April 2017 -
33
Cloverleaf Bowler Is The
―Best Female Master‖ In The World
Irene Obera‘s
stated
hen she was
82, was being named WMA Female Masters Athlete of the Year.
She didn‘t get it. (W55
WMA made up for that
oversight in 2016.
Irene set three world records at Perth — heptathlon and twice
in 80-meter hurdles. She collected 11 medals, including eight
golds.
So now my biggest fear is she‘ll retire again, having achieved
her fondest track goal.
Some people like the photos, while others like the numbers. I like
both. Irene Obera (who ran at Perth as an 82-year-old), is the best
ever. I should know, as I have seen them all.
Look at the photo of Irene; notice the stride length, the body car-
riage. The word ―remarkable‖ does not do her justice. Think of terms
like ―quantum leap,‖ ―a new dimension,‖ ―unparalleled in history.‖
In March 2014 I announced Irene in the USATF Indoor Masters in
Boston. On the second day of the meet she set a world indoor W80
mark of 10.37 seconds in the 60 dash (the record still stands). The
next day she came out for the 200, and I knew that something re-
markable was going to happen.
The W80 American indoor 200 mark at that time, according to my
best recollection, was 48 and change by the legendary Hall of
Famer Pat Peterson. Surely that record was in jeopardy.
Irene got out strongly and kept on motoring, and I knew that history
was being made. The ―Greatest Ever‖ stormed around the Reggie
Lewis oval in 36.53 seconds; it was mind-boggling. Yes, that re-
mains the W80 American (and world) indoor record.
I have spent well over half my life in masters track and field: Irene
Obera is the best.
Peter L. Taylor
Irene‘s award has touched so many people beyond the Masters
community. There have been Facebook comments by people who
were students of Irene in the Berkeley school district decades ago
who have remarked what an impact Irene had on their lives. There
have been comments by total strangers saying that Irene‘s victory
has inspired them to overcome particular obstacles in their lives.
Irene‘s story is more than about Masters; she is linked to the Open
greats like Olympian Wilma Rudolph against whom she competed in
the 1960s and who offered her words of advice that Irene has em-
ployed to this day.
In fact, Irene‘s story is more than about track and field. Because
she is so skilled, it is easy to forget that Irene is 83 years old.
Her story is really about successful aging…about taking on new
challenges at an advanced age, about not giving up and maintaining
excellence.
If the mainstream media could ever recognize the significance of
Masters as metaphor, I think we would see more coverage of Mas-
ters stories like Irene‘s.
Ageism is rampant in our society, and frankly, the general populace
expects little of 83-year-olds. Irene‘s story shatters this stereotypical
thinking.
Irene‘s story asks the question: If an an 83-year-old can be the
best Masters athlete in the world, what OTHER things might older
people be able to do at a level of excellence that society does not
expect of them?
Thank you, Irene, for shaking up the way people think about aging.
Rob Jerome
Story credit: masterstrack.com
SENIOR CLASSIC
secretary/treasurer Ron Johnson
by Don Phillips
Feb. 28. Seven seniors beat the pins with
900's. Top guy was Jim Russell 247/943. Next
were Brent Korff 268/931, Ray Searles
279/922, Cal Suan 288/912, Frank Acuna
242/905, Gary Moore 254/902 and Keith Stout
267/901. Par rollers were John Tremblay
258/882, Anthony Ripchick 236/829, Dave
Seiler 242/871, Kelly Wood 221/816, Monty
Lyons 279/814, George Senn 247/828, Doug
Regelin 245/884, Gary Hobbs 269/873, Rick
Knickerbocker 222/829, Don Phillips 236/825,
Gordon Moore 249/895, Steve Curless
215/837, Mike Mayer 234/883 and Bob Boni-
facini 236/814. Nice singles were by
Larry Laub 232, John Miner 235, Jim Tanaka
257, Todd Garske 239 and Paul Brown 233.
3/7. Top senior was Dave Seiler 299(4
pin)/1014. GREAT!! Next was Ray Searles
278/937. 800+ rollers were Frank Acuna
259/826, Phillip Moses 234/823, Steve Curless
236/831, Bud Oman 226/820, Mal Helmuth
269/859, Gordon Moore 205/804, Cal Suan
229/818, Art Tourtillott 224/815, Steve Adams
258/887, Larry Laub 227/803, George Senn
216/827, Paul Brown 233/806, Gary Moore
236/815, Nick DeStefano 280/872, Monty Ly-
ons 251/870, John Tremblay 236/824
and Brent Korff 235/807.
Good singles were by John Miner 238, Joe
Holesapple 243, Butch Bohannon 235, Larry
Hilburn 242 and Jim Russell 244.
March 14. Another 300!! Kelly Wright rolled
his first 300/965.
SUPER Kelly. The rest of the 900's were by
Doug Regelin 258/932, Bob Bonifacini 256/924,
Gordon Moore 256/921, Brent Korff 248/920,
Mike Mayer 258/910 and Monty Lyons
277/904. In the 800 range were Keith Stout
247/861, Ron Pearson 268/889, Hank Miles
242/866, Cal Suan 267/846, Betty Laub
255/861, Larry Hilburn 238/
848, Ray Searles 277/895, Jim Russell
229/866, Dann Dodd 237/852, Larry Laub
279/889, Jerry Davidson 248/885, Sergio Bar-
ros 221/840 and Mal Helmuth 259/891. Singles
were by Ben Biggs 246, John Miner 256, Den-
nis Estes 242, Butch Bohannon 249 and Mike
Nichols 242.
Ron Mohr Averaging 235
by Jerry Schneider
Two-time PBA50 Player of the Year, and de-
fending PBA60 Player of the Year Ron Mohr of
Las Vegas, averaged 232.5 to top qualifying in
the PBA60 Killer ‗B‘ Open at Lane Glo Bowl lead-
ing 32 players into Monday‘s match play round.
Mohr, who is still trying for his first title in a
PBA60 event (for players 60 and over), finished
with a 1,401 pinfall total in the first six-game
block Sunday and followed it up with 1,390 in the
second for a 2,791 overall pinfall to edge four-
time PBA50 Player of the Year Tom Baker of
King, N.C., in second with 2,785.
―I bowled really well last year but could never
finish the deal,‖ said Mohr, an eight-time PBA50
Tour winner. ―That‘s why I‘ve really been excited
about getting back out here and see what I can
do about that.
―I don‘t know how much I can tell from qualify-
ing today but it‘s a good start and a good confi-
dence builder to be sure,‖ Mohr added. ―I had a
bad fourth game in the second block mainly be-
cause I didn‘t have a good read on that pair but
overall things were good.‖
Last season Mohr had a combined eight top-
five finishes in PBA50 and PBA60 events with a
best of second in the PBA50 UnitedHealthcare
Sun Bowl In The Villages and the PBA60 Dick
Weber Classic. His last win on the PBA50 Tour
came in the 2012 PBA Senior Decatur (Ill.)
Open.
After Monday‘s match play round, the top five
players will be determined for the stepladder
finals at noon ET.
The PBA50 Pasco County Florida Open, for
players 50 and over, begins Tuesday at Lane
Glo Bowl with first round qualifying. Qualifying
continues on Wednesday which will determine
the top 32 players who will advance to match
play on Thursday. The top five players will ad-
vance to the stepladder finals at 4 p.m.
PBA60 KILLER ‗B‘ OPEN
Lane Glo Bowl, New Port Richey, Fla., Sunday
Second Round Standings (after 12 games)
Top 32 players advance to match play
1, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 2,791.
2, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,785.
3, Jeff Bellinger, Columbia, S.C., 2,778.
4, Sam Maccarone, Blackwood, N.J., 2,769.
5, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,764.
6, Ken Gibson, Greenville, S.C., 2,717.
7, Michael Chrzanowski, Shepherd, Mich., 2,690.
8, Thomas Ream, Tampa, Fla., 2,687.
9, Bill Hewlett, Las Vegas, 2,680.
10, Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 2,679.
11, Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, 2,667.
12, John Dudak, Orland Park, Ill., 2,666.
13, Darryl Bower, Middletown, Pa., 2,660.
14, n-Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla., 2,649.
15, Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 2,647
