Rick and Ron Pollard to be inducted into USBC Hall of Fame
Cindy DiFazio - Staff Writer

Rick and Ron Pollard, brothers, bowlers and co-owners of Pollard's Bowl in Versailles, have literally eaten, slept and breathed bowling most of their lives. When Bill and Hilda Pollard bought the bowling center in 1971, the Pollards' home wasn't quite ready to move into. The interim solution was to lay mattresses and pillows on the approach to the bowling lanes, and that was where the kids slept until the family moved into the house. Ron related, "We bowled every day until our thumbs bled."

Now, in 2006, that dedication is going to be recognized in a big way. Rick and Ron have been unanimously voted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. It is the third oldest sports hall of fame in the country and has 141 members, almost all professional bowlers. Rick and Ron are amateur bowlers. Ron has been on the ballot for five years - Rick for four. "I didn't know how big a deal it was," marveled Ron. "It's incredible, beyond words," he continued.

The USBC Hall of Fame is located in St. Louis, Missouri, and the Pollard brothers will be commemorated in either a painting or a bronze statue at that location.

The awards ceremony will take place at the USBC Convention in Orlando, Florida, April 20. Greg Gumbel, three-time Emmy Award winning sportscaster, is slated to be the keynote speaker at the event.

Preceding their trip to Orlando, the brothers have been invited to be guests on WLW Radio's "Sports or Consequences" show. Pollards' riend, Greg Bultman, was instrumental in bringing the brothers to host, Gary Burbank's, attention. You can tune in to WLW, 700 on the AM dial, on Wednesday, March 22 between 3-5 p.m. to catch that interview.

With a total of between 60-80 amateur tournament titles to their names over the last twenty-some years, Ron and Rick remain down-to-earth regarding their success. Rick admits, "Yeah, we set a couple of records along the way." When the two each bowled a 290 game in the same tournament in 1996, it wasn't just a record, it was a world record. Said Ron of that day, "You talk about knees knockin'!"

The bowling tradition runs deep in the Pollard family. Sister, Regina, holds three national titles, and numerous state and city titles, including a win at the prestigious Cincinnati "Queens" tournament. Both Rick and Regina are members of the Ohio State Hall of Fame. Ron and dad, Bill, are members of the Greater Cincinnati Hall of Fame. Ron noted that the next generation of Pollard bowlers also is coming along well with Ron's teenaged son, R.J., starting to compete and win tournaments on his own.

Lots of Pollard family and friends will be on hand to cheer for Ron and Rick as they receive their latest, and greatest, honor in Orlando. There is one, though, who will be sadly missed. Hilda Pollard, matriarch of the family, passed away last year. Ron and Rick agreed, "This is a bittersweet honor, as we lost our mother last year. She was our biggest fan."

CINDY DIFAZIO PHOTO

Bowling brothers, Rick and Ron Pollard of Versailles, pose beside some of the many trophies they have earned over the years from their bowling talents. The two are co-owners of Pollard's Bowl in Versailles and are being inducted into the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in Florida next month.