Once again, Replays hops aboard the "way-back machine" (with apologies to Rocky and Bullwinkle's Mr. Peabody), and takes a look back at the sporting events from the Independent Record from 50 years ago, during the first two weeks of July 1957.

"Rodney Nick of Helena was the overall high scorer at the Anaconda Gun Club's very first registered trap shoot," according to the IR. The former World War II bomber tail-gunner placed second in the 50 bird handicap and the 25 pairs of doubles.

"Dory Knudson won the 100 bird singles with a break of 92. Second place in the event went to Hugh Adair, Jr., with 90," the paper reported.

The "miss and out" event was captured by Sam Stewart, the Helena Gun Club's newest and youngest member.

At an old-timers' trap shoot in Great Falls, Helena swept the top three places, led by George Gruner's 137-of-150. Carl Carlson and Vince Gruner took second and third. Adair copped the junior championship at the State Trap Shoot in Butte, with a score of 186, while C.A. Carlson earned the Class D crown. John Delano placed second in the Class C, with Knudson finishing 10th in the 200 open singles.

In a Pro-Amateur best-ball golf tournament at the Green Meadow Country Club, the team of Dutch Schneider, Bill Campbell, Sr., Jack McEacheron, Art Nelson, Earl Eby and Albert Berg carded the low score of 72.

Tying for second at 74 were the teams of Dr. Gordon Doering, Alex Sample, Ed Walker, Walter Brusch, George Jacoby and Hal Cain; and Fred Ranf, Frank Flanagan, Harold Berglund, Judge Albert Angstman, Howard Retz and Mike Donovan.

Tom Tobin and Bill LeRoux defeated Ed Brown and George Vuckanovich in the two-man derby. Eby won the low net with a 67.

In ladies' play, Mrs. Russ Campbell posted a nine-hole 47, followed by Margie Ranf at 48, and Mrs. E.G. Toomey and Mrs. Forrest Risk, tied at 54.

Almost 300 Montana Club members, their families and guests participated in the tournament and picnic.

P.J. Evans garnered the 1957 GM club championship, defeating Gordon Doering, 2 and 1. Evans beat Don Ryan, Jack Sterling and Fred Ranf to get to the finals, while Doering bested Bill Clarke, Dr. P.H. Radley and Lloyd Skedd on his way the title match.

At the eighth annual Montana High School Rodeo, Francis Neill won the state pole bending championship. Phyllis Brown of East Helena was selected the Rodeo Queen, in addition to placing second in the cow-cutting. Neill and Brown were both eligible for the National H.S. Rodeo in Albuquerque, N.M. Tex Pate led the bull-riding after the first day, but did not qualify for the national event.

East Helena's Herb Plews, playing third base for the Washington Senators, hit a single and a home run, scoring twice in a 7-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The Helena Legion team beat Butte 4-3 in 12 innings, with the winning run scored by first baseman Tom Allen. Allen singled, advanced to second and came all the way home on Breck Howard's ground ball and a throwing error.

Starting hurler Ken Leland went the first six innings, giving up two runs and five hits, and striking out three.

Chuck Thomas worked the final six frames and picked up the win, allowing two hits and one run, while fanning four.

Helena tallied three runs in the third. Jim Richeson singled to center and Leland walked. Bob Redpath grounded to short, forcing Leland, as Richeson scored. With two out, Gary Johnson and Allen walked, and then shortstop Clayton Linebarger's hard single back through the box drove in two. Other locals collecting base hits were Chuck Thomas, with two singles, Redpath and Jack Rudio, one each. Helena stole four bases, by Mike Cloud, Rudio, Thomas and Richeson.

The East Helena Smelterites whitewashed Butte's Southside Parks, 13-0, in a semi-pro Copper League game, behind the pitching of Calvin Reichelt, and the hitting of Doug Seiler. Reichelt fired a two-hitter, striking out 13 batters. Seiler laced a home run and a double.

At the stock car races at Valley Speedway, Helenans Miff Goettle and Don Didrickson placed second and fourth, respectively, in the A main race.

Dick Rushford, Jim Wolfe and Roger Cotton took second-through-fourth in the B main contest.

Helena placed third at the YMCA swim meet in Butte, scoring 51 points, spearheaded by Juliann Carlson and Jimmy McCabe. In the girls' division, Carlson captured a first, two seconds and two thirds, in the 16-under age group.

Marianne Carlson copped three third-place finishes. In the 13-14 years, Helen Cramer won the 60-yard backstroke, and garnered three thirds.

McCabe, in the 16-under, won the 60 freestyle, the 40 backstroke and the 160 relay, with Chuck Lane, Doug Brown and George Hase, in 1:55.6. Lane was third in the 60 free, while Hase took second in the 40 back.

CURT SYNNESS is a co-founder of the Helena Sports Hall of Fame. To order tickets for the 2007 HSHOF banquet and induction ceremonies, to be held July 19 at the Great Northern Best Western Convention Center, phone 442-4256.