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Most St Paul City Championships

      Back in the days when I was writing a bowling column for the local newspaper, we were often asked the question, "Who has won the most city championships among the local bowlers?"

      It was a question that was pretty hard to answer.  Now, with help from St. Paul executive director Matt Lang, we are able to put together some sort of a column regarding individual championships.

      Since the St. Paul Bowling Association was first organized in 1903, over one million St. Paul male bowlers have been sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress.  However, this column only covers champions from 1928-29 season to the present.  We do have the handicap team champions but do not have all the scratch team champions.

      Two bowlers share top honors with 18 City titles apiece.  They are Carl Fietek of Eden Prairie and veteran Ron Toft of Lake Elmo.

      Toft, a member of the St. Paul, Men's State and ABC halls of Fame, was the leader until this year when Fietek nailed two team titles to tie for the lead.  Toft won his first City title in 1972-73 when he claimed both scratch and handicap doubles.

      His biggest season was 1974-75 when he won five titles.  They were scratch all events, singles and doubles and both team titles, scratch and handicap.  His last title came in 1984-85 when he captured the Jerry Noonan Memorial Award.  He has five doubles, five team, three singles and four all events plus the Noonan.

      Fietek, who doesn't have a City doubles title, has been on 10 team champions, both scratch and handicap.  He has three scratch all events, three singles and one team all events plus a Noonan Memorial Award.  His first title was in 1994-95 when he won three times.

      Next in line with 15 City Titles is Terry Schacht of Oakdale, who won his first title in 1973-74.  He has six doubles titles, five all events, three team and one singles, the scratch crown in 1989-90.

      Clark Poelzer of Arden Hills is next in line with 12 titles, followed by five men with 11 each.  They are Norm Abrams, Gary Arntzen, Gary Green, Alan Loth and the late Howie Pousette.

     Leif Carlson of Minneapolis, Brad Subak of St. Anthony and George Peterson of Crystal have 10 City titles each.  Ron Nelson, who won eight titles in one year (1982-83) and Dennis Savoy have each claimed nine City titles.

      Bob Hager, who won five titles at the past City meet, is one of seven men with eight City titles.  The others are Sam Lantto, Scott Pohl, Dennis Schacht, Bruce A. Smith, Gary Winter and Jim Wynne.

      Jim Mitchell and Bob Oltman have captured seven City titles while 10 men have posted six titles.  They are Tom Corbett, John Eiss, Daron Hansen, Larry Harvanko, Archie Kasal, Ed Mady, Craig McDonald, Bob Micek, Dick O'Brien and Floyd (Shorty) Stringer.  Kasal, Mady and O'Brien are deceased.

      Of the more than one million sanctioned bowlers in St. Paul since 1903, there are 909 men who claimed at least one championship with 33 who have won six or more.  Bowlers whose last name starts with "S" have won 114 titles, followed by "B" with 87 and "M"with 82.

      If there are any people reading this column, male or demale, who had a father, brother or uncle who won City titles between 1903 and 1928-29, please let this writer or Matt Lang know their names so we can update the Record book.   

  

  Bob's past articles   

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Photo of Bob Schabert courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press
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