Varsity High School Championships Set

Denny's, the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) have announced plans for the 2008 Denny's All-American High School Championships set for next March in North Brunswick, N.J.
"Given the success of the inaugural Denny's All-American High School Championships, Denny's and our partners couldn't be more pleased to forge ahead with the second annual high school event,".said Michael Polydoroff, Director of Sales Promotion and Licensing for Denny's. "We've made some changes this year to attract an even greater pool of varsity seniors, and look forward to another exciting opportunity to showcase a talented crop of young bowlers."
Under the rules for the 2008 Denny's All-American High School Championships, Denny's, the PBA and the USBC will select one female senior and one male senior from each state that recognizes bowling as a varsity sport and is a member of a high school varsity bowling team. The total field will be made up of 18 girls and 16 boys from around the country. Updates to this year's application include a minimum GPA (grade point average) requirement of 2.7 (on a 4.0 scale) and an extension of the deadline for application into late January.
"All of the sponsors were extremely impressed by the 29 students who participated in last year's championships," said Jeanne Klescewski, Director of USBC High School and Collegiate. "The students not only demonstrated tremendous skill as bowlers, but also represented the highest levels of academic achievement and sportsmanship, as well as great enthusiasm and a sense of fun that made the competition a pleasure for everyone involved."
The 2008 tournament will be held March 28-30, to coincide with the 65th Denny's U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J. The competition will feature the top girl and top boy varsity bowlers facing off on March 29, to narrow the tournament field down to two male and female competitors, who will compete head-to-head on March 30. Student bowlers selected for the DAAHSC will compete for up to $10,000 in scholarships and the opportunity to bowl on ESPN with PBA professionals.
"Last year's inaugural Denny's All-American High School Championships event was a tremendous success, and we're ecstatic about bringing it back this season," said Fred Schreyer, PBA Commissioner and CEO. "Our hope is that the participants in this prestigious competition strive to emulate the stars of the Denny's PBA Tour and can join them someday on Tour. In addition, we're pleased to be able to stage the tournament in conjunction with our signature event " the 65th Denny's U.S. Open."
For more information, visit www.pba.com or go to the high school section at www.bowl.com, and click "Denny's Tournament" to download the 2008 Denny's All-American High School Championships official forms and details. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 21, 2008.


Local Tri-County NY (USBC) Open Meeting Oct. 27

The annual Open meeting for bowlers in the Tri-County NY United States Bowling Congress (USBC) which includes Ellenville in Ulster County, and bowlers in Sullivan and Orange County will be held on Saturday, October 27 at 2 p.m. in the Orange County Chamber of Commerce Building located at the intersection of 17-K and 208 in Montgomery (Scotts Corners).
For additional information or directions call or e-mail Association Manager Michele Bensley at 845-239-0163 or email at keglers@optonline.net

The Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

This week's tip is for all bowlers.
However, youth bowlers, new bowlers and bowlers who have not had a correctly fitted ball will benefit the most.
Choosing the correct weight for a bowling ball is not rocket science, although it is made out to be at times.
A poorly fitted ball (lane ball or hack job) will take excessive grip pressure to hold onto. This makes the ball seem too heavy.
A good rule of thumb when getting a custom fitted ball is to go up 2 pounds over what a poorly fitted ball weighs. You will be surprised at how much lighter a properly fitted ball will feel.
When a ball is fitted properly, minimal grip pressure is needed to hold the ball, allowing you to swing the ball without putting a death grip on it. This applies to both fingertip and conventional grips. Understand that gravity, not upper body muscles, should control the swing.
For youth bowlers, always err on the heavier side for several reasons. First, it is instinct to grab a ball and throw it, not roll it. If a ball is too light, it is hard to teach a youth bowler to use gravity as their friend and roll the ball. Second, children are still growing and you may get an extra year our of the ball before the the youth bowler outgrows the weight.
In the case of a youth bowler switching from conventional to fingertip, I would not recommend going too heavy as you do not waist to make it an unpleasant experience. The best recommendation would be to re-grip the old ball and get used to the grip before drilling a new ball.
Note: If a bowler---youth or adult---is bowling to enjoy themselves, a conventional grip is best. If a bowler is interested in some form of competitive bowling in the future, the fingertip grip is the way to go.
Remember, there is no substitute for a properly fitted ball.
Parents of youth bowlers, please have the fit checked at least every six months.
Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro-Shop Operator and Teacher. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is also the Northeast Advisor for the Morich Bowling Ball Company (Morich Enterprises, Inc.). Mike is also a member of the Brunswick Pro Shop Staff. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by calling 845-341-1694 or by sending an e-mail to mikespro@warwick.net

Ed's Outlook

Wow....... another bowling season is upon us and we have lots and lots of features lined up for this 2007-2008 bowling season. We'll be covering the Professional Bowling Association ( PBA ) tour at several locations this year and will of course highlight local bowling scores from all our area bowling establishments. An expanded version of our column with scores and highlights from bowling establishments in Ellenvile and Orange County will be available on our Web (BLOG) page at http://bght.blogspot.com
All bowling league secretaries are reminded that they can send their weekly scores to me at bowlgolf@earthlink.net or by regular mail at P.O. Box 116, Livingston Manor,. NY 12758. My telephone number is 845-439-8177.

Bowling Calendar

Feb. 16-June 28, 2008, USBC Open Championships, Albuquerque, NM Team entry fee is $225. Visit www.USBCopen.com or call 800-514-BOWL, ext. 3170 for more information and to book your trip.
April 10-July 6, USBC Women's Championships.Detroit, MI. For more information and to book your trip contact www.USBCwomenschampionships.com or call 800-514-BOWL, ext. 3173.

This column is written by Consultant to the professional sport of bowling Ed Townsend. Ed is also president of the Northeast Bowling Writers Association. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league scores, standings or tournament information, please call Ed at 439-8177 or send an e-mail to bowlgolfect1@yahoo.com Please visit our Web BLOG at http://bght.blogspot.com .