“Shocking and amazing,” McCoy said with disbelief in her voice. “My mom would be proud of me.”
McCoy and her mother placed second in a city doubles tournament, but that was several decades ago.
“We were beat out in the last shift by just one pin,” McCoy said.
The first-time city champion started bowling when she was just 20 years old at the urging of her brother Kenneth.
“He got me into this, and I’ve never stopped,” she said. “He was the one who won tournaments and even had two 300 games.”
While both her mother and brother have since died, bowling continues to be an important part of the Kettering woman’s life. McCoy participated in two leagues last season – one at Beaver-Vu Bowl and the other at Poelking Lanes – and continues to bowl in a summer league.
Although her average has dropped a bit in recent years, from a high of 184, her love of the game hasn’t wavered. Even multiple surgeries, ranging from hip to rotator cuff, haven’t stopped her from returning to the lanes season after season.
Her most recent shoulder surgery, less than a year ago, sidelined her for less than four months.
“My surgery was June 20th, and I was back bowling by the end of October to get ready for the state senior tournament in November,” she said. “My doctor just crossed his arms and said, ‘See you the next day.’ He knew there was no stopping me.”
McCoy, who is still working at 77, is not one for sitting around.
“You stay young if you’re working and keeping active,” she said.
And she is proof that you’re never too old to be a champion.
Greater Dayton USBC Women’s Senior Tournament
Handicap Champions
A Division (70 & Older): Karen Jo McCoy, 644
B Division (65-69): Mandy Wilson, 683
C Division (60-64): Barbara Wilson, 655
D Division: (50-59): Ann Coleman, 735
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