New York's Doug Kent Having Difficult Year

What a difference a year makes.
Last year Newark, New York's Doug Kent earned the Chris Schenkel Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year award.
Doug sat down with us at the Go RVing Classic event held several weeks ago at Norwich, CT and noted that his quick start at the beginning of the 2006-2007 PBA Tour made a big difference in last years successful season.
This year Kent has only made it into a couple of rounds of 16 and at Norwich made it into the round of 8 only to be defeated by the eventual champion rookie Rhino Page.
Doug and his wife are also the owners and managers of two bowling centers between Rochester and Buffalo.
He expressed his thoughts about the new type of Kegal synthetic lanes bowlers competed on in Norwich and noted that these new synthetic lanes forced many bowlers to use the "gutter shot" which in laymen's terms means that bowlers has to release and roll their balls fairly close to the gutter to be successful.
The new Kegal synthetic lanes also affected the ball reaction and controlling it mid-lane was more difficult because of over skidding.
Doug admitted that this season, "I have had difficult matching up my bowling balls with the lane surface."
Kent felt that at times there seems to be "no equity level for righties and lefties."
The Newark, N.Y. righty is presently ranked in 35th place.
The Professional Bowlers Association last year in their season-ending awards for the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour campaign named Kent the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year.
For the first time in his 18-year career the 2006-2007 PBA Player of the Year had a career-year, capturing two titles in a season for the first time and leading the Tour with a career-best $200,530 in season earnings. More importantly, both of Kent’s wins in 2006-07 were Majors, making him just the sixth bowler in PBA history to win two Majors in the same season.
The nine-time titlist last year captured the first Major of the season, winning three matches en route to the title in the 2006 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters at the Wisconsin Exposition Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Kent, who became the first No. 3 seed ever to win the Masters, defeated 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones in the first match of the stepladder finals and amateur George Lambert IV in the semifinals before knocking off top-seeded Jack Jurek in the title match, 277-230.
Later in the 2006-2007 season, Kent captured his second career PBA World Championship, defeating Chris Barnes, 237-216, for the title in the 2007 Denny's World Championship at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich. The win made Kent the first player since Walter Ray Williams Jr. in 2002-03 – and just the sixth in Tour history – to win two Major championships in one season.
In addition to his two titles last year, Kent also posted one runner-up finish, falling to Pete Weber in the title match of the 2006 Etonic Championship. Kent’s three championship round appearances were his most since the 2001-02 season, and he went 6-1 in those three TV appearances with a 234.57 average. He finished fourth in the PBA World Point Rankings and ranked 10th on Tour with a 222.43 average.
Though it did not count toward official PBA titles or earnings, Kent also captured the season-ending 2006-2007 Motel 6 Roll to Riches special event, taking home the winner-take-all $150,000 top prize. He defeated Norm Duke, six-strikes-to-three, in a special Race to Six Strikes title match.
“This is what I set out to do 18 years ago. Winning Player of the Year is the one goal you always have and you always think ‘wouldn't it be amazing to just win it once,’” Kent said. “After I won the Masters it just helped me relax the rest of the year and I didn't have to worry about anything. The year itself was already a success because of the money, and I was just able to bowl and didn't have to think about any of the outside things.”
With his Denny's World Championship win last year, Kent also earned a four-season exemption through the 2010-11 season, which also forced him to adjust his career plans.
“Going into the 2006-2007 season, it was definitely going to be my last season. I was done,” Kent said. “I thought I'd still bowl some of the Majors I was eligible for, but I had seriously contemplated it being my last year.
He also renegotiated a two-year contract with his ball company "so after the two years we'll see where it stands,” he noted.

Debbie Durland Scores
255, 735 Series

Debbie Durland is truly one of the premier female bowlers in the Sullivan Tri-County area.
She added to her high-scoring talents on March 18 in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league at Kiamesha Lanes when she scored a 255 single and a real nice 735 series.
Durland, 48, from Wurtsboro, comes from a distinguished bowling family and she presently maintains a 204 plus average. She also bowls in a league at Colonial Lanes in Chester. Her husband Paul bowls in several men's league at Kiamesha Lanes and son Donald is an outstanding young bowler in several leagues at Kiamesha Lanes.
On January 29 of this year she recorded 11 strikes in a row for a 290 single and a 665 series.
Debbie uses a Morich Onslaught bowling ball.
Durland has one perfect 300 game bowled in August of 2004 in the Kiamesha Lanes Friday Doubles summer league and her previous high series was a 720.
Debbie is employed in the business office at Crystal Run Healthcare in Rock Hill

Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

Bowlers: This week's tip if for bowlers using performance bowling balls.
These balls are made of urethane, urethane with reactive additives with or without particles.
All performance balls come out of the box with either some degree of matte finish, a compounded finish or polished finish.
When a manufacturer chooses a box finish for a bowling ball, many times it is for shelf appeal.
All companies want you to choose their products.
What you need to know as a customer is that the cover on your performance ball can be adjusted to best fit your needs.
What does this mean for a customer?
To maximize your scoring ability on a given lane condition, the cover stock on your bowling ball should match the lane condition.
If your ball is grabbing the lane too early, you will need some polish.
If the ball is already polished, use a higher degree of polish, preferable something with a slip agent. This will help you get the ball down the lane with less effort.
The telltale sign of a ball grabbing the lane too soon is when you see the ball start to hook and then it stops hooking.
On the other hand, if your ball is skidding too far down the lane, you will need some surface friction on the ball.
How much friction you need will depend on your ball speed, revolution rate and the amount of oil on the lane. The degree of matte finish could be as little as 4,000 or as much as 320.
reminder, these are adjustments to fine tune your ball reaction. It is up to your pro shop professional to help you purchase the ball or balls with the proper core and cover to match both your game and the lane surface on which you bowl.
Depending on how serious you are about your bowling, and how many centers you bowl in, you may need more than one ball to help you match the conditions.
And always remember: your equipment should be cleaned each time it is used.
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 Technical Advisor for the Morich Bowling Ball Company (Morich Enterprises, Inc.). Mike is a member of the Brunswick Pro Shop Staff. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 341-1694 or via e-mail at mikespro@warwick.net


Local Scores

Callicoon Lanes

Recent highlights scores in the Hortonville Ladies league include a 186, 192, 552 by Sue Naughton, Mary Ardizzone 214, Ginny Connell 180 and Barbara Pingel 180.
In the Tuesday Delaware Valley Men's league Kris Rasmussen scored a 203, Joel Turner 203, Jon Wayne 204, Karl Adams 234, Mark Schriber 222, 204, 606, Roger Miller 225, Tom Schultz 201, Mark Garro 222, 246, 632, Mark Hawley 214, 212, Dick Pones 204, Brian Starr 202, 212, 607, Joseph Gager 201, Damien VanLeuven 219, 210, 618, Brian Kitson 226, 209, 603, Jon Duffy 199 and Scott Herbert 225.
In the Wednesday Mixed Businessmen's league Bob Cady scored a 199, John Fink 220, 213, 622, Ed Townsend 199, 211, Tom Skiff Jr. 210, John Hoffmann 254, Shirley Townsend 181, 190, 510, Peter Flanagan 204, Mike Hubbard 225, Dave Maus 211, Roger Widmann 226, 209, 629, Brian Marino 235, Damien VanLeuven 199, Alan Rutledge 203, 222, 237, 662, Kory Kessler 201, 216, 606, Bruce Rutledge 224 and Alan Hendrickson 211.

Fox Bowling Center

Recent highlight scores in the Tuesday Ladies Early Birds league include a 182 by Sally Ballard. Anne Couse 192, 538Tammy Kane 182, 188, Sherry Persbacker 202 and Jennifer Raymond 508.
In the Wednesday Independent Men's league James Dibble scored a 256, 258, 247, 761, Glenn Bowker 247, 233, 225, 705, Donald Marino 252, 235, 195, 682, Daniel Wormuth 220, 257, 204, 681, Sam Rowe 248, 233, 674, Thomas Anderson 248, 243, 666, Robert Johnson 243, 224, 657, William Gleim 256, 200, 639, Pat Kille 206, 248, 635, Paul Ignatovich 220, 213, 624, Frank Couse 244, 209, 622, David Thomason 209, 221, 620, Jim Thompson 223, 222, 617, Cecil Spencer 226, 201, 615, Marc Fino 235, 204, 611, Brian Drumm 243, 607, Richard Price 199, 195, 211, 605, Lee Stanton 217, 605, Jeremy Gulley 204, 223, 601, Josh Rice 222, 211, 601, Jay King 202, 224, 600, Brian Tiffany 215, 213, 600, Jonathon Wayne 226, Mitch Persbacker 226, Andrew Bullis 235, Arthur Gately 233 and Jack Hazen 225.
In the Thursday Deposit National Men's league Patrick Kille scored a 207, 217, 276, 700, Rick Mills 223, 238, 228, 689, Shane Merwin 212, 216, 246, 674, Paul Ignatovich 231, 201, 233, 665, Andrew Bullis 232, 243, 655, Frank Couse Sr. 248, 214, 654, Carl Davis 221, 236, 197, 654, Bill Gleim 247, 195, 207, 649, Ray Cornwell 207, 245, 639, Robert Johnson 213, 231, 634, Rich Lenio 203, 205, 220, 628, Brad Tracy 234, 220, 623, Jeff Curtis 226, 226, 614, Jim Valentine 223, 202, 611, Greg Barnes 222, Dave Mills 235, Tony Wright 234, Steve Hopkins 221, Lee Stanton 236 and Charles Dunlap 233.
In the Friday Couples league Norman Ellis scored a 221, 258, 672, Daniel Wormuth 213, 215, 224, 652, Andy Bullis 233, 224, 651, William Gleim 239, 214, 637, Rick Mills 213, 211, 212, 636, Howard Couse Sr. 213, 237, 633, John Stanton 205, 208, 215, 628, Howard Couse 217, 216, 626, Paul Fritz 232, 202, 612, Edwin Linkroum 212, 220, 608, Gino Jones 216, Anne Couse 215, 180, 180, 575, Jeannette Linkroum 207, 216, 562, Michelle Wormuth 188, 205, 528, Kristina Couse 190, 503 and Dawn Mclenon 183.

Kiamesha Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league include a 267, 684 by Ed Guthrie, Kris Gwiozdowski 256, 705, Donald Durland 248, 682, Debbie Durland 255, 735, Debbie Wright 216, Carol MacAdam 215, 587, Barbara Yeomans 215 and Andrea Grossman 561.
In the Friday Mixed Doubles league Tammy Pineiro scored a 212, 181, 545, Kort Wheeler 216, 213, 616, Bob Linzer 210, Tom Skiff Jr. 222, 277, 206, 705, Joan Lake 224, 551, Kevin Stackhouse 225, 211, 222, 658, Eddie Lake 222, 279, 693, Barbara Yeomans 192, Pat Mulhern 247, Tola Deylii 214, 539, Orshii Boldiis 225, Laresko Niifa 235, 201, 277, 713, John Cascone 214, Nancy Greene 189, Andrew Douglass 199, 254, 604, David Graham 226, 247, 647, George Kelly 268, 645, Liz Panagakos 210, Pete Panagakos 204, Mark Fedun 208, Dan Ricco 226, Bryce Flynn 197, Rick Hendricks 200, Glenn Fraser 202, Mike Osborn 201, Allan Jones 210, 268, 671, Deb Blackford 222, Sonya Robinson 186, Brent Lawrence 196, Tom Skiff III a 251, 214, 637 and Roberta Yakin 191, 519.
In the Saturday Morning Youth leagues, in the Pee Wees division Kaylynn Champange scored an 80.
In the Bantams division Parth Patel 119, 126, Thomas Nola 97, Nathaniel Goldsmith 100 and Nicole Scuderi 63, 67.
In the Preps division Cory Burns scored a 109, Rup Patel 137, 161, Chase Israel 126, Isiah Rosado 94, 101, Trevor Scott 140, 158, Meaghan McCormack 143 and Shelby Cooper 97.
In the Jr./Mjrs. division Francis Henderson scored a 143, 144, Keshan Patel 167, Michael Scuderi 143, 154, Shane Driefer 135, 140, Josh Natale 217, Jennifer Zeininger 171, Pedro Agapito III a 206, 223, Scott Bock 182, Shawn Sinistorie 166, Eddie Walsh 203 and Nick Price 178, 204.