When Marilyn Ryks subbed in for her injured grandma in a bowling league event at the age of 17, she may not have realized it would lead to 34 years of bowling.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Ryks, who was recently inducted into the Mower County USBC Women’s Hall of Fame, got her start by bowling in a Sunday Night mixed doubles league with her grandpa and parents after her grandma had to sit out.

Ryks finished that season and she still hasn’t stopped bowling.

Since then, Ryks has bowled 11 series of 700 or more, she has rolled a career-high game of 287 and she bowled in the U.S. Women’s Open in 1995.

“Getting in the hall of fame has always been something I’ve had in the back of my mind,” she said. “But I was still shocked when I got it. It’s a big honor.”

Ryks, who has three children that are bowlers, has also been very active as she’s held multiple offices at Echo Lanes over the years. She was on the women’s association board, the youth board, the 700 club board, and she was a youth bowling coach for 10 years. Ryks also worked at Echo Lanes for 20 years and she was general manager for two years, when she started two leagues that are still running.

“This has always been a huge part of my life. This is home,” she said. “I love the sport, but most of it is the people. You meet so many different people here and I’ve made a lot of friends.”

Ryks, who stopped working at Echo Lanes seven years ago, still bowls two nights per week, but she’s not as competitive as she used to be.

She doesn’t plan to stop bowling any time soon.

“I can’t imagine myself not bowling,” she said. “I’ll be here until I can’t.”

Ryks held the Echo Lanes house record of 757 for 10 years until the record fell a couple of years ago.