ANNIVERSARY

sports

He’ll Be Bowling For Gold
At National Senior Games

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

M

ort Friedman is on a roll
when it comes to bowling in
the Senior Olympics.
The Waterford resident has won 11
gold, one silver and three bronze med-
als at the Michigan Senior Olympics,
Florida Senior Olympics and National
Senior Games since he began partici-
pating in the competition for athletes
age 50 and older about 25 years ago.
Friedman is on his way back to the
National Senior Games after winning
gold medals in men’s age 80-and-older
singles and doubles last summer
at the Michigan Senior Olympics at
Classic Lanes in Rochester Hills.
The 2017 National Senior Games
will be held June 2-15 in Birmingham,
Ala. An estimated 10,000 athletes will
compete in 19 sports at 15 venues.
Bowling will be from June 5-11.
Friedman’s doubles partner is
Joseph Saikowski of Fraser. They met
last summer at the Michigan Senior
Olympics when both were looking for
a strong partner in the scratch scoring
bowling competition.
“Joseph is a great guy and a great
bowler,” Friedman said.
The two dominated Michigan
Senior Olympics bowling in their age
group.
After Friedman and Saikowski com-
bined to win the doubles gold medal,
they finished first and second in
singles, and Saikowski won the mixed
doubles event.
Each man’s bowling average is
in the high 190s. Interestingly, each
bowls left-handed.
Saikowski is retired. Friedman, a
general contractor, is semi-retired.
Friedman is still going strong ath-
letically at age 80, bowling and playing
softball.
“I don’t want to make it sound like
I’m bragging, but I feel as healthy as
I’ve ever felt,” he said. “I don’t take any
pills other than aspirin.”
Friedman had one knee and then
the other knee replaced nine and 10
years ago, reviving his athletic career.
“Both knees were bone on bone
from years of bowling and playing
softball,” he said. “Now they feel good
as new.”

BACK AT THE MIC
Radio station owner Kevin Adell made
news recently when he announced

Joseph Saikowski and Mort Friedman show
off their Michigan Senior Olympics bowling
doubles gold medals.

the return of former Detroit Tigers
pitching star Denny McLain to the
airwaves.
McLain’s talk show, from 1-3 p.m.
Sundays on Southfield-based 910AM
Superstation, debuted April 9.
The two-time Cy Young Award
winner was a popular talk show host
in the 1990s at WXYT 1270. His new
show isn’t focusing on baseball. It’s
about life and politics, with McLain
taking listener calls.
“Denny McLain is an example of the
diversity Kevin strives for on his radio
station,” said 910AM spokesman Mort
Meisner.
McLain, 73, is replacing Monica
Conyers, who was fired from 910AM
because of a controversy involving
her expenses there, according to the
Detroit Free Press.

MASTERS RAFFLE
There’s still time to purchase a raffle
ticket from the Michigan Jewish
Sports Foundation for its annual trip
for two to the Masters golf tourna-
ment.
Tickets are $100, and 200 will be
sold. The drawing will be June 12 at
the foundation’s Hank Greenberg
Memorial Golf Invitational at Franklin
Hills Country Club. The winner does
not have to be present.
Two round-trip airline tickets (up to
a $500 value) were added to the prize
this year.
To buy a raffle ticket, contact foun-
dation executive director David Blatt
at (248) 592-9323 or dblatt@
michiganjewishsports.org. •

Send sports news to stevestein502004@
yahoo.com.

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April 20 • 2017

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