Patty Costello

Patty Costello (born May 8, 1947 in Scranton, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional ten-pin bowler. She was one of the best female bowlers of the 1970s and 1980s.

Costello did not begin bowling until she was sixteen, but the left-hander quickly made a name for herself in the sport, winning the Columbia 300 Open in 1970. Over her professional bowling career, she earned 25 professional titles, including three first place finishes at the Professional Women's Bowling Association National Tournament (1971, 1972, 1976) and a victory at the 1976 Women's US Open. In 1976, she won seven events, setting a record for most titles earned in a year. (The record was tied by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard in 2001, although Dorin-Ballard competed in eight more events.) [Dick Evans. " [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCK/is_1_20/ai_83552445 A view from the top: Carolyn Dorin-Ballard put together the best bowling campaign of the past 25 years and one of the greatest seasons in women's bowling history, making her our top bowler without a second thought] ". "Bowling Digest". April 2002. Retrieved on August 27, 2008.] Costello was named Female Bowler of the Year by the Bowling Writer's Association of America in 1972 and 1976.Charlene Agne-Traub. "Costello, Patty". "Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: 1992-1995 Supplement for Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Other Sports". Ed. David L. Porter. Greenwood Press, 1995. 312-313.]

Costello's career suffered a setback in 1977, when her father suddenly died of a heart attack while watching her provide commentary for a bowling telecast. Afterwards, she experienced depression and anxiety attacks for several years. She told "Bowling Digest" in 2002, "I was so ultrasensitive to everything around me that I could feel the hair on my arms standing straight up, and no one could comprehend that. I would go to doctors and tell them my symptoms, and they'd look at me like I was ready for the psych ward. It was an awful, lonely place to be." However, Costello recovered, and won three titles between 1979 and 1981. She won three more championships in 1985, and was named Player of the Year by her fellow bowlers.Lydia Rypcinski. " [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCK/is_1_20/ai_83552449/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 Playing it where it happens to lie: learning to smile and mellow out along the way, Patty Costello has taken on whatever challenges—and insults—life has thrown her] ". "Bowling Digest". April 2002. Retrieved on August 27, 2008.]

In 1989, Costello was inducted into the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.wibchistoryhub.com/display.asp?ID=1481909022003313171671936 1989 Hall of Fame Inductees] . WIBC History Hub. September 2003. Retrieved on September 1, 2008.] She bowled her last game in 1993, a second-place finish at the WIBC Queens Tournament. Afterwards, she began working in a hospital. "Bowling was my job then; this is my job now. In both cases, I've always been happy to meet people, talk to them, and get them feeling good to be around me," she told "Bowling Digest".

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