Crawford's 860 dominates memorable 2002-03 season

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, May 6, 2003 by Capital-Journal

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A listing of the highights from the 2002-03 season wouldn't be complete without mentioning Ron Bahr's performance at the 100th American Bowling Congress Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. Bahr, who enjoyed his day in the spotlight last Friday with his wife, Kristi, shot 237-300-300 -- 837 to take the lead in Regular Singles and become the first person to roll back-to-back perfect games in tourney history.

By Steve Thompson

The Capital-Journal

Take a good look at the final city honor roll for the 2002-03 league season, and enjoy the memory.

It's right there at the top, standing out like a bowling ball on a putting green: Maggie Crawford ... 860.

Almost two months have passed since Crawford shattered the women's city and state records with her 290-290-280 -- 860 series on the night of March 12, 2003, at Gage Bowl North, and it still amazes.

Maggie Crawford ... 860!

Not only was it the highest score in the city this season --- topping men's leader Matt Erickson by 31 pins --- but it was the third-highest series in city history behind Eric Fritton's 869 (Fritton is Crawford's son) and the late Larry Stone's 867.

"I don't know what happened," the 53-year-old Crawford said that night. "Just everything came together all at once."

Terri Sandgren, Crawford's teammate and tournament doubles partner, summed up the 33-strike, three-spare performance in four words: "It was totally awesome."

Indeed.

While no one else could match Crawford's impact on the recently completed season, here are a few other highlights:

- Erickson, who already had nine 300s to his credit, notched a pair of career firsts by rolling a 299 game en route to an 829 series in February at West Ridge Lanes. He sandwiched the 299 between games of 261 and 269 to claim the men's series title.

- Danielle Wolf became a wife (to Chris Wolf) last September and a mother (to Dylan) in December before she became the city's only adult woman to roll a perfect game this season --- a distinction she also held last season. Wolf shot her 300 in March at West Ridge.

- Long-time friends Gerry Sanders and Sam Collom spent the season pushing each other to new heights. Sanders recorded a perfect game in January and a 269-289-257 -- 795 series in April, both at West Ridge, before Collom posted a 300 game in April at Gage Center Bowl.

- Chelsie Bahr continued to excel in the youth ranks, rolling her first perfect game en route to a career-best 300-247-186 -- 733 series last September at West Ridge. Bahr, 17, also received the 2003 Starlet Award from the Kansas Women's Bowling Association.

- Jeremy Gilbert distinguished himself from an impressive field of youth boys with his first 300 game in January and his first 800 series in April, both at West Ridge. His 805 included games of 279, 278 and 248.

- Other youth highlights: A 283 game by 12-year-old Amanda Schiffelbein at Gage North, and a 300 game by Matt Mace in Travel League play at West Ridge.

Final season honor roll

(Adult league scores only)

WOMEN'S SERIES

Maggie Crawford . . . 860 Gage North Rochelle Thompson . . . 783 West Ridge Connie Richardson . . . 755 West Ridge Connie Richardson . . . 755 West Ridge Paulette Mazur . . . 753 West Ridge Terri Sandgren . . . 743 Gage North Kristi Bahr . . . 735 West Ridge Sheila Gropp . . . 730 West Ridge Amy Aldridge . . . 728 West Ridge Kathy Hobart . . . 727 Gage CenterWOMEN'S GAMES

Danielle Wolf . . . 300 West Ridge Rochelle Thompson . . . 298 West Ridge Connie Richardson . . . 290 West Ridge Maggie Crawford . . . 290 Gage North Maggie Crawford . . . 290 Gage North Sheila Gropp . . . 289 West Ridge Maggie Crawford . . . 280 Gage North Terri Sandgren . . . 279 Gage North Sherri Wilson . . . 279 Gage Center Terri Sandgren . . . 279 Gage North Tara McCart . . . 279 West Ridge Denise Bailey . . . 279 Southwest Sheila Gropp . . . 279 West Ridge Paulette Mazur . . . 279 Gage North Heather Guay . . . 279 Gage North Angie Ross . . . 279 Gage North Terri Sandgren . . . 279 Gage North Brandy Crawford . . . 279 Gage Center Denise Wheeler . . . 279 Southwest Connie Richardson . . . 279 West RidgeMEN'S SERIES

Matt Erickson . . . 829 West Ridge Justin Rodgers . . . 818 Gage Center Bart Riddle . . . 815 West Ridge Butch Halseth . . . 813 Gage Center Jason Crouch . . . 805 West Ridge Ron Bahr . . . 800 Gage Center John Holter . . . 799 Gage Center Mark Swick . . . 797 West Ridge Bart Riddle . . . 797 West Ridge Rick Haug . . . 796 West RidgeMEN'S GAMES

Jamie Charity . . . 300 Gage Center Verlin Lawson . . . 300 West Ridge Michael Perry . . . 300 West Ridge David Halseth . . . 300 Gage Center Darrell Gwaltney . . . 300 Gage North Don Wheeler . . . 300 Southwest Don Wheeler . . . 300 Southwest Mike McLin . . . 300 West Ridge Mark Huxman . . . 300 Gage North Anthony Judd . . . 300 Gage North Gerry Sanders . . . 300 West Ridge Mike McLin . . . 300 West Ridge Doug Anderson . . . 300 Southwest Bill Knorr . . . 300 Gage North Bob Benoit . . . 300 West Ridge Delbert Merrifield . . . 300 West Ridge Jerry McCall . . . 300 Gage North Kirby Cain . . . 300 West Ridge Jamie Charity . . . 300 Meadow Lanes Bob Fellows . . . 300 West Ridge Justin Rodgers . . . 300 Gage Center Ron Bahr . . . 300 Gage Center Tim Adams . . . 300 Meadow Lanes Dusty Roberts . . . 300 Gage North Mark Huxman . . . 300 Gage North Eric Topham . . . 300 West Ridge Brady Vance . . . 300 Gage Center Mike Allen . . . 300 West Ridge Jim Abmeyer . . . 300 Meadow Lanes Jesse Zercher . . . 300 Gage North Butch Halseth . . . 300 Gage Center Craig Trapp . . . 300 West Ridge Justin Rodgers . . . 300 Gage Center Sam Collom . . . 300 Gage Center