HAVERHILL, Massachusetts — Judy Bowden of Newport and Val Joy of Windham have been two of Maine’s most dominating women’s candlepin bowlers over the last three decades and were recognized for their efforts Saturday when they were inducted into the International Candlepin Bowling Association’s Hall of Fame.
Don Saucier of Old Orchard Beach was also inducted along with Massachusetts bowlers Richard Halas, Craig Holbrook and Jim Johnson. Tom Olszta of Naples, Florida, and Jack Quinn of Freemont, New Hampshire, were also inducted.
Bowden has competed on the World Candlepin Bowling Congress pro tour, the Ladies Pro Series and the Maine pro tour while earning rookie-of-the-year honors on the Maine tour in 1992-93 and was also crowned bowler of the year four times.
She amassed nearly 50 Maine state titles in various events and captured the ICBA’s women’s championship in 2006 and ’07.
Bowden has recorded some impressive personal records over her career with a high single of 184, a three-string series of 449, a five-string series of 719 and a 10-string series of 1,314.
Joy joined her husband, Al Joy, in the Hall after a dominating span from 1986-200 when she captured 23 Maine titles in singles, team, mixed team, doubles and mixed doubles finals.
She was crowned Maine’s bowler of the year in 1989-90, won the state’s all-events title twice and captured 10 Maine pro tour victories.
Joy also set the state’s single string women’s record with a 200, the all- events mark with a 40-string total of 4,887 and the mixed doubles record with her husband, as they combined for a 2,544 for 20 strings.
Joy owns women’s house records at Pittsfield Bowling Center (200 string), Colonial Bowling Center in Westbrook (five-string 687) and Beacon Lanes in Raymond (180 string).
Saucier’s championship career started in 1954 with Twin City championships in Biddeford, the York County title in 1958 and the first of 25 Western Maine crowns in 1960 when he was 20.
He went on to win the mixed doubles titles in 1966 and ’67 in the World Candlepin tourney and a WCBC team title in 1968. The next year he captured both the men’s singles and all-events titles in the world tourney.
Saucier also collected the Western Maine Sectional title, finished second in the Record American singles with a 1,372 10-string total and won a Record American doubles title.