners bracket. His first match against Beelaard ended with a 247-to-221 victory. Simons next defeated Mike David of Montrose, 265 to 205. His next two opponents, Mayer and Mora Sr., were locked in at 216 while Simons bowled 234 and 233, respectively, moving him to a two-game bye.
The tournament was running late due to the additional games bowled and the extra time needed to sort things out. In the meantime, the house was filling up with Saturday night league bowlers. How do you keep a bunch of bowlers who want to get on their lanes happy? Simple: Give them something good to watch and cheer about. In the first match of the finals, the strikes came at a furious pace, with Portalatin and Simons striking through the first seven frames. A couple of taps left Simons with a 247 game while Portalatin took it off the sheet for a 300 game to the applause and cheers of those watching. Little did the audience know the two contestants now had to bowl one more match for all the marbles. Could it get any better? You bet! Both bowlers seemed to struggle a little in the second game. In the ninth frame Simons left a ringing 10 pin, but it was determined that the 9 pin had been missing from the rack. Given a second chance, Simons flushed the pocket for solid strike. All he needed was a strike in the 10th to clinch the victory, but his shot went a little high, leaving a 4-10 split. Now the pressure was on Portalatin to stay clean in the 10th, and indeed he did, claiming a 213-to-193 victory and the 2001 GLSBA Championship.
Other scores of interest during eliminations: Galloway rolled a 300 game; Portalatin had an 804 series, which included his 300 game; and there were five 247 games bowled, three of which were by Simons.
The next GLSBA tournament is Jan. 12, 2002 at Vision Lanes in Westland. For information on this or any other tournament call 734-522-9315.
GLSBA Tournament Results
December 8 - Sunnybrook Lanes, Sterling Heights, Michigan
place name* payout
1 Victor Portalatin, Jackson, Michigan (10 - 1345) $2,000
2 Gary Simons, Maumee, Ohio (12 - 1343) $1,000
3 Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio (13 - 1341) $700
4 Dan Mayer, Waterford, Michigan (3 - 1405) $500
5 Mike David, Montrose, Michigan (22 - 1318) $500
6 Gerry Sterling, Toledo, Ohio (17 - 1325) $400
7 B.J. Galloway, Alpena, Michigan (1 - 1445) $400
8 ss Hurston Wallace, Lake Orion, Michigan (5 - 1392) $400
9 Derek Smith, Hicksville, Ohio (4 - 1393) $325
10 Don Pollauf, Marine City, Michigan (8 - 1367) $325
11 ss Richard Beattie, Dearborn, Michigan (6 - 1375) $325
12 Thomas Lis, Deford, Michigan (7 - 1375) $325
13 Enrico Odorico, Macomb Twp, Michigan (23 - 1317) $250
14 Dane Bertram, Oxford, Michigan (15 - 1335) $250
15 Nick Beelaard, Windsor, Ontario (2 - 1431) $250
16 Mark Lefebvre, Horton, Michigan (24 - 1315) $250
17 Roy Biggs, Canton, Michigan (18 - 1324) $125
18 Larry Franz, Redford, Michigan (19 - 1324) $125
19 ss Ed Grant, Rochester Hills, Michigan (9 - 1355) $125
20 Paul Koeppel, Maumee, Ohio (20 - 1321) $125
21 Stan Kruzel, Toledo, Ohio (16 - 1329) $125
22 Ed Malinowski, Livonia, Michigan (21 - 1320) $125
23 Ken O'Brien, Troy, Michigan (11 - 1345) $125
24 John Wesley, Utica, Michigan (14 - 1338) $125
Super seniors out of the money
Scotty Laughland, Windsor, Ontario (33 - 1271) $80
*Numbers in parentheses denote qualifying position and total pin-fall.
ss denotes Super Senior.
