November 14, 2014 at 1:41 p.m.
Elite bowling tournament taking place at Hodag Lanes
Elite bowling tournament taking place at Hodag Lanes
The bowling alley is playing host to the Wisconsin State 600 Bowling Club Tournament, a collection of talented female bowlers vying for top honors.
Sharon Cline, the tournament manager, said bowlers from all over the Midwest have made their way to Rhinelander for the tournament.
"We have 710 bowlers coming from all over the state of Wisconsin," she said. "We also have a couple coming from Minnesota, from Illinois and also from Michigan. They have to have had a 600 series in their lifetime and purchase a Wisconsin state sticker to be able to bowl in a state of Wisconsin 600 tournament. They come from all over from as far as Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire. We also have some local bowlers competing in the last weekend of the tournament. They're really from all over the state though."
The tournament runs through the month of November and takes place on the weekends. Cline said Hodag Lanes makes sure its a memorable affair for the participants.
"The atmosphere is really great for these ladies," she said. "They come up here not only to bowl but to party and have a great time. We at Hodag Lanes always do a theme, and this year we picked a Hawaiian theme. We're all in the leis and we're serving different fruit drinks. One of our waiters wore a grass skirt and a Hawaiian shirt for the occasion. We have decorations up and we give different prizes that are Hawaiian-themed to make it a little more festive."
Through two weeks, Missy Garbe of Waupaca is leading the Division I singles competition with an 865. Shaina Peterson and Stacy Cieslewicz of Amherst are tops in the Division I doubles competition with a 1572, and Peterson leads the All Events category with a 1668.
In Division II, Sam Whitebear of Baraboo is leading the way in the singles category with a 829.
Sharon Bonikowske and Diane Buettner of Waupaca are ahead in the doubles series with a 1584, and Jamie Johnson tallied a 1614 to claim the top spot in the All Events category for Division II.
Cline said the tournament has already seen some incredible bowling.
"It's going great," she said. "The first weekend, we had a bowler bowl a 299 and a 757 series, and on Sunday, we had a lady bowl her first 300 game in her lifetime."
It's not all fun and games though. Cline said running the event is no small task.
"It's a lot of work," she said. "We're here from 8 a.m. until 7 or 8 p.m. and sometimes later if there's paperwork that needs to be done. It's a challenging event to host when you have the better bowlers. Last year we had the seniors and this year we have the elite bowlers. There are bowlers who really, really want to do well."
As the tournament manager, much of the day-to-day work falls on Cline's shoulders. With much of the tournament left, she is making sure things continue to run smoothly.
"My responsibilities are to make sure all in registration goes well," Cline said. "Everyone needs to be checked in properly and we need to make sure they're USBC or United States Bowling Congress members. They also have to be members of the Wisconsin State 600 Bowling Club and the National 600 Bowling Club. When they're here, we're making sure the bowling scores are kept correctly and that we're transferring that information over to the state secretary in Tomahawk. She'll make a running list that will determine who wins."
With some seriously impressive bowling already in the books, the tournament appears to be headed toward an exciting finish.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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