Senior winners crowned
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By Jim Lane
For the Mirror
Three new champions were crowned Wednesday afternoon at the Altoona Mirror's annual Senior Bowler of the Year Tournament.
The event was held at the Pleasant Valley Recreation Center. There were 25 entries in the men's division -- 14 in the over 70 section and 11 in the regular section.
Only five women participated.
Monte Strassburger won the regular men's crown while posting a three-game series of 610. He opened with a 198 in the first game and followed with 221 and 191 games to outscore runner-up Clair Banks, whose three-game set of 603 included scores of 208, 208 and 187.
"The best I've ever done in the regular Bowler of the Year Tournament was a second-place finish in 1992," said Strassburger, who worked at Weis Markets for 47 years said.
"Ralph Hamilton won it that year," Strassburger said.
The over-70 men's title went to John Bomeisl, who rolled games of 200, 233 and 210 for a 643 set.
Tom Mash and George Mielnik shared runnerup honors with 632 series. Mash rolled games of 200, 226 and 206 while Mielnik posted scores of 231, 223 and 178.
Bomeisl lives in Tipton "and retired from PPG after 38 years."
Susie Ball won the women's crown by scoring a 448 with a three-game set of 125, 166 and 157.
"It's only the second time I've been in the tournament," noted Ball, 67, who retired from the Altoona Hospital.
Margo Osterhout, last year's women's champ, was runner-up this year with a 437 on games of 126, 172 and 139.
Esther Poorman was in charge of the tournament.
The Mirror's regular Bowler of the Year event will be held tonight at the Pleasant Valley establishment. Sign-ins begin at 6 p.m. The competition starts at 7 p.m.
RESULTS
WINNERS
MEN
Monte Strassburger 610
RUNNERUP
Clair Banks 602
MEN OVER 70
John Bomeisl 632
RUNNER UP
(tie) Tom Mash 632, George Mielnik 632
WOMEN
WINNER
Susie Ball 448
RUNNERUP
Margo Osterhout 437
Men: Monte Strassburger 610, Clair Banks 602, Bruce Knisley 586, Ralph Hamilton 573, Larry Benton 564, Steve Ferrone 561, Matt Tansy 553, Jim Shuck 533, Mark Myers 531, John Frederick 523, Don Rabenstein 474
OVER 70: John Bomeisl 643, Tom Mash 632, George Meilnik 632, Ken Gilley 595, Bill Foose 584, Mike Lang 571, Bob Moyer 556, Ken Yonkers 524, Charles Becker 521, Bob Helsley 495, Bud Weaver 486, Barry Yeingst 486, Ron Walters 470
WOMEN: Susie Ball 448, Margo Osterhout 437, Linda Berkheimer 421, Betsey Harris 404, Jean Rupp 396