The Madison Area USBC will add three to the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Dennis Breunig of Riviera Bowl has been elected to the Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service category for contributions to bowling spanning nearly 50 years. Distinguished Performance electors have chosen high scoring Casey Gibney for enshrinement along with probably the best female bowler of our area in the 1970’s – Maureen Harris. The annual Hall of Fame and Bowler Recognition dinner will be held Thursday, August 15, 2024. Invitations will be available mid-July.
Dennis Breunig / Meritorious Service
Breunig has been a key figure at Riviera Bowl in Sauk City for approaching 50 years. He is a perennial supporter and promoter for both adult and youth league and tournament bowling.
He’s served (and still serves) as secretary / treasurer of three leagues at the center. His terms span 31 years (Spares & Strikes Forever), 44 years (Riviera Men’s Classic), and 48 years (Monday Night Special) – harkening back to the days of ‘cello packs’ when leagues standings and statistics where primarily handwritten or typed on paper.
Breunig supports youth bowling as a coach (18 years) and through annual fundraising endeavors. For 20 years, he’s run a summer league to raise money for the Riviera Youth league and the Sauk Prairie High School team. He also conducts a Super Bowl tournament each year as an additional funding source for those programs.
He’s been the captain and organizer for multiple teams over multiple years to the Madison Open and Senior Championships, and the State Open and Senior Championships.
He also writes a weekly blog on Facebook called “Bowlin’ at the Riv” where he includes league high scores, people stories and other bowling related stories of interest.
He’s been Riviera Bowl’s “go to guy” for a long time, and it’s most appropriate that he “go to” the Madison Area USBC Hall of Fame.
Casey Gibney / Distinguished Performance
High scores are the calling card of the powerful Casey Gibney. He’s booked a composite average over 220 for 18 consecutive years, in at least three and up to five full time leagues at various centers every year. He’s eclipsed 230 16 times, including an association high average of 241 in the 214-15 season.
Gibney has recorded 24 800 series’ with a high of 836, and has had 53 perfect games. The most notable of these occurred in the 2014-15 Madison Area Association Championship Tournament doubles event with partner Nate Sime – who also shot 300 – for the first and only 600 doubles game in association tournament history.
He has two association titles to date, winning back to back titles in the team event of the championship tournament in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Other top finishes include a pair of city tournament team second places in the team event, and a second place in singles in 2016-17 where he shot 797.
At the Wisconsin State Tournament, Gibney has three top 10 finishes. He was sixth in All Events in 2020-21 with a 2201 set – leading his team to 3rd place in Team All Events (10277). In 2022-23 he was 8th in Doubles with 1500.
Gibney is showing no signs of slowing down and turned 50 recently. An entire new avenue to tournament wins is open for him in the Madison Area Senior Open events.
Maureen Harris / Distinguished Performance
Maureen Harris was the top woman bowler in 1970’s Madison. Her credentials include local, state, national, and professional tournament wins and record setting performances.
She was the second woman in association history to bowl a 300 game, rolling hers at Kuglitsch’s Bowl in Milwaukee where she commuted to bowl in Milwaukee Ladies Scratch leagues.
She broke the women’s city series record multiple times in the 1970-71 season. Her high of 763 was the third highest in the nation and a Madison record until 1989.
Her 99 game average of 212 that season was highest in a nation of three million WIBC members. A 210 average the next year was second in the country only to USBC Hall of Famer Patty Costello.
Harris had multiple top 10 finishes in PWBA events through the 1970’s, including the first PWBA event to be broadcast on network television.
She was named a 1971-72 Bowlers Journal 3rd Team All American, 2nd Team in 1973-74, and 2nd Team WIBC All American that same year. In 1971 she was the Pen and Mike Club Madison Sportswoman of the Year.
Sadly, Maureen passed away in May of 2023, shortly after filling out her Hall of Fame application.