Lifetime on lanes pays off for Dayton’s Bell
To say Clint Bell has been bowling his entire life would be only a slight exaggeration.
From the time he was 4, Bell — now 25 — has been on the lanes. From a successful youth bowler to a high school state champion with the Stebbins High School team and, now, the winner of the 34th Annual Charity Challenge No-Tap Tournament, Bell has had a successful two decades.
Bell posted a 264 in the final game of the charity event, edging second-place finisher Rob Dill by 11 pins last Sunday at Pla-Mor Lanes. It was the first time in the 10 years he has competed in the event that he advanced past the first round of play on Sunday.
“I definitely had a good look,” Bell said. “But it took a while Sunday for it to sink in that I won.”
The fifth and final match of the day was tight as Matt Coterel, Dill and Bell were all within a few pins of each other.
“In the 10th frame, it was anybody’s game,” Bell said. “I knew I needed to strike out.”
Pressure situations are nothing new for Bell.
“They don’t really bother me, you get used to it,” he said.
The win was a welcome one for the avid bowler.
“I think if you ask any bowler, there are days they hate the sport,” he said. “But then you have a day like Sunday and it reignites your love for it.”
With tournament titles, three perfect games and a 226 high average, Bell is building a solid resume, but he still has plenty of items on his to-do list, including an 800 series. He has rolled multiple 790s.
“Hopefully, sooner rather than later,” he said with a smile.
Bell wasn’t the only winner Sunday as the event — with qualifiers at Beaver-Vu and Pla-Mor — raised close to $5,000 for Owen’s Place, a universally accessible playground in Beavercreek designed for individuals of all ages and ability levels. Trish Gustsafson was inspired to create the accessible park by her son Owen, who uses a wheelchair. While much of the acre-plus facility is already in use, including the Tree House Village, additional spaces are under construction.
“It was a great tournament and great cause,” Bell said.
The Charity Challenge tournaments have benefited three local non-profit organizations over three decades — the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Owen’s Place, contributing more than $150,000.
“It’s our way of helping some great organizations and getting the word out that fall bowling is just around the corner,” proprietor Doug Wilson said.
For more on Owen’s Place, visit www.owensplace.org.