Graphic Communicator photos by Dennis B. Doris Jr.

Toronto 100M's Strike Force takes team first place honors with a total of 3009 pins. Team members are from left: Bill Prosser, Eli Conception, Steve Wilson, Winston Grant, and Ron Williams.

Women's team winner was Buffalo 17B's Salt and Pepper, which scored 2762 pins. From left: Cherie Lynn Frederick, Willa Jones, Gerry Ciechanski, Cheryl Fladie, and Julie Zobrist.

Welcoming competitors and guests at the awards banquet is Toronto 500M Pres. and General Board member Mike R. Zajak with Bowling Party officers Wayne Scharlach and Dorothy Zulewski seated at the dais.

Bowling Party Vice. Pres. Carol Nicholls of Toronto 500M holds back tears of joy after she received the Jack Benshop Award for service to the GCIU Bowling Party. She was also elected a vice president of the group.

For the 52nd year, GCIU bowlers continued their tradition of friendly competition at the International union's annual bowling party.

This year's competition, hosted by Toronto 500M, included 22 teams from both sides of the border representing locals from Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Rochester, and Salem, Ill.

The hectic activities of the two-day competition and party were organized under the direction of GCIU Bowling Party Pres. Dorothy Zulewski, with the help of Bowling Party Secy.-Treas. Wayne Scharlach of Chicago 458M. Scharlach was attending his 48th yearly bowling competition.

The two-day bowl-fest begins on Friday with registration for the bowlers and teams, followed by a team captains' meeting to discuss procedures at the alley and the schedule of friendly evening get-togethers for participants – many of whom have become good friends during their years of bowling rivalry.

On Saturday morning, the competition began at Toronto's Planet Bowl, a major bowling center that was able to accommodate the more than 100 bowlers vying for top single and team prizes.

Participants kidded one another during the practice period. But once the competition's three game sets started, it was serious, with team mates rewarding strikes and good spare pick-ups with enthusiastic high-fives.

But the good natured rivalry continued after the results were in and the trophies decided. After the bowling, competitors and their friends took a break before attending a banquet at the Toronto Colony Hotel, where the prizes were awarded. In keeping with the party atmosphere, the trophy presentation was followed by dancing into the night.

Competition results were:

Men's first place: Toronto 100M's Strike Force: Steve Wilson, John Ross, Eli Conception, Ron Williams, and Winston Grant. The team scored 3009 for the three game competitive series.

Ladies' first place went to Buffalo 17M's Salt and Pepper with a 2762 score. Bowlers were: Julie Zobrist, Gerry Ciechanski, Cherie Fredericks, Cheryl Fladie, and Willa Jones.

Men's second place went to Toronto 500M's Five Well Dressed Guys: Rey Gomez, Brian Hanna, Dave Bolton, Martin Caprani, and Dave Swindell, with a score of 2994.

The low men's score was bowled by Toronto 500M's Goose Brothers, with teammates Goose Goslin, Ben Russell, Dave Dunn, Mike Drimmie, and Bill Wheatcroft. They scored 2404.

Individual trophies were also awarded at the banquet.

In men's results, Robert Perecki of Toronto 100M scored a 625 series and beat out Dave Swindell of Toronto 500M, who bowled 611.

Mike Calamets of Buffalo 261M won the high series with handicap competition scoring 688 over Mike Zajac of Toronto 500M who scored 664.

High game scratch honors went to Ron Williams of Toronto 100M with 240 pins. There was a second place tie between Kraig Meyers of Chicago 458M and Joel Greenauer of Buffalo 261M. Both bowled 224.

High game with handicap honors went to John Short of Toronto 500M with 246. There was also a tie for second place between Toronto 100M's Steve Wilson and Pittsburgh 506's Chris Lang.

Among women, Cheryl Fladie of Buffalo 17B won high scratch series with a score of 539.

Melissa Christenson of Rochester 503M took the honors in high series with handicap with a score of 627.

Carol Wheatcroft of Toronto 500M bowled the best scratch high game, with a 168 score.

Cherie Frederick of Buffalo 17B won top honors with a 221 score in high game with handicap.

The low series award went to Judy Connors of Salem 554M with 267.

Low game honors went to Sara DeMitri of Rochester 503M who bowled 50.

At the conclusion of the awards banquet, the Jack Benshop Award to honor the person who has done the most to support the bowling party went to Carol Nicholls of Toronto 500M. She had just been chosen a vice president of the Bowling Party.

At the end of the presentations, Jeff Gangloff of the 2001 bowling committee invited all bowlers and their friends and families to attend next year's "Bowling Odyssey – 2001" to be sponsored by newly merged Buffalo Locals 261M and 30N. The tourney is scheduled to run on April 27-28, 2001, in Buffalo and will include a tour of Niagara Falls for non-bowlers.