Bowling Association sends three into Hall

Alfred Whalen, John Beene and Jim Dodge will receive the YBA's top honor.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Bowling Association will induct three new hall of fame members when the YBA's banquet takes place June 22 at the ITAM Centre on Meridian Road.
Alfred Whalen, John Beene and Jim Dodge are the latest slated for the association's top honor.
Tickets may be obtained from any YBA director or by calling (330) 758-8367.
Whalen
Born in 1905, most of Whalen's years of bowling occurred before individual record-keeping began in 1956.
Whalen, who died in 1988 at age 82, bowled in the Youngstown Men's Bowling Association from the 1920s to the 1970s. He was a 45-year member and seven-year president and seven-year secretary/treasurer of the Truscon Steel League.
Whalen also served a decade as YMBA delegate.
His high average was 185, high game 256 and high set 642.
Whalen participated in five ABC and 15 YMBA tournaments.
While in the Republic Inter-Plant League for eight years, Whalen was on title-winning teams in 1951-52.
On those teams, he bowled with previously inducted YMBA hall of famers Mike Mauser, Frank Lettera, "Scotty" Martinko, Mike Marion, Fred Battista and Lou Lacivita.
Beene
Beene has been bowling for 37 years, starting in 1965. He has a high game of 300, a high three-game series of 766 and a high average of 197.
Beene has bowled in one ABC tournament, 20 state tournaments and 25 Youngstown tournaments.
He's been a member of Austintown Boosters at Hy-Skor, Stiver Classic and Kelley-Robb at Bell-Wick, Cornersburg News at Wedgewood, Sportsman at Colonial Lanes, Sportsman-Hively Construction at Amron and Skilled Craftsman at Mar-Hill.
He is currently in Don's Auto/A-Plus/Ebonite at A-Plus Family Bowl and Sunday Nite Early Birds at Boardman where he has been the SNEB president for 15 years.
Beene held the YBA presidency for four years and also was its director-of-the-year for 1998-99.
Dodge
He has had 13 perfect games and a high three-game series of 845. So far, Dodge has had six 800 sets and a high average of 240.
He bowled in 10 Masters tournaments -- finishing first in 2000 -- in addition to 15 Ohio state tournaments and 20 city tournaments.
Dodge was the city singles event champion in 1990, bowled with actual champion West Side Lanes in 1989 and teamed with Don Bagdassarian Sr. for the doubles crown in 2000.
Also in 1990, Dodge won the Jednota tourney's all-events category.
He has represented the YBA three times in the ABC Masters.