presented for Best Team Spirit are, from the left, Randy and
Rosa Goodman and Fe ’98 and James Vorderlandwehr, during
the Young Alumni Connection’s Bowling Blowout this spring.
It is a truth universally accepted that what Shockers want is a good time. Thus, the cheery and charming (and, on this occasion, comically tousled) Wichita State collective known by the fetching moniker, The Young Alumni Connection, sponsored an affair under the curiously affable title of Bowling Blowout at Northrock Lanes on May 3.
Participating chaps and ladies — yes, that translates to “bowler” — were encouraged to wear attire that ran counter to current sartorial sensibilities, and the results were often, dare we say, exquisitely garish.
Members of the happy little, yet nonetheless fiercely competitive bowling teams chose the most peculiar (but smashingly entertaining) names, names such as Pin Drunk Love, The Free Radicals, Revenge of the Nerds, The B-4s and The High Rolling Turkeys, to mention only a few.
In toto, there were 11 teams, each consisting of five players. But of course there was one rummy twist to the whole affair in that only four of the members were from the hoi polloi whilst the fifth bowler was a nationally-renowned player from the university’s nationally-renowned Shocker bowling teams. (What uproarious merriment this did add!)
Indeed, as is the case with any such event there were those who attained high achievement (winning, as it’s known) and those who simply did not. Good sports that they are, YAC officials graciously gave awards for most creative costumes to Chad Green ’93, Mike Lunsford and Krystal Dredge. The B-4s (Denise Sheppard, Cindy Miller, Denise Manis and Melissa Briscoe) carried home a Best Team Spirit award as did Fe ’98 and James Vorderlandwehr and James and Rosa Goodman of Revenge of the Nerds.
But the top chaps were the High Rolling Turkeys (the ultra-dexterous Bill Hand, Mike Hand, Joe Hand ’99 and Tom Hand). Their scintillating playing landed them the Best Team award, with Tom Hand receiving the Best Individual Score of the evening. Sadly, Joana Kindred’s less-than-incendiary playing left her with the scintilla like score of 49. Tony Johnson, Joe Keltner and Leslie Shelton achieved perfection in their craft (at least for the evening) with games of 300.
Some $2,000 were raised for WSU’s nationally dominant bowling program and YAC programming, thanks to pledges brought in by participants — including top pledge-getter Katie Harris. YAC wishes to extend utmost gratitude to Buffalo Wild Wings, Felipe’s Mexican Restaurant, Northrock Lanes, AJ’s Sports Bar, Carson’s Custard, Pepsi and House of Schwann for extending the warm and gentle shelter of sponsorship.
