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Kansas State USBC BA
2010 Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Granger
Topeka, Kansas
 Mike Granger was born in Olathe, Ks
in 1949.
His father was in the Air
Force and he travelled extensively until returning to Olathe in
1965,
He was graduated from Olathe
High School, met his wife of 40 years, Martha, and spent 4 years at
the University of Kansas. They eventually moved to Topeka in 1972.
Mike and Martha have 3 sons, all having gone through the Y ABA youth
program at Gage North Bowl. Two of his sons have 300 games and one
has an 800 series.
Mike began his bowling at the age of
8. Even while living in Lawrence and attending KU he commuted to
Topeka to bowl for 2 years. After moving to Topeka in 1972 he bowled
in several leagues and was elected to the Board of Directors of the
Topeka Bowling Assoc. in 1980. He served as a Director, Vice
President, President and Secretary over a 19 year period. He later
served on that board again in 2004-05.
In 1985 Mike became a youth bowling
coach and a year later became the Youth Director at Gage Bowl North.
He held that position for 10 years, building that youth program to a
"lane bed award" winner as recognized by the Kansas State YA.B.A. In
1991 he also became an In-State Instructor for the Young American
Bowling Alliance, being trained as an instructor for the adults
wishing to be a part of youth bowling. Mike traveled the state
teaching classes for 6 years. He was qualified and trained as a
Coach/ Instructor, a Registered Coach/ Instructor, a Master
Instructor, a Junior Olympic Instructor and an In-State Instructor.
In 1994-1997 Mike was chosen to be a part of the National Committee
for Education and Training for the YA.B.A. He provided "grass roots"
information and guidance for that committees' preparation of the
youth bowling programs across the country. He also served several
years on the Managing Board of the Kansas Y ABA.
While on the Board of Directors in
Topeka, Mike developed and started the Topeka Youth Bowlers
Showcase, which has been a prestigious tournament for the Topeka
youth since the late 1980's and has since evolved into a scholarship
tournament.
He has been invited by several of the
bowling centers in Topeka to be an instructor in their bowling
camps, clinics and instructional leagues over the past 6 years. In
2004, Mike was certified as a Bronze Level Instructor for the United
States Bowling Congress and has been providing quality individual
instruction to adults and youth alike. He is a member of the
U.S.B.C. Coaches Association. Mike was hired by Washburn Rural High
School in 2007 to be an assistant coach for their newly created
bowling program. He continues to be a high school bowling coach.
Mike created the Mike Granger
Coaching Clinics in Topeka in 2009. He provides coaching instruction
in his clinics with the aid of video analysis software for bowlers
of all ages.
His personal accomplishments include
5- 300 games with the most recent in 2008. He has a high series of
782. He was elected to the Topeka Bowling Association Hall of Fame
in 1999. Mike was a team member of the winning team twice in the
Topeka Championship Tournament and once in the doubles event. In
2008 he qualified for the first time in the Top Ten Senior Men’s
Division tournament in Topeka qualifying with a 215 season average
and finishing in 2nd place. Congratulations for being
inducted into our KSBA USBC "Hall of Fame".
BOB BENOIT
Topeka, Kansas
His name became a household name by
all bowlers
& fans on January 23, 1988
 when he bowled a 300 game on ABC sports vs.
Mark Roth, in the title match game. On that day "Bob Benoit" was a
name we all would remember!
This day they broke 7 PBA records
including; first time in 33 years of the PBA for a player to shoot
300 on TV to win a title, first time a player was able to shoot 300
on their first TV appearance~ first time any player was able "town
their first title by rolling a 300 game on TV largest single game
payday in PBA history ($167,550.00)
&
only the fifth player in the PBA history to win the $100,000 bonus. In 1988
Bob finished second to Brian Voss on the PBA tour money list. He also won
the ABC Sports Athlete of the
Month award for his accomplishments in
January 1988
&
the only PBA player to have accomplished this feat! Bob won
4
National PBA Tour titles &
one PBA Tour title in Japan. After 20 years of the PBA experience
&
competition, Bob began working for ABC Sports in the
graphics truck where he was keeping the score board for the TV telecasts~
where he did this for 8 years. In 1992 in Las Vegas on ABC Sports he married his
wife Lorinda, to open the TV final show of the Show Boat Hotel &
Casino tournament. He also helped
write a book "Bowling 30011 with Walter Ray Williams, Mark
Baker &
Marc McDowell. Bob returned to the Topeka area to
start a new career in his first love, repairing automobiles &
is now working in the construction
industry as a builder. He continues to bowl, but
now it is just for the fun of it
&
not as a profession! In 2002, he was inducted
into the Topeka Bowling Association's "Hall of Fame.
•
He has won the Individual Top 10's
many times
& selected as "Bowler of the Year" several
times! He is a past champion of the KSBA USBC team event~ where his team won
the team title in 2002 & 2003!
This was the first time in the history of
the KSBA USBC~ where an individual won back to back team titles. Bob has 66 - PBA, ABC
& USBC 300
games~ 14- 800 series with (889) a personal best bowled in
Dallas at the Texas Tournament Bowlers Association Tournament. Just this
past March he bowled a 300 game and 855 series! His accomplishments can go on
and .on! I know he has achieved more than what he has shared with me, but
Bob doesn't like to talk about all his accomplishments~ as he thinks it is
"Bragging"! Bob, hold your head up high
&
push those shoulders back, as we welcome you into the KSBA USBC
IIHal
I of Fame" this evening! You are a very deserving individual, so
tonight you can brag all you want .... it's
your night to be proud of everything you have accomplished on the lanes and
off the lanes for the game of bowling.
Congratulations! !
l.
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