Don't underestimate senior bowlers

Frank Curry, 72, and Glenn Himes, 68, recently demonstrated why you shouldn’t underestimate senior bowlers.

Curry, a member of the York-Adams Bowling Hall of Fame, sandwiched a pair of 300 games around a 174 effort to finish with a 774 series at East Lincoln Lanes.

Himes came within two pins of becoming the first county senior bowler to roll back-to-back perfect games. He registered games of 225, 300 and 298 for an 823 series at Suburban Bowlerama.

“I rolled my 13^th perfect game earlier this season, and I figured it was the last one of my career,” said Curry. “I never imagined I would roll two more, much less in the same series.”

The smooth right-hander said he didn’t change his approach on the lanes in any of the three games.

“I didn’t score well my second game, but I think I actually bowled better than in the first game,” he said. “I threw the same ball, stood in the same place and played the same line. I just couldn’t carry.”

But Curry wasn’t complaining.

“Any time you roll two 300s in the same series, it’s a great day,” he offered. “I couldn’t have cared less what I rolled that second game. How can you be disappointed with a pair of perfect games?”

Himes’ stellar effort en route to an 823 series erased Glenn Dasher’s senior series record of 813 at Suburban Bowlerama.

After opening with a 225, Himes registered his ninth career 300 game. He ran his strike streak to 23 in a row prior to the final ball in the 10^th frame of the third game.

“I was very nervous and shaking,” said the veteran right-hander. “The last game was unreal. It was like I was in a daze. You don’t get a chance for back-to-back perfect games very often.”

Himes told himself to get the ball out on the lane, but he ended up getting it too far out, leaving the 2-7.

He missed becoming only the eighth county bowler, and the first senior, to put together back-to-back perfect games.

Himes said he wasn’t thinking about a second 300 game until he reached the 800 plateau with a strike on the first ball of the 10^th frame. After that, his focus turned to a second consecutive perfect game.

“It was incredible being that close to back-to-back perfect games,” he added. “People can’t imagine how nerve-racking it was. But, it was an unbelievable experience.”