Sports

Two announcements from the United States Bowling Congress dealing with the maximum age of a “youth” bowler and the prevention of minor athlete abuse over the past couple of months have caused a bit of a stir among local association officers and junior program leaders.

In late July, the USBC – the sport of bowling’s governing body – issued a directive stating that it will be lowering the maximum age for USBC Youth membership to 18 starting with the 2020-21 season.

The decision to lower the top age from 20 to 18 impacts 3.3 percent of the current youth membership, which (in my estimation) is several thousand bowlers nationwide.

Gary Brown, managing director of youth development for the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas, said the changes to USBC Youth programs and tournaments “provide a model comparable with other youth sports.”

“We moved to age-based divisions, as opposed to average, for events, to provide peer-to-peer competition. Setting the maximum age for youth bowlers to 18 aligns us with the standard of other national youth sports organizations,” he reasoned.

For the Pepsi Youth and Bowling.com Youth Open Championships in 2020-21, the U18 division will become the top division. Brown said the USBC will address how the age change will impact the 2021 Junior Gold Championships, which will have a separate U20 division.

The effect on hometown youth programs will be felt next season as USBC members who were 19 or 20 years old will no longer be able to compete in youth leagues and, as a result, will miss out on the potential to earn scholarships for college.

When asked to comment about these developments, Brad Buckert of Rochester, longtime youth bowling coach and tournament director (and former coach of the Rochester Institute of Technology bowling team), said he has “mixed feelings.”

“I’m glad that they (USBC) appear to be waiting until the 2020-21 season to implement changes for Junior Gold, because kids would have already qualified for 2019-20 without the new rules in effect,” he said. “As far as for the lowering the youth age from 20 to 18, I have mixed feelings about that.”

“Is it the right thing to do because of the other sports? Bowling is sort of unique because kids can earn scholarship money to help pay for college until they are 20 as it exists now. This will be taken away.

“Does that mean that colleges will offer more scholarships to bowlers than they do now? We know that girls can be NCAA athletes for bowling and get up to a full ride scholarship. Boys do not have this opportunity because of Title IX. Not sure how that will work itself out.

“Also it forces 18-year-olds to become adult bowlers, which to me is a way for the USBC to get more money, increase its paying membership and will also stop the kids from being able to bowl in scholarship tournaments at that point. They would have to join an adult league which some people will argue there are forms of gambling going on and we know that can only hurt the kids’ collegiate eligibility.”

Buckert said he is upset that kids will be losing two years of (scholarship) earning power and worries that once they turn 18, that these young people will leave the game.

“We all know we can't afford to lose any more membership in our sport and maybe the kids won't join Adult leagues -- and then they could be gone.”

The second announcement that I referred to in the opening paragraph requires any USBC Youth member who reaches the age of 18 during the bowling season to complete the U.S. Center for SafeSport online education program, which is free, to continue to compete in leagues that have participants under age 18.

Katrina Smoot, rules coordinator for USBC, said she has received a lot of feedback – much of it negative – about this rule.

“What our members are more concerned about is the SafeSport policy, per federal law, that requires any adult 18 and older competing in a USBC league with minors 17-and-under must complete the SafeSport training and the officers of the league must complete the Registered Volunteer Program background check process,” she said.

A perfect example of this is an Adult-Child League where all those 18 and over would be required to take the two-hour online course through bowl.com. The course is free to all USBC members from 2018-19 or 2019-20 through Dec. 31, 2019.

Smoot said the USBC’s appeal to the U.S. Center for SafeSport to be exempt from these requirements due to the unique structure of league bowling was denied.

“We tried to explain that our programs are a little different than other sports, but we were told that we have to comply just like other sport national governing bodies,” she said. “We will continue to try to talk to them and monitor policy that may be changing, but for now, this is the way it is.”

The SafeSport training for 18-and-over bowlers doesn’t pertain to tournaments, although the tournament manager where minors are participating must go through the RVP screening and the SafeSport online training.

Additionally, all officers and directors on USBC state and local boards of directors are required to be RVP and SafeSport-certified.

Topics covered through the SafeSport Trained course include mandatory reporting, sexual misconduct awareness education, and emotional and physical misconduct.

For more about the RVP and SafeSport policies, go to bowl.com, scroll over the Youth tab at the top of the page and click on Registered Volunteer Program.

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TWO GRUSBC BOWLERS CASH IN BROCKPORT EVENT

Albion’s Reid Cole and Batavia’s Paul Spiotta were among the “cashers” Sunday at the first Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Singles Tour event at Brockport Bowl.

Spiotta qualified in the fourth position following an 872 four-game total while Cole was the No. 9 qualifier with 839. Twelve of the 41 entrants advanced to the eliminator rounds.

Both local keglers were eliminated in the first round (one game) as they failed to place in the top six.

Mike Feola of Rochester took top honors, qualifying fifth with 869, before going on to roll games of 206, 205 and 230 in the eliminator rounds. John Danielewicz of Sanborn placed second and Gary Kinyon of Lockport was third.

Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen will host the next tournament on Oct. 27. Kress announced that there will be two squads – 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with a three-game qualifier.

For more information or to enter, contact Kress at tommys60tour@gmail.com.

GR YOUTH TRAVEL LEAGUE SCHEDULE RELEASED

The Genesee Region Youth Travel League gets under way this Sunday with competition set for 12:30 p.m. at Mount Morris Lanes.

The league has eight teams this season, representing Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Mount Morris Lanes, Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Rose Garden Bowl, Legion Lanes in Le Roy and Perry Bowling Center.

The schedule is as follows. Bowling starts at 12:45 p.m., except for this Sunday.

-- Oct. 13, Mount Morris Lanes
-- Oct. 27, Mancuso Bowling Center
-- Nov. 10, Oak Orchard Bowl
-- Dec. 1, Rose Garden Bowl
-- Dec. 15, Legion Lanes
-- Dec. 29, Rose Garden Bowl
-- Jan. 19, Oak Orchard Bowl
-- Feb. 9, Perry Bowling Center
-- Feb. 23, Mount Morris Lanes (no-tap and banquet)

LOCAL BOWLING SPONSOR AWARDS GRANTS TO THREE CHILDREN

Bill Hayes, sponsor of the Turnbull Heating Junior League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, congratulates (from left) Elianna Shisler (Prep division), Jaydon Winspear (Junior-Senior division) and Jeremy Summers (Bumper division) after they were selected in a random drawing to win a free season of youth bowling courtesy of Turnbull Heating.

CASTING MY HALL OF FAME VOTE FOR TOMMY JONES

I received my invitation earlier this week from the Professional Bowlers Association media relations staff to cast my vote for the Hall of Fame.

This year, only one member is eligible, that being Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., 41, a PBA member since 2000.

It didn’t take me very long to return the email with the word “YES” as, without a doubt, Jones is worthy of enshrinement. The ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 18 as part of the PBA Hall of Fame Classic tournament weekend at the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas.

Jones, a high-revving right-hander, has amassed $1.7 million in prize money over his 19-year career with 19 PBA regular tour titles and another 13 PBA regional titles. He has two major championships on his resume – the 2006 U.S. Open at North Brunswick, N.J., and the 2007 PBA Tournament of Champions in Uncasville, Conn.

Ranked in 2009 as No. 30 on the list of PBA’s 50 greatest players, Jones was selected as the Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year in 2001-02 and earned the Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award in 2005-06.

LOCAL TOURNAMENTS ON THE HORIZON

Saturday, Oct. 26 – GRUSBC Handicap Bracket Challenge, Mancuso Bowling Center

Saturday, Sunday, Nov. 2-3 – GRUSBC Gladys Ford Senior Women, Perry Bowling Center

Sunday, Nov. 3 – GRUSBC Senior Masters, Mount Morris Lanes

Sunday, Nov. 10 – Rochester/GRUSBC BVL, Pleasure Lanes, Hilton

Saturday, Nov. 16 -- Brian Morasco Memorial 3 –person handicap, Mancuso Bowling Center

Sunday, Nov. 17 -- Triple O Mechanical Handicap Singles, Rose Garden Bowl, Bergen

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

With the final matinee card of racing at Batavia Downs coming up on Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 14) and no racing the following Wednesday (Oct. 16), horsemen are advised of the following changes in the draw schedule for the upcoming week. 

The draw for Friday (Oct. 11) will be held on Tuesday (Oct. 8).

The draw for Saturday (Oct. 12) will be held on Wednesday (Oct. 9). 

The draw for Columbus Day Monday (Oct. 14) will be held on Thursday (Oct. 10). 

The draw for Friday (Oct. 18) will be held on Tuesday (Oct. 15). 

The draw for Saturday (Oct. 19) will be held on Wednesday (Oct. 16). 

The box closes at 9 a.m. for all draws. Questions can be directed to Race Secretary Joe Zambito at 585-344-6161. 

Please see the new condition sheet for further information. 

Saturday night (Oct. 5) will be one that Oakfield native Mike Caprio will never forget because he captured his career milestone 2,000th driving win with his own prized trotter BZ Glide in the featured $12,500 Brian Schroeder Memorial Trot at Batavia Downs. 

After a two-month summer vacation and one qualifier back, BZ Glide left from the pylons and cut fractions of :28, :58.3 and 1:28.1 before turning for home and holding off all challengers under a line drive by Caprio to win in a season's best 1:57.4. 

The win was a true family affair as BZ Glide ($5.40) is owned by the Caprio Stable and is trained by Mike Caprio's wife, Alana. 

Caprio got his driver’s license in 1981 and has been competing full time ever since. His first driving successes came behind two main horses; his father Joe Caprio’s prized pacer Prosecutor and a horse he owned with his dad, Connecticut Glove. 

Prosecutor (Flying Bret-Chuck’s Maid 1:59.3, $104,902) was a 58-time winner lifetime and a top-class pacer in Western New York for many years, winning 39 of those races on that circuit with the younger Caprio at the lines. 

Connecticut Glove (Bullet Hanover-Congress Glove 2:00.3, $211,261) was a hard-knocking overnighter who won 43 races lifetime, 20 of which had Caprio in tow. 

Since the early years Caprio has owned 57 horses and had much success with many of them, but the one that stands out as the shining star of his career was his 2,000th winning drive, BZ Glide.

BZ Glide (Yankee Glide-Bloomer Zoomer 1:56.1, $339,847) was purchased as a 2-year-old by Caprio and his wife Alana and they developed him into one of the best Open class trotters to ever compete in Western New York. Now 10-years-old, BZ Glide has won 45 races with Caprio at the helm and has been the cornerstone of their operation during that time. 

Caprio has also been responsible for much of the driving success of another Western New York 56-time winning star, Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover 1:47.3, $406,886) who is trained by Terence Mc CLory. 

Besides driving his own horses, Caprio has always been a very popular catch driver throughout his career. As a result he has scored 2,000 wins out of 14,904 starts with 1,829 seconds and 1,839 thirds and has earnings of $4,942,824. His highest earnings year was 1989 ($251,170) and he scored his most wins in 1988 (129).

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A pair of $9,000 claiming/conditioned trots topped the card at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Oct. 4) and the winner of each took a different route to victory. 

Call My Broker (Jim Morrill Jr.) took full advantage of his pylon post position and seated the field off the gate. Then, after cutting moderate fractions of :28.4, :59.3 and 1:29.1, Morrill kept Call My Broker rolling down the lane and held off the pocket-sitting Barn Winner (Ray Fisher Jr.) to win by three quarters of a length in 1:58.3. 

Call My Broker ($3.60) scored his fourth win of the year for owner Frank Meier and trainer Angelo Nappo. 

Later in the other division, Alert Hanover (Shawn McDonough) started from post two and opted to stay there, taking the garden spot trip behind Golden Tate (Jim Morrill Jr.) from the start to the top of the lane where Golden Tate made a break he did not recover from. McDonough directed his horse around the off-stride trotter and cruised home on top by a length, also in 1:58.3.

Winning his fourth race of the year as well, Alert Hanover ($6.80) was owned by Carl Kuepfer and trained by Patrick Shepherd until the race ended when he was claimed. 

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on today (Oct. 5) with post time at 6 p.m.

Although the weather turned decidedly cooler after the rain on tonight (Oct. 2) in Western New York, driver Drew Monti was red hot at Batavia Downs as he won six races on the card, including a natural Grand Slam in races three to six. 

Monti visited the Purple Haze Winner’s Circle with A J Cash (2:01, $2.70), Rock N Roll Rosie (1:57.3, $8.40), Our Art And Heaven (1:59.2, $4.60), Cracked Glass (1:58.4, $9.10), Terlingua (1:56.3, $19.60) and Tymal Luckynpink (1:57.2, $3.90). 

Monti hit the board with a second and a third as well giving him a .530 Universal Driver Rating (UDR) for the night. 

Over the last six race nights at Batavia Downs, Monti has been the winningest driver on the grounds with 10 victories in 33 starts giving him a win percentage of 30 percent, and including his five seconds and four thirds, he has a UDR of .428 during that same time.

The feature race for the night was the $12,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap that saw Little Joke (Billy Davis Jr.) leave from post seven to take the lead and keep it throughout the mile and win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:56.1. 

It was the seventh win of the year for Little Joke ($15) who is owned by Vogel and Wags Nags Stable and Jack Rice. Maria Rice trains the winner. 

Davis had two more winners on the card beside the feature giving him a driving hat trick as well. 

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Oct. 4) with post time at 6 p.m.

(Photo of Drew Monti courtesy of Steve Roth.)

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Saturday (Sept. 28) marked the halfway point of the 2019 Batavia Downs harness racing season and all indicators are showing so far, it has been one of the best in the track’s history.  

The on-track handle up 15.1 percent, the export handle is up 26.1 percent, OTB handle is up 8.7 percent and total betting from all sources associated with Western Regional OTB is up 20.5 percent or $820,609.

“The numbers are very impressive, but the product has been as well,” said Todd Haight, director/general manager of Live Racing at Batavia Downs. “Our overnight racing has been very competitive and we’ve had many guaranteed pools in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association’s Strategic Wagering Program which draw bettors from all over to follow our track.

"And our New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) Night of Champions was the jewel of the season and it has exposed many new local people to our sport as a result.” 

Many horses have set seasonal or lifetime marks at Batavia since the meet started, plus seven new track records have already been set since July. Trotters Hypnotic Am, Quincy Blue Chip, Third Shift and CR Blazin Beauty along with pacers Hickfromfrenchlick, American Mercury and Cigars And Port account for those new track standards. 

There were also two stake records broken by Hypnotic Am and Third Shift during the NYSS Night of Champions. 

At this point of the season Billy Davis Jr. is the leading driver with 63 wins, Jim Morrill Jr. is second with 58 and Dave McNeight III is third with 46.

On the training side, James Clouser Jr. is on top with 37 wins, Maria Rice is second with 20 and David Russo sits third with 17. 

There is a tie for the winningest horse between Blue Bell Bonny and Tullow N who each have visited Purple Haze Winner’s Circle five times. 

The Batavia Downs meet will continue this afternoon (Oct. 2) with post time at 5 p.m. and runs through Saturday (Dec. 15) with a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday schedule. Post time for Wednesdays is at 5 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays are at 6 p.m. There is one remaining Monday meet, which is Columbus Day (Oct. 14) with an early post of 1:15 p.m.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A torrential rainstorm rolled into Genesee County just prior to post time and downgraded conditions to sloppy before the first race ever hit the track. But the inclement weather and less than desirable track conditions did not prevent Tullow N from imposing his will on his foes in winning the $12,500 Open Handicap pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 28).

Tullow N (John Cummings Jr.) was the only leaver in the feature and Cummings took full advantage of his position. After settling onto the lead, he backed the quarter down to a pedestrian :29 flat and then further throttled-down to a :59.2 half as everyone refused to pull. 

As soon as they entered the third turn, Cummings hit the gas and Tullow N looked more like himself. With a two-length gapped advantage he got to the three-quarters in 1:27.3, swung around the last turn and then just paced away in the lane to win by three in 1:56.

It was the seventh win of the year and fifth of the Batavia meet for Tullow N ($5.90) and owner Blindswitch Racing. Dave Russo trains the winner.

Russo had another training win earlier in the night with Reiki ($4.20) who he also drove in the Billings Amateur Pace. 

In the $11,000 Open II pace, Mr. Euroman N (Billy Davis Jr.) went right to the front and never looked back. After cutting fractions of :27.3, :57 and 1:25.3, Davis rounded the last turn on cruise control and let Mr. Euroman N fly home in 1:55 on top by a 1-½ length margin. It was the second win in a row for Mr. Euroman N ($3.40) who is owned by Vogel and Wags Nags Stable, Jack Rice and Adelphi Bloodstock. Maria Rice trains the winner.  

Drew Monti, Shawn Gray, John Cummings Jr. and Billy Davis Jr. all had driving doubles on the card. Trainer Patrick Shepherd had two wins on the training side. Since last Saturday, Shepherd is the hottest trainer at the Downs, winning nine races in only 17 starts. 

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 2) with post time at 5 p.m.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Tonight (Sept. 28) the Pick-5 at Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel has a carryover pool of $3,202 will be guaranteed at $7,500.

The pool is part of the United States Trotting Association’s (USTA) Strategic Wagering Program and as such, free program pages are available courtesy of Trackmaster on the USTA’s website or by direct download by clicking here.

The Pick-5 wager begins in race one and runs through race five. It is a 50-cent base wager and if all five winners aren’t selected, the carryover amount will then move to the Wednesday (Oct. 2) program.

Saturday’s first five races that comprise the Pick-5 wager include the Open II and Open III paces and the Billings Amateur pace. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m.

Photo of BJ Lorado with driver Shawn McDonough.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

A summer-long resident of the now closed for the season Tioga Downs, BJ Lorado shipped north to Genesee County on Friday night (Sept. 27) and made himself right at home, winning the $12,500 Open Handicap trot at Batavia Downs.

Southern Palms (Jim Morrill Jr.) took command and led the field of seven to the half in a moderate :58 flat. Looking to take his shot, Keystone Apache (Billy Davis Jr.) came first up and was followed by BJ Lorado (Shawn McDonough) and the two forced the leader into a :28.4 third panel. 

Heading into the far turn, Southern Palms was starting to tire and Keystone Apache’s assault had stalled. As a result, McDonough tipped BJ Lorado three-wide at the apex and cleared by the time they straightened away. Down the lane BJ Lorado was in full flight and trotted to the wire on top by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:56.1. 

It was the seventh win of the year for BJ Lorado ($18.20), who is owned by Michael and Diane Norcross and trained by Donna Riedel.  

In the $11,000 Open II trot, Put On The Day (Jim Morrill Jr.) tripped out third to the half where he pulled first-over, cleared at three-quarters and trotted away down the lane to win by two lengths in 1:58. It was the second straight win for Put On The Day ($3.90), who is owned by his driver Morrill and is trained by Steve Andzel. 

Jim Morrill Jr. led all drivers on Friday winning four races on the card. Shawn McDonough and John Cummings Jr. were right behind, each got the hat trick and trainer Patrick Shepherd also scored three conditioning wins. 

When live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Sept. 28) at 6 p.m. there will be a carryover of $3,202 in the Pick-5 wager with a guaranteed pool of $7,500. The guarantee is made in conjunction with the United States Trotting Association’s (USTA) Strategic Wagering Program and as such, free program pages for races one through five will be available on the USTA’s website starting on Saturday.