Morrison, Bowden nab bowling titles Employee topples boss in men’s final

BREWER – Shawn Morrison was the local boy, a member of the host site’s team, a well-known regular and crowd favorite, and the general manager of Bangor-Brewer Bowling Lanes.

So why did he feel like he was a player wearing pinstripes at Fenway Park Sunday?

Well, that’s because top seed Morrison was going against 11th-seeded Charlie Milan III, the dean of candlepin bowlers, the owner of Bangor-Brewer Bowling Lanes, and a man who was gunning for his 24th Maine State Candlepin Association singles men’s championship at the age of 68.

Think Darth Vader (without the evil powers and black garb) against Obi-Wan Kenobi: young former pupil vs. aged master.

“Coming in, I was torn. I mean, I wanted to win, but I would have loved to see him win it too,” said Morrison, a self-professed “streak” bowler who caught fire in the seventh string and overcame two subpar strings en route to a 10-string total of 1,281. “I almost started crying at the end.”

It was Morrison’s second championship.

He became only the second person to win the state championship at the age of 18 (Milan was the other) in 2000 and he wondered how large a part beginners’ luck played in his first championship.

“I’ve been knocked out in the first or second round each of the last four years,” a sweat-soaked Morrison said while mopping his forehead. “So to win this, and have the honor of bowling him in a 10-string title match… It’s amazing for me.”

Morrison, who works for Milan, may not know how to build up his own job security, but he does appreciate Milan’s ability and the chance he got to face him. They’ve bowled on the same team together and bowled against each other before, but never in a 10-string tournament setting before Sunday.

“Hell, this is the first time I’ve been in the top two since 1990, when Chip Carson and I went against each other, and it was the same kind of situation then,” said Milan, who beat Carson by a single pin in that match. “Really, it couldn’t have worked out any better. I was glad because one of us [Bangor-Brewer Lanes bowlers] was going to win it.”

Milan, who suffered from back trouble during Saturday’s 10-string semifinal match, felt “great” Sunday, but developed a muscle strain in his left leg midway through Sunday’s match.

“I couldn’t get it into the right side, on the 1-3 pocket,” Milan said. “My body wouldn’t do what my mind wanted it to.”

Morrison recorded 34 spares, 22 “tens” (knocking down all 10 pins in three tries), and 11 strikes. Milan had 32 spares, 28 tens, and seven strikes.

Neither Morrison nor Milan had THE bragging rights of the day, however, as Newport’s Judy Bowden had 45 marks (strikes, spares or tens) en route to her fourth women’s state title and a total of 1,310 – yes, 29 higher than the best men’s score.

“I’m very proud of that. I’ve only bowled four 1,300s and two of them came this year,” said the Corinna native and top tourney seed who last won a title in 2002. “And this was special for me because I lost my mother a year ago to Alzheimer’s, so I dedicated it to her.”

Bowden, who beat runner-up Lee Ann Lowe of Lisbon by 103 pins, was runner-up last year and had to forfeit in the 2003 semifinals to attend her son’s wedding. This year, everything came together for the woman who took up candlepin bowling in 1974, but didn’t bowl in her first open tourney until 1996.

“My ball was working very well today,” Bowden explained. “I had trouble hanging onto the ball yesterday so I washed them all last night and they felt a lot better today. I had a lot more control.”

Bowden said being a top four seed and getting a bye in the five-string opening rounds was also a big help.

“You can’t have a bad string in five, but you can survive one or two in 10,” she said.

Bowden had no bad strings Sunday. Lowe was no slouch with a triple strike in one of her last three strings and 32 total marks, but she couldn’t get any closer to Bowden than four pins after the opening string.

Bowden’s strings were as follows: 123, 139, 136, 138, 110, 116, 154, 112, 122, and 160.

Morrison’s strings were: 139, 139, 117, 136, 130, 97, 140, 103, 137, and 143.