AUBURN - Helen Dudek was the New York state singles champion in 1961, and five years later, was a member of the Utica Club team that also won the state tournament.

But even those lofty accomplishments didn't stack up to her 1975 Women's Citizen Masters title, which she clinched with a 534-503 victory over Weedsport's Nancy Hoalcraft.

Dudek, a great Auburn bowler who averaged as high as 188, and competed in out-of-town tournaments virtually every weekend during the season, cherishes her win in the inaugural women's event.

"It may have meant more than the other championships because it was in front of the hometown fans," Dudek said recently from Sewickley, Pa., a Pittsburgh suburb where she and her husband, Emil, are spending time with family.

"I always thought it was a better achievement, and because it was the first women's Masters."

Back then, Dudek prevailed despite back pain (from a car accident weeks earlier), and the emotion of having two siblings also seeking a Citizen Masters crown.

A big heart and a reliable bowling ball propelled her to victory.

But it almost never happened. Helen grabbed the very last spot of 32 qualifiers at Starlite Lanes, shooting 491 to make the cut.

Once match play began at Cayuga Lanes, she defeated Dawn Pitman, 526-443 and Irene Wesolowsky, 520-506. Dudek then became one of eight finalists with a 544-522 victory over Kate Orman, firing a 209 third game to erase a 21-pin deficit.

As the men and women from both Citizen Masters' tournaments united for championship weekend at Cayuga, Helen bested Joyce Marty, 518-489, on Saturday to stay unbeaten.

Things soon got more interesting, and perhaps a bit emotional.

Dudek's sister, Anne McDonald, also a fine bowler, qualified and lost her first two matches in the double-elimination tournament.

But their brother, Mike Lepak, made a strong bid on the men's side, despite being nervous. He was still in the losers' bracket as Sunday dawned.

"It was a nice feeling to think that both of us possibly could have won that year," said Dudek, one of five girls in the family while Mike was the lone brother.

"We were all pulling for him."

In front of a large crowd on Sunday, Mike lost to Dom Ciampaglia, 611-513. All of the attention shifted to Helen, who battled her own nerves but still edged Hoalcraft, 503-493, to put herself on the brink of the championship.

Hoalcraft got past Kathy Blumer, 528-481 in the semifinals, earning another chance against Dudek.

And she made the most of it, outlasting Helen, 587-555, in the first finals match.

Dudek kept her back pain in check by taking aspirin for "what seemed like every two hours," and her top-of-the-line white Brunswick bowling ball (drilled by Sandy Marullo at Byrn's Sports) began reacting nicely for the final three games.

"It seemed like I bowled my best scores with that ball," she said.

During the finals, Helen remembers strong rooters from members of the Girls Commercial League, in which she was secretary and Hoalcraft also bowled. Dudek won the opener, 199-159, thanks to four straight strikes to finish the game.

Nancy was only able to cut nine more pins off that deficit over the final 24 frames, and Helen won the championship.

The athletic Dudek, who grew up playing basketball and softball as well, and in 2003 was inducted into the Auburn High School Hall of Fame, said she relied on pure desire and experience to win the 1975 Women's Citizen's Masters.

"I pushed myself and really wanted it," she said. "It was one of the things I wanted most in my career.

"I loved the game, and that makes a difference."