Young At Heart Bowling League
SENIOR BOWLERS STILL YOUNG AT HEART
By Deanna Long
Don Hanscom,
league secretary-treasurer, counts numbers for the last time before the
award ceremony at the Young at Hearts Bowling Luncheon that closed this
year’s season.
Numbers are relative. Your bank account balance is important. So is your heart rate. To the Young at Heart Bowling League for Seniors, however, age is just a number, but their bowling scores count big time.
In a season that runs each year from August to April, bowlers aged 55 and up gather each Wednesday afternoon to test their skills. Some have bowled for more than half a century, others less than six months. Windy Winchester, at age 96, is the oldest bowler in the league and carries a 140 average.
Last Wednesday the Young at Hearts marked the end of their current bowling season with their annual luncheon and, for the first time, publication of a yearbook of their members.
Like everything else this energetic group does, their yearbook had a twist—the photos showed them in their late teens and early 20s.
Many of the men are in military uniform. Others appear in dress suits, graduation attire, and high school football uniforms. Like any of today’s graduates, motorcycles and cars are also proud backdrops for some of the shots. The women’s photos show them on prom night, in a formal graduation picture, or in other shots that reflect a young career look with strands of pearls, silk corsages, and carefully groomed hairstyles.
Team names like Lollipops, Rainbows, Sun Shiners, Happy Five, Jet Set and Hi Hopes display the youthful attitude of their players. Other names like Leftovers and Forgetfuls show humor, but the Pin Busters and Spare Me clearly show a goal for high scores. Jakes Water and Big Mac are the other teams in the league. Each team has five members.
The Lollipops triumphed as 2008 season champs, beating the Happy Five team. Mike Rice had the season’s male high average of 193. Ann Lincoln had the season’s female high average of 151. Leon Schlosser was the male most improved bowler. Emma Feiste was the female most improved bowler. In addition, Emma Feiste received the USBC 2008 women’s senior award, and Ron Poston received the USBC 2008 men’s senior award.
Next year’s season begins August 20, 2008. The Young at Heart League bowls at the Jackson Bowling Lanes. Montgomery Bank sponsored the printing of their yearbook. If you’re over age 55 and want to bowl in this league, please contact Don Hanscom at 243-8962.
Mike Rice and Ann Lincoln have big smiles after winning the season’s
male and female high averages.
Windy Winchester, age 96 and oldest member of the league, had many requests for his autograph in this year’s yearbook.
2008 league champions, team Lollipops, pen congratulation messages in their yearbooks. Seated left to right: Roger Scurlock, Ruth Hinkle and Dean Craft. Standing left to right: Gary Ed Lewis and Art Edwards
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