Beat the Champs: Feeling at home at Waveland Bowl

Home, home on the Western Avenue.

“I felt really at home,’’ said LeKetha Adams, after she won the women’s side of the Section 3 sectional of the 56th Beat the Champions Sunday at Waveland Bowl in Chicago.

All Adams, who bowls in the Wednesday Mixed Classic at Waveland, did was compile a 749, including 78 pins of handicap and a 257 game.

Anthony Muscari, who came up through the youth leagues at Waveland, won the men’s side with a 756, on consistent games of 244, 226, 227 and 56 pins of handicap.

Adams actually advanced in BTC out of Bluebird Lanes, which will host the women’s finals on March 12.

“I am hoping I feel at home there, too,’’ said Adams, who finished seventh in the finals last year. The Chicago woman works in the religious services department of the Cook County Sheriff’s office.

Familiarity helped Muscari, too.

“Lanes were working for me,’’ he said. “I threw my usual shot. I stayed there the whole game, well, moved a little left.’’

The 19-year-old sophomore in nursing at Malcolm X was bowling in his first year of adult leagues.

The top five women and top five men advanced to the BTC finals. This year the top prize in the finals for both the women’s and men’s champions is $7,500.

Skyway Bowl also had a good day advancing two women–Terian Williams-Gibbs, a claim tech from Calumet Park, and Pamela Terry, a retired Chicago teacher–and two men–Steven Brown, a 22-year-old student at Harold Washington, and Kilija Benson.

Mary Gamble, a sales associate with the U.S. Postal Service, is making a return trip to the finals, too. She finished sixth in 2012. Kim Hallman, a Chicago painter, finished second with a 697.

The other men motoring on to the finals were Jerry Harris, a truck driver from LaGrange, and Dennis McBride, a route driver from Morton Grove.

BTC is a handicapped charity tournament put on by the Chicagoland Bowling Proprietors Association with the Sun-Times as the media sponsor. It has raised more than $2.8 million for charity, so far.

In a little side note, Waveland began a media sensation for changing Lane 16 to Lane 2016 after the Cubs won the World Series and the early sunlight would stream in over Western Avenue and spotlight the W.

“We liken it to the weeping Madonna,” owner Gary Handler said.

Here are the individual results:

Section 3 Sectional

Waveland Bowl, Chicago

Sunday’s results

Men

Bowler, Center G1-G2-G3-HDP–TOT

Anthony Muscari, Waveland 244-226-227-59–756

Steven Brown, Skyway 225-236-183-91–735

Jerry Harris, Habetler 185-184-234-72–675

Dennis McBride, Timber 192-192-178-110–672

Kilija Benson, Skyway 215-207-225-24–671

Emmitt Neely, Bluebird 231-211-123-102–667

Terry Hlavac, Habetler 194-244-155-72–665

Eric Schweda, Habetler 218-203-209-35–665

Derrick Pointer, Skyway 194-169-180-121–664

Jon Meineken, Habetler 172-203-269-18–662

John Seyller, Lawn 204-237-199-21–661

Prince Redmond, Skyway 192-220-194-51–657

Anthony Plant Sr, Skyway 135-208-212-94–649

Melvyn Walton, Timber 174-208-164-102–648

Freddie Hunt, Lawn 125-158-181-183–647

Walter Ricks, Skyway 163-145-192-145–645

Richy DeArmond, Timber 245-171-225-0–641

Mike Prodromos, Timber 232-130-141-132–635

Cortez Richey, Skyway 222-235-178-0–635

Martin Mahoney, Timber 177-151-153-153–634

Arthur Branch, Skyway 188-220-136-86–630

Thomas Scott, Lawn 154-146-158-172–630

Gary Watkins, Skyway 182-182-159-105–628

Angelo Carthan, Skyway 152-178-191-102–623

Jim Herr, Bluebird 170-194-161-91–616

Jorge Martinez, Lawn 156-168-186-99–609

Phillip Beck, Skyway 204-185-218-0–607

Thomas Jones, Skyway 146-191-169-97–603

Darren Drapp, Habetler 190-136-228-48–602

Daniel Gallegos, Bluebird 177-166-135-121–599

Moses Merriweather, Bluebird 154-172-128-143–597

Milton Turnage, Skyway 181-183-179-54–597

William Mims, Bluebird 158-124-182-132–596

Adam Hacker, Diversey 144-146-152-153–595

Ken Ford, Skyway 127-181-147-137–592

Daniel Koscinski, Habetler 177-204-184-27–592

Willie Long, Bluebird 163-208-203-16–590

Curtis Webb, Skyway 204-222-137-27–590

Kevin Johnson, Habetler 171-164-178-75–588

Eduardo Feliciano Sr. Diversey 122-213-193-59–587

Bob Ochal, Lawn 214-187-170-13–584

Scot Norris, Waveland 186-193-169-35–583

Eric Sanders, Timber 137-186-154-99–576

Alden Almagro, Timber 133-156-210-75–574

Victor Lobello, Habetler 126-164-157-121–568

Jake Greene, Bluebird 197-193-169-8–567

Jerome Payne, Skyway 166-128-132-135–561

Horace Beard, Bluebird 148-147-144-121–560

Javier Perez, Habetler 189-157-170-43–557

Alfonso Carrington, Skyway 134-133-179-105–551

Mark Lengyel, Habetler 210-168-150-8–536

Kenneth Hammon, Timber 136-135-98-153–522

Matt Johnson, Timber 112-117-143-51–423

Women

Bowler, Center G1-G2-G3-HDP–TOT

Leketha Adams, Bluebird 226-257-188-78–749

Kim Hallman, Habetler 170-139-159-229–697

Terian Willams-Gibbs, Skyway 172-213-147-164–696

Pamela Terry, Skyway 130-181-137-243–691

Mary Gamble, Timber 177-161-180-170–688

Eileen Kennedy, Habetler 160-223-179-118–680

Danielle Batjes, Habetler 127-141-202-207–677

Regina Roark, Skyway 181-181-148-153–663

Georgene Friedl, Bluebird 191-179-158-121–649

Jane Verwys, Timber 135-112-180-221–648

Barbara Mitchell, Skyway 160-158-159-164–641

Adrienne Davis, Bluebird 138-209-192-99–638

Venita Thomas, Skyway 164-140-180–627

Mary Bolden, Bluebird 119-179-152-175–625

Kimberly Mioni, Lawn 209-178-196-40–623

Earlene O’Neal, Bluebird 136-147-124-216–623

Vivian Granderson, Bluebird 137-202-156-126–621

Cheryl Pearson, Lawn 139-155-146-180–620

Erica Pursell, Waveland 296-300-279-45–620

Martina Barlow, Waveland 131-165-142-180–618

Ericka Michlewwright, Timber 142-129-102-243–616

Karen Wojcik, Habetler 123-134-116-243–616

Jodi Biancalana, Habetler 161-169-134-151–615

Amber Romando, Diversey 103-169-134-207–613

Jen Laskov, Timber 106-155-154-197–612

Linda Kuczwara, Lawn 124-131-136-216–607

Earnestine Ramsay, Bluebird 169-122-133-183–607

Wynetta Thomas, Skyway 126-127-181-172–606

Dora Collins, Skyway 130-148-171-156–605

Alexandra Brooks, Skyway 226-158-204-16–604

Nicole Pacheco, Habetler 179-192-187-43–601

Marian Bullock, Skyway 117-147-157-175–596

Rene Fiel, Timber 153-124-144-175–596

Gloria Laury, Skyway 134-129-157-175–595

Doris Johnson, Bluebird 146-171-181-91–589

Jasmine Anza, Habetler 131-99-115-243–588

Geraldine Jones, Bluebird 167-152-147-118–584

Melissa Sanchez, Habetler 112-122-151-199–584

Diana Castro, Timber 100-125-113-243–581

Karen Thomas, Skyway 127-138-154-159–578

Patricia Johnson-Walker, Skyway 149-132-103-186–570

Adrian Turner, Bluebird 153-148-107-162–570

Katrina Bogan, Skyway 147-167-134-121–569

Jessie Slaten, Diversey 107-101-147-207–562

Doris Yarbrough, Skyway 117-173-119-153–562

Foyla Hall, Skyway 132-171-169-86–558

Debbie Palanyk, Lawn 144-107-113-194–558

Sandra Mercado, Habetler 139-120-122-170-551

Robin Scaletta, Habetler 87-114-99-243–543

Thelma Neely, Lawn 122-143-93-151–509

FINALS SCHEDULE

Sunday, March 5: Men’s finals, Arena Lanes, Oak Lawn, noon

Sunday, March 12: Women’s finals, Bluebird Lanes, Chicago, noon