Finishing in the 4th spot after regulation play, Mark Hodges climbed up the stepladder in huge fashion, averaging over 250 for the four games and claiming his record setting 7th championship at this years Bill Meagor Memorial Peterson Point bowling championship held recently at Star Lanes.
Hodges, the 56 year old left hander, also added to his record as the oldest competitor to win the title. But, giving Hodges his due, most likely the bigger story of the tournament were the 3 perfect games rolled during the championship weekend.
Why you ask? Because in the previous 33 years of the tournament, only one 300 game had be shot, by Pat O'Rourke Sr. when he won the tournament in 1985.
This years perfect games were rolled by Todd Edelen, Dave Martinich, and John Brodersen. Their career numbers are equally impressive. The perfecto was Edelen's 19th, Martinich's 10th, and Brodersen's 27th.
Thirty-Eight of Butte's best bowlers toed the foul line to begin this year's tournament, which was renamed the Bill Meagor Memorial Peterson Point tournament during a ceremony preceding the start of the tournament to honor the tournaments founder who passed away last May.
Highlighting Saturday nights action were five 700 series with two rolled by Edelen, 740 and 726, Brodersen with a 747, and Hodges with a 712. The best effort of the evening was by Keith Meagor, son of the tournament namesake, who rolled a sizzling 782, the tournament high series.
Meagor led the field going into Sunday's action, with 20 bowlers making the cut for the 2nd days action. Helena's Mike Reed rolled a 721 and 709 to rise to the top of the field at the end of Sunday's regular play. Other 700's rolled Sunday were Brodersen with a 721, Martinich a 724, and Tony Woodward who had a 729.
It was in stepladder action that the veteran Hodges showed his dominance. From his 4th seed position, he knocked over the 5th seed Brodersen 279-242. On to the 3rd seed where he defeated 2007 champ Edelen, 245-228. Besides finishing 4th, Edelen had the high average of the tournament with a 232.
Next in his climb to the title, Hodges bested Meagor 244-220, to set up the championship match with high qualifier Reed, who led the tournament in points won, with 10.
In the title tilt, Hodges would not be denied, out-rolling Reed, 247-185, capturing the tournament's championship with a sparkling 1015 series for 4 games in the stepladder. It was Hodges 3rd consecutive title, also a tournament record.
In this years mid-round competitions, Mike Reed captured the title in the skins game, winning every skin for the first time in the games history. Competing against him were Martinich, Shana Fortune and Dan Grundhauser.
In the Count-down Count-up challenge, Leo Levengood defeated Harry Shaffer, 9 points to 5 to capture this years event. Deb Martinich was the consolation champion.
The remaining Sunday-morning tourney qualifiers and their Peterson point totals follow:
6. Tony Woodward 60.23;
7. John Maloughney, 58.39;
8. Dave Martinich, 58.35;
9. Nate Gelling, 58.12;
10. Mike Martinich, 57.25;
11. Harry Shaffer, 57.16;
12. Kyle West, 56.00;
13. Brenda Shaffer, 55.11;
14. Brad Cottom, 54.19;
15. Ryley Bosch, 54.12;
16. Denton Martinich, 53.35;
17. Jack Hocking, 53.12;
18. Nick Taylor, 52.24;
19. Leo Levengood, 51.47;
20. Jim McKenzie, 51.36;
— Submitted by tourney manager Walt Parrett.