Meridian's Gray set for State Bowling Hall of Fame
By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
May 28, 2002
It was a big weekend in the Mississippi State Bowling Association Tournament both on and off the lanes.
The big news of the weekend came on Saturday when it was announced that Meridian's C.W. Shine' Gray would be inducted into the Mississippi State Bowling Hall of Fame in 2003.
The news came after the annual meeting that was held Saturday morning. Outgoing MSBA president Jackie Strange was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the 34th member and then Gray was announced as one of the three people to be inducted next year.
Gray, 81, will be the sixth bowler from Meridian to be inducted. He will join fellow Meridian bowlers Lloyd Bullock, George "Sonny" Evans, Bernard Hoy, M.A. Copeland and the late James Lindley.
Everett Scott of Oxford and Dominic Leperi of Gulfport will also be inducted into the Mississippi Bowling Hall of Fame next year.
There was also a lot of news on the lanes this week as the tournament's first perfect game was bowled as well as a couple 299 games and new leaders took over in the Singles and Doubles events.
47 teams, 102 doubles and 204 singles competed in the fourth of six weekends.
Shannon Duplantis of Picayune bowled the first perfect game of the tournament during the final shift of the weekend. She was the first female to record a perfect game in what was formerly "The Men's State Tournament". It was the 21st perfect game of her career.
Bo Edwards of Tupelo and Russell Harris of Petal each bowled a 299 on Sunday. Both bowlers also bowled a 290 on Saturday.
Joe Fortenberry of Hattiesburg bowled a 820 Handicap series to take over the lead in Singles. Gray continued a great weekend by bowling a 803 Handicap series to move into second place in the event. Gray's grandson Chuck Gray is currently tied for eighth in the Singles competition with a 748.
Jason Loague and Kevin Hartigan of Tupelo bowled a 1473 handicap series to take over first in the Doubles event. Alan Topcik and Ronnie Thomas are the only local pair in the top 10 as they are in eighth place with a 1435.
Khurtz's Keglers kept the lead in the Team event but the "Long Shots" from McComb bowed a 3481 to move into second. "Joint Forces", a Meridian team composed of Dewitt Griffin, Bob Davis, Gene DeRusha, Paul Samasuck and Leon Fike, bowled a 3373 to move into ninth. The local team "Dixie Bowl Class" is currently in 10th.
The All-Events standings can be found online at bowling100.com.
