The 2016 Hall of Fame committees will meet tomorrow to determine which nominees will advance to the balloting stage of the process.
This year, the Hall of Fame Credentials Committee forwarded nine bowlers for consideration.
Performance Category
Ken Duffield is an 18 year member of the MBA. Over that span he has compiled three city tournament titles and 18 top five finishes. He has won a PBA Regional doubles title, three MAST titles, and three Central Wisconsin Scratch Tournament titles. His resume also includes a 300 game and an 801 series bowled at the USBC Open Championships.
Monroe’s Gail Myers, who was inducted into the Wisconsin State Hall of Fame this year, has eight state tournament titles – four team all events, two team, one singles and one all events. Locally, he has five total city tournament titles, four in team and one doubles, and 15 MAST titles – including four year end tournaments. He also owns two USBC Open Championship eagles, where he is currently second on the lifetime average leader list.
Rick Thomas of Middleton has three city tournament titles and 10 top five finishes. He has also won a state doubles title and 12 MAST titles, including two year end championships. Thomas has rolled 37 perfect games and 34 800 series in Madison, compiling a 25 year 220 lifetime average in the MBA. He has been a two-time Jim Grady Bowler of the year honoree. He also holds the record for single season high average in Madison – a 252 in the 2011-12 season.
Veterans Category
Paul Beckman has been a member of the MBA for 43 years and has been a prolific tournament competitor with 35 city tournaments, 25 state tournaments, and 40 USBC tournaments. He won two city tournament titles in the 1970’s, one team and one singles. In senior tournament play, he has thrown two 300 games – leading to a pair of top five finishes. He is a two time Dream Lanes Team Tournament winner and finished second in state senior handicapped doubles in 2008. Beckman has an MBA lifetime average of 202.
Craig Zirbel is a three time city tournament titlist with two team and one doubles. He shot an 804 series to lead his team to the 84-85 title. He won a MAST tournament title (prior to the current MAST), a Henry Hitter team title, and a state non-pro title. Zirbel has bowled 12 perfect game in Madison play, with an additional five in tournament play. Of his three 800 series, two have been in tournaments. Zirbel’s lifetime MBA average over 31 years is 209, with a high of 227.
Service Category
In his 44 years as an MBA member, John Bisco has been on the MBA Board of Directors for 22 years chairing numerous committees and currently serves as treasurer. He was the lead director for the Wisconsin State tournament in 2000 and 2016, coordinating, among other things, scheduling and financing. He has served as the league secretary/treasurer for multiple leagues as long as 32 years. Bisco also is the tournament director of the Dream Lanes Team Tournament. He earned MBA recognition for outstanding commitment and service to the sport of bowling in 2000.
Nearly all bowling in Sauk City goes through Dennis Breunig. The former MBA director has been a league secretary of three leagues at Riviera bowl for decades – one for 37 years, one for 32, and another for 21. He is also currently involved with youth coaching which he started in 2007. He and his teams are have also been regular participants in city and state tournaments for 32 years.
Bob Frambs served as an MBA director from 1997 – 2005, and was Vice President the final two years. He has been the chair of the MBA audit committee since 1998. He also served as the audit director for the youth association for 10 years. For 21 years, 1985-2006, he was the Dream Lanes junior bowling program director. He has served as a league officer for a number of leagues over the years and currently directs the bowling portion of the Wisconsin Senior Games.
Bill Pounders has been an MBA member for 40 years. He began his bowling career in youth leagues where he was the junior league secretary for five years, moving on to run the junior traveling league for three years. He has been coaching youth for 41 years, beginning in 1975. On the industry side, he started as a pinchaser in 1973 at Northgate Lanes working his way up to mechanic. In 1986 he became the general manager of Bowl-A-Vard Lanes. In 2004 Pounders moved to manage Ten Pin Alley, which he has now owned since 2014.