Brittany Pratt of Citrus Heights, Calif. (pictured), used the momentum of a 298 game to take the lead in Scratch and Diamond Singles at the 2012 United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships on May 13. The 21-year-old right-hander rolled games of 192, 298 and 246 to finish with a 736 series at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev. She entered the 2012 event with a 201 average and received an additional 19 pins of handicap per game to finish with a 793 handicap total.
Longevity was the theme at the 2012 USBC Open Championships this week as four bowlers took their places in history as members of the tournament's elite 50-Year Club. Wayne Vanwey of Springfield, Ohio, George Barnes of Buffalo, N.Y., and Bill Hohensee of Lexington, Ky., added their names to the list May 12, while David Stackhouse of Ashland, Ohio, made his milestone march down Center Aisle at the Baton Rouge River Center on May 13.
Judy Dugas (l.) of Lafayette, La., and Mary Lou Baird (r.) of Steger, Ill., both made their USBC Women's Championships debuts at the 1963 event in Memphis, Tenn., and they recently joined elite company by making their 50th-consecutive tournament appearances. Dugas and Baird became the third and fourth bowlers of the 2012 USBC Women's Championships to reach the historic mark.
The Detroit area will play host to bowling's biggest youth tournaments in 2013, the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships and the USBC Youth Open Championships. The North Pointe Junior Gold Championships will take place at Sunnybrook Lanes and Sterling Lanes, both in Sterling Heights, Mich., and AMF Rose Bowl in Roseville, Mich., from July 13-19, 2013. Sterling Lanes will be the site for the USBC Youth Open Championships, scheduled for July 11-28, 2013.
Vern Denault of Bradley, Ill., and Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Ill. (l-r), have bowled with or against each other since just after high school, and they now share a spot in the USBC Open Championships record books as the 150th and 151st bowlers to reach 50 years of tournament participation. The 74-year-old Denault has only missed two events since his USBC Open Championships debut in Detroit in 1961. Baer, 72, got his start at the Open Championships at the 1959 event in St. Louis.
Team USA's Steve Smith (pictured) of San Diego and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., will represent the United States in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event starting Wednesday. The four-day tournament takes place May 9-12 at the Kegel Training Center in Babson Park, Fla. and will serve as the qualifying event for the 2013 World Games. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide free live streaming from start to finish of the event.
In 2012, the USBC introduced a VIP program to help enhance the tournament experience at the USBC Open Championships, while the one-of-a-kind Showcase Lanes were created to add a new dimension to preparing for competition. Both additions to the tournament landscape have proven to be extremely popular as more than 250 bowlers signed up for the VIP program in its inaugural year, making it a sellout for 2012.
Beckie Eynon of Apalachin, N.Y., set the mark all bowlers will be looking up to as she took the Scratch All-Events lead at the USBC Women's Championships this week. The 38-year-old right-hander, a Southern Tier USBC Hall of Famer, rolled a 722 series in doubles, 708 in team and 663 in singles on her way to a 2,093 all-events score at the National Bowling Stadium. Eynon entered the 2012 tournament with a 226 average, so she was not eligible for any handicap.
LaVerne Carter and Joe Wilman added to Trailblazers Category
Wichita State University (WSU) Head Bowling Coach Gordon Vadakin (pictured) has been chosen as the 2012 inductee into the Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame. Vadakin joins previous inductees Dick Ritger, Tom Kouros, John Jowdy, and Fred Borden in bowling's newest Hall of Fame. Only one coach is honored yearly among bowling's active coaches; but coaches from bowling's rich history who are deceased or retired are also recognized in the Trailblazers category. This year's Trailblazer inductees are Joe Wilman and LaVerne Carter.
For youth bowling coaches, volunteers or parents of children involved in the sport, USA Bowling will provide coaching seminars designed to teach basic bowling coaching skills. The USA Bowling Coaching program already has scheduled 52 seminars throughout the country this fall, and additional seminars will be added. The seminars are a continuation of the program started last year that drew more than 1,100 participants. The seminars are free, are three hours in length and include on-lane and classroom instruction.
Gerald Cole Sr. (pictured left) of Taylor, Mich., and David Finlay (right) of Shawnee Mission, Kan., recently became the 148th and 149th bowlers in USBC Open Championships history to reach 50 years of tournament participation. Both began their Open Championships journeys at the 1960 event in Toledo, Ohio.
8 for 8 Bowling Club includes 8 weeks of bowling and a new ball for $8 per week
The bowling industry is uniting to promote and launch the national "8 for 8" Bowling Club promotion this fall in an effort to introduce more children under the age of 12 to the sport. The program gives kids the opportunity to participate in an 8-week league for $8 per week and includes a custom-fitted ball and a basic United States Bowling Congress Youth membership. The "8 for 8" program is a partnership of the IBC in conjunction with Brunswick and Ebonite International.
Becomes the only bowlers with three 800s in the 109-year history of the event
Matt McNiel (pictured) of Prior Lake, Minn., burst onto the radar at the USBC Open Championships with a record-setting performance in 2010 and has been in the spotlight ever since with one exciting performance after another. The 26-year-old left-hander made history again during doubles Saturday night when he put together games of 268, 300 and 279 for an 847 series, making him the only bowler in 109 years of USBC Open Championships competition with three 800s on the championship lanes.
The latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll was just released and to no surprise the 2012 NCAA Women's Bowling Champions from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) were ranked Number One, amassing 593 points and 19 first place votes. The ranking gives UMES a 15th overall ranking in the Capital One Cup official winter standings, based on the coaches poll voting.
The 2012 United States Bowling Congress Annual Meeting concluded Friday with the election of four board members and the legislative session where 13 proposals were voted on by member delegates, including the rejection of proposals related to membership dues. The USBC Convention and Annual Meeting was held over a three-day period at the Arlington Convention Center and the Sheraton Arlington Hotel.
The USBC Hall of Fame has inducted one of the most diverse classes in its history, including its first wheelchair bowler, one foreign-born player, and a three-time U.S. Open winner. In all, nine individuals were inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Texas,
Alumnus Brent Bowers (2007-2011) is giving back to the Shocker Bowling Program through a $500 scholarship. The Bower's Family Ambassador Scholarship is a $500 award given in the spring semester. It is awarded to a team member who represents the sport of bowling with the highest character and integrity. Bowers is a dynamic former Shocker that has an immense amount of love for sport of bowling. This scholarship is intended to be awarded to a deserving student-athlete who embodies the love and passion of bowling similar to him.
Steve Harms of West Valley City, Utah, and Matt Smith of Altoona, Iowa, rolled the 11th and 12th perfect games of the 2012 USBC Open Championships. Harms (pictured), a 46-year-old left-hander, tossed his 300 at the Baton Rouge River Center on April 19 to become the 23rd bowler in 109 years of competition with two perfect games on the tournament lanes. His first came at the 2011 event in Reno, Nev., and he is the fifth person to accomplish the feat in consecutive years.
The last time Diandra Asbaty of Chicago reached the championship match of the USBC Queens, she bowled a match to forget. On Tuesday night, she bowled a match she will never forget. Asbaty defeated USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 244-227, to win her first career major title at the 2012 USBC Queens presented by Storm. Asbaty needed a strike and seven pins in the final frame and threw three perfect strikes to lock up the win at the International Training and Research Center.
Hawks claim wins in three athletic categories and other academic awards
The Center for HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Media Advocacy held their annual awards banquet this past Friday night, April 20. The awards celebrate the 2011 campaign. An article published by HBCUDigest.com announcing the winners stated that "the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) was the big winner of the evening, capturing best research center, best female athlete and coach, and best women's program."
Longevity was the theme at the 2012 USBC Open Championships this week as four bowlers took their places in history as members of the tournament's elite 50-Year Club. Wayne Vanwey of Springfield, Ohio, George Barnes of Buffalo, N.Y., and Bill Hohensee of Lexington, Ky., added their names to the list May 12, while David Stackhouse of Ashland, Ohio, made his milestone march down Center Aisle at the Baton Rouge River Center on May 13. 
Judy Dugas (l.) of Lafayette, La., and Mary Lou Baird (r.) of Steger, Ill., both made their USBC Women's Championships debuts at the 1963 event in Memphis, Tenn., and they recently joined elite company by making their 50th-consecutive tournament appearances. Dugas and Baird became the third and fourth bowlers of the 2012 USBC Women's Championships to reach the historic mark. 
The Detroit area will play host to bowling's biggest youth tournaments in 2013, the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships and the USBC Youth Open Championships. The North Pointe Junior Gold Championships will take place at Sunnybrook Lanes and Sterling Lanes, both in Sterling Heights, Mich., and AMF Rose Bowl in Roseville, Mich., from July 13-19, 2013. Sterling Lanes will be the site for the USBC Youth Open Championships, scheduled for July 11-28, 2013.
Vern Denault of Bradley, Ill., and Gordy Baer of Tinley Park, Ill. (l-r), have bowled with or against each other since just after high school, and they now share a spot in the USBC Open Championships record books as the 150th and 151st bowlers to reach 50 years of tournament participation. The 74-year-old Denault has only missed two events since his USBC Open Championships debut in Detroit in 1961. Baer, 72, got his start at the Open Championships at the 1959 event in St. Louis.
Team USA's Steve Smith (pictured) of San Diego and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., will represent the United States in the Pan American Bowling Confederation Champion of Champions event starting Wednesday. The four-day tournament takes place May 9-12 at the Kegel Training Center in Babson Park, Fla. and will serve as the qualifying event for the 2013 World Games. BOWL.com's BowlTV will provide free live streaming from start to finish of the event.
In 2012, the USBC introduced a VIP program to help enhance the tournament experience at the USBC Open Championships, while the one-of-a-kind Showcase Lanes were created to add a new dimension to preparing for competition. Both additions to the tournament landscape have proven to be extremely popular as more than 250 bowlers signed up for the VIP program in its inaugural year, making it a sellout for 2012.
Beckie Eynon of Apalachin, N.Y., set the mark all bowlers will be looking up to as she took the Scratch All-Events lead at the USBC Women's Championships this week. The 38-year-old right-hander, a Southern Tier USBC Hall of Famer, rolled a 722 series in doubles, 708 in team and 663 in singles on her way to a 2,093 all-events score at the National Bowling Stadium. Eynon entered the 2012 tournament with a 226 average, so she was not eligible for any handicap.
Wichita State University (WSU) Head Bowling Coach Gordon Vadakin (pictured) has been chosen as the 2012 inductee into the Bowling Coaches Hall of Fame. Vadakin joins previous inductees Dick Ritger, Tom Kouros, John Jowdy, and Fred Borden in bowling's newest Hall of Fame. Only one coach is honored yearly among bowling's active coaches; but coaches from bowling's rich history who are deceased or retired are also recognized in the Trailblazers category. This year's Trailblazer inductees are Joe Wilman and LaVerne Carter.
For youth bowling coaches, volunteers or parents of children involved in the sport, USA Bowling will provide coaching seminars designed to teach basic bowling coaching skills. The USA Bowling Coaching program already has scheduled 52 seminars throughout the country this fall, and additional seminars will be added. The seminars are a continuation of the program started last year that drew more than 1,100 participants. The seminars are free, are three hours in length and include on-lane and classroom instruction.
The bowling industry is uniting to promote and launch the national "8 for 8" Bowling Club promotion this fall in an effort to introduce more children under the age of 12 to the sport. The program gives kids the opportunity to participate in an 8-week league for $8 per week and includes a custom-fitted ball and a basic United States Bowling Congress Youth membership. The "8 for 8" program is a partnership of the IBC in conjunction with Brunswick and Ebonite International.
Matt McNiel (pictured) of Prior Lake, Minn., burst onto the radar at the USBC Open Championships with a record-setting performance in 2010 and has been in the spotlight ever since with one exciting performance after another. The 26-year-old left-hander made history again during doubles Saturday night when he put together games of 268, 300 and 279 for an 847 series, making him the only bowler in 109 years of USBC Open Championships competition with three 800s on the championship lanes.
The latest National Tenpins Coaches Association (NTCA) poll was just released and to no surprise the 2012 NCAA Women's Bowling Champions from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) were ranked Number One, amassing 593 points and 19 first place votes. The ranking gives UMES a 15th overall ranking in the Capital One Cup official winter standings, based on the coaches poll voting. 
The 2012 United States Bowling Congress Annual Meeting concluded Friday with the election of four board members and the legislative session where 13 proposals were voted on by member delegates, including the rejection of proposals related to membership dues. The USBC Convention and Annual Meeting was held over a three-day period at the Arlington Convention Center and the Sheraton Arlington Hotel.
The USBC Hall of Fame has inducted one of the most diverse classes in its history, including its first wheelchair bowler, one foreign-born player, and a three-time U.S. Open winner. In all, nine individuals were inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Texas, 
Alumnus Brent Bowers (2007-2011) is giving back to the Shocker Bowling Program through a $500 scholarship. The Bower's Family Ambassador Scholarship is a $500 award given in the spring semester. It is awarded to a team member who represents the sport of bowling with the highest character and integrity. Bowers is a dynamic former Shocker that has an immense amount of love for sport of bowling. This scholarship is intended to be awarded to a deserving student-athlete who embodies the love and passion of bowling similar to him.
Steve Harms of West Valley City, Utah, and Matt Smith of Altoona, Iowa, rolled the 11th and 12th perfect games of the 2012 USBC Open Championships. Harms (pictured), a 46-year-old left-hander, tossed his 300 at the Baton Rouge River Center on April 19 to become the 23rd bowler in 109 years of competition with two perfect games on the tournament lanes. His first came at the 2011 event in Reno, Nev., and he is the fifth person to accomplish the feat in consecutive years.
The last time Diandra Asbaty of Chicago reached the championship match of the USBC Queens, she bowled a match to forget. On Tuesday night, she bowled a match she will never forget. Asbaty defeated USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 244-227, to win her first career major title at the 2012 USBC Queens presented by Storm. Asbaty needed a strike and seven pins in the final frame and threw three perfect strikes to lock up the win at the International Training and Research Center.
The Center for HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Media Advocacy held their annual awards banquet this past Friday night, April 20. The awards celebrate the 2011 campaign. An article published by HBCUDigest.com announcing the winners stated that "the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) was the big winner of the evening, capturing best research center, best female athlete and coach, and best women's program."