Sports Roundup: Ward taking Polar Plunge for Special Olympics

Bobbi-lee Ward is taking the concept of leap year seriously, taking a leap on Feb. 29.

Well, a plunge, anyway.

Ward, the Pahrump Special Olympics area director, will be one of hundreds of people taking a Polar Plunge to support Special Olympics, an organization devoted to using sports to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and change the way people view them.

The Pahrump Special Olympics Team has set a goal of $10,000 for the Plunge, but Ward, as team captain, has set a personal goal of $2,500. Special Olympics Nevada has Plunges scheduled for Mesquite, South Lake Tahoe and Elko.

To support Ward in the Polar Plunge, go to the Pahrump Special Olympics Facebook page and click on the “I’m doing the Southwest Polar Plunge!” link and click on Support Me, or contact Ward directly at 702-970-7668.

To participate in the Polar Plunge, go to sonv.org and click on “Join us for our 2020 Plunges!” under the Events tab.

Balmores wins tournament

Joe Balmores rolled games of 300, 277 and 264 to win the Pahrump Valley Tournament Bowling Club’s 8-9-pin No-Tap tournament Jan. 25 at the Pahrump Nugget.

Frank Medina rolled three 300 games, but Balmores’ handicap of 153 pushed him over the top and earned him the $70 payout. Medina, with an 89 handicap, won $66 for placing second, while Walt Kuver (979, $56) edged Art Ortega (975, $46) to claim third place.

“The tournament was a fun tournament,” said PVTBC secretary/treasurer Debbie Varner, who explained the format of an 8-9-pin No Tap event. “If with your first ball you knocked down eight or nine pins, it’s the same as a strike.”

Varner said 85 bowlers participated in the tournament, their biggest turnout yet. Kuver and Ortega were among four bowlers that had two 300 games, while 20 bowled at least one 300.

Scott Klinger (969, $36) finished fifth, with Dale Bystedt (966, $26), Bob Riley (965, $22), Bear Morris (948, $17), Mike Mundt (944, $16) and Troy Smith Jr. (940, $15) rounding out the top 10.

Mika Yoffee claims belt

Mika Yoffee won her first belt, finishing first in the 12U Novice Varsity Girls 68-78 pound class at the California Super Tournament sponsored by the California Age Group Wrestling Association on Jan. 25-26 at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

In the Novice Varsity 78 division, Yoffee lost her opening bout, then won consecutive consolation matches before falling 9-4 in the third-place bout, finishing fourth and becoming the only female among the top six.

But in the Novice Varsity Girls 12U 68-78 division, she went on a roll, winning 6-0 and 6-4 decisions before winning by injury default in the third round. She then won by fall in the fourth round to finish the round robin undefeated.

Suri Yoffee finished sixth in the Novice Varsity Girls 55-67 division while weighing in at just 46.6 pounds. She placed fourth in the Intermediate Varsity 49 division.

The Yoffees went to the Beehive Brawl on Jan. 17-18 in Richfield, Utah, where Mika won the girls division in her class and finished sixth in the overall division, while Suri took fourth in her overall division.

In the 8U 46-pound division, Suri lost 8-7 in the main draw before winning two bouts in the consolation bracket, including a 55-second pin and a 10-2 major decision to reach the third-place bout. She took another one-point loss there to finish fourth overall.

In the 12U 76-pound division, Mika lost a 2-0 decision in the main draw, then won back-to-back bouts before settling for sixth place overall. Wrestling in the Girls 12U 71-74 division, Mika was unstoppable, with a pin and a 9-1 major decision to claim the title. She also won a good sportsmanship award.