Bowling Highlights Column 1-29-10

Eddie Lake with his now famous Hammer bowling ball.....Gets his 10th 300 game

John Hoffmann records his 26th 300 game.

Kelly Kulick First Woman To Win A PBA Tour Championship

Lake Scores 10th--Hoffmann 26th 300

Monticello bowlers forty six-year-old Eddie Lake and sixty-eight year-old John Hoffmann scored perfect 300 games on January 18 in the Monday Men's league at Kiamesha Lanes.
Lake's 300 was his 10th career perfect game and Hoffmann recorded his 26th 300.
A change back to his old Hammer bowling ball proved to be the correct move for Monticello ace bowler Eddie Lake on Monday night December 29 in the Monday Men's league at Kiamesha Lanes.
A little over a year ago Lake had been without his now 20-year-old Hammer bowling ball as it was being repaired by Mickey Luongo down at Mike's Pro Shop in Middletown. He got the repaired ball back and in two weeks the old Hammer resulted in revising the Eddie Lake "300 game Express" as he smashed the maples for his ninth career 300 game on December 29, 2008.
Well the ball hasn't changed noted Lake as he commended on the January 18 perfect game which was rolled on lanes 15 and 16 with games of 213, 216, 300 and a 729 series.
After the old Hammer was repaired Ed noted that the ball had a little larger span on it and it took him a little time to get use to the change in the span.
During the 2007-08 bowling season Lake recorded four 300 games. Eddie had a 300 on January 21, 2008, scored another 300 in the second game of a match November 9, 2008 in the Friday Night Mixed league making it his third perfect 300 game that season.
Eddie on October 1 and October 2 , 2007, made bowling history in Sullivan County by bowling 300 games on consecutive nights. Lake on Monday October 1 in the Monday Men's league smashed the maples for a 223, 300, 277, 800 series. The next night, Tuesday October 2, while a substitute bowler in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league he scored a 207, 300, 235 for a 732 series. Both leagues are at Kiamesha Lanes.
Lake over the years has admitted that his Hammer bowling ball was showing some wear and tear as several years ago there was a big chunk of the ball missing at the top of his finger holes, which has since been repaired. He has also said that there was no need to change to any of the new modern style balls when he had scoring success with this ball.
His high 856 series was bowled in 2004 in the Wednesday Men's league at Kiamesha Lanes.
Eddie presently bowls in the Monday and Wednesday Men's leagues and the Friday Mixed Doubles league, all at Kiamesha Lanes. Ed's present average is 223 in the Monday league.
Lake is single and comes from a well known Sullivan County bowling family with brother Ricky Lake and mother Joan Lake.
The "Little Lefty" John Hoffmann last recorded a 300 on November 11, 2009 in the Wednesday Men's league at Kiamesha Lanes.
Hoffmann recorded three 300 games in 2009 on March 17, March 30 and November 11 and prior to the November perfect game had been battling the dreaded left hander 7 pin stigma which always ends a perfect game on a solid pocket hit.
The January 18 perfect game was rolled on lanes 5 and 6 using a Roto Grip Quest bowling ball with scores of 278, 300 and a 774 series. His present Monday league average is 226.
One week prior to this 300 game Hoffmann had been on a pretty good scoring binge as he bowled a 277, 269, 233, 779, in the January 11 Monday league, a 245, 227, 269, 741 in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league and a 249, 246, 247, 742 in the Wednesday Men's league for a total one week nine-game average of 251.33.
Hoffmann recorded his first 300 game on July 23, 1991 in the Essex County New Jersey Association in the 420 DBLS. SMT league at Eagle Rock Lanes.
Hoffmann is a well-known technical bowler and when Mike Luongo, now a Sales Advisor and Special Events Coordinator for the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company, drilled out the Roto Grip ball for Hoffmann, Luongo noted to this columnist that "John has a real nice game."
John won the high average bowler honors with a 229 in the Tri-County NY USBC Association for the 2006-07 season. He bowled professionally from 1990 to 1993 in the Northeast Regional Professional Bowlers Association where he got his "Little Lefty" nickname from PBA Tour Bowler Tommy Delutz Jr.
Hoffmann was also the 2007 Tri-County NY USBC Champion and is also a New Jersey State Senior Champion.
USBC and former ABC records have Hoffmann with eight 11-strikes in a row games, one 298, two 299 games and nine 800 plus series.
Four years ago he became a certified USBC coach and is considered an excellent teacher of the game.
Hoffmann has been bowling for some 53 years, is single and retired and lives in the South Woods Road area of the Town of Thompson.

PBA

Sports History was made last Sunday afternoon as Kelly Kulick became the first woman to win a PBA Tour Title by capturing the 45th PBA Tournament of Champions held at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas.
She defeated Chris Barnes 265-195.
The One A Day Dick Weber Open will air this Sunday on ESPN2 at 1 p.m.
For full details on this and other PBA events go to our web page, http://bght.blogspot.com/

Local Youth
Bowler Scores
A 712 Series

Pedro Agapito III, a 15-year-old Monticello High School student scored a 712 series recently in the Jr./Mjrs division of the Saturday Morning Youth league at Kiamesha Lanes.
His single games bowled on lanes 5 and 6 using a Blue Motiv TR2 bowling ball were 199, 246, 267,
Bowling for 4 years now his present average is 198. Pedro lives in Monticello with his parents Pedro C. Agapito and Kim Gallagher.

Local Scores

Kiamesha Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men's league include a 601 by Michael MulliganGil Suarez230, 235, 619, Dan Ricco 258, 619, Mike Weiner 243, 610, Paul Durland 266, 629, Jaryl Scott 257, 236, 717, Vinnie Collura 258, 247, 695, Donald Durland 258, 299, 735, James VanAken 233, 650, Josh Strang 239, 653, John Hoffmann 277, 269, 233, 779, John Fischer 268, 625, Nate Sanders 236, 603, William Bartley 611, Dave Graham 602, Keith Raymond 225, Jo Jo Van Keuren 628, Frank Martinez 626, Al Caycho 226, 248, 660, Jon Wilhelm 249, 668, Frank Scuderi235, 644, Eddie Lake 228, 641, Rick Lake 234, 632, Lloyd Bridges 232, Niifa Laresko 267, 619, Keith Smith 239, 227, 655, Jack Moylan 226, James Ratner 616, Kort Wheeler 256, 233, 704, Allan Jones 226, 234, 245, 705, Daniel VanAken 236, 235, 685, Paul Curry 245, 670, William Helms 264, 632, Mal Press 234, 643.
In the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league Carena Collura 187, 182, 203, 572, Carol MacAdam 222, 196, 552, Pa Mulhern 210, 546, Lisa Cartwright 181, 511, Andrea Grossman 206, 521, Russ Keesler 266, 671, Robert Yakin Jr. 233, Stan Gilmore 225, 246, 645, Fran Kaiser 190. 500, Daniel VanAken 225, Debbie Durland 192, 224, 570, Jon Wilhelm 600, Ed Guthrie 234, 650, Mary Lee Williams 180, 190, 519, Joan Lake 198, 202, 543, Dorian Jennings 183, 199, 552, Ryan Lepke 227, 601, Jack Rustic 238, 602, George Kelley 632, Deborah Cunningham 199, Kevin Stackhouse 279, 674, Roberta Yakin 190, 182, 501, Robert Yakin Sr. 614, John Hoffmann 256, 670, Kris Gwiozdowski 226, 625,
In the Wednesday Men's league George VanAken Jr. 227, Daniel VanAken 234, 258, 673, Kenneth Hopkins 242, Kevin Stackhouse 238, 646, Al Caycho 225, 671, Mike Weiner 606, Juan Lopez 256, 662, John Lopez 235, William Danchak 266, 629, George Battle Jr. 246, 241, 670, Frank Muller Jr. 246, Larry Berens 245, 664, Allan Jones 268, 235, 711, Dale Sonneschein 227, 615, Paul Durland 233, 225, 615, Josh Strang 644, Tom Belgiovene 225, John Hoffmann 249, 246, 247, 742, Jody Farquhar 236, Rick Lara 277, 235, 677, Frank Emmens 239, 649, Vincent Degraw 230, Troy Morris 235, Wayne Atkins 246, 242, 703, Eddie Lake 256, 227, 696, Gregory Fallon 602, Matt Fallon 258, 651, Richard Bradford 236, 618, Donald Durland 299, 235, 235, 769.
In the Thursday Ladies league Barb Merton 180, 181, 529, Connie McKenley 178, 173, 518, Anna Sawyer 184, Sonya Robinson 202, 190, 550, Joan Lake 211, 189, 577, Liz Stubits 185, Cathy Brown 192, Lisa Cartwright 179, 188, 528, Clorisa Hopkins 192, 216, 577, Pat Gibson 182, Debbie Durland 207, 171, 547, Pat Shuart 180, Debbie Heins 184, Cheryl Neist 209, Barbara Durbak 179, 182, 522, Kim Peck 210, 179, 531, Mardette Wilcox 186, 205, 175, 566.
In the Saturday Morning Youth leagues, in the Pee Wees division Kaylen Blackford 59, Erin Brawley 57, Amelia Edwards 93. In the Preps division Tayl'r Porter 76, rachel Drillings 55, 44, 42, Mikayla DeGraw 142, Stacey Reuss 76, 96, 91, Ben Drillings 105, 80, 86, Sierra Barbianti 72, 79, Anthony Pagani 91, 86, Cody Burns 97, 108, Shaym Patel 101, 106, Rup Patel 147. In the Jr./Mjrs division Shivani Patel 180, 172, James Durland 221, 212, 216, 649, Matt Edwards 146, 162, Kishan Patel 153, Jared Friedman 181, Kristy Gessman 126, John Barbiani 102, 91, 111, Shawn Sinistorie 172, Steven Sinistorie 165, 216, Bryden Fraser 114.

Fox Bowling Center

Fox Bowling Center owner-manager Bill Gleim recorded his 17th career 300 Janauary 21 in the Thursday Men's Deposit National league.
Gleim, 45, recorded the perfect game on lanes 1 and 2 using a Hammer Vibe bowling ball.
A 200 plus average bowler Gleim has been bowling for some 38 years and bowled professionally on the PBA Regional tour from 1998 through 2001.
He purchased the Fox Bowling Center from his parents in 1996.

Recent highlight scores in the Wednesday Men's Independent league include a 232, 609 by Tom Anderson, Frank Couse Jr. 266, 245, 715, Brandon Drumm 243, Art Gately 235, 668, Craig Gehrig 236, 655, Ben Green 250, 279, 755, Dylan Green 234, 636, Jeremy Bulley 633, John Gurnick 29, Rob Johnson 236, 247, 679, Gino Jones 225, 629, Pat Kille 243, 656, Ryan Kille 254, 657, Jerry Kulakosky 244, 604, Dick Layton 633, Donnie Marino 267, 673, Robert McNaught 237, 653, Neil Mosher 603, Charlie Reichenbaugh 242, 243, 685, Sam Rowe 227 Jonathon Wayne 247, 644, Fran Wormuth 602, Jay Wormuth 234, 229, 678, Tony Wright 235, 234, 243, 712.
In the Thursday Men's Deposit National league Al Bullis Jr. 248, 692, Andy Bullis 232, 257, 710, Craig Conklin 601, Ray Cornwell 238, 628, Jeff Curtis 247, 640, Norm Ellis Jr. 247, 228, 655, Paul Fritz 232, 607, Bill Gifford 225, John Gurnick 225, Robert Johnson 258, 674, Gino Jones 232, 603, Greg Keesler 259, 646, John Lanner 246, 641, Rich Lenio 254, 235, 658, Dave Lester 245, 664, Rick Mills 254, 650, Neil Mosher 266, 685, Jim Valentine 233, 679.
In the Friday Mixed Couples league Arletta Akselrad 187, Andy Bullis 248, 667, Anne Couse 180, 246, 193, 619, Crystal Ellis 222, Norman E. Ellis 226, Bill Gleim 242, 256, 686, Julie Martin 187, Mark McGraw 234, 234, 626, Dawn Mclenon 188, Jen Smith 235, 506, Jonney Stanton 226, 232, 603, Dan Wormuth 643, Michelle Wormuth 188.
In the Sunday Mixed Fun league Matt Johnson 614, Don Marino 234, 269, 720, Dave Mills 613, Savanna Mills (youth girls games) 149, 142, Fred Shakelton 279, 699.

Beechwood Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Ladies league include a 193, 180, 162, 535 by Barbara Cady, Lori Kimmes 175, Diane Staves 167, Tracey Puerschner 165, Dot McCormack 160.
In the Tuesday Ladies league Pat Peters 188, Debbie Loughrey 195, 487, Lillian Zieres 187, 467.

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading, or have league and tournament scores and information, Ed can be reached by phone at 845-439-8177, via e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-230-8674. For a more expanded version of the bowling column, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com/

Kelly Kulick Makes Sports History as
First Woman to Win a PBA Tour Title
By Capturing 45th PBA Tournament of Champions

Sports history was made last Sunday afternoon when Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., won the 45th Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes becoming the first woman to win a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour tournament.
She defeated 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes 265-195 in the championship match to win a $40,000 first prize in PBA’s signature event, plus a two-year exemption on the PBA Tour.
“It’s been a dream of mine to win a PBA Tour event but I couldn’t have imagined it would have come in the Tournament of Champions,” said the 32-year-old right-hander. “It may have looked easy but my legs were like jelly—it got to a point where I couldn’t feel them. Believe me, I was nervous and I was just letting adrenalin take over.”
The previous high finish for a woman in a PBA Tour event was second by Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., in the 2005 Banquet Open.
In 2006, Kulick became the first woman to earn an exemption on the PBA Tour by finishing sixth in the PBA Tour Trials. Her best finish in the 2006-07 season was 22nd which she accomplished twice.
Kulick recognized the potential impact her victory will have for the future of the sport.
“I believe this can only mean bigger and better things for the sport,” she said. “If in any way this can be a boost for women's sports and bowling, I’m willing to do my part.
“I feel like I’m on a magic carpet ride right now and I want to keep riding it higher and higher.”
In the championship match Kulick started with four consecutive strikes, then had an open frame when she left the 7-10 split in the fifth frame. She then went on to fire the next six strikes and a nine-count on the final ball to close the game.
Barnes was hoping for his second Tournament of Champions win having previously won it in 2006.
“When it comes down to one game, a combination of factors have to come together and they just didn’t for me,” Barnes said, “but Kelly bowled great and she met every challenge.”
In women’s professional competition, Kulick won the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Queens and the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open in addition to winning the PBA Women’s World Championship in 2009.
"Kelly Kulick's win today at the PBA Tour's Tournament of Champions is not only historic, it serves as a motivational and inspirational event for girls and women competing at all levels all around the world," said Women's Sports Foundation founder Billie Jean King. "Kelly had a great week, defeating several of the top-ranked men's bowlers in the world, and hopefully she can truly enjoy the moment and appreciate how it is not only a big deal in bowling, but a major moment in her life and potentially the lives of others."
In the semifinal match, Kulick defeated eight-time Tour champion Mika Koivuniemi 227-223 to advance to the final match against Barnes.
In the opening match, Koivuniemi defeated three-time titlist Rhino Page, 255-215.
Kulick earned a berth in the Tournament of Champions, by winning the PBA Women’s World Championship last September, the first PBA women’s major tournament.

PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.
Jan. 24, 2010

Final Standings
1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. 492 (two games) $40,000
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 195 (one game) $20,000
3, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich. 478 (two games) $10,000
4, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 215 (one game) $7,000

Stepladder Results
Match One – Koivuniemi def. Page, 255-215
Semifinal Match – Kulick def. Koivuniemi, 227-223
Championship – Kulick def. Barnes, 265-195

ANNIKA SORENSTAM TO SERVE
AS HONORARY CHAIR OF
2011 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN

Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam has been named the honorary chair for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, to be conducted at The Broadmoor, July 4-10. The Broadmoor was the site of Sorenstam’s first U.S. Women’s Open victory in front of a record-setting crowd in 1995.
"I am extremely honored to be able to serve in this role with the USGA," said Sorenstam. "The U.S. Women's Open is our premier championship and when I won at the Broadmoor in 1995, it was my first professional victory in the United States. Both the championship and the venue will always hold aspecial place in my heart and I look forward to going back.”As honorary chair, Sorenstam will help promote the championship and appear at the ticket launch press conference in 2010. She will also host an exhibition during the week of the championship in which she will provide tips and demonstrate golf shots for spectators.
“We approached Annika to serve in this capacity because we wanted to honor her accomplishments at past USGA championships and her connection to the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor,” said Stephen Bartolin, Jr., president and CEO of The Broadmoor.
During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, Sorenstam rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards, and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed and covered. She has 89 worldwide victories, including 72 on the LPGA, 10 of which are major championships, including the 1995, 1996, and 2006 US Women’s Open titles. She earned a record eight Rolex LPGA Player-of-the-Year awards; a record-tying eight money list titles; six Vare Trophies for the lowest scoring average; was named Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year eight times and became the first player in LPGA history to cross the $22-million mark in earnings. She played on eight Solheim Cup teams and was inducted into the LPGA and World Golf Halls of Fame in 2003.
Sorenstam stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on her family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses. These include the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, ANNIKA Course Design which currently has eight projects worldwide, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, signature high-end wines with Wente Vineyards, a fragrance with SA Fragrances, and an online retail shop, shopannika.com. In 2007 Sorenstam started the ANNIKA Foundation as a way to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offer aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams. In 2008,Sorenstam was named an Ambassador of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation. In this role, Sorenstam supported the successful efforts to have golf added to the 2016 Olympic Games.

PBA SPARE SHOTS

DUKE BEGINS DEFENSE OF ONE A DAY DICK WEBER OPEN TITLE;
ESPN2 TO AIR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND SUNDAY AT 1 P.M. EASTERN

PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., began defense of his One A Day Dick Weber Open title Wednesday as competition got underway at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif.

Sunday’s finals will shift from the PBA’s normal home on ESPN to “the Deuce” – ESPN2 – for this week only. The Dick Weber Open finals will air live at 1 p.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Pacific) on Jan. 31.

The Dick Weber Open has become the unofficial “fifth major” on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour schedule because it features the traditional open qualifying format used in the PBA’s early years when bowling great Dick Weber was a dominant player. The format includes 15 games of qualifying with the top 24 advancing to three eight-game blocks of round-robin match play to determine the five-player stepladder final.

In addition to Duke trying for his 34th career title, Hall of Famer Pete Weber will try to win his 35th in the event named after his legendary father. Pete finished third in the 2009 Dick Weber Open, the event Duke won by defeating Mike Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., 278-168, in the title match.

Subscribers to pba.com’s Xtra Frame online “television channel” will have a front row seat for all of the One A Day Dick Weber Open action. To sign up, visit pba.com.

WALTER RAY WILLIAMS JR. MAKES DREAM COME TRUE FOR 15-YEAR-OLD

PBA Hall of Famer and all-time titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr., made a dream come true for 15-year-old Eric Mandzuch of Los Angeles, who has recently recovered eye cancer, prior to the start of the One A Day Dick Weber Open.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation and PBA teamed up to allow Mandzuch to bowl with Williams at Fountain Bowl in Fountain Valley, Calif., where the teenager also received some valuable pointers to help with his game during a friendly three-game match.

“I’m overwhelmed to be here,” said Mandzuch, who holds a 194 average. “It’s amazing to see all these pros here. Being here is giving me a lot of inspiration to pursue my dream of becoming a pro bowler.”

While Williams won their three-game match (608-531), the experience was something Mandzuch will never forget.

“He gave me a lot of help with my spares,” the Culver Park Independent Study High School sophomore said. “I found out how tough it was to bowl on PBA lane conditions. I can see why these guys are the best.”

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 180,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can “share the power of a wish®.”

2009-10 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR STATISTICAL LEADERS

EARNINGS Events Total
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 10 $72,200
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 10 $69,050
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 10 $64,085
4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 10 $57,070
5, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 10 $56,170
6, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa. 10 $56,125
7, Mike DeVaney, San Diego 10 $45,770
8, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 10 $44,380
9, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 10 $43,570
10, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 10 $41,000

AVERAGES Games Average
1, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 190 223.84
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 296 223.20
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas 288 222.33
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 283 221.64
5, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 226 220.58
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. 183 220.46
7, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y. 258 220.23
8, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C. 274 219.96
9, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan. 286 219.32
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla. 265 218.93

PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS CRA Points
1, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa. 3 28
Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich. 2 28
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 3 24
Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J. 1 24
5, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas 2 20
6, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. 2 18
7, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla. 1 16
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y. 2 16
Mike DeVaney, San Diego 1 16
Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. 1 16
Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas 1 16
Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill. 1 16
(CRA = Championship Round Appearances)

NOLEN HOPES TO RECAPTURE
MASTERS MAGIC

Reflecting on his victory at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Masters, John Nolen uses phrases like "magical" and "something special" to describe that weekWhen Nolen arrives in Reno, Nev., to defend his title, he knows he will need some of that magic to return in 2010."Boy that was a pretty magical week last year," said Nolen, who led qualifying, went undefeated in match play and then defeated Danny Wiseman, 202-193, to win the title. "It was probably the best week of bowling I've had in my life. I look back at it now and tell myself that I know I can get it done no matter how hard the lanes are."Nolen again will take on a field of the country's top professional and amateur players in the 2010 USBC Masters, one of the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour's four major championships.Competition begins Feb. 9 with qualifying at the National Bowling Stadium and concludes with the live ESPN finals Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. EST.As for his chances of repeating as champion, a feat last accomplished by Billy Welu in 1965, Nolen said anything is possible."I have the confidence in my own ability to get it done, but I have to stay in the present and force my opponents to make good shots," said Nolen, who will be seeded directly into the 64-player match-play bracket as defending champion. "I think any of the 64 players have a chance to win. It's just about hitting a hot streak at the right time."Nolen is currently in the midst of his first season as an exempt player on the PBA Tour and after 10 events he ranked No. 54 on the points list. He knows he has proven he can win on Tour, but it's dealing with the pressure of winning again that has been his Achilles' heel."For awhile there, I put way too much pressure on myself as far as trying to win again," Nolen said. "The biggest challenge has been dealing with unrealistic goals instead of just going out and bowling the best that I can. I got wrapped up in wanting to hold another trophy because that's the dream for me."With his mental game now in check, Nolen feels like the time could be right for him to break through again and said he's looking forward to the challenge the Masters presents."No matter what happens, I'm guaranteed to take home a prize check, so I've already won in that respect," Nolen said. "I'm just going to go out there, and hopefully be fortunate enough to have good ball reaction. I've also got a little confidence in my back pocket that I can make some good shots. We'll see what happens."All participants will bowl two five-game blocks of qualifying on Feb. 9 and 10 before the first cut is made to the top 25 percent. After another five games the morning of Feb. 11, the top 63 bowlers will join Nolen in match play, which continues until the top four bowlers are determined Feb. 12 for the TV finals.The USBC Masters is open to any USBC member with a 190 average or higher (173 Sport Bowling average or higher). For entry information, visit BOWL.com

Here & There Column 1-26-10

The Folks Are Fed Up With Politics

The voters of Massachusetts last week made their voice heard loud and clear that they do not like backroom deals, Washington business-as-usual, do not support the present health care proposal, do not support Wall Street bailouts, economic stimulus spending and enormous budget deficits, do not support terrorists being tried in New York City, do not feel safe against terrorists attacks and that this stunning defeat is a true sign that people are tired of Washington politics and deal making.
Politicians beware can also be directed to local government as was evidenced in a recent letter to the editor written by Miles R. Ellison Jr. of Grahamsville.
The headline for the letter read "An Indictment of Sullivan County Government" and Ellison said, "do it right or you are going to be fired, this legislative governmental form has not worked, is too distant and inefficient, and most of all, is too expensive and as such, needs to be retired."
He called the county legislature "a superfluous layer of removed, irresponsive and irresponsible leadership," and cited examples like "the DPW scandal handled "internally," the arson at the Government Center, the assault on the Town of Neversink by the "Large Parcel Advocates," the debt, the garbage, the ambushing of Dan Briggs, the sell out of George Cooke, etc."
Ellison also cited the fact that "this legislature has generated employment opportunities for legislators, outside of voter review or approval."
This writer following several years of talking with Sullivan County folks heard the majority call for the return of the board of supervisors and Ellison pointed out in his letter that "the time has come, however, to return this form of government to the book of failed ideas and restore, with modifications, the Board of Supervisor as our county authority." He called for keeping an elected "County Managerial structure."
In researching material about local NYS government documents show that the state is divided into 62 counties, five are within the City of New York and the remaining 57 are governed under the County Law of the State of New York. Its noted that about half the 57 counties adopted a charter form of government and the remaining counties have the Board of Supervisors structure.
Counties that have not adopted a charter form of government generally falls under the County Law and the Board of Supervisors become county officers upon their election as town officers.
Weighted voting is generally attributable to a Board of Supervisors form of government but a number of years ago under the former Sullivan County Board of Supervisors form of government weighted voting became a legal issue,
Board's of Supervisors are presently legally operating within New York State using various weighted voting measures, residents and voters in Sullivan County should unite to bring back this form of government.

Bowling Highights Column 1-22-10

Stefanie Nation and Anthony LaCaze won the PBA Earl Anthony Memorial last Sunday afternoon on ESPN.

Uncertain Economy Facing Bowling Centers

The East Coast Bowling Centers Convention (ECBCC) once again showed why it is the premiere regional trade show in the bowling industry. With an uncertain economy facing them, bowling center owners, managers and industry professionals gathered at Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal last fall to learn what's new in the sport and to see what new innovations were coming to the bowling industry.
This was the third year the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America handled administration for the show and attendance came in above 2008 figures.
Middletown Pro-Shop operators Mike and Mickey Luongo staged a one and one-half hour seminar for Storm Bowling which covered information on coverstocks and how to maintain them. They also put on another program with Turbo Grips.
“Despite the current economic struggles bowling centers are experiencing, it’s encouraging to see the strong indication that bowling proprietors see the benefit in coming together to learn, network and support the bowling industry,” remarked ECBCC committee chair Jack Moran of Roseland Bowl in Canandaigua, N.Y. “We look forward to building on 2009’s success as we plan for our future east coast conventions.”
The convention opened with association updates from BPAA executive director Steve Johnson and USBC executive director Stu Upson. Both took questions from the floor and at the conclusion of the morning session, Johnson made the surprise announcement that BPAA had booked former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin as Keynote speaker for the 2010 International Bowl Expo. Monday lunch featured Keynote speaker Jim Snack who not only motivated and challenged the group with his talk on the Magic of Change, but as a magician, provided some laughs and audience participation with some real live magic as well.
The highlight of Tuesday morning’s breakfast session was an International Bowling Campus integration update by both Johnson and Upson. The Metropolitan Bowling Writers Association held their annual awards luncheon Tuesday, honoring BPAA Treasurer Tom Martino with the Bill Landgraf Memorial Award for Excellence. Also recognized were professional bowlers Stacy Ricker and Tim Mack as Met Bowlers of the Year. An update on the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame was also on the menu, presented by Museum chairman Pat Ciniello.
“The East Coast trade show was one of the best regional events that I ever attended,” remarked Pat Ciniello, president of QubicaAMF Worldwide, L.L.C. “The education was first class, and the networking was amazing. Not only was I able to conduct my usual array of business throughout the convention week, but the show provided me with an outstanding forum to those who are considered the “who’s who of bowling.” Because of the attendance, we were able to raise significant dollars for the International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame in its quest to open a brand new facility at the International Bowling Campus, come January 25, 2010.”
During Wednesday morning’s breakfast, BPAA Vice President Henry Lewczyk gave an update on Bowlopolis, followed by BPAA Director of Youth, Education and Training Kelly Bednar briefing the audience on the Bowling University program.
Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon there was much to see on the Trade Show floor where attendees had a chance to visit with exhibitors, vendors and others in the industry to see and talk about the latest innovations in the bowling business. There were ample educational opportunities as well with seminars covering a variety of topics including, “Building Your Bottom Line with User-friendly Technologies,” “Stop Credit Cards From Eating Your Profits,” In-center Fund-raising,” as well as the Wednesday Keynote address from business manager Rosa Katz entitled, “Small Changes, Big Impact.”
The week was topped off Wednesday night with a banquet and entertainment by The Jill Gioia Band who returned to ECBCC by popular demand.
ECBCC 2009’s major sponsors included Diamond sponsors International Bowling Industry Magazine, ECBCC’s Official Publication, and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, Platinum sponsors Brunswick Bowling and Billiards, QubicaAMF and Pepsi-Cola, the official soft drink of bowling; Gold sponsors Anheuser-Busch, Ace Mitchell and Kegel; Silver sponsors Strike Ten Entertainment, Jolly Time, Drinkin’ Mate and Fontana Wine; and Bronze sponsors North Pointe Insurance Group, Team Cobra and USBC.

PBA

Twenty-seven-old rookie Anthony LaCaze won his first PBA Tour title last Sunday afternoon and defeated Michael Machuga 214-206 in the title match of the Earl Anthony Memorial at Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl, Dublin, Calif.
Stefanie Nation defeated Lynda Barnes 201-181 for the Anthony women's title.
The PBA Tournament of Champions will air Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
For complete details on the PBA tour visit our web page at http://bght.blogspot.com/

Local Scores

Kiamesha Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men's league include a 617 by Dan Ricco, Mike Weiner 244, 689, Paul Durland 257, 673, Jaryl Scott 268, 662, Vinnie Collura 247, 237, 688, Donald Durland 620, James VanAken 243, 609, Josh Strang 627, John Hoffmann 635, John Fischer 235, 650, Nate Sanders 246, 232, 642, William Bartley 266, 615, Al Caycho 650, Jon Wilhelm 614, Frank Scuderi 258, 637, Eddie Lake 270, 235, 737, Rick Lake 227, 653, Lloyd Bridges 633, James Frost 257, 650, Jack Moylan 279, 680, Robert Sze 269, 662, James Ratner 278, 677, Kort Wheeler 225, 228, 635, Allan Jones 248, 611, Steven Rivera 628, William Helms 226, Timothy Totten 636, Mal Press 225.
In the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league Allene Washington 196, Debra Blackford 192, Carol MacAdam 181, Andrea Grossman 194, 500, John Cascone 231, Mary Lee Williams 190, 200, 561, Joan Lake 227, 186, 601, Dorian Jennings 214, 230, 590, Shane Cunningham 241, Jason Jones 245, 653, Fran Kaiser 190, 500, Allan Jones 267, 249, 674, Debbie Durland 235, 549, Mal Press 622, Jon Wilhlem 269, 247, 723, Kevin Stackhouse 236, Roberta Yakin 192, John Hoffmann 253, 644, Linda Schaefer 183.
In the Wednesday Men's league Kenny Atkins 241, 684, Chaig Wilhelm 235, Kevin Stackhouse 226, 608, Justin Lopez 245, 616, Juan Lopez 230, 608, John Lopez 623, Frank DiConstanzo 227, 642, George Battle Jr. 257, 663, Larry Berens 234, 262, 234, 730, Paul Durland 607, Dale Sonnenschein 247, 605, Josh Strang 244, 652, John Hoffmann 238, 653, Rick Lara 620, Tim McIntyre 266, 252, 706, Jason Jones Jr. 246, Vincent Degraw 231, Troy Morris 603, Wayne Atkins 234, 243, 699, Eddie Lake 235, 259, 709, Gregory Fallon 235, 259, 709, Matt Fallon 233, 651, Jon Wilhelm 246, 244, 683, Donald Durland 230, 609.
In the Thursday Ladies league Rebekha Wilcox 180, Kim Peck 182, Mardette Wilcox 204, 515, Barbara Durbak 183, Debbie Durland 208, 566, Debra Castillo 187, Keri Sawyer 190, Pat Shuart 192, Sonya Robinson 191, 179, 530, Joan Lake 180, 200, 217, 597, Maria Frunzi 189, Margaret Quick 192 and Closia Hopkins 217, 543.
In the Saturday Morning Youth leagues, in the Pee Wees division, Kaylen Blackford 71, Jenna Hendricks 70. In the Preps division Makenzie S. 90, Michael Hope 130, 138, Makayla DeGraw 140, Sarah Rustic 110, Ben Drillings 81, 90, Sierra Barbianti 85, Anthony Pagani 96, 82, 76, Tayl'r Porter 109, Shivan Patel 111, Shaym Patel 102, 104, Parth Patel 142, 143, Nathaniel Edwards 116, Rup Patel 185, 128. In the Jr. Mjrs. division Matt Edwards 167, 133, Shawn Comfort 118, Megan Gerow 150, 141, 146, Jason Moss 177, 191, Matthew Brown 125, 125, Jared Friedman 179, Kristy Gessman 121, Shawn Sinistorie 179, Nick Price 212, Eddie Walsh 213, 214, 212, Shivani Patel 156, 150, Pedro Agapito 244, 214, Michael Scuderi 214, 185.

Fox Bowling Center

Recent highlight scores in the Wednesday Men's league included a 235 by Tom Anderson, Mike Bowker 255, 638, Frank Couse Sr. 248, 654, Frank Couse Jr. 227, 235, 664, Jim Dibble 236, 244, 686, Brandon Drumm 632, Brian Drumm 616, Don Ferris 235, 676, Craig Gehrig 230, 603, Jeremy Gulley 600, John Gurnick 227, Mark Hawley 228, 247, 656, Jack Hazen 226, 613, Paul Ignatovich 233, 639, Rob Johnson 600, Pat Kille 237, 225, 668, Ryan Kille 264, 686, Jerry Kulakosky 615, Dick Layton 233, 663, Don Marino 259, 233, 678, Robert McNaught 246, 651, Ed Milk Jr. 230, Brian Tiffany 234, Jonathon Wayne 245, 643, Hank Whitmore 235, Zuke Wormuth 236, 670, Lee Wormuth 242, 600, Tony Wright 225, 619.
In the Thursday Men's Deposit National league Al Bullis Jr. 263, 688, Al Bullis Sr. 258, 673, Andy Bullis 269, 664, Craig Conklin 236, 633, Dale Conklin 604, Ray Cornwell 603, Chuck Dunlap 245, Norm Ellis Jr. 225, Ben Green 258, 655, John Gurnick 240, Paul Ignatovich 600,
Robert Johnson 610, Gino Jones 255, Greg Keesler 238, 605, Rick Mills 607, Paul Siegler 237.
In the Friday Mixed Couples league Peggy Brush 185, Frank Couse Sr. 603, Anne Couse 203, 551, Howey Couse 601, Carl Davis 245, 225, 636, Bill Gleim 609, Gino Jones 227, 601, Hope Jones 181, 509, Julie Martin 190, Dana McGraw 184, Rick Mills 234, 665, Jonney Stanton 235, 226, 601, Sandy Winans 189, 211, 205, 605, Dan Wormuth 279, 657.
In the Sunday Afternoon Mixed Fun league Ray Cornwell 286, 694, Matt Johnson 228, 612, Don Marino 258, 668, Jean Mills 182, Dave Mills 258, 663, Rick Mills 259, 647, Savanna Mills (youth scores) 155, 165, 436, Fred Shakelton 225, 279, 712, Ed Townsend 226, Shirley Townsend 194.

Beechwood Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Ladies league include a 180 by Barbara Cady, Wendy Finn 167, Tracey Puerschner 166, Karen Borowski 167, Julie Yewchuck 166, Diane Staves 177, Diane Conroy 168.
In the Tuesday Ladies league Joyce Brooks 186, Kelly Gombita 184, 173, 499, Debbie Loughrey 177, 488, Pat Peters 172, Lillian Zieres 172, 499.
In the Wednesday Men's league Bob Glassel 205, Tim Sykes 200, Bob Huter 203, Tom Gain 202.

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league and tournament scores and information, Ed can be reached by phone at 439-8177, via e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 230-8674. For a more expanded version of the bowling column, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com/

PBA SPARE SHOTS

TOM SMALLWOOD STORY CONTINUES TO GAIN MEDIA ATTENTION FOR PBA
Professional bowling continues to win attention from mainstream American news media, thanks to Tom Smallwood’s compelling story. The laid-off General Motors employee who defied the odds to win the 2009 PBA World Championship has been the subject of a steady stream of radio, television, newspaper, magazine and internet features.

Most recently, Smallwood’s story appeared on the inside back cover of the Jan. 18 issue of The National Inquirer along with a feature in the San Francisco Chronicle. And the PBA has learned additional coverage is in the works, including a story in an upcoming issue of Parade magazine which is distributed with millions of Sunday newspapers across the nation.

LACAZE JOINS ELITE CLUB, ADVANCING FROM "TQR" TO VICTORY
Anthony LaCaze of Melrose Park, Ill., joined an elite club when he emerged from the Earl Anthony Memorial Tour Qualifying Round to win his first career Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title in Dublin, Calif. LaCaze joined Sean Rash (2006 West Virginia Championship), Rhino Page (2008 Go RVing Classic) and Jason Belmonte (2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic) as the fourth player to win a title after qualifying for the tournament field out of a TQR.

LaCaze, a former teammate of Bill O'Neill at Saginaw Valley State University, became the first amateur to advance from a TQR to a television final when he made it to the semifinal round of the 2008 Golden Anniversary Championship in Hammond, Ind., where - ironically - he lost to O'Neill.

Also, by winning the Anthony Memorial, LaCaze won a berth in this week's PBA Tournament of Champions - at the expense of Las Vegas resident Eric Forkel, who got bumped from the TOC field.

BELMONTES WELCOME A NEW ADDITION
Australia’s Jason Belmonte and his wife Kimberly welcomed their first-born child to usher in the new year. Aria Rose Belmonte arrived on Jan. 2, weighing in at nine pounds, 14.5 ounces. And, yes, the PBA has learned it was a two-handed delivery.

PBA STAR MARSHALL HOLMAN ELECTED TO USBC HALL OF FAME
Marshall Holman of Medford, Ore., has been elected to the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame along with PBA Senior Tour star John Handegard of Spring, Texas, a USBC Hall of Fame Veterans category selection. USBC’s 2010 Hall of Fame ceremonies also will include the inductions of women’s standout Kim Terrell-Kearney and, in the meritorious service category, Reno’s Betty Barnes.

Holman, a 22-time PBA champion, was ranked ninth on the list of the PBA’s 50 Greatest Players during the organization’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2009. Holman also was one of the bowlers honored in 2000 in Bowling Magazine’s list of the “20 Greatest Bowlers of the 20th Century.” Handegard, a 14-time Senior Tour winner and the oldest player ever to win a PBA Tour title (at age 57), was the first player inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame Senior Division in Las Vegas in 2009.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS FRANCHISES GO BOWLING
Over the holiday season, 107 Lumber Liquidators franchise owners did the natural thing in support of their corporate sponsorship program: they held bowling parties for their employees. The headline event for the titled sponsor of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour was a corporate bowling party in Virginia, where Parker Bohn III – who stars in Lumber Liquidators commercials with his wife Leslie – was a special guest.

INJURY FORCES MALAYSIA’S ZULKIFLI TO WITHDRAW FROM ANTHONY MEMORIAL
The Star in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has reported that Malaysia’s Shalin Zulkifli sustained a muscle tear in her right foot while practicing in preparation for the Earl Anthony Memorial PBA Women’s Series event in Dublin, Calif., forcing her to withdraw. Zulkifli, an exempt player for the PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM, may also miss the final women’s event of the season – the Bayer Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles in Wheat Ridge, Colo., Feb. 16-21.

Other exempt players who missed the Anthony Memorial were Norm Duke (minor ankle injury), Doug Kent, Tommy Delutz Jr. and PBA Women’s Series exempt player Michelle Feldman. Their spots in the Earl Anthony Memorial were added to their respective Tour Qualifying Rounds.

LONG-TIME DETROIT SPORTS DIRECTOR AND PBA FAN DIES
Dave Diles, long-time sports director for Detroit's WXYZ-TV, died recently from complications after suffering a stroke. He was 78. Diles, who covered all major sports for more than 25 years, was especially partial to the PBA. “Dave Diles was one of the best ambassadors bowling ever had,” said Detroit bowling legend Ed Lubanski.

PBA/UBSC YOUTH INSIDERS’ TOUR VISITS DUBLIN
The PBA/USBC Youth Insiders’ Tour, conducted in cooperation with the United States Bowling Congress, allows five randomly-selected USBC Youth bowlers in each tournament market a chance to visit Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour events where they are given a special “insiders” look at the PBA Tour. Included are seats to watch the ESPN television finals.

The lucky youth bowlers selected to attend the Earl Anthony Memorial at Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl in Dublin, Calif., were Shawn Carroll, 14; Payton Giambrone, 17; Amanda Timmons, 14; Joseph Stephen, 12, and Savannah Garrison, 15.

NATION COMPLETES FIELD FOR PBA WOMEN’S SERIES SHOWDOWN
With her victory in the Earl Anthony Memorial, Stefanie Nation clinched the final berth in the PBA Women’s Series Showdown presented by BOWL.COM which will be conducted in April at the new United States Bowling Congress International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas. Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J.; Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio; Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, and Michelle Feldman, Auburn, N.Y., had previously qualified for the special event during the PBA World Series of Bowling.

2009-10 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR STATS

EARNINGS, Events, Total
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 9, $70,700
2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 9, $57,050
3, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 9, $54,400
4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 9, $53,800
5, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 9. $51,900
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 9, $49,050
7, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 9, $44,300
8, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 9, $42,700
9, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 9, $41,700
10, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 8, $39,675

AVERAGES, Games, Avg.
1, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 248, 224.11
2, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 190, 223.84
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 240, 222.13
4, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 171, 221.30
5, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 234, 221.26
6, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 202, 221.23
7, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 196, 219.92
8, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 217, 219.81
9, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 210, 219.61
10, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 150, 219.29

PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS, Titles, Points
1, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1, 28
Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1, 28
3, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1, 20
4, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1, 18
5, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1, 16
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 0, 16
Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 1, 16
Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1, 16
Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1, 16
Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1, 16

2009-10 PBA WOMEN’S SERIES PRESENTED BY BOWL.COM STATS

EARNINGS, Events, Total
1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 6, $36,600
2, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 6, $34,300
3, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6, $30,500
4, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 5, $18,700
5, Stefanie Nation, Grand Prairie, Texas, 6, $15,600
6, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio, 6, $15,300
7, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 6, $14,600
8, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3, $14,500
9, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 6, $12,700
10, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 6, $12,000

AVERAGES, Games, Avg.
1, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 155, 217.85
2, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 150, 214.40
3, Shannon Pluhowsky, Kettering, Ohio, 144, 213.15
4, Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 70, 211.37
5, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 123, 211.05
6, Tammy Boomershine, North Ogden, Utah, 123, 210.02
7, Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 135, 207.06
8, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 123, 206.80
9, Wendy Macpherson, Henderson, Nev., 115, 206.34
10, Lindsay Baker, Amherst, N.Y., 78, 206.13

Kelly Kulick Making Impressive Showing as Only Woman
in PBA Tournament of Champions

Averaging 229 after three rounds of qualifying Thursday, Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., is making her presence felt as the only woman competing in the 45th Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes.

Kulick, who became the first woman ever to earn a berth in the Tournament of Champions by winning the PBA Women’s World Championship earlier this season, is currently in a tie for fourth place with a 5,496 24-game pinfall and now heads into the match play portion of the tournament which begins later this afternoon.

The 32 year-old Kulick originally made Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour history in 2006 when she became the first woman to earn an exemption to compete on the Tour. Her best finish during the 2006-2007 season was 22nd.

“I drew on a lot of experience from that season for this tournament,” Kulick said. “So far I’ve been able to find an area of the lane to play where most of the guys either aren’t or can’t play. I’m getting good ball reaction and my carry percentage is high.”

Kulick is not a stranger to doing well in majors. In women’s professional competition she won the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Queens and the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open in addition to winning the PBA Women’s World Championship.

“I think my experience in major competitions has helped too,” she said. “There can be more pressure associated with those events and I’ve been able to handle that pressure pretty well. But, I’m not taking anything for granted. There’s still a long way to go and things can change quickly in match play.”

Three-time PBA Tour titlist Rhino Page, who finished second in last season’s Tournament of Champions, maintained his position as tournament leader with a 5,580 pinfall and averaging 232.5 for 24 games.

Tied for fourth with Kulick is PBA Hall of Famer and 1987 Tournament of Champions winner Pete Weber.
Weber, tied for third all-time with 34 PBA Tour wins, is trying for his ninth major title. He is currently tied for second with Mike Aulby in career majors with eight. Earl Anthony is the all-time leader with 10 major titles.

Among those in the top 24 advancing to this afternoon’s first match play round are Hall of Famer and all-time PBA Tour win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (46) in 18th, who needs a Tournament of Champions win to complete PBA’s Triple Crown, Grand Slam and Super Slam.

Other past champions advancing to match play are Jason Couch (1999, 2000, 2002) who is trying to become the first four-time Tournament of Champions winner in 15th; two-time winner Mark Williams (1985, 1988) in 11th; Chris Barnes (2006) in seventh; Bryan Goebel (1998) in 13th and Wayne Webb (1980) in 17th.

The field has been cut to the top 24 players who will compete in an eight-game match play round this evening and two more eight-game rounds on Friday. After Friday's match play, the top four will be determined for the finals which will be televised at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.


PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Nev.

Third Round (after 24 games)
(Top 24 advance to match play)

1, Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 5,580
2, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 5,540
3, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 5,529
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 5,496
Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 5,496
6, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 5,427
7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5,385
8, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 5,365
9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5,355
10, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 5,315
11, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 5,306
12, Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., 5,271
13, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 5,263
14, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 5,251
15, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 5,248
16, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 5,239
17, Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., 5,235
18, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 5,222
19, Mika Koivuniemi, Howell, Mich., 5,218
20, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 5,199
Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 5,199
22, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 5,185
23, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 5,180
24, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 5,168

Failed to advance
25, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5,164, $1,800
26, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 5,157, $1,770
27, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 5,152, $1,725
Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 5,152, $1,725
29, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 5,139, $1,680
30, Hugh Miller, Mercer Island, Wash., 5,129, $1,650
31, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 5,111, $1,620
32, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 5,100, $1,590
Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 5,100, $1,590
34, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 5,094, $1,560
35, Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas, 5,089, $1,540
36, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 5,079, $1,520
37, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5,066, $1,500
38, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 5,062, $1,470
Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 5,062, $1,470
40, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 5,059, $1,440
41, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 5,058, $1,430
42, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 5,050, $1,420
43, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 5,040, $1,410
44, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 5,039, $1,400
45, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 5,035, $1,390
46, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 5,030, $1,380
47, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 5,024, $1,370
48, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 5,003, $1,360
49, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 4,984, $1,350
50, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 4,952, $1,340
51, Mike Mineman, St Louis, 4,944, $1,330
52, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 4,932, $1,320
53, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash., 4,922, $1,310
54, Del Ballard Jr., Keller, Texas, 4,913, $1,300
55, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 4,890, $1,300
56, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 4,880, $1,300
57, Roy Buckley, Westerville, Ohio, 4,797, $1,300
58, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,783, $1,300
59, Dave Arnold, Dublin, Calif., 4,745, $1,300
60, Dave Soutar, Bradenton, Fla., 4,583, $1,300
61, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 4,427, $1,300
62, Don McCune, Las Vegas, 4,403, $1,300
63, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., WD, $1,300

Here & There Column 1-19-10

Marcellus Shale High In Radioactivity?

With the State of New York apparently not listening to calls to stop or slow down gas drilling a relatively new subject that will have to be addressed is the question that Marcellus shale could be naturally high in radioactivity.
If this is a proven fact making the disposal of waste water from the drilling could become a severe problem.
A story released last fall by Abraham Lustgarten in ProPublica, the nonprofit online investigative news producer, said that the DEC has analyzed 13 samples of waste water brought up from the drilling's and found that the samples contain radium 226 in much higher levels than are considered safe....and in some cases 267 times the level safe for discharge into the environment.
This might be a severe problem and if continued testing proves that initial finding, gas companies could be saddled with increased regulations and expenses for treating the waste water.
The waste water is considered the most troublesome issue attached to drilling in the Northeast. The question here is will the DEC find it difficult to establish safe levels of exposure, since ordinary exposure from the sun, soil and bricks in homes can be 400 milligrams a year.
The ProPublica article notes that naturally occurring radioactive materials called NORM, are common in gas and oil drilling water, particularly in brine, the water that lies in the shale and is brought to the surface with recovered drill water.
Radium gives off radon gas, which can cause cancer to people in an enclosed space.
In gas drilling operations in other parts of the country operators inject the waste water back into played out wells for storage but that is unlikely to happen in the Northeast.
Disposal and treatment of waste water in Marcellus shale drilling's could become a major issue and one of which should be carefully studied and not ignored or swept under the carpet by any agency.

Bowling Highlights Column 1-15-10

International Bowling Campus New Facilities

Mike Scroggins

Bowling Industry Under One Roof

For the first time in the 5,000-year history of the sport, the bowling industry will be united under one roof with the grand opening of the International Bowling Campus (IBC) in Arlington, Texas, an unprecedented event in sports history. The IBC, located at 621 Six Flags Drive, is in close proximity to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Rangers Ballpark and the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. The 100,000-plus square foot IBC complex will house more than 200 employees. At 2:30 pm on January 25, the campus will open its doors with a historic ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a star-studded gathering of national and local celebrities.
The campus will serve as home to the new and expanded International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. The state-of-the-art museum will feature interactive displays and exhibits along with rare, one-of-a-kind items from the various eras dating back to 3,200 B.C. The IBC will also house the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) and an expansive pro shop making it the premier pro shop of the bowling industry. Additionally, the IBC will act as the central operating facility for the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).
“The International Bowling Campus marks a first in sports and its impact on the bowling industry simply cannot be understated. Bringing together all of the leading entities in bowling under a single roof is a tremendous step forward in uniting and strengthening our industry,” said Steve Johnson, executive director of the BPAA. “With already more than 69.3 million bowlers in the U.S. alone, the opening of the IBC sets the stage for a new era of growth for bowling and signifies the incredible worldwide resurgence in popularity that bowling has seen in recent years.”
“The grand opening of the International Bowling Campus is a historic event that ushers in a thrilling new era for bowling. Through the creation of the IBC, which includes the first International Training and Research Center, we have a world-class facility that enables us to offer tremendous resources to help enhance the sport of bowling across all levels of play,” said Stu Upson, executive director of the USBC. “Additionally, working side-by-side with the BPAA will further enable us to enhance and strengthen the sport of bowling on a local level.”
In addition to the BPAA and USBC, the International Bowling Campus will include the:
· International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame – Formerly located in St. Louis, Missouri, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame collects, preserves and displays the 5,000-year history that has lead to the sport of bowling’s worldwide success. In addition to outlining the history of bowling, the completely interactive 21st century International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame will focus on the contemporary era of the sport, specifically its youth programs and international competition. The museum will also house the Celebrity Hall of Fame exhibit, including inductees Lynn Swann, Jerome Bettis and Tom Candiotti. Custom bowling industry merchandise and branded memorabilia will be available at “Spare Partz,” a unique concept in museum stores.
· International Training and Research Center (ITRC) – A United States Olympic Committee-recognized training center, the ITRC will serve as a world-class training facility for professional and amateur bowlers, and will include 20 lanes for training, research, testing and television broadcasts (of the 20 lanes, six will be used exclusively to test and certify bowling equipment prior to worldwide distribution, replicating all lane conditions). The center’s research area will include cutting-edge tools such as a robotic ball thrower, a computerized ball tracking system and a state-of-the-art biomechanics package designed to analyze actual bowling movements and test equipment. The center will be the training home for Team USA, Junior Team USA, international teams, numerous college and high school teams and elite coaches.
The campus will also be home to the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA), the School for Bowling Center Management, the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America (BBIA), Bowling News Network (BNN), Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), Bowling Writers’ Association of America (BWAA) and The Bowling Foundation (charitable arm of the industry).
The new facility will bring events such as the BPAA Bowling Summit, International Bowl Expo in 2011 and numerous nationally televised bowling competitions.

The Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

Bowlers: This weeks tip will focus on Bowling Ball Maintenance for all types of bowling balls used in the modern era ......but we must point out that all balls should be cleaned and maintained after each use.
We will start with the plastic balls, used by new and recreational bowlers and also by experienced bowlers to make certain spares. These balls are not porous but due to the high viscosity oils used today, the oil will build up on the balls and eliminate any contact with the lane. You can use any car care product or household cleaner to clean this type of ball very easily.
Plain urethane balls with no additives are somewhat scarce in today's game, but like plastic balls they are porous and will not absorb oil and dirt. You can use the above products to clean the oil and dirt off the ball. However, if you would like to keep the ball dull, use an abrasive pad.
Then we have the urethane based ball with additives commonly known as reactive or particle balls. Many different chemicals are used as reactive additives and particles, but, since every company uses chemicals from different suppliers they must be maintained differently.
High performance balls are very porous and will absorb oil and dirt fast and this will diminish the performance of the ball as soon as thirty games if not maintained. You should towel the ball off after every shot during use and clean the ball as soon as possible at the end of each bowling session.
There are several ways to clean a high performance ball. If your ball is dull and you would like to keep it that way, you can use warm water, dish detergent and a gray or burgundy pad (3M makes them) or the back of a scrubber sponge. The gray pad will leave the ball surface with a 700 matt finish, burgundy at 500. If you ball does not have a dull surface and you would like to keep the surface the same, you can use dish detergent with a rag (no abrasive) or a generic ball cleaner with made for bowling balls and sold in pro shops. If you find that your ball works best when polished, many products are available in many different degrees of polish to give the desired finish on the ball. Several companies sell products to match the out-of-box finish if desired.
As far as long range maintenance, if you have your ball resurfaced and the oil extracted occasionally, your ball will perform for a much longer period of time than if neglected.
Remember, your ball will treat you as well as you treat it and it will continue to perform for many games if properly maintained.
Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro Shop Operator and Master Instructor. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is a Sales Advisor and Special Events Coordinator with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. 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

PBA News

Mike Scorggins flirted with a perfect game, but settled for an easy victory in winning his seventh career PBA Tour title last Sunday afternoon in the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open presented by the USBC at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan. He defeated Wayne Garber 278-229.
The tour's next stop is this Sunday and features (live) the Earl Anthony Memorial at Earl Anthony's Dublin Bowl in Dublin, Calif. ESPN will televise the finals at 1 p.m. ET.
Complete details are available on our Web Page.

Local Scores

Kiamesha Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men's league include a 228, 651 by Dan Ricco, Vinnie Collura 623, Donald Durland 258, 678, James VanAken 242, 623, Josh Strang 236, 658, Tom Belgiovene 234, John Hoffmann 238, 244, 688, William Bartley 225, David Graham 631, Pete Mitro 236, 601, Jo Jo VanKeuren 226, 265, 692, Al Caycho 603, Jon Wilhelm 268, 245, 716, Glenn Fraser 225, Mickey Lake 228, 643, Eddie Lake 226, 654, Rick Lake 246, 245, 713, Niifa Laresko 232, 226, 638, Jack Moylan 626, James Ratner 251, 668, Allan Jones 225, 267, 653, Paul Curry 234, Steven Rivera 279, 697, Timothy Totten 245, 611, Ronnie Totten 225, 660, Jason Jones Jr. 248, 659.
In the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league Cara Nicholson 196, Carena Collura 202, 517, Pat Mulhern 212, 529, Ronda McClernon 182, Lisa Cartwright 214, Andrea Grossman 190, 182, 511, Russ Keesler 233, 640, Crystal Price 195, 538, Fran Kaiser 199, Allan Jones 238, 648, Tom Cooney 611, Debbie Durland 191, 181, 543, Mal Press 264, 638, Jon Wilhelm 266, 693, Ed Guthrie 226, 654, Mary Lee Williams 512, Joan Lake 191, 194, 554, Dorian Jennings 194, Jack Rustic 225, 615, Shane Cunningham 621, Kevin Stackhouse 237, 233, 672, Roberta Yakin 213, 541, Robert Yakin Sr. 226, John Hoffmann 648, Linda Schaefer 186, 511.
In the Wednesday Men's league Kevin Stackhouse 228, 268, 709, John Lopez 243, 225, 226, 694, Robert Yakin Jr. 225, 610, George Battle Jr. 237, 251, 673, Allan Jones 646, Dean Shattuck 236, 244, 696, Paul Durland 225, 235, 673, Dale Sonnenschein 616, Josh Strang 235, 239, 644, Tom Belgiovene 236, 279, 719, John Hoffmann 238, 257, 657, Rick Lara 242, 647, Tim McIntyre 623, Frank Emmens 246, 611, Michael Travis 265, 663, Troy Morris 636, Wayne Atkins 269, 601, Eddie Lake 246, 256, 696, Gregory Fallon 228, 644, Matt Fallon 246, 233, 695, Richard Bradford 236, 225, 652, Donald Durland 237, 227, 659.
In the Thursday Ladies league Anne Sawyer 205, 531, Joan Lake 189, 184, 530, Christine Schultz 190, Barbara Durbek 194, 218, 202, 614, Mardette Wilcox 200, 550, Debbie Durland 203, 221, 592, Mary Lee Williams 192, 501, Lisa Cartwright 189, 184, 530, Kathy King 184, Bonnie Geraine 181, Kristin Emmett 188, Liz Stubits 182, Cloisa Hopkins 192, Barb Merton 180, Connie McKenley 188.
In the Saturday Morning Youth leagues, in the Pee Wees division, Kaylen Blackford 60, Erin Brawley 69, Jenna Hendricks 67, Renee Schreiber 66, Amelia Edwards 50, Gabriella Goldsmith 68. In the Preps division, Stacey Reuss 73, Shaym Patel 105, 109, Parth Patel 137, Nathaniel Edwards 116, 141, Rupp Patel 131, Tayl'r Porter 78, 111, 91, Rachel Drillings 52, 49,
Shivam Patel 127, 131, Ben Drillings 97, Sierra Barbianti 106, 82, 70, Anthony Pagani 121, Makensie S. 91, 84, Michael Hope 104, 114. In the Jr./Mjrs Shivani Patel 159, Pedro Agapito 214, James Durland 225, 205, Shawn Comfort 116, Kishan Patel 150, Matt Brown 157, 137, Eddie Walsh 223, Shawn Sinistorie 207, Nick Price 197, Jason Moss 187, Amber Bock 118.

Fox Bowling Center

Recent highlight scores in the Wednesday Men's Independent league include a 233, 633 by Tom Anderson, Cody Conway 237, 614, Frank Couse Sr. 268, 258, 698, Frank Couse Jr. 232, 648, Jim Dibble 247, 257, 721, Brandon Drumm 225, Art Gatley 267, 624, Paul Ignatovich 269, 665, Rob Johnson 265, 649, Jerry Kulakosky 244, Donnie Marino 233, 650, Josh Milucky 225, Cory Newman 234, Charlie Reichenbaugh 234, 225, 682, Josh Rice 235, 609, Sam Rowe 613, Jonathon Wayne 263, 230, 243, 736, Zuke Wormuth 235, 615, Jay Wormuth 246, Tony Wright 234, 244, 670.
In the Thursday Men's Deposit National league Al Bullis Sr. 237, 613, Andy Bullis 234, 235, 248, 717, Craig Conklin 614, Jake Curtis 225, Jeff Curtis 622, Bill Gleim 246, 227, 263, 736, John Gurnick 226, Paul Ignatovich 613, Robert Johnson 244, 610, John Lanner 233, 652, Dan Wormuth 243, 632.
In the Sunday Afternoon Mixed Fun league Ray Cornwell 247, 266, 254, 767, Marty Haeussler 234, Don Marino 253, 242, 699, Dave Mills 266, 629, Savanna Mills (youth awards) 165, 148, 129, 442, Chris Wadeson (youth awards) 215, 196, 589.

Beechwood Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Ladies league include Tracey Puerschner 168, Wendy Finn 196, Diane Staves 170, 158, 183, 511, Barbara Cady 171, 160.
In the Tuesday Ladies league Maureen Schlott 189, 485, Pat Peters 177, 166, 503, Debbie Loughrey 174, Rebecca Rhodes 172.
In the Wednesday Men's league Roger Widmann 210, Hopper Hubert 209.

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading, or have league and tournament scores and information, Ed can be reached at 439-8177, vie e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 230-8674. For a more expanded version of the bowling column, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com

PBA Announces Renewed Bayer®
Aspirin and New One A Day® Association

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and Morristown, N.J.-based Bayer Consumer Care have agreed to a renewed and expanded association. One A Day® Men’s 50+ has become the official multivitamin of the 2010 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour in addition to the already established partnership with Bayer Aspirin as the official pain reliever of the Tour.

The agreement includes title sponsorship of the One A Day Dick Weber Open Jan. 26-31 in Fountain Valley, Calif., plus a package of commercial spots, signage, banner advertising on PBA.com, ESPN Classic re-airs and other promotional opportunities throughout 2010.

The agreement also includes sponsorship of the on-air fan player question feature during ESPN telecasts which will be called “More of What Matters to You” presented by One A Day.

“Not only are we excited to continue Bayer Aspirin’s relationship with the Professional Bowlers Association as the official pain reliever but also the opportunity to add One A Day Men’s 50+ as PBA’s official multivitamin,” said Bayer HealthCare Vice President of Marketing and New Business Barton Warner. “We want to take advantage of this opportunity to expand our relationship with the PBA given the value of how effective the organization has been in connecting with its fan base over the years.”

One A Day Men’s will sponsor three bowlers—reigning PBA Player of the Year Wes Malott, two-handed star Jason Belmonte and reigning U.S. Open champion and recent Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open winner Mike Scroggins. The competitors will wear the One A Day logo on their shirt backs and right sleeves and throw specially-made spare balls emblazoned with the One A Day logo.

“We are very excited to join with Bayer in expanding our partnership to include the One A Day brand,” said PBA Commissioner and CEO Fred Schreyer. “This is an example of how PBA strives to bring the best possible marketing value to its sponsors.”

2010 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR SCHEDULE
(All ESPN telecast times are Eastern)


Jan. 12-17 PBA Earl Anthony Memorial and PBA Women’s Series Earl
Anthony Memorial, Earl Anthony’s Dublin Bowl, Dublin, Calif.,
(ESPN telecast Jan. 17, 1 p.m.)

Jan. 19-24 PBA Tournament of Champions, Red Rock Lanes, Red Rock
Casino, Las Vegas, Nev. (ESPN telecast Jan. 24, 1 p.m.)

Jan. 26-31 One A Day® Dick Weber Open, Fountain Bowl, Fountain Valley, Calif.,
(ESPN2 telecast Jan. 31, 1 p.m.)

Feb. 7 Chris Paul Celebrity Invitational
(ESPN telecast Feb. 7, 2 p.m.)

Feb. 9-14 USBC Masters, National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev. (ESPN
telecast Feb. 14, 1 p.m.)

Feb. 16-21 Bayer® Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles, Brunswick Zone-Wheat Ridge,
Wheat Ridge, Colo. (ESPN telecast Feb. 21, 1 p.m.)

Feb. 22-28 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, Woodland Bowl,
Indianapolis (ESPN telecast Feb. 28, 12:30 p.m.)

March 2-7 Etonic Don Johnson Eliminator, Sequoia Lanes, Columbus, Ohio
(ESPN telecast March 7, 2 p.m.)

March 16-21 Go RVing Match Play Championship, Norwich Bowling Center,
Norwich, Conn. (ESPN telecast March 21, 1 p.m.)

March 23-28 GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship, AMF Babylon Lanes,
West Babylon, N.Y. (ESPN telecast March 28, 2 p.m.)

March 29-April 4 Lumber Liquidators Marathon Open, AMF Country Club Lanes,
Baltimore, Md. (ESPN telecast April 4, 1 p.m.)

April 6-8 PBA Experience Showdown presented by BOWL.COM (Special
Event), USBC International Training Center, Arlington, Texas (ESPN
telecast April 11, 1 p.m.)

April 6-8 PBA Women’s Series Showdown presented by BOWL.COM
(Special Event), USBC International Training Center, Arlington, Texas
(ESPN telecast April 18, 1 p.m.)

ANNIKA ACADEMY BECOMES CERTIFIED
CALLAWAY PERFORMANCE CENTER


Since 2007, Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam has shared her passion for golf and fitness along with her own personal coaches with guests at the ANNIKA Academy. The 5,400 square foot state-of-the-art teaching facility is modeled after the process used to mold Annika into one of the most dominant forces in the history of golf. Now, the academy will increase its offerings by becoming one of few certified Callaway Performance Centers (CPC).

As a CPC, the ANNIKA Academy will feature the Callaway Performance Analysis System (CPAS) which is a dual camera based 3D launch monitor system that will measure the club head and golf ball speeds, launch angle, back-spin, side angle, club path and attack angles. CPAS is the same technology that Callaway Golf utilizes for research and development testing as well as club fitting for their PGA TOUR and LPGA professionals. Academy team members Charlotta Sorenstam and Mark Bereza are certified Callaway Golf trained Club Specialists who are trained to analyze and interpret CPAS numbers and select the appropriate Callaway golf equipment to match and ultimately maximize each golfer’s potential.

“I’m happy to continue my relationship with Callaway Golf beyond my playing days,” Annika said. “By becoming a Callaway Performance Center, we get to share the latest fitting technology that the best players in the world use with our guests. Being custom fitted by our team for Callaway’s latest equipment will certainly help golfers improve their game.”

The ANNIKA Academy staff includes Annika’s only ever swing coach Henri Reis, and longtime personal trainer Kai Fusser. Their simple techniques inspire players of all skill levels to reach their potential by transferring more energy and power from the gym to the golf course. The Academy has two spacious hitting booths that offer custom club fitting and video swing analysis. Complete with a modern fitness room, conference room, and full-service locker rooms, the Academy provides individualized golf instruction, personalized fitness and nutrition programs, and custom corporate packages. Guests can play with Annika or benefit from the proven methods of the coaches who guided her illustrious career. With the guest to instructor ratio guaranteed to be no more than four to one, guests are assured an incredible amount of individual attention.

NFL LEGENDS BLITZ BOWLING
PINS FOR CHARITY

For the fifth year in a row, more than 30 NFL legends will hit the lanes at the NFL Super Bowl Celebrity Bowling Classic, presented by NFL Charities and Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), the marketing arm of the bowling industry. Super Bowl legend, MVP of Super Bowl X and dual-sport's Hall of Famer (both football and bowling), Lynn Swann, will return for a third straight year to serve as event host. This year's event, which is open to the public, will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, February 4 at Spare-Z Lanes, located in Davie, FL, just minutes from Dolphin Stadium, the site of Super Bowl XLIV.

Here & There Column 1-12-10

Alternatives To Price Increases

Every time we turn around we see price increases to things we do and items we use on a daily basis.
If it isn't increases in the cost of newsstand prices for daily newspapers it's the increase in tolls on the New York State Thruway and we're willing to bet that the recent cable TV standoffs definitely will threaten our viewing costs.
As one state legislator said recently, we need to "get a grasp of reality."
With the economic challenges we now face we just can't have increases in taxes and spending and many folks also cannot afford probable increases in their cable or satellite television rates.
But those cable and satellite television rate increases are most likely to be seen in the near future now that Fox and Time Warner Cable settled their dispute which refocused attention on the law that allowed broadcasters the right to charge fees to cable and satellite operators for their programs.
An organization known as The Utility Reform Network, a consumer advocacy group, is calling for some sort of government oversight over the cable industry but many say government has their hands in too many of our pockets already.
It's really not right that consumers are put right on the firing line when it comes to cable operators and broadcasters which forces us consumers to bite the bullet with the price increases because its a habit most of us enjoy using on a daily basis.
While visiting with a local businessman recently we noticed a very large computer screen in his office on which he was watching a baseball game. He indicated that this could be the economical future for all television viewers.
I've noticed for some time now various e-mail advertising suggesting that that we can turn our computer PC into a super TV. These e-mail ads say that we can watch Satellite TV on our computer without paying high monthly fees and that its 100 % legal.
We viewed some of the many PC-TV offers that are available and can see that this might be the new standard for television.
One of the PC television advertisements we viewed offered over 3,500 channels with a low one time fee only, no subscriptions or monthly fees, no hardware to install and one of the most interesting aspects of this program is that "you can watch TV right from your laptop or desktop computer anytime or anywhere in the world or connect your computer directly to your TV set."
Sometimes we just have to look at alternatives in life. Finding way's to save money is second nature......it's interesting whats out there.

Bowling Highlights Column 1-8-10

USBC To Roll Our 3 New Oil Patterns

For the past several months, the United States Bowling Congress Equipment Specifications and Certifications team has been testing the new USBC Red, White and Blue patterns, newly created “house” oil patterns designed to present bowlers with conditions of varying difficulty as they progress from beginning bowlers to USBC Sport Bowling members.
To date, the results of all field tests have fallen in line with USBC’s intended and predicted ranges regarding scoring pace and equity to bowlers of all styles; nevertheless, USBC was looking for a higher level of affirmation regarding the Red, White and Blue patterns. That’s just what it got during the Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open presented by the USBC, which was held Dec. 7-13 at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan.
During that event, USBC analyzed the scores of the 24 bowlers that advanced to match play because those players rolled 16 games on each of the three oil patterns, Red, White and Blue. This group, which featured both right-handed and left-handed bowlers of varying bowling styles, was tracked in order to determine whether the Red, White and Blue patterns displayed the same difficulty typical league bowlers experienced – Red being the least challenging, Blue being the most challenging – and whether or not that difficulty was distributed equitably.
“Interestingly, the PBA players scored higher on the White pattern than on the Red,” said Neil Stremmel, USBC Vice President – National Governing Body. “This was not a surprise because the extreme wall on the Red pattern that helps average bowlers can actually hurt elite players by causing their balls to over- and under-react. Still, in a typical league setting, our data shows Red will be the highest scoring of the three patterns.
“But what was truly encouraging about this event was the fairness the three patterns showed to all bowlers. Just look at the TV finalists. You have two lefties (Patrick Allen and Mike Scroggins) and four righties (Walter Ray Williams Jr., Mike Machuga, Michael Fagan and Wayne Garber) that represent every style – straight players, high-rev players and everything in between. That just goes to show that nobody is shut out on these patterns. Players of all styles can succeed, and that is exactly what we expected to see.”
The USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications team also expected high scores, which it got as the five-day tournament featured several bowlers averaging in excess of 240 as well as a Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour-record 31 perfect games.
“The scores were very high, but people need to realize the Red, White and Blue patterns are house patterns, not USBC Sport Bowling or PBA patterns,” USBC Technical Director Steve Kloempken said. “Even the USBC Blue pattern, which is the hardest of the three, is a great deal less challenging than what the PBA pros bowl on week in and week out. Remember, these are the best bowlers in the world. They routinely average 220 or better on most of their patterns, so it really isn’t surprising to see them average 10-20 pins higher on the Red, White and Blue house patterns.”
If the results of current tests continue to fall in line, USBC will finalize the initial testing process and move forward by gathering data at select city and state tournaments this spring. Currently, USBC is still on track for a Fall 2010 roll out of these new patterns.

The Bowling Tip
By Mike Luongo

Bowlers: This week the tip if for all bowlers to truly assist you on how to b est use the dots and arrows on the approach as target aids.
When preparing to execute a bowling shot, whether it is a strike or spare, you must be prepared to understand the path down the lane you intend your bowling ball to take. With this in mind, when stepping on the approach you should have a focal point, simply the point from which the ball will roll off your hand in the direction you intend it to go, picked out.
If you throw a hook ball, you will be rolling the ball toward the intended break point....the spot on the lane you expect your ball to change direction.
If you are rolling the ball straight, the pocket or the pin/pins will be your intended target.
The tip: Look at your intended target and bring your eyes back so the spot on the lane that you are most comfortable looking at....whether it be the dots or an arrow.
To play the modern game, the sooner the ball comes off your hand the better. If you are looking at an arrow and tend to throw or hit up on the ball instead of rolling it off your hand, bring your eyes more toward the dots.
If you are a bowler that tends to play more across the boards with a lot of traction, your focal point should be as far right (or left) as in between the lanes to get the ball to the correct break point.
If you play a straighter game with a small hook, your correct focal point may be toward the 3-pin.
Remember, there is no substitute for making a good shot. If you combine good shots with good thinking, your scores will increase.
Mike Luongo is technically certified through IBPSIA as a Pro Shop Operator and Master Instructor. He is also a Silver Level Coach with the USBC and is a Sales Advisor and Special Events Coordinator with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. If you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 341-1694 or vie e-mail at mikespro@warwick.net

PBA

The Pepsi Red, White and Blue Open presented by the United States Bowling Congress will be this Sunday's (January 10) PBA event.
This tournament was previously taped on December 13 at Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan. and will air on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.

Local Scores

Kiamesha Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Men's league include a 279, 268, 768 by Jaryl Scott, Vinnie Collura 257, 234, 692, Donald Durland 265, 226, 704, James VanAken 236, 232, 685, John Hoffmann 225, 258, 705, John Fischer 226, Jo Jo VanKeuren 232, 268, 667, Jon Wilhelm 622, Frank Scuderi 243, 623, Roy Sweeney 226, 611, Eddie Lake 266, 670, Rick Lake 622, Lloyd Bridges 227, 615, James Frost 622, Frank Amore 603, Robert Sze 230, 608, Kort Wheeler 234, 238, 692, Steven Rivera 228, 661, Mal Press 258, 672, Cory VanKeuren 245, 258, 701.
In the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league Carena Collura 201, 540, Carol MacAdam 183, Pat Mulhern 613, Vinnie Collura 256, 258, 707, Linda Robinson 182, Lisa Cartwright 524, Matt Cooper 254, Andrea Grossman 205, 214, 594, Russ Keesler 233, 614, Crystal Price 205, 245, 606, Fran Kaiser 180, 222, 568, Daniel VanAken 234, 640, Debbie Durland 236, 206, 620, Mal Press 628, Jon Wilhelm 234, 645, Donald Durland 229, 623, Ed Guthrie 256, 236, 675, Mary Lee Williams 189, 516, Joan Lake 199, 194, 222, 615, Shane Cunningham 266, 623, Kevin Stackhouse 235, John Hoffmann 278, 248, 258, 784, Eddie Lake 236, 665, Robert Nicholson 266, Donna DuBois 202, 195, 541.
In the Wednesday Men's league George VanAken Jr. 630, Kenny Atkins 231, 650, Kenneth Hopkins 244, 613, Craig Wilhelm 226, Kevin Stackhouse 653, John Lopez 225, Dave Porter Jr. 228, George Battle Jr. 259, Allan Jones 245, 235, 672, Paul Durland 227, Dale Sonnenschein 258, 661, Josh Strang 247, 633, John Hoffmann 268, 235, 248, 751, Jody Farquhar 235, Tim McIntyre 243, 247, 236, 726, Michael Travis 245, 630, Vincent Degraw 601, Troy Morris 247, Eddie Lake 268, 233, 225, 726, Gregory Fallon 226, 277, 684, Matt Fallon 233, 622, Jon Wilhelm 605.

Fox Bowling Center

Recent highlight scores in the Wednesday Men's Independent league included a 236 by Tom Anderson, Dave Benedict 226, Mike Bowker 243, 625, Cody Conway 246, 600, Jim Dibble 237, 606, Dylan Green 252, 615, Paul Ignatovich 253, 227, 683, Rob Johnson 259, 264, 745, Pat Kille 246, 244, 234, 724, Jerry Kulakosky 258, 662, Donnie Marino 266, 268, 278, 812, Josh Milucky 265, 687Mitch Persbacker 242, Charlie Reichenbaugh 236, Josh Rice 238, Sam Rowe 234, 653, Jonathon Wayne 228, 233, 648, Hank Whitmore 609, Zuke Wormuth 253, 672, Ken Wormuth 257, Jay Wormuth 237, 645, Tony Wright 269, 230, 670.
In the Sunday Afternoon Mixed Fun league Marty Haeussler 243, 246, 704, Don Marino 622, Rick Mills 226, Fred Shakelton 231.

Beechwood Lanes

Recent highlight scores in the Monday Ladies league include a 183 by Wendy Adams, Tracey Puerschner 179, Karen Borowski 167, Diane Staves 177, 160, Barbara Cady 174.
In the Tuesday Ladies league Debbie Loughrey 165, 440. Lillian Zieres 164, 448 Rebecca Rhodes 443.

This column is written by Ed Townsend, a public relations consultant to the amateur and professional sport of bowling and to several bowling writers associations. If you have a topic that would make good reading or have league and tournament scores and information, Ed can be reached at 439-8177, vie e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 230-8674. For a more expanded version of the bowling column, please visit our Web Page at http://bght.blogspot.com

BOWLING INDUSTRY MAKES SPORTS
HISTORY WITH GRAND OPENING OF
International Bowling Campus

For the first time in the 5,000-year history of the sport, the bowling industry will be united under one roof with the grand opening of the International Bowling Campus (IBC) in Arlington, Texas, an unprecedented event in sports history. The IBC, located at 621 Six Flags Drive, is in close proximity to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Rangers Ballpark and the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. The 100,000-plus square foot IBC complex will house more than 200 employees. At 2:30 pm on January 25, the campus will open its doors with a historic ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by a star-studded gathering of national and local celebrities.



The campus will serve as home to the new and expanded International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. The state-of-the-art museum will feature interactive displays and exhibits along with rare, one-of-a-kind items from the various eras dating back to 3,200 B.C. The IBC will also house the International Training and Research Center (ITRC) and an expansive pro shop making it the premier pro shop of the bowling industry. Additionally, the IBC will act as the central operating facility for the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).



“The International Bowling Campus marks a first in sports and its impact on the bowling industry simply cannot be understated. Bringing together all of the leading entities in bowling under a single roof is a tremendous step forward in uniting and strengthening our industry,” said Steve Johnson, executive director of the BPAA. “With already more than 69.3 million bowlers in the U.S. alone, the opening of the IBC sets the stage for a new era of growth for bowling and signifies the incredible worldwide resurgence in popularity that bowling has seen in recent years.”



“The grand opening of the International Bowling Campus is a historic event that ushers in a thrilling new era for bowling. Through the creation of the IBC, which includes the first International Training and Research Center, we have a world-class facility that enables us to offer tremendous resources to help enhance the sport of bowling across all levels of play,” said Stu Upson, executive director of the USBC. “Additionally, working side-by-side with the BPAA will further enable us to enhance and strengthen the sport of bowling on a local level.”



In addition to the BPAA and USBC, the International Bowling Campus will include the:



· International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame – Formerly located in St. Louis, Missouri, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame collects, preserves and displays the 5,000-year history that has lead to the sport of bowling’s worldwide success. In addition to outlining the history of bowling, the completely interactive 21st century International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame will focus on the contemporary era of the sport, specifically its youth programs and international competition. The museum will also house the Celebrity Hall of Fame exhibit, including inductees Lynn Swann, Jerome Bettis and Tom Candiotti. Custom bowling industry merchandise and branded memorabilia will be available at “Spare Partz,” a unique concept in museum stores.



· International Training and Research Center (ITRC) – A United States Olympic Committee-recognized training center, the ITRC will serve as a world-class training facility for professional and amateur bowlers, and will include 20 lanes for training, research, testing and television broadcasts (of the 20 lanes, six will be used exclusively to test and certify bowling equipment prior to worldwide distribution, replicating all lane conditions). The center’s research area will include cutting-edge tools such as a robotic ball thrower, a computerized ball tracking system and a state-of-the-art biomechanics package designed to analyze actual bowling movements and test equipment. The center will be the training home for Team USA, Junior Team USA, international teams, numerous college and high school teams and elite coaches.



The campus will also be home to the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association (IBPSIA), the School for Bowling Center Management, the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America (BBIA), Bowling News Network (BNN), Strike Ten Entertainment (STE), Bowling Writers’ Association of America (BWAA) and The Bowling Foundation (charitable arm of the industry).



“The new facility will bring events such as the BPAA Bowling Summit, International Bowl Expo in 2011 and numerous nationally televised bowling competitions, which will enhance Arlington’s reputation as a leading Southwestern tourism destination,” said Dr. Robert Cluck, mayor of Arlington.



The grand opening celebration will also include:

International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame and ITRC ribbon-cutting by state and local officials
Ceremonial “first roll” on the lanes at the ITRC
Unveiling of the “Walk of Fame” commemorative brick walkway at the main entrance to the IBC
Grand opening of the ITRC pro shop and “Spare Partz” museum store
Burying of a historic time capsule
Open house and touring of the new facilities


The grand opening events will be held in conjunction with the BPAA’s Bowling Summit, which will be attended by proprietors representing thousands of bowling centers from across the United States as well as the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers. For more details about the International Bowling Campus, please visit http://internationalbowlingcampus.com/.


About International Bowling Campus

The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 69 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers’ Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.