JUNE 22 • 2023 | 31

1,170,121 Pins Fall in B’nai 
B’rith Bowling League

League secretary Gary Klinger put 
together an amazingly detailed season 
recap for the 24-team Brotherhood-
Eddie Jacobson B’nai B’ith bowling 
league. Among the facts gleaned from 
the recap:
There were 105 men who bowled 
at least 12 games. Those men bowled 
6,504 games and knocked down 
1,170,121 pins.
The league average was 179.90. 
A total of 78 bowlers increased their 
average from the previous season 
and only 15 went down. Mitch Cohen, 
Harold Grossbart and Jerry Wayne led 
the way, each improving his average 
by 25 pins. Cohen went from 172 to 
197. Grossbart went from 189 to 214. 
Wayne went from 162 to 187. Last sea-
son, 21 league bowlers increased their 
average and 45 went down.

Teenage bowlers and bowlers in 
their 20’s each averaged 217.01, high-
est of the age groups. Here are the 
rest of the age groups and their aver-
ages: 30’s — 183.29; 40’s — 181.90; 
50’s — 180.82; 60’s — 174.72; 70’s — 
171.48; 80’s — 175.15; 90’s — 126.
Aaron Radner had the highest 
average in the league for the fifth 
straight year, a league record 233.92. 
Rounding out the top 10 in averages 
were Joey Schechter (219.37), Dave 
Shanbaum (218.33), Rick Woolman 
(214.96), Grossbart (214.91), Keith 
Kingston (214.00), Michael Rosen 
(213.64), Lyle Schaefer (212.75), Ben 
Shapiro (210.83) and Robert Greenfield 
(209.01). 
Bob Breitman and Schaefer each 
bowled a 300 game. Radner had the 
league’s high series (802).
This was Klinger’s 43rd season 
bowling in the league and his 26th 
year as league secretary. Other mem-
bers are of the league’s executive 
board are President Jeff Berlin, Vice 

President Ryan Columbus, Treasurer 
David Little and Dennis Horwitz, mem-
ber at large. The league bowls on 
Monday nights at Country Lanes in 
Farmington Hills and will return there 
next season.

quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

The executive board of the Brotherhood-Eddie 
Jacobson B’nai B’rith bowling league includes 
(from left) David Little, Dennis Horwitz, Gary 
Klinger, Jeff Berlin and Ryan Columbus.

Ron Rycus Keeps 
Rolling on the Lanes

Ron Rycus continues to pile up bowling 
accomplishments.
Just weeks after the 77-year-old East 
Lansing resident bowled a perfect 300 
game in a UAW league at the Spare 
Time Entertainment Center in Lansing, 
his team won the championship of the 
14-team league, and he won a grueling 
tournament.
“I’m the only Jewish guy and darn 
close to the oldest guy in the (UAW) 
league,” Rycus said. “It’s a good 
league. There are lots of very good 
bowlers.”
After bowling as a substitute and 
then fulltime in the league last year, 
Rycus was fulltime all season this year. 
His teammates on the 13th Frame team 
were Larry Grissom, Aaron Barnes, 
Aaron Meeker and Denny Tepedo. Bob 
Stephenson, the pro at City Limits East 
Lansing Sports Grill & Bowling Center, 
was the sponsor. Rycus bowled his 
perfect game Feb. 20 at City Limits.

Rycus bowled in a Super Senior Mini-
Match tournament April 21 at Charlanes 
in Charlotte, about 15 minutes south of 
Lansing. The tournament was for bowl-
ers ages 65 and older.
“The tournament went from noon to 
about 4:30 p.m. with no break. It was a 

war of attrition. You had to stay intense 
and focused. I was so tired afterwards,” 
Rycus said. “I was excited to beat my 
contemporaries.”
There were 29 bowlers in the field, 
which was reduced to 14 after they 
bowled four games. The 14 bowlers 
competed in match play to determine 
the champion.
After bowling 156-176-220-265 to 
advance to match play, Rycus won 
245-163 in the quarterfinals, 225-197 in 
the semifinals and 210-187 in the cham-
pionship match.
Rycus is bowling on a team in a 
summer league at City Limits, site 
of a former local B’nai B’rith bowling 
league. He bowled the first two of his 
three career 300 games at City Limits 
in 2010 and 2017 in the league. Rycus 
bowled in the B’nai B’rith league for 
many years. His teammates this sum-
mer are a 22-year-old woman and 22- 
and 24-year-old men.
“I love bowling with young people. 
I’m flattered they asked me to join their 
team again,” he said.

Ron Rycus is front and center with his league 
champion 13th Frame teammates and team 
sponsor. 

 RON RYCUS

 BROTHERHOOD-EDDIE JACOBSON B’NAI B’RITH BOWLING LEAGUE

SPORTS

