Ohio bowler makes 50th march down Center Aisle at USBC Open
April 09, 2015
EL PASO, Texas - When Benton Dempsey of Columbus, Ohio, was a teenager, he suffered a football injury that changed his life forever.
Unable to continue playing contact sports, a friend talked him into picking up bowling, and the rest is United States Bowling Congress Open Championships history.
Bowling turned into Dempsey's passion, and he has dedicated more than six decades to the sport as a competitor, coach, board member, tournament director, squad organizer and ambassador.
The 79-year-old made an emotional march down Center Aisle at the El Paso Convention Center on Wednesday as he celebrated his 50th appearance at the USBC Open Championships with thoughts of his friend Roger Holstein heavy on his mind.
The day Dempsey left for the 2014 Open Championships in Reno, his lifelong friend died.
Holstein introduced him to bowling in 1953 and collected 23 years of his own on the championship lanes between 1956 and 1978. The two bowled as part of a group sponsored by Columbus' Superior Die, Tool and Machine Company, a sponsor proudly recognized on Dempsey's shirt in El Paso on Wednesday.
"I had a goal to make 50 years for a long time, and losing Roger really made me want to get there even more," said Dempsey, who made his tournament debut at the 1961 event in Detroit. "Today was a special day. It was a great experience and a feeling of accomplishment. I knew what to expect because we saw a gentleman reach 50 years last year, but the feelings I had can't be expressed."
After his first appearance at the Open Championships, it took Dempsey a few years to find a regular team to compete with, but he then made it to every tournament from 1966 until 2009, when injuries from a car accident left him unable to compete.
Although he's still not completely recovered, he plans to be on the tournament lanes for as long as he can.
"If my health gets better, and I feel like I can still bowl well, I'll be coming," said Dempsey, the 175th bowler in tournament history and first of 12 scheduled to reach the 50-year milestone this year. "It would be nice to get to 60, so we'll see. You never know."
Dempsey still is active off the lanes, too. He's focused on the future of the sport and takes great pride in passing on his knowledge to the next generation as a coach. He volunteers in various capacities whenever he gets the chance.
"I love bowling, and I'll always be involved in one way or another," Dempsey said. "I still enjoying competing, and teaching the kids is very rewarding."
This year on the tournament lanes, Dempsey shot 464 in doubles, 458 in team and 425 in singles for a 1,347 all-events total. In 50 events, he has knocked down 82,605 pins for a 188.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.
Unable to continue playing contact sports, a friend talked him into picking up bowling, and the rest is United States Bowling Congress Open Championships history.
Bowling turned into Dempsey's passion, and he has dedicated more than six decades to the sport as a competitor, coach, board member, tournament director, squad organizer and ambassador.
The 79-year-old made an emotional march down Center Aisle at the El Paso Convention Center on Wednesday as he celebrated his 50th appearance at the USBC Open Championships with thoughts of his friend Roger Holstein heavy on his mind.
The day Dempsey left for the 2014 Open Championships in Reno, his lifelong friend died.
Holstein introduced him to bowling in 1953 and collected 23 years of his own on the championship lanes between 1956 and 1978. The two bowled as part of a group sponsored by Columbus' Superior Die, Tool and Machine Company, a sponsor proudly recognized on Dempsey's shirt in El Paso on Wednesday.
"I had a goal to make 50 years for a long time, and losing Roger really made me want to get there even more," said Dempsey, who made his tournament debut at the 1961 event in Detroit. "Today was a special day. It was a great experience and a feeling of accomplishment. I knew what to expect because we saw a gentleman reach 50 years last year, but the feelings I had can't be expressed."
After his first appearance at the Open Championships, it took Dempsey a few years to find a regular team to compete with, but he then made it to every tournament from 1966 until 2009, when injuries from a car accident left him unable to compete.
Although he's still not completely recovered, he plans to be on the tournament lanes for as long as he can.
"If my health gets better, and I feel like I can still bowl well, I'll be coming," said Dempsey, the 175th bowler in tournament history and first of 12 scheduled to reach the 50-year milestone this year. "It would be nice to get to 60, so we'll see. You never know."
Dempsey still is active off the lanes, too. He's focused on the future of the sport and takes great pride in passing on his knowledge to the next generation as a coach. He volunteers in various capacities whenever he gets the chance.
"I love bowling, and I'll always be involved in one way or another," Dempsey said. "I still enjoying competing, and teaching the kids is very rewarding."
This year on the tournament lanes, Dempsey shot 464 in doubles, 458 in team and 425 in singles for a 1,347 all-events total. In 50 events, he has knocked down 82,605 pins for a 188.6 career average.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open/Women's Championships page.