While Skip Olson waited on pins and needles to find out if he had won the Lewiston-Clarkston-Orofino Bowler of the Year title for a third straight season, Lyndsey Moran's award likely surprised nobody.
Surging out to a more than 200-point lead early in the year, Moran spent her entire season protecting her comfortable cushion.
But before she officially claimed her title this spring, the Lewiston native made history.
Teaming up with her good friend Teresa Crabb, Moran set an Idaho state doubles series record in September that shattered the previous mark.
And that only furthered the distance between her and the rest of the field as Moran, for the second time in the past four years, claimed the area's female bowler of the year award.
Moran, 27, called her latest accolade "a nice accomplishment." While Olson joked that he just felt happy to still bowl at the age of 67 - let alone win another bowler of the year trophy.
After starting the season slowly, Olson fought back into the league standings in the fall when he rolled a 300, which helped him fend off rival Ryan Knieriem down the stretch, finishing just over 100 points ahead of him in the standings.
Moran's nearest challenger sat 128 points back.
"I think," Moran said, "you have to have a passion for it."
She acknowledged the fickle nature of bowling.
"Every time, you could throw the perfect ball," she said, "and still not necessarily get a strike."
"Hot streaks, cold streaks," concurred Olson, "you can't seem to do a damn thing about it."
To break out of a slump, Olson will sometimes change balls.
Though his idea of slumping might differ from yours.
Consider this: Every time he rolls, Olson expects to register a strike.
"For a lot of people, it's just a game, but for me," Olson added, "it's more than that."
Moran began bowling around the age of 5.
That's when her mom, Teresa Wright, a former valley bowler of the year, took her to Imperial Bowling (which has since been demolished and replaced with a Lewiston strip mall).
Decades earlier, Olson began bowling in the late 1960s when Clarkston's Lancer Lanes relocated to its current location, two blocks from his childhood home.
Both agree the game timelessly comes down to one thing: ignoring distractions.
The bowling season spans nine months, "and you just have people chasing you," Olson said, "all year."
Before this year, Moran took nine months off from bowling.
And Olson once took a 12-year hiatus.
Which begs the question: Can spending time away from the alley paradoxically make you a better bowler?
Not encouraging that, Olson laughed.
"I don't want anybody to think it's OK to quit."
NOTES - Lewiston's Tom Niemann again served as the LCO's official scorer.
MEN
Top 30 - 1, Skip Olson, 769. 2, Ryan Knieriem, 666. 3, Jae Durham, 624. 4, Joe Mingo, 456. 5, Michael Wendt, 401. 6, Randy Isbelle, 348. 7, Tony Barden, 344. 8, Darold Rogers, 336. 9, Marvin Mendenhall, 319. 10, Jon Stewart, 297. 11, Robert Grijalva, 285. 12, Kelly Crabb, 283. 13, Wayne Hirschel, 262. 14, Shane Post, 255. 15, Lance Rinard, 250. T16, Brett Cunnington and Dee Schmidt, 236. 18, Don Profitt, 225. 19, Dan Lovejoy, 219. 20, Tyson Roe, 216. 21, Ed Jubert, 205. T22, Joe Wright and Stan Gehrke, 198. 24, Herb Post, 188. 25, Joe Armour, 187. 26, Kyle Mills, 184. 27, Jim Thivierge, 183. 28, Ryan Keifer, 177. 29, Orman Nelson, 170. 30, Travis Pearson, 164.
High average - Knieriem, 230.
WOMEN
Top 30 - 1, Lyndsey Moran, 672. 2, Lauren Grijalva, 544. 3, Teresa Crabb, 455. 4, Janevea Woollett, 210. 5, Barb Wendt, 186. 6, Pam Ingram, 162. 7, Debbie Harris, 155. 8, Pam Rinard, 138. 9, Patti Bangle, 138. 10, Jacklyn Mingo, 123. 11, Lisa Ristau, 103. 12, Jacie Kincheloe, 81. 13, Jody Zumwalt, 73. 14, Debbie Sholtys, 63. 15, Rhonda Tritz, 62. 16, Audra Stewart, 60. 17, Joni Rynearson, 51. 18, Missy Knieriem, 50. 19, Janice Elder, 39. 20, Sheila Schmitz, 33. 21, Patsy Greber, 32. T22, Katie Rose, Linda Simpson, Lynzi Cooper, Terry Lester, 30. 26, Alisha Weaber, 27. 27, Donna Roy, 26. T28, Darcie Lovejoy, Kolleen Torgerson, Mary Post, 24.
High average - Moran 215.
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Edelman may be contacted at bedelman@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2277.