IOWA STATE USBC BOWLING ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2016 BOWLING ABILITY CATEGORY BRUCE PALS Greater Cedar Valley USBC Bowling Association The Greater Cedar Valley USBC Bowling Association is pleased to endorse the nomination of Bruce Pals for the Iowa State Hall of Fame Consideration. Bruce Pals Birthdate: 11 July 1939 Age: 76 Member of Waterloo / Greater Cedar Valley USBC Bowling Association Over the years Waterloo has been known as a hot bed of local bowling talent and a town which was graced with numerous centers that tested the skills of many competitors. Out of these settings came a succession of top notched bowlers who would achieve success across the state. Rich Schmitt, Bob Hansen, Arnie Reynolds, Roy Granneman, Rick & Fran Eighme, Joe Engelkes, Shannon Buchan, Emmett Tragord, and Roger Yordy. Bruce Palls by virtue of his demeanor and bowling ability has separated himself from his peers and can justly take his place in this line of top-notched competitors. Leagues Bruce s attraction to the game of bowling began in Waterloo some 50 plus years ago starting in a midnight league after working the 3-11pm second shift at the John Deere Waterloo Works. His early years would be series of trial and error as Bruce fought to discover the finer points of the game as he truly was a self - made bowler having never received a single bowling lesson in his entire life. Yet, the love of the game had sparked a new interest and opened the door to many friendships that would continue for decades. Over the years, Bruce has supported the needs of the Association and his fellow bowlers. He has recruited many bowlers to fill leagues when there were holes to fill on late notice and he has capably served in all league officer positions.
Bruce is a competitor and can lay claim to championships in all of Waterloo s premier leagues. Still extremely competitive at the age of 75, Bruce is at the top of the list when looking for as sub. His game remains sharp and he frequently can be found at the bowling centers putting up numbers that rival those of the younger elites of today. Bruce enjoys the camaraderie and social aspects of league play and has been competitive for many years. He averaged 190 in the mid 1970 s when averages over 200 were a rarity. Today, Bruce has continued to have a strong game where he remains amongst the top averages in Waterloo having posted his lift-time high average of 232 recorded in the 2007 / 2008 season at the age of 68. Over the years he also has competed in and enjoyed success in a wide variety of tournaments. The following is a list of his most memorable: City State Waterloo City Tournament 5 titles Waterloo Courier Tournament of Champions 3 consecutive titles in the 1990 s o Encompassed entire North East Iowa o Prerequisite of winning league championships to be eligible to compete. 47 consecutive Iowa State Tournament appearances Iowa State Seniors Tournament o Participated in 17 tournaments with 3 scratch titles Member of team that shot a state record 3 game series in 1994-1995 In 1995 he placed 1 st. in District and State Iowa Games earning two medals Regional SSBA (Senior Scratch Bowling Association) Senior equivalent of the Greater Iowa Bowling Association o Titles 8 o 2009 point champion o Currently ranks as a #1 all-time money winner Greater Iowa Bowling Association Titles 1 Greater Iowa Bowling Association 50/50 Tournament Prestigious event drawing elite bowlers from around the Midwest pair a bowler over 50 with a bowler under 50 (State Hall of Famer Emmett Tragord) 1 (1 st place) and 1 (second place) 1 st Place Doubles in the inaugural John Deer Interplant Tournament
MSC (Midwest Senior Classic) Minneapolis Titles 1 including 300 game in Bruce s march to title which included high powered competitors from the Upper Midwest areas including bowlers from the Hamm s Beer and Lind s Loons teams. Mississippi Valley Bowling Tour 1 title PBA Senior Regional placed 31 st out of field of 128 top notched competitors in Peoria, Ill. This field included several touring professional. National ABC/USBC Bruce has made the journey to compete at the National Level in 39 ABC/USBC National Tournaments where he has earned Bronze and Silver medals for his efforts. His most memorable year was 1993 which saw him earn Silver medals for his efforts in singles, doubles and all events in the Tulsa hosted event. A 2057 All Events score secured Bruce a top 100 finish in both singles and all events. Scoring Summery Career High Average 232 ( 2007-2008) Scoring: 700 series 350 plus 300 games 27 (1 st on Feb 21, 1985 and most recent recorded at age 70) 299 games- 17 800 series 15 ( 1 st on March 8 1990) Honor scores were recorded in 12 different establishments with a high number recorded in tournament play: Waterloo Bowl Inn Cadillac Lanes Maple Lanes Quincy, Illinois St. Louis, Missouri Cedar Rapids Waverly Oelwein Des Moines Dubuque Fort Madison Minneapolis, Minnesota
Las Vegas ( High Roller Tournament) Unique Award Scores To record an award score with your family present is the dream of every bowler. The chance for them to participate in the event is extremely rare. On November 11, 2004 Bruce and son Craig both enjoyed the moment when they rolled 800 s in the Maple Masters League in Waterloo. This rare occasion was only the 3 rd time nationally that it had ever been accomplished by a father / son duo while bowling on the same team, same night and same pair of lanes. What added to the uniqueness was that Bruce was 64 and right handed while son Craig is left handed. Summation If there was a nice guy award or sportsmanship award, Bruce would be the hands-down winning candidate. Bruce is not only well liked in the bowling circles, but commands the respect of younger and senior bowlers alike. He leads by example. In an era that tends to seek instant gratification, Bruce has never been one to show emotion or throw a tantrum on the lanes when things did not go his way. This could have been put to the test in 2007 when Bruce received the Sour Apple Award twice for leaving the 5-7-10 within a three month period while still averaging 230. Not a harsh word was spoken, in fact you would have thought he had just rolled a 5-bagger. Bruce probably bowls more tournaments in a month than any of the top tier bowlers in the Greater Cedar Valley as evidenced by the memorable titles listed above. Put simply, he loves to bowl, the more tournaments the better. For Bruce life without bowling is no life at all as evidenced by the fact that he still regularly bowls three leagues a week and is frequently called upon to sub on his free nights. The Greater Cedar Valley Association strongly endorses the candidacy of Bruce Pals for the Iowa State Hall of Fame consideration. His bowling accomplishments and demeanor on the lanes are representative of the goals and ideals of the Greater Cedar Valley Bowling Association. It is what we see as defining what bowling in Waterloo is about and the type of example we wish for our youth to emulate. Whoever first made the statement that Good Guy s Finish Last obviously did not know Bruce Pals.
Sincerely: The Greater Cedar Valley USBC Bowling Association Joseph Engelkes, Chairman, Hall of Fame Committee Connie Rommel - President, Greater Cedar Valley USBC BA Loretta Wander - Association Manager