Pullin Bowling Leader
Mike Pullin, a newcomer to the Senior PBA Tour, leads the Spokane Senior Open at Lilac Lanes after two days of qualifying.
Pullin of Rochelle, Ill., finished the 18-game qualifier at 4,329 for plus-729. His two-day pin average is an impressive 240.50. Pullin, who did not play on the PBA Tour, became eligible for the Senior tour this spring when he turned 50.
The field was cut to 24 Tuesday afternoon after two nine-game blocks. Head-to-head scoring beginning this morning at 9.
Dave Eagle, front-runner for Senior player of the year, is in second place at 4,247 (plus-647). Former player of the year Gene Stus of Allen Park, Mich., is third at 4,241 (plus-641).
Other notables who made the cut were: (6) Pete Couture, reigning player of the year; (7) George Pappas, PBA Hall of Famer and former PBA rookie of the year; (8) Dave Soutar, PBA Hall of Famer; (10) John Hricsina, former player of the year with seven Senior titles; (12) Mike Durbin, 14-time PBA winner who is looking for his first Senior Tour win; (16) Teata Semiz, PBA and ABC Hall of Famer; (19) Lilac Lanes proprietor Dan Kukuk, and (20) John Handegard, 14-time Senior title winner and three-time player of the year.
PBA and ABC Hall of Famer Ernie Schlegel of Vancouver, Wash., failed to make the cut, finishing in 29th place. Ten-time Senior winner Gary Dickinson also had an off week, finishing 43rd. Last year, Dickinson did not finish lower than 13th.
Golf
Ryan Camp of Spokane occupies second place with a score of 71 after the first round of an American Junior Golf Association’s Aspen Junior Classic in Aspen, Colo.
Camp is tied with two others behind Leif Olson of Golden, Colo. Olson fired a 66 on the 7,028-yard, par72 Aspen Golf Course.
Dan Potter, a junior at Gonzaga Prep from Coeur d’Alene, shot a 76 and is tied for 17th place.
Boxing
Unbeaten heavyweight David Bostice and knockout artist Danell Nicholson will headline the June 17 boxing card at the Coeur d’Alene Casino in Worley, Idaho.
The two, however, won’t be fighting each other. Bostice, 17-0-1 with 10 KOs, will face Israel Cole (14-8-4) in the 10-round co-main event. Cole was a middleweight who has grown into a heavyweight.
Nicholson (33-3, 25 KOs) takes on Abdul Muhaymin (19-13, 13 KOs) in an eight-round co-main event. Nicholson hasn’t lost since dropping fights to Andrew Golota and Kirk Johnson in 1996.
Spokane’s Frank Vassar (13-1, 9 KOs) also is on the card. His opponent will be determined later.
Four boxers in each weight class will fight for berths on top American international teams in the U.S. Challenge Thursday and Friday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Competing in the 132-pound class is Mahlon Kerwick of Spokane, who is fourth-ranked. He faces top-ranked Jacon Hudson of Augusta, Ga., in the first round on Thursday.
The winners will represent the United States in the Aug. 17-27 world championships in Houston. The runners-up will compete in the July 29-Aug. 7 Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg.
Legion baseball
Mike Kuck’s grand slam highlighted an otherwise dreary day for American Legion Senior baseball.
Kuck homered during a seven-run first inning, leading the North Stars (1-0) to a 9-4 win over the Bandits at Jackson Field.
The second game at Jackson, the Cannons vs. the Royals, was postponed because of cold, wet conditions.
The day’s other game, Pullman vs. the Blue Devils at Gonzaga University, was suspended by darkness while tied at 7 in the sixth. The game will resume July 16, as part of a doubleheader at Jackson.
The North Stars’ Taylor West also homered to support the complete-game pitching of Dan Thigpen. Jon Madsen tripled and had two RBIs for the Bandits (1-1).