September11, 1175 Member of U.S. bowling team Beck departs for world tourney Can a Harding athlete fmd success in jolly olde England? can a Bison Kegler respond to a position precedented by no other collegiate athlete inhistory? Can Gary Beck knock down bowling pins? A new page will be added to Harding College sports history when Gary B~ leaves next week for London, England to participate in 1975 Federation lnternationaledesQuillers World Championships. 'fbe FlQ is known as the "Olympics" of bowling with all the top bowlers from around the world entered in the competition. Beck's appearance will make a number of firsts in that hewill be the first Harding bowler to bowl in international competition, he will be the first NAIA bowler to make the world team, and in fact, he is the first collegiate bowler to ever make the U.S. team that competes in the FIQ. The road to London wasn't an easy one tor .Beck to follow. In order to get invited to the U.S. Team Trials in Milwaukee last summer, Beck had to win the NAIA national singles title. And that he did, winning not only the singles competition, but also the doubles tournament with Zearl Watson, the tourney all-events title, and was aJso awarded the A. 0. Duer Award that goes to the outstanding bowler in the national tournament. With these credentials firmly in hand, Beck left to compete in the U.S. team trials June 12th a bit hopeful if not apprehensive about his chances. Knowing that no other collegian bad ever qualified for the U.S. team before, Beck was also told that NAIA bowlers never performed well at the trials, a fact Beck set out to disprove. Talking to a reporter, Beck remarked, "I wanted to make this team and show you that we're (NAIA) not too bad." Things could have gone better, but Beck was fighting for the ninth spot of the team which carries only nine players. Near disaster struck the well-liked Bison kegler when, faced with competition from two other bowlers for the last position on the squad, Beck left opens in the first two frames of the final game. Approaching the end of the trials, Beck mustered all the strength and courage that bowling in four national tour– naments could afford him, and the Harding ace struck out in the last frame .to grab the ninth and fmal position on the roster, in– suring his trip to London. After the trials Beck said, "I was really low, I figured it was the end." But as he had done so many times as a Bison bowler, Beck did come back and bagged the coveted berth, a feat which is enormous considering that ·only nine bowlers from the U.s. qualify. · The only problem with amateur bowling is just that, it's' amateur. Therefore, outside of transportation and lodSing for Beck himself, there is no financial compensation for the 17-days the tournament takes, nor is there any provision for his wife whom be hopes to take along_. If the upcoming competition isn't enough to think about, Beck bas a large loan debt for both his , and his wife's education, and he was aJso set back about $2,000 when his 13-month old child nearly died at birth. Not the end of his prOblems, Beck bad a teaching job lined up this fall only to learn that the school would not let him have time off for the world championships. So the road to London has not been an easy one. Beck bad been doing a lot of driving this fall preparing for the FIQ meet, bowling against the best competition he can find in Arkansas. He is also trying to raise the necessary amount to take his wife with him, which "is po easy task in itself. 1 The 2kyear old defied the odds when he came out of Harding Academy to make the 1972 Harding NAIA National Championship team and he defied the odds to become one of five bowlers to ever appear in four NAIA national tournaments,_ Gary Beck, a former Bison, will be bowling iD the world tour– nament next month. Galaxy, Theta Tau post wins Galaxy and Theta Tau regis~red important wins last week when they advanced at the expense of defending softball champions. · Mohicans and Lambda Sigma. The victories leave both Galaxy and Theta Tau undefeated and in the finals of the winners bracket. A full schedule of games is one hand for tonight and tomorrow. Tonight, Chi Sigma will tackle Kappa Sigma in ''A" action. Tomorrow action will begin with Mohicans and Kappa Sigma " B" at 9:30, followed by Lambda Sigma vs. Knights at 10:25, Sub-T vs. Chi Sigma " B" at ll :20; Alpha Omega vs. the Sigma Tau - Kingsmen winner, at 12:15; TNT vs. Sub-Tat 1: 10; Alpha Tau vs. TNT ' 'B" at 2:05; Mohicans vs. Kappa Sigma - Chi Sigma winner a t 3:00 ; finishing up with Fraters vs. Lambda Sigma Knights WiMer at 3:55.
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