Green Valley bowlers ‘strike’ down pins at record pace

For the past two weeks at Green Valley Lanes, the pins have been falling at an unprecedented rate.

Tom Donnelly kicked things off on Jan. 23 with a 300 game, with Rod Stroehl following it up eight days later with a 299.

Meanwhile, a handful of bowlers—led by Jim Dickey—have been inducted into the “700 Club”—no relation to Billy Graham.

Dickey has broken the 700 barrier on more than one occasion this season, including his 770 last Monday.

Stroehl, an 11-year Green Valley resident originally from Colorado Springs, Colo., participates in the weekly “Funtimers” league, which meets every Wednesday evening for league play.

His four-player team, the “Pucker Busters,” currently sits atop the 16-team league, with Stroehl’s 199 average playing a significant role.

In 40 years of bowling, Stroehl’s previous career-high was 290, but that would change at 6 p.m. last week.

The former postal employee knew he was in a groove early when he tallied those first few strikes. As the pins kept dropping, the crowd behind him kept increasing.

“Everybody was watching,” Stroehl said. “It would get really quiet during my approach, then the crowd would explode after every strike.”

When he got to the final frame, he rolled his black and red Columbia ball just like he did on each previous frame. Unfortunately, the ball hit the pocket a little shallow, leaving the 7-pin standing.

“The last ball felt good, but the pin just didn’t fall,” Stroehl said.

Donnelly had no such obstacles a week earlier, when he notched his first-career perfect game on his mother’s birthday.

Donnelly, 25, has only been bowling for six years, but he has taken to the game quickly.

Between his full-time job as a roofer and his part-time commitment to the Green Valley Lanes’ pro shop, Donnelly has a lot on his plate, but not enough to keep him from participating in two weekly bowling leagues.

On Mondays, he takes part in the “Sunset” league, where his team is currently tied for first. Tuesdays, he stays sharp in the “Invitational” league.

When the round started, Donnelly said it felt like any other round—until his scorecard was filled with Xs after a dozen frames.

As Donnelly kept notching strikes, the other bowlers stopped what they were doing to take notice.

“Tom was down at the very end of the alley, so people didn’t know what was going on until later,” Dickey—another “Sunset” league member—said.

But as word start to spread, the typical bowling alley noises started to cease.

“That’s when I knew something special was happening,” Donnelly said. “It felt really weird to bowl in silence like that.”

When he entered that last frame carrying a 290, Donnelly’s heart began beating a little faster as nerves took hold. Fortunately, the pin-racking machine has a minor malfunction, allowing Donnelly to hit the re-rack button and regain his composure.

Once Donnelly collected himself, he rolled that final strike with no problems.

“I was extremely happy,” Donnelly said. “I was running around, screaming and jumping.”

Donnelly currently carries an average of 200—six pins lower than his wife of three years, Vanessa.

“Vanessa has been the best female bowler all season,” Donnelly said. “But I’d rather have the perfect game than a higher average.”

Dickey—who carries a 219 average—has bowled two perfect games, and said each person deals with the pressure differently.

“Obviously, Tom’s tactics worked just fine,” Dickey said with a chuckle.

Dickey’s team is currently hovering in the middle of the Sunset pack, but his strong play has his squad threatening to make a move up the standings.

In addition to his tremendous bowling skills, Dickey, 62, is also a 2-handicap on the golf course and a top-notch softball player in the Born Again Jocks Association.

He spent 11 years working at Desert Hills Golf Club, and still finds plenty of time to swing the clubs.

The former Lansing, Mich., resident has kept active in the lanes, even posting an 800 series during last season’s competition.

With a trio like this, along with the dozens of other top-notch bowlers currently competing in various Green Valley leagues, bowling is prospering in Southern Arizona.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9736