Hendrickson enjoying life as a celebrity

Like fine vintage wine, Emma Hendrickson from Morris Plains, N.J. has aged beautifully. Prince William County bowlers, especially seniors, should take note of this: In April, at 100 years old, Emma bowled in the 2009 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) women's championships, marking the 50th year in a row she has bowled in that tournament.

When she rolled her first ball, she became the oldest bowler in history to participate in the USBC event. Ms. Hendrickson previously shared the record with Ethel Brunnick of Santa Monica, Calif., who competed in the 1987 event in Hartford, Conn., at 99 years old.

Bowling in the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., she couldn't have picked a more grandiose stage to set her mark. She was presented with a plaque, a bouquet of flowers and a medallion to com-memorate her 50 years of participation. She also received a pendant with her birth stone in recognition of her becoming the tournament's oldest participant.

"I love bowling because I get to be with people," she said, "and because I'm not at home sitting on a rocking chair."

She has already signed up for the 2010 USBC event in El Paso, Texas. Ms. Hendrickson and her four senior teammates call themselves "The 5 Bowling Bags." She says that bowling with them -- and other New Jersey teams -- helps to keep her on the go.

Other accomplishments

Being the oldest USBC tournament bowler in history is not Emma's only accomplishment. In fact, she has made lasting impressions in the sport. She helped to establish the Morris County Young Ameri-can Bowling Alliance and served the local youth bowlers for more than 30 years. The Morris County Women's Bowling Association has named a youth scholarship after her. Every year, the Emma P. Hendrickson Scholarship Award is presented to a female youth bowler who not only excels on the lanes but in the classroom as well.

Her contributions to the sport have landed her in three Halls of Fame: Morris County Women's Bowling Association (1982), New Jersey State Women's Bowling Association (1995) and Morris County Bowling Association (2004).

Live! With Regis and Kelly

On May 22, television viewers may have witnessed Hendrickson bowling a challenge match against an-other oldster, television personality Regis Philbin on the Live! With Regis and Kelly show.

"I had a lot of fun doing the show," she said. "I have been on TV before for interviews, but not as part of this type of activity."

Hendrickson said Philbin spent time clowning around and faking pulled muscles, claiming it had been many years since he had bowled -- all as an excuse for his lack of bowling prowess.

Overcoming Adversity

Although her eyesight has diminished over the years, she still is able to compete with help from her team-mates, who help her line up on her spare attempts.

"I can see the 10 pins standing clearly, but it's difficult to see what pins are standing for spares," she said. "My teammates help me out there."

As for her longevity? "Once a bowler always a bowler," she said. "I have always be-lieved in that saying."

So what scores did Hendrickson shoot at the tournament? She contributed to the team event with a 318 series. She went on to shoot 262 in doubles and 107 in singles for a 687 all-events total. Her singles be-gan and concluded with the 107 game before she ran out of gas and decided to forego the last two games and sit out the rest of the evening watching her New Jersey colleagues carry the ball.

For the future Emma says, "I'm excited to be here, I'm going to do the best I can when I'm bowling."

Gil Sanchez, a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America, is a freelance bowling writer for the News & Messenger. Reach him at 703-587-6792 or at gsanchez@insidenova.com.