Most State Championships

      One of the many questions we were asked over the 50-some years that we wrote a bowling column for the local paper was, "Who has won the most tournaments in Minnesota State Bowling Association history?

      The MSBA is as old as the St Paul Bowling Association, both being organized in 1903.  However, the MSBA hasen't had as many tournaments, being inactive for many years.

      After five years of the tourney, the MSBA became inactive from 1909 through 1934.  The International Bowling Association (IBA) became the association providing service in the upper Midwest area. That included Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Dakotas, North and South.

      In 1927, the MSBA reorganized and has been active ever since.  Since it's reactive-ization, the MSBA has had a total of 39,168 teams compete in the state meet. That amounts to 195,840 bowlers.

      Setting the pace in state titles since 1909 is state Hall of Famer (1993) Jim Lindquist of Rosemount. he has captured 12 state titles. Broken down, they include two actual (scratch) all events, two scratch doubles, two singles (scratch and handicap) and six team (3 scratch and 3 Handicap).  His first title came in 1976 and last in 1999.

      John Eiss of Orono is in second place with nine titles. There are three men who have claimed eight state championships and 11 men with seven titles.  A total of 909 men have claimed at least one state championship.

      The three men with eight championships include Roger Blad of Burnsville, Leo Mann of South St. Paul and the late Jess Young of Minneapolis.  Blad won scrath and handicap doubles in 1974. he followed with two more scratch doubles and four team titles, two each in actual and handicap.  Blad was elected to the MSBA Hall of Fame in 1998.

      Mann, also elected to the state Hall of Fame in 1993, won his first title in 1972's scratch all events.  He went on to win three team titles, two scratch and one handicap, plus an actual doubles, another actual all events and one actual singles.  His last title in 1979.

      Young, elected to the state Hall of Fame in 2003, won his first title in 1934, claiming both scratch doubles and all events.  He followed with three more all event titles, two of them scratch and three doubles crowns.  His last title, handicap doubles came in 1951.

      Five members of Zee's lanes of Frazee head the 11 bowlers who have won seven state championships.  They all won three titles in the 2006 tournament in Brainerd to bring their records to seven. They previously had won four titles and all in the same years. The five include Dave Brink, Dale Homer, Mark Kemper, Bill King and Rick Wothe.

      Completing the list of seven-time champions are Leif Carlson, Minneapolis; Daron Hansen, Brooklyn Center; Alan Loth, Arden Hills; Dan Langer, Owatonna; and Brad Subak, St. Anthony.

      Those with six MSBA titles include Gary Arntzen, Prior Lake; Dave Langer, Brooklyn Park; Sam Lantto, Eden Prarie; Brad Larson, Coon Rapids; Steve Suhr, Blaine; Carl Fietek, Eden Prarie; Tom Korth, Mankato; Chuck Vashaw, Deephaven; and the late Harold (Dutch) Voges of St. Paul.

      Six of the 16 men who have posted five state titles are in the MSBA Hall of Fame.  They include Bob Hanson, Richfield (1991); Dale Hanson, Blaine (1992); George Peterson, Crystal; and Terry Schacht, Oakdale (both in 2004) and the late Bill Hengen, Minneapolis (1990) and late Ed Mady, South St. Paul (1992).

      Rounding out the five-time champions are Kent Arndtson, Hastings; Dave Bordson, Minneapolis; Tom Corbett, Brooklyn Park; Carl Dech, Minneapolis; Nate Dobmeyer, Twin Valley; Bill Fecht, St Paul; Dave Lutz, St. Paul; Chad Nelson, Owatonna; Brent Prentice, Eagan, and Scott Sodergren, Brooklyn Center.

      Bob's Past Articles

©2006 - Max Bowling, Inc.
Reproduction without written permission is prohibited

    

©2006 - Max Bowling, Inc.
Reproduction without written permission is prohibited

Photo of Bob Schabert courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press
Used by permission