Bowler follows therapy to local hall of fame induction

For Lowell Wysong, bowling was more than recreational, it was therapeutic.

“I was in management, working six days a week, and my doctor told me I needed a hobby,” Wysong said. “Bowling was a way for me to get away from work and break up the week a little bit.”

Four decades later, Wysong’s hobby has earned him a place in the Greater Dayton United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. The 68-year-old Beavercreek resident, along with fellow bowler Mike Burns, will be recognized in the veterans division at the annual banquet on Aug. 10 at the Presidential Banquet Center.

Candace Shepard, Dan Beemsterboer and Joe Hoelscher are the other members of the 2011 hall of fame class and will be inducted for superior performance.

Wysong was initially reluctant to turn in an application; he doubted his qualifications. Friend and current hall of famer Woody Ellington convinced him.

“I thought he had the credentials, especially for us old folks,” said Ellington.

Wysong and Ellington have earned six senior city titles together, two in doubles and four in the team event.

Wysong and Ellington won the 60-and-older handicap and scratch doubles titles this year and, with the help of Jerry Swope and Craig Baker, captured both the 60-and-older handicap and scratch team titles as well.

“This year, he was high on the team event. He carried us,” Ellington said of Wysong. “That’s the great thing about our team, when one or two guys are down, the other guys pick it up.”

Wysong’s resume includes five 300 games and a 798 career high series. In addition to his senior city titles, Wysong has won several local tournaments, including a doubles tournament with his wife, Karen, in 1984.

His hall of fame nod is about more than accomplishments. It’s also about longevity. He has competed in 20 city, 14 state and four national tournaments in his 40 years on the lanes.

Age and arthritis have slowed him but Wysong has no intention of giving up the sport.

“I’ve changed some things up to help alleviate the pain,” he said. “And I know I can’t bowl two nights in a row any more.”

With a lighter ball and a looser grip, Wysong remains competitive. “I’ve always tried to compete, that’s important to me,” he said. “You might beat me but I’ll never beat myself.”

And titles and honors aside, bowling is still about having fun.

“We make fun of each other quite a bit,” Wysong said of his teammates.

Ellington agrees.“You can’t be thin-skinned with these guys.”