OH, BABY: A CHAMPS FIRST
Pregnant Hobscheid only bowler ever to win two finals
Vicki Hobscheid rolled into history as the first bowler in the 57 years of Beat the Champions to earn a second title.
“I hoped I would give myself a chance,’’ Hobscheid said. “Did I ever think I would win again? Oh, God, no. That is crazy.’’
And the $ 7,500 prize will come in handy as Hobscheid is pregnant with her first child, a daughter due in July. The Algonquin woman rolled a scratch 916 on Sunday at Classic Bowl in Morton Grove to hold off SharonWatkins ( 900).
In 2014, Hobscheid, nee Guadagno, won a Ford Focus by winning with a 943 at Liberty Lanes in Carpentersville.
Hobscheid, who works for CVS benefits verification, improved as she went along with games of 214, 206, 238 and 258.
In BTC finals, bowlers roll four games, moving two pairs of lanes after each game.
“I made a ball change before the third game, best decision ever,’’ Hobscheid said. “Same switch I made the last time [ to her Storm Reign]. My other ball just wasn’t working.’’
Hobscheid won her league at Wood Dale Bowl, the Wednesday Night Mixed, $ 500 for its prize fund by virtue of it having 100 percent entry in BTC. She averages 214 in the league, where she bowls with her husband, John, and her dad, Frank Guadagno.
In 2014, she and her future husband were about to buy a house. They were married in 2015. Now with a child on the way, the prize money comes at a great time.
“Nursery, anything for the baby,’’ Hobscheid said.
Watkins, an accountant from Lansing who averages 156 at Skyway Bowl, carried 194 pins of handicap and rolled games of 170, 154, 222 and 160.
In BTC, the charity bowling tournament run by the Chicagoland Bowling Proprietors Association, handicap is 90 percent of the difference of the average below 210.
“Just had to focus on the third game. I knew I had to bring the second game up big,’’ said Watkins, who was using her new Storm Tropical ball.
The big number remains the $ 2,856,618.43 raised for charity from 5,768,200 entries in the first 56 years of BTC, for which the Sun- Times is media sponsor.
NOTES: Erica Merritt made her own BTC history. The Chicago marketing manager became the first bowler to earn two third- place finishes in the 57 years of BTC. Merritt, who was also third two years ago, rolled a scratch 890.
Merritt, who advanced out of Burr Oak Bowl and came in with a 220 average ( the highest of any bowler Sunday), opened with a 183. Then she found her groove and finished with games of 258, 224 and 225.
“I just couldn’t strike on the right lane the first game,’’ said Merritt, who was encouraged that Hobscheid won as a scratch bowler. “Hopefully, I will be back.’’
Dichelle Casey, a teacher from Robbins who advanced from Bluebird Lanes, made the most of being an alternate reaching the finals. She finished fourth with an 885, which included 82 pins of handicap.
Cindy Smith, out of Castaways Bowl, won the new feature this year. Her card was drawn from all the non- qualifiers, and she won a Storm bowling ball. She’ll be invited to the taping of the BTC target show in December and will have a meet- and- greet with the pros.