Belpre's Gerry Dye was inducted into the Parkersburg USBC Hall of Fame. (Photo provided)

PARKERSBURG – The bowling journey for a pair of Gerrys – Belpre’s Gerry Dye and Bridgeport’s Gerry Loudin – was completed last month when the duo became the newest members of the Parkersburg USBC Hall of Fame.

“I was surprised. I had no idea,” admitted Dye, a 1969 graduate of Marietta High School who retired from Eramet. “I’ve been asked three times before and I always told them I never did anything to deserve being in the hall of fame. They didn’t ask me this time.

“They just did it. I thought the whole experience was great. I didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous. It was very relaxed, very friendly and I think everybody enjoyed it. We had a good time. I enjoyed it.”

Loudin, who was born in Clarksburg but is a lifelong resident of Bridgeport, concurred with Dye.

“I was thinking that the bottom of the barrel was being scraped,” quipped Loudin, who is the track announcer at Ohio Valley Speedway. “I was kind of flattered because I have admired the bowlers in Parkersburg with the scores they rang up and the administrators, too, because I learned a lot from those fellows when I was still involved in the association stuff. I was pretty flattered that anybody even thought about it.”

Bridgeport's Gerry Loudin was inducted into the Parkersburg USBC Hall of Fame. (Photo provided)

Loudin, who started bowling when he was 9 and joined his first youth league when he was 10, was inducted into the West Virginia State Hall of Fame in 2002 and the old Clarksburg Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

A longtime league officer of more than four decades, Loudin had a career-high average of 225, rolled 20 perfect games and had eight sanctioned 800s with a high series of 825. He also won three state tournament titles – doubles once and the All-Events crown twice.

“I still bowl. I bowl in a league in Fairmont,” said Loudin, who credited his father with getting him involved in the sport. “I fill in every so often. I had to give up the one in Parkersburg on Monday night, but maybe one of these days I’ll get back there.”

Dye didn’t start bowling until the late 1970s where he rolled at the former Will-Owe Lanes that later became Willow Lanes.

“I’m bowling at Pike Street all the time,” said Dye, who has four career 300s and a pair of 800 series with his best being an 824 back in 1992 at Emerson Lanes. “I sub in three of their senior leagues. I’m 75. I can’t keep up with them young guys anymore.”

Dye added that “I got my first real ball drilled over at Emerson Lanes by Marty Brandjes. He’d just talk to me about it and I got so interested in it I couldn’t leave it alone. I had to keep with it.”

The first league Dye competed in was at Marietta’s North Hills Lanes with Bruce Alden, Joe Sailor, Freddie Mano and Jerry Jenks Sr.

“It was fun. I was new at it,” Dye said. “I was wanting to learn everything I could learn.

“All those guys bowled good. They would share information with you if you showed that you wanted to learn.”

Loudin, who rolled his 825 at the Fairmont Bowling Center in the early 2000s, noted “I’ve had others (300s/800 series) in practice and non-certified tournaments.”

Both Gerrys admitted the honor was “very special” with Dye adding “I would like to let everybody know I appreciate everything. I was treated very well. The whole experience has been great.”