Bowling

Sometimes in sports, defense is the best offense.

That was the strategy employed by South team captain Ed Doody on Nov. 7 at the 26th annual Karl Marth Cup challenge match at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Doody, as the home team captain, had the responsibility of selecting the oil pattern for the tournament against the North team, and he chose a 39-foot Sport condition.

Since the pattern was much “flatter” than the normal house shot, it took away bowlers’ ability to swing the ball to the right (or left for the left-handers) and watch the ball roar back to the pocket.

Simply put, the advantage moved to those who could play straighter on the lane and not to those used to covering a lot of boards.

As a result, scores were much lower than in past years, with many matches won with games in the 170s and 180s.

For Doody, it was a bold move for sure and caused a bit of a stir as it took the North team by surprise.

The maneuver worked, however, and the South (primarily Batavia-area bowlers) took control early and rolled to an 89-34 victory, based on points awarded in Doubles, Singles and Team events.

Previously, the North (primarily Medina-area bowlers) claimed the Cup in 2017 and 2018 – and had won seven of the last eight matches.

Individually, Batavian Jim Pursel received the Scott Wright Memorial Award by averaging 203 and dominating his doubles and singles matches while Doody garnered the Joe Trigilio Memorial Award for becoming the first participant ever to capture all of his points.

The North team still leads the series, 15-11, and I’m sure will be fired up for the 2020 competition at its home center -- Medina Lanes.

Photo at top: Members of the winning South team are, front from left, Nathan Cordes, Geoff Harloff, Steve O’Dell, Mike Johnson; back, Josh Elliott, Dean Cadieux Jr., Paul Spiotta, Ed Doody, Scott Culp, Kevin Gray Jr., Matt Balduf, Jim Pursel.

SEASE, KRETCHMER TEAM UP FOR LE ROY DOUBLES VICTORY

Rob Sease of Brockport and Ryan Kretchmer of Rochester defeated Rochester residents Brandon Iamele and Emily Notebaert to claim the $800 first prize at the Striking Effects Pro Shop scratch doubles tournament on Saturday (Dec. 14) at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

Sease and Kretchmer qualified off the first squad with a 920 two-game score and went on to top LeRoyans John Lowe and Tom Rohl, and Buffalo-area bowlers Bobby Vitagliano and Matt Burt to reach the finals.

Iamele and Notebaert tied for the final qualifying spot on the second squad and advanced due to having the higher game.  They went on to beat Rochester’s Rick Zinone and Josh Curtiss, and Dan Keenan and Kyle Keegan to reach the final round. They earned $400.

The tournament attracted 29 teams.

GENESEE REGION USBC LISTS TWO EVENTS IN JANUARY

The Genesee Region USBC is gearing up to host a pair of tournaments on the first two weekends of January.

The 66th Scratch Memorial is scheduled for Jan. 4-5 at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The scratch singles event offers a $1,000 top prize (based on 80 entries) and features competition on two different oil patterns -- a 40-foot "Challenge" pattern during the qualifying rounds and a 45-foot "Challenge" pattern during the semifinals and finals.

Qualifying squads are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 5, with the semifinals and finals to follow.

The entry fee is $55.

For more information, contact Mike Pettinella, association manager, at mikep@bowlgr.com.

The 6th annual Adult-Junior Doubles handicap tournament will take place on Jan. 10-12 at Raider Lanes in Caledonia.

Squad times are 7 p.m. on Jan. 10, noon and 3 p.m. on Jan. 11 and noon and 3 p.m. on Jan. 12.

The entry fee is $45 per team, and competition will be held in two divisions -- 12 & under and 13 & over.

For more information, contact Tom Fluker, association director, at tfstrikeforce@msn.com.

Tournament entry forms are available at Genesee Region USBC bowling centers or can be downloaded by going to the association website – www.bowlgr.com.

LEGION LANES, ROSE GARDEN BOWL TIED FOR FIRST PLACE

The Le Roy Legion Lanes defeated Rose Garden Bowl I, 20-8, to move into a tie for first place with the Bergen team in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.

In recent action, at Legion Lanes, the hometown squad triumphed behind Aaron Leone’s 546 series. For Rose Garden Bowl I, Jillian Menzie posted a 593 series.

Oak Orchard Bowl I of Albion moved into third place, one point behind, with a 24-4 victory over Mount Morris Lanes. Ben Lennox led the way with a 231 game and 645 series.

Other high scores: Dennis Van Duser (Perry), 258 game, 605 series; Corinne Saluste (Mancuso’s), 226 game and 555 series.

The league is on a holiday break until Jan. 19 when it competes at Oak Orchard Bowl.

BELMONTE SELECTED AS PBA POY FOR FIFTH TIME

One for the thumb.

Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte captured his fifth Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year award last week and now is third in that category behind legends Walter Ray Williams Jr. (seven) and Earl Anthony (six).

In voting for other awards:

-- Mykel Holliman of Collierville, Tennessee, was recognized as 2019 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year;

-- Bowl 4 Life founder Chuck Gardner of Charlotte, North Carolina, was named recipient of the 2019 Tony Reyes PBA Community Service Award;

-- Sweden’s Martin Larsen became the first international player selected by his peers as winner of the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award twice.

The 36-year-old Belmonte dominated in 2019, winning the PBA Tournament of Champions for a record-tying third time and then winning the PBA World Championship to set the PBA record with 11 career major titles.

He also became the first player to reach the championship finals in four majors in a single season for the second time, finishing second in the PBA Players Championship and fourth in the U.S. Open to equal a feat he first accomplished in 2013.

Belmonte led the PBA Tour in earnings with $288,290 and points, and finished in the top five in 12 of the 18 tournaments he entered.

The four award winners will be honored on Jan. 18 during PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Arlington, Texas.

SPARE SHOTS: PBA LEGEND ROTH SUFFERS SETBACK

-- PBA publicist Bill Vint reports that Mark Roth, PBA and New York State Hall of Famer, suffered another stroke recently and has been placed in a long-term care facility in New York. Fans are invited to send best wishes through Mark’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook/com/mark.roth374? or send a card to Mark Roth, 821 Forest Ave., Fulton, NY 13069.

-- I have been waiting to report on a change of ownership at Medina Lanes (something that had been in the works since the beginning of this season), but word out of the Orleans County village is that any potential deal has fallen through. Earlier this week, Jerry Allen said that the ownership group that has been in place for the past several years is still intact.

-- In case you didn’t know, the PBA has a YouTube channel and currently is running a segment called “Friday Five – the worst breaks of 2019. To re-live an emotionally painful collection of five of the most heart-breaking tough luck shots of the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnpOd9CHaI.

-- The Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour lists two tournament stops in January: Jan. 5 at Doug Kent’s Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark and Jan. 26 at Parkview Bowl in Rochester. In action earlier this month at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester, Bob Hodgson of Medina and Bill Neubert of Batavia were among the cashers.

-- Mancuso Bowling Center is promoting a new doubles league for 6:45 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 7 and already has a sponsor for the league – longtime bowling supporter Turnbull Heating & Air. The handicap league is set up to bowl 14 weeks (ending April 7), will be USBC- certified and will offer prize money to all participants. For those wishing to pick up another league or those looking for a way to prevent “cabin fever,” this could be the perfect opportunity. To sign up, contact Mike Sputore at 585-343-1319.

-- This is the final column for this year -- and for the decade for that matter. We'll be back with another edition of Pin Points on Jan. 2, 2020. Until then, to all my readers, have a Merry and Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. Peace on Earth and good will to all men, women and children.

Brunswick’s purchase of Ebonite International last month was more than surprising to a Professional Bowlers Tour standout who has represented the Ebonite bowling ball brands for the past 26 years.

“It was such a well-kept secret and it was news to me as well. It definitely was a shock-and-awe moment,” said Jason Couch, a 16-time champion on the PBA Tour, speaking by telephone on Friday from his home in Clermont, Fla.

Couch, a PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer, is best known for his “three-peat” in the PBA Tournament of Champions, winning the major tournament in 1999, 2000 and 2002 (it wasn’t held in 2001).

Ranked 10^th in all-time PBA earnings, the left-hander turned 50 on Nov. 8 and said he is gearing up to compete in the PBA50 Tour starting in April.

He also is trying to get his head around the Brunswick-Ebonite development that has resulted in the loss of many jobs and closed down the Ebonite plant in Hopkinsville, Ky.

“It’s heartbreaking, especially for the 171 people who lost their jobs,” Couch said. “That’s corporate America, though … merging companies and getting bigger themselves.”

Couch said the bowling ball industry is highly competitive as sales have fallen off dramatically in recent years.

“Sales have declined for quite a while now,” he said. “It’s not like the good old days. I think there were 1.5 to 1.6 million (balls) sold worldwide last year (down from 2 million sold 15 years ago). That’s not a lot, especially when you’re looking at eight or nine brands.”

As a result of the acquisition, Brunswick now controls the manufacturing of its Brunswick, DV8 and Radical brands as well as the Ebonite, Hammer, Columbia 300 and Track brands that previously were part of the Ebonite lineup. All of those balls will be made at Brunswick’s plant in Reynosa, Mexico.

The industry’s other major ball manufacturers – Storm and MOTIV – will continue to make their products in the United States.

Couch noted that he was set to take on a new role with Ebonite – as the company’s PBA50 Tour rep – starting Jan. 1 and is hoping that those plans don’t change.

“I signed on to supply balls on the PBA truck (to PBA50 members) and keep inventory for those four (Ebonite) brands,” he said. “But I am waiting to find out what is going on.”

He said that Brunswick may be hiring some of the Ebonite staff, and put in a plug for Randy Teitloff, Ebonite’s vice president of research and development.

“Randy is the lead chemist at Ebonite and I really hope that Brnswick offers him a position. Randy is fantastic,” said Couch, who also has represented Turbo 2-N-1 Grips and Dexter shoes since the 1990s.

Brunswick CEO Corey Dykstra stated that Brunswick is extending severance pay to the 171 employees until Jan. 13 and will be looking to add jobs in management, marketing and distribution -- and that bodes well from some of the displaced Ebonite workers.

With more bowling balls being made outside of the United States, MOTIV President Scott Wilbur responded to a request for comment from this writer by emphasizing his company’s mission.

“In light of this news, we continue to look forward to the opportunity to showcase our exceptional line of bowling equipment to those of you who may be looking to support a company and workers making great bowling balls right here in the USA,” Wilbur said. “We are one of the largest producers of balls exclusively made in the USA..”

On a local level, Brian Green, owner of Striking Effects Pro Shop at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, said he doesn’t see the acquisition “as a bad thing.”

“I think this turns into an exciting time if you are a Brunswick or Ebonite International fan,” he said. “I personally have had success with all the Brunswick brands and the EBI brands over the years shooting several honor scores with them all.”

Green said he is worried over the “very high potential to have a lot of bowling balls having overlapping reactions when you have seven brands made by one manufacturer.”

“But with Brunswick being the leader in coverstock technology, I really feel the sky is the limit as to what we may see on the lanes in the future.”

Brad Buckert, owner of Begin’rs to Pro’s in Rochester, said Brunswick should be able to “ramp things up” since both plants weren’t running at full capacity, but he is saddened by the move out of the United States.

“I personally don't like the fact that more industry is leaving the U.S. I don't want to get political, but I hate the fact that these will be made out of the USA and like everything else the price won't show the impact of the company’s lower costs and greater profits,” he said.

With the purchase, Ebonite brands now would be subject to re-approval per the USBC Equipment Specifications and Certifications Manual.

The manual states that if manufacturing equipment of a previously approved product changes locations, that product must be re-submitted for approval testing, and all testing fees shall apply, and that any ball model which has shifted manufacturing facilities must be re-submitted for approval testing, and all testing fees shall apply.

Footnote:

Thanks to Batavia native Ray San Fratello for setting up the phone interview with Jason Couch.

Ray moved to Clermont 15 years ago after a successful tenure as the president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. He served in a similar capacity in Clermont, as president of the South Lake Chamber of Commerce for 12 years -- helping the Central Florida community grow in population from 15,000 to 40,000.

I was able to catch up with Ray last week during a “magical” trip to the Orlando area and am glad to report that he and his wife, Carol, are doing well – and that Ray is working part-time as a support staff member for the City of Clermont.

He is a bowling fan, having developed friendships with both Couch and PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, another Clermont resident.

BROCKPORT LEFTY CAPTURES ‘JOE TRIG’ MEMORIAL

Jim Donk of Brockport defeated Greg Voytovich of Kenmore, 252-206, to win the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour’s “Joe Trigilio Memorial” scratch singles tournament on Nov. 24 at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

Donk, a 66-year-old left-hander, advanced to the eliminator finals by posting a 630 series in the three-game qualifying round, and then added 215 and 259 to earn the No. 1 position for the four-man stepladder finals.

In the stepladder finals, Voytovich upended Bob Wiley of Victor, 258-194, and Wayne Potter of Shortsville, 228-185, to earn the right to face Donk in the title match.

The tournament, which attracted 44 bowlers, featured an appearance by Joe’s wife, Kathy, who presented the championship plaque to the winner, as well as special prizes donated by Batavia- and Rochester-area businesses as well as Mount Morris Lanes & Pro Shop.

Local bowlers who cashed were Batavians Gregg Wolff and John Wolff (no relation).

Photo – Kathy Trigilio presents the championship plaque to Jim Donk, center, as Tommy Kress looks on.

SOUTH RETOOLS IN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN MARTH CUP

South team captain Ed Doody has brought in some new faces this year as his Batavia-area squad attempts to knock off the Medina-area squad in the 26^th annual Karl Marth Cup challenge match at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mancuso Bowling Center.

“After a few tough losses, there was a lot of chatter that we needed some fresh blood on the team,” said Doody, a Batavia native now residing in Pavilion. “After consulting with members of the team, some very strong additions have been made.”

Doody said it was “difficult” to free up some spots on the 12-member squad, but nevertheless said he is confident that the 2019 version “gives us the best chance to compete against the firepower from the North.”

Additions include tournament tested Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls and Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw, along with three guys who bowl regularly (and consistently well) at Mancuso’s – Matt Balduf of South Byron, Josh Elliott of Attica and Nate Cordes of Batavia.

Rounding out the South team are Mancuso bowlers Jim Pursel, Geoff Harloff and Mike Johnson, all of Batavia, and longtime members Steve O’Dell and Dean Cadieux Jr., both of Oakfield, and Paul Spiotta of Batavia (the only person to participate in all 25 events).

Doody mentioned that one position opened this year by the untimely passing of South bowler Joe Trigilio, and said both teams are dedicating this year’s event in Joe’s memory.

Tom Allis of Medina once again is (non-competing) captain of the North team, which has won the past two years and seven of the last eight meetings. Overall, the North leads the series, 15-10.

Five other members of the Allis family are on the team – Roger, Hayden, Mike, Scott and Alex.

They will be joined by longtime North members Scott Gibson of Oakfield, Scott Shields of Batavia, and Aaron Verheyn, Jason Mahnke, Jim Foss, Mike Lavender and Rich Culver, all of Medina.

The participants will compete in Singles, Doubles, Baker Doubles and Baker Team events.

Dan Keenan enjoyed ‘to the max” a break from the toils of being a bowling weekend warrior by rolling a 300 game and capturing the 12^th annual Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament last Sunday at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

Keenan, a 37-year-old right-hander, defeated Ricky Zinone, a 33-year-old left-hander, 227-225 in a battle of Rochester bowlers in the title match.

The victory was worth $370 while Zinone took home $190 for placing second.

“I really like the format (three games of qualifying followed by eliminator-style finals) and it’s something fun to do on a Sunday – on a house pattern – which gives us a little break from the grind,” Keenan said.

In becoming the 12^th different champion of the event, Keenan used a Radical Conspiracy Pearl ball for all seven of his tournament games – averaging a lofty 254 for the day.

After posting 258-268-238—761 in qualifying, he went on to roll 300, 246 and 244 before posting 227 in the final game.

“This ball allowed me to get through the fronts but have enough roll – not to flippy on the back end – and the right angle to kick out the 10-pin,” he said.

Still, he figured his efforts were going to fall short after finishing with 227 and seeing that Zinone, who rolled 737 in qualifying, needed a strike on his first ball in the 10^th frame to win.

“Honestly, I didn’t think it would be enough, especially against a real tough competitor in Ricky,” he said.

Zinone put the ball firmly in the 1-2 pocket but was thwarted in his attempt for victory when the 7-pin failed to go down.

Both Keenan and Zinone bowl in leagues in Rochester and are regulars on the weekend bowling tournament circuit that features the best bowlers from miles around.  In fact, both of them cashed in the Livingston Lanes Open on Nov. 9 (see story below).

While Keenan grabbed the headlines at the Triple O event, 66-year-old Ray Bardol of Brockport became another storyline with his performance.

Bardol, the former longtime proprietor at Brockport Bowl, made it to the semifinals – along with his son, Chris – by rolling 632 scratch (752 with handicap)  in the qualifying round and following that with scratch games of 173 and 212 (213 and 252 with handicap) to reach the final four.

He ran out of gas, however, in the semifinals – exiting with a 151 scratch (191 with handicap).

Ray had been sidelined with serious vision issues stemming from diabetes.

He is blind in his right eye and has macular degeneration in his left eye, conditions that forced him to look at an area on the lane, just past the foul line.  When he leaves pins standing, fellow bowlers inform him of what the pins are to help him line up properly.

The Bardols each earned $85 for reaching the semis.

Other cashers were Brady Weber of Perry (the high qualifier with 792), Rodney Jopson of Belfast, Bob Wiley of Rochester and Sam Capizzi of Rochester, $65 each, and Gary Kinyon of Lockport, Frank Jarkiewicz of Byron, Kevin Gray Sr. of Honeoye Falls, and Rochester residents Frank Fitzmaurice, Pete Pilaroscia, John Martorella Sr., Steve Meyer and Bill Stoddard, $50 apiece.

Photo at top: Tom Sardou, proprietor; Dan Keenan, Ricky Zinone and Mike Pettinella, tournament director, following the Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap tournament on Nov. 17 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

KIME, LAGEORGE, DAVIS COMBINE FOR ‘MORASCO’ TITLE

The team of veteran bowlers Mike Kime of Honeoye Falls, John LaGeorge of Retsof and Jerry Davis of Pavilion – all who have been involved in bowling center management over the years – took top honors at the annual Brian Morasco Memorial three-person handicap no-tap tournament on Saturday at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

The trio registered a score of 2,535 (845 per man) for the three games to outdistance the second-place team of Tyler and Jonah Whipple and Fred Blair of Rochester by 42 pins.

Kime, LaGeorge and Davis earned $200 each for their efforts, while second place paid $300.

Also cashing were Adam Philp, Brady Weber and Brian Cline with 2,456, $200; Alex Morris, Mike Johnson and Jason Quilliam, 2,426, $180; Rob Sease, Jen Schwaed and Roger Thaine, 2,416, $170, and John Lowe, Scott O’Neill and Sam Steffenella, 2,414, $160.

The tournament drew 38 teams and raised $1,270 for charity.

Sease was part of the winning team the previous weekend, along with Kai Clark and Mark Brown, at the fifth annual PAWS triples no-tap tournament at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The trio shot 2,581 with handicap – 46 pins more than second-place Sidney Scott, Michelle Pierce and George Pierce Jr., and 95 more than third-place Tyler Hartigan, Alex Allis and Scott Allis.

Sixty-five teams generated $2,300 to benefit the PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion.

DAN VICK WINS $3,000 AT LIVINGSTON LANES OPEN

Rochester lefty Dan Vick, arguably the best left-hander in New York State, added another jewel to his tournament victory crown on Nov. 9 by winning the Livingston Lanes Open in Geneseo.

Vick registered games of 253 and 298 to coast past Dan McClelland of Canada and Jason Sterner and Matt Wallace of Rochester. McClelland and Sterner are PBA members.

The star-studded field included PBA member Brad Angelo of Lockport, PBA50 standout Brian LeClair of Albany and just about all the top amateurs from the Rochester area.

LE ROY TEAM ADVANCES BEHIND LEONE’S 685

Sparked by Aaron Leone’s 685 series, the Le Roy Legion Lanes team moved into third place on Nov. 10 in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

Leone posted a 255 game in the big series as Le Roy downed Rose Garden Bowl II, 18-10, to jump into the third spot – four points behind Rose Garden Bowl I and 11 in back of Oak Orchard Bowl I.

Other high scores for the week:

Boys – Dennis Van Duser, Perry, 627, and Tony Sprague, Mancuso’s, 601.
Girls – Emma Miller, Mancuso’s, 533, and Brooke Jarkiewicz, Rose Garden Bowl I, 518.

The next league session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Dec. 1 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

To see the complete standings and individual scores, go to www.bowlgr.com and click on the Jr. Travel League tab.

MANCUSO’S TO HOST 60-AND-OVER TOUR THIS SUNDAY

A special tribute to Joe Trigilio, Batavia area bowling legend who passed away on Sept. 1, will take place during this Sunday’s Tommy Kress 60-and-over Tour event at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Joe competed regularly on the Tour, winning a couple tournaments and cashing numerous times. He became a popular member of the group, just as he was in the Genesee Region and throughout New York State.

Some local businesses have donated gift certificates that will be awarded after the competition, and I have confirmed that Joe’s wife, Kathy, will be there to congratulate the champion of this memorial event.

The annual Legion Lanes Scratch Doubles Tournament is set for Dec. 14 with qualifying squads at 1:15 and 2:45 p.m. First place, based on 32 teams, is $800, and the entry fee is $80 per team.

To enter, contact Penny Brown at 716-474-7960.

BRUNSWICK ACQUIRES EBONITE INTERNATIONAL

Another significant development in the bowling industry took place last week in the form of Brunswick’s acquisition of Ebonite International. The purchase transfers all assets of EBI to Brunswick and shuts down the Ebonite plant in Hopkinsville, Ky. – ending a 52-year business in that community and resulting in the loss of more than 150 jobs.

Ebonite brands include Columbia 300, Hammer, Ebonite, Track, Power House and Robby’s. Brunswick officials reported that they will continue to offer these products, but manufacturing will now move to Brunswick’s plant in Reynosa, Mexico.

Watch for more details – including reaction from local and national bowling industry personnel – in my column on Dec. 5.

The old bowling axiom, “hook is for show, straight is for dough,” came into play over the weekend at the 14^th annual Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters Tournament at Mount Morris Lanes.

Bowling in the tournament for the first time, 53-year-old right-hander Mickey Hyde of Le Roy utilized that strategy to emerge victorious against 42 other entrants on Sunday.

“I pretty much stayed straight up the alley,” said Hyde, who averaged 234 for his seven games, capped by a 246-208 victory over Tim Fonte of Dansville in the title match. “Normally, that shot doesn’t work for me any place else, but it has here before.”

Hyde, manager of the Tompkins Bank of Castile Le Roy branch, earned $270 plus a free entry into the GRUSBC Scratch Memorial Tournament in January and a plaque from Joe’s Trophies & Awards.

The three-person stepladder finals in the event for association members 50 and over featured three first-time Senior Masters participants -- Hyde, Fonte and Batavian Bill Neubert.

Fonte downed Neubert, 218-173, in the first stepladder match to earn the right to face Hyde, who secured the top seed by virtue of a 714 series in the three-game qualifying round and 463 in the two-game second round.

Fonte, 71, pocketed $170 for his runner-up finish while Neubert, 69, won $120 for placing third. Both Fonte and Neubert played a direct line, and it carried them to the stepladder round.

Reaching the semis were Dave DiSalvo of Mount Morris, Mike Pettinella of Batavia (this writer) and Kevin Gray of Honeoye Falls. They each won $70.

Other cashers were Paul Spiotta, Jim Pursel and Scott Shields, all of Batavia; Marty Weaver of Castile; John Lowe of Le Roy, and Bob Hodgson of Medina. They won $55 apiece.

DiSalvo was the high qualifier with 758, followed by Spiotta (724), Pursel (723) and Hyde, and also had the high score in the two-game semifinals with 472, followed by Pettinella (463) and Hyde (463).

Hyde, Fonte and Neubert advanced to the finals with games of 221, 215 and 210, respectively.

The field was cut to 12 after the qualifying round and to six after the two-game second round. The one-game semifinal round determined the stepladder finalists.

This year’s champion said he used his “old (Roto Grip) Uproar” to conquer the synthetic lanes, concentrating on keeping the ball from getting too far right.

“If I swung it out, I didn’t carry any 10-pins,” he said. “I stayed in the middle of the lane and that seemed to be, for me, the only shot that carried consistently.”

He thanked Spiotta for running the tournament and credited proprietor Bob Santini for putting up a fair lane condition.

Photo at top: Mickey Hyde, left, and Tim Fonte, Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters finalists.

FLUKER CAPTURES 1^st HANDICAP BRACKET CHALLENGE

Batavia’s Tom Fluker won the tournament while Albion’s Bailee Snook won the hearts of bowlers and spectators, alike, on Oct. 26 at the 1st Genesee Region Handicap Bracket Challenge tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

Fluker defeated Sam Oddo of Batavia, 224-202, in the title match to claim the $275 first prize in the event, which attracted 32 bowlers.

The entrants were divided into four eight-player brackets with the top four averages as the No. 1 seeds in each bracket and the remaining players drawing for their seedings. The first round consisted of two-game matches and the ensuing rounds were one-game matches.

Fluker opened by defeating Bailee’s sister, Paige, and then went on to win three more matches to face Oddo. In the semifinals, he just got past 13-year-old Bailee by five pins.

He rolled a 211 game scratch – 241 with handicap – while Snook rolled 149 and received 87 pins handicap based on her 133 average.

For the tournament, Snook averaged 159, much better than her average, in posting a 3-1 match play record. One of her games was 200, her first 200 ever.

Oddo reached the finals with a 248-216 win over Shayne Herold of Batavia (200-176 scratch), and earned $150 for his second-place finish.

Snook and Herold won $95 each (with Snook’s prize money going into her SMART scholarship account). Other cashers were Batavians Geoff Harloff, Tom McJury and Scott Shields and Attica’s Mark Brown.

Matt Balduf of South Byron had the tournament’s high game of 299, leaving a solid 10-pin on the final ball.

Photo: Tom Fluker, left, and Sam Oddo, finalists in the GRUSBC Handicap Bracket Challenge.

GENESEE REGION USBC WELCOMES NEW SPONSORS

Four businesses from the Mount Morris area, including three of them affiliated with Director Sharon Willett, have signed on as Genesee Region USBC sponsors for the 2019-20 season.

Loretta's Beauty Shop, Willett's Rentals and Willett's Farm, owned by Dan and Sharon Willett, and Mount Morris Lanes, owned by Bob Santini, each have contributed $250 to the GRUSBC to help support the local association's scholarship fund, youth bowling and tournament bowling.

As Silver Sponsors, each will receive a free ticket to the GRUSBC Annual Banquet in May and space in the Sponsors section of the GRUSBC website – www.bowlgr.com.

GLADYS FORD WINNERS INCLUDE TWO ALBION WOMEN

Albion residents Laurie Cole and Susan Boring captured age group titles over the weekend at the Gladys Ford Senior Women’s handicap singles tournament conducted by the Genesee Region USBC at Perry Bowling Center.

Cole won Class C (60-64) with a 633 series with handicap while Boring took Class D (55-59) with a 590 series.

Projected “cashers” pending verification of averages are as follows:

Class AA (75-and-Over) – Margaret Shepard, Castile, 667; Caroline Appleby, Warsaw, 643; Fran Matthews, Silver Lake, 638; Joanne Reed, Livonia, 624.

Class A (70-74) – Gail Riley, Dansville, 649; Barbara Sales, Geneseo, 606; Georgene Della Penna, Batavia, 589.

Class B (65-69) – Barbara Heim, Perry, 632; Pat Gilbertson, Gainesville, 594.

Class C (60-64) – Cole, 633; Judy Bzduch, Perry, 631; Chris Bovee, Dansville, 624.

Class D (55-59) – Boring, 590.

Class E (50-54) – Dawn Johnston, Livonia, 660 (618 scratch).

ALBION TEAM MOVES INTO YOUTH TRAVEL LEAD

The Oak Orchard Bowl I team moved into first place in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League with a 20-8 victory over Batavia Strike Force in recent action at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Paige Snook led the way with a 543 series for the Albion squad, which vaulted past Rose Garden Bowl I of Bergen by two points. Tony Sprague posted 566 for Strike Force.

Individual honors for the week went to Jillian Menzie with a sparkling 647 series on games of 222-237-188.

Dennis Van Duser of Perry Bowling Center led the boys with a 248 game and 608 series.

The league bowls again at 1 p.m. this Sunday at Oak Orchard Bowl.

LOCAL TOURNAMENTS IN MONTH OF NOVEMBER

-- Thursday, Nov. 7-Sunday, Nov. 10  -- Livingston Lanes 2019 Open, scratch singles, Geneseo.

First place is guaranteed at $5,000. Squads are tonight and Friday night, day and night on Saturday, with finals at noon on Sunday. Call 585-243-1760 to enter or for more information.

-- Sunday, Nov. 10 – Rochester/GRUSBC BVL, Pleasure Lanes, Hilton. Genesee Region USBC members are eligible to bowl in the fundraiser.  Entry forms can be downloaded from www.bowlgr.com.

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

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

-- Sunday, Nov. 24 – Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour stop, Mancuso Bowling Center, Batavia, noon (tribute to Joe Trigilio).

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - For the second time in his short professional career, Canada's Francois Lavoie donned the coveted green jacket at the U.S. Open.

The 26-year-old right-hander defeated 14-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion and top seed Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, 221-172, on Wednesday night to become the 12th bowler in history to win the prestigious title multiple times.

His first time hoisting the U.S. Open trophy was in 2016 on the way to PBA Rookie of the Year honors.

The latest win gave Lavoie his fourth PBA Tour title and made the fourth-year professional the first foreign-born player to win the U.S. Open more than once. Finland's Mika Koivuniemi (2001) and Dom Barrett of England (2018) also have won the event.

Wednesday's star-studded stepladder at Victory Lanes was broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

Along with the iconic outerwear, Lavoie also earned a $30,000 top prize. The U.S. Open was the fifth, and final, major of the 2019 PBA Tour season. The win was Lavoie's first since 2017.

"This is so surreal, and I don't even know where to begin," Lavoie said. "To win the first one was unbelievable and a dream come true. Winning the second one, wow. Especially with the way the season started, I never could've expected this. It's not something you think will happen again, and definitely not this year of all years. I feel so fortunate."

Lavoie started the final match with five consecutive strikes and cruised to the title. Rash opened with a strike but did not throw another until the ninth frame when his third major title already was out of reach.

Rash was in a familiar position as the No. 1 seed, having won the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters and 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions from there.

"I'm great, honestly," Rash said. "I led the U.S. Open, which is a dream come true. I've always wanted to make this show. Frankie bowled unbelievable. He started with the front five on a pair that was extremely brutal. He's a two-time champion at this event for a reason. It was a great performance, and he out-bowled me. I'm happy with my preparation and thought process and everything that was going on. I have no regrets from today, and I feel like this still was one of my best seasons overall."

Despite the loss, Rash indeed is winding down one of his best seasons in a career that began in 2005. His 2019 campaign includes two titles and more than $145,000 in earnings. He took home $15,000 for Wednesday's runner-up finish.

In the night's four matches, there only were three strings of strikes longer than a double, and Lavoie had two of them on what he considered the most challenging of the week's four oil patterns.

His keys to success on all the patterns were surface management and different hand positions.

"I wasn't ever really comfortable on this pattern for the 32 games we bowled on it, and going into match play, I was pretty nervous about holding onto a spot on the show for another 24 games," said Lavoie, who averaged less than 200 for his first eight games on the week's final oil pattern. "I had a hard time getting my hand to do what I wanted to get the right ball motion, but we stuck with it and stayed in it. Throwing the front five in the final game was huge, especially since our plan was just to try to hit the 1-3 every time. That pair was really hard."

On the way to his first U.S. Open title in Las Vegas, Lavoie also managed to string strikes in what is considered one of the sport's toughest environments. That year, he also was the second seed and advanced to the title match by becoming the first bowler in history to roll a perfect game on a U.S. Open television show.

Lavoie rolled into this year's championship match simply by filling frames, another key to success on the demanding conditions at the U.S. Open.

The Team Canada member posted a clean 214-164 win against two-time major champion Anthony Simonsen, 22, of Little Elm, Texas, who was looking to earn his eighth PBA Tour title and become the youngest player to win three majors.

Simonsen, who won the 2016 USBC Masters and 2019 PBA Players Championship, advanced to Wednesday's semifinal with a 187-148 win against 11-time major champion and 2019 PBA Player of the Year front-runner Jason Belmonte of Australia.

After three solid shots to start the match, Belmonte failed to get more than six pins on four of his next five first balls. The 36-year-old two-hander tried everything to get back in the match, including a switch to a urethane ball in the seventh frame and moving from the left side of the lane to the right.

The move worked on the right lane, but the 22-time PBA Tour champion split twice on the left lane, including the 2-8-10 combination in his final frame. A missed 10 pin from Simonsen in the ninth frame gave Belmonte an opportunity to at least force Simonsen to mark, but the final split ended his chances for a fifth title in 2019.

A win Wednesday would've given Belmonte his first U.S. Open title, and he would've joined USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby as the only players to win the Super Slam.

Belmonte has four wins at the USBC Masters, three PBA Tournament of Champions titles, two victories at the PBA World Championship and two wins at the PBA Players Championship.

His 148 game was the lowest he has bowled on TV. His previous low came in a 214-156 loss to Wes Malott in the title match of the 2013 U.S. Open.

In Wednesday's opening match, neither Simonsen nor Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, looked immediately comfortable on the fresh 40-foot oil pattern, but two rolled 10 pins early in the game gave Simonsen a small advantage over O'Neill, who didn't deliver his first strike until the fifth frame.

A 2-8-10 split from O'Neill in the sixth frame widened the deficit, and Simonsen followed the first commercial break with four consecutive strikes to pull away for a 226-193 victory.

O'Neill, the 2010 U.S. Open winner, also was looking to become the 12th bowler in history to win the event multiple times. The 38-year-old right-hander owns 11 PBA Tour titles, including two this season.

The field this week started with 144 players, all of whom bowled 24 games of qualifying over three days (eight games each day). Each round featured a different oil pattern, and a fourth lane condition was introduced for the cashers' round, match play and championship round.

All rounds leading up to the TV show were broadcast live at BowlTV.com and simulcast on FloBowling.

2019 U.S. Open
At Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C.
Wednesday's results

FINAL STANDINGS
1, Francois Lavoie, Canada, 435 (two games), $30,000
2, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Illinois, 172 (one game), $15,000
3, Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, 577 (three games), $12,000
4, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 148 (one game), $10,000
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 193 (one game), $8,000

STEPLADDER RESULTS
Match No. 1 - Simonsen def. O'Neill, 226-193
Match No. 2 - Simonsen def. Belmonte, 187-148
Semifinal - Lavoie def. Simonsen, 214-164
Championship - Lavoie def. Rash, 221-172

MOORESVILLE, N.C. - After 56 games over five days, five competitors have advanced to the championship round of the 2019 U.S. Open.

The quintet conquered four challenging oil patterns at Victory Lanes and now will battle for the for the $30,000 top prize, coveted green jacket and final major championship on the 2019 Professional Bowlers Association Tour schedule live on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The standings seemed to be on a continuous spin cycle throughout the final round of match play Tuesday evening, with three different people topping the leaderboard during the eight-game block.

Sean Rash of Montgomery, Illinois, a 14-time PBA Tour champion, spent the most time out in front and held a 60-pin advantage over 2016 U.S. Open champion Francois Lavoie of Canada heading into the day-ending position round.

Though Lavoie was able to win the position-round matchup, 217-211, Rash had enough of a lead to claim the top seed for the TV stepladder by 24 pins.

Lavoie held on for the No. 2 spot, which is the same place he qualified the year he won. He and Rash will be joined on the show by Australia's Jason Belmonte, Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas. All five are major champions.

"I have one game to bowl for a title, which is something I've done six, seven or eight times this year, and it's a great feeling," said Rash, who was the No. 1 seed for both of his major titles - the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Masters and 2012 PBA Tournament of Champions. "There's four unbelievable players on the show with me, all major champions, so it's going to be an amazing show. I'm extremely happy right now, but there's still so much left to do."

Rash, who set the pace through 32 games of qualifying and led the final 24 players into the match-play portion of the event, finished with a 56-game pinfall total of 12,379, which included 30 bonus pins for each of his 12 wins in match play. He started match play with seven consecutive losses.

Lavoie finished with a 12,355 total, Belmonte closed with a 266-233 win over Houston's Shawn Maldonado to jump from fifth place to third (12,312), O'Neill finished with 12,303 and Simonsen held on to the final spot with 12,261, just 27 pins ahead of Maldonado.

"Tonight was very much needed and something I felt was coming," said Belmonte, a 22-time PBA Tour champion. "I finished the second round with 279 and realized that game put me back in contention. I was about 100 out of the show and thought I could get there with a couple good games in a row. Through the middle of the last block, I did some of the best bowling I've done in a really long time."

The star-studded stepladder includes some amazing storylines.

Rash is looking for his third title of 2019 and third career major. A win would make Lavoie the first foreign-born player to win the event twice, while he and O'Neill, the 2010 winner, both have a chance to become the 12th bowler in history to win multiple times.

Belmonte and Simonsen both have found the winner's circle in majors this season. Belmonte won the PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA World Series of Bowling X PBA World Championship, and he was the runner-up to Simonsen at the 2019 PBA Players Championship.

Belmonte's win at the 2019 PBA World Championship was the 11th major victory of his career and moved him past PBA Hall of Famers Earl Anthony and Pete Weber on the all-time list. They each own 10 major titles.

Simonsen, who along with O'Neill has won twice this year, is looking to become the youngest player with three majors - he also won the 2016 Masters - and Belmonte is hoping to extend his record. The U.S. Open is the major that has eluded him. The Australian's best finish at the event was a second-place effort in 2013.

"This has put me in a position to have a crack at No. 12, and I'm excited and nervous and can't wait to get out there and leave it all on the lanes," said Belmonte, a four-time champion in 2019. "I'll give it everything I've got, and if the pins want to fall, it'll be my year. I know there will be plenty more U.S. Opens, but I'm kind of hoping they fall for me this time."

Defending champion Dom Barrett of England also made match play this week and finished 14th, one spot ahead of 2017 champion Rhino Page of Orlando, Florida.

The field this week started with 144 players, all of whom bowled 24 games of qualifying over three days (eight games each day). Each round featured a different oil pattern, and a fourth lane condition was introduced for the cashers' round, match play and championship round.

All rounds leading up to the TV show were broadcast live at BowlTV.com and simulcast on FloBowling.

The U.S. Open is conducted jointly by USBC and the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America.

For more information on the U.S. Open, visit BOWL.com/USOpen.

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; IBC Youth Development; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the International Bowling Media Association; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

2019 U.S. Open
At Victory Lanes, Mooresville, N.C.

Tuesday's results

MATCH PLAY
(56 games, 30 bonus pins for a win, 15 bonus pins for a tie)
     
      1, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 12-12-0, 12,379. 2, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 15-8-1, 12,355. 3, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 13-11-0, 12,312. 4, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 13-10-1, 12,303. 5, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 14-10-0, 12,261.

TELEVISED STEPLADDER FINALS
(Will be live Wednesday on CBS Sports Network at 8 p.m. Eastern)

Match No. 1: O'Neill vs. Simonsen
Match No. 2: Belmonte vs. Match No. 1 winner
Semifinal: Lavoie vs. Match No. 2 winner
Final: Rash vs. semifinal winner

DID NOT ADVANCE:

      6, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 15-9-0, 12,234. 7, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 18-6-0, 12,221. 8, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 14-10-0, 12,207. 9, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 13-11-0, 12,169. 10, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-12-0, 12,121. 11, Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 11-11-2, 12,105. 12, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 12-12-0, 12,087.
      13, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 13-11-0, 11,993. 14, Dominic Barrett, England, 12-12-0, 11,991. 15, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 12-12-0, 11,958. 16, AJ Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 11-13-0, 11,920. 17, Kim Bolleby, Thailand, 11-12-1, 11,899. 18, Kyle Sherman, O'Fallon, Mo., 11-12-1, 11,860.
      19, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 10-14-0, 11,838. 20, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 8-16-0, 11,797. 21, Greg Ostrander (a), Freehold, N.J., 11-12-1, 11,764. 22, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 7-17-0, 11,612. 23, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 8-16-0, 11,542. 24, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 8-15-1, 11,494.

The U.S. Open, professional bowling’s true test of versatility and stamina, opened its weeklong run at Victory Lanes Family Recreation Center in Mooresville, N.C., on Wednesday.

Competition the Professional Bowlers Association’s last tournament of the season -- arguably the “crown jewel” of major tournaments – continues through Oct. 30 with the stepladder finals broadcast live at 8 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.

Dom Barrett of England is attempting to defend his title, while Jason Belmonte of Australia and Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz., each hope to bowl well enough to capture PBA Player of the Year honors.

The 144-player field features several New Yorkers, including Justin Wyman of Fairport, who advanced through yesterday’s eight-game PTQ (Pro Tournament Qualifier) and Jason Sterner of Rochester.

Household names on the roster include Chris Barnes, Parker Bohn III, Ryan Ciminelli, Norm Duke, Tommy Jones, Marshall Kent, Wes Malott, Bill O’Neill, Rhino Page, Sean Rash, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Pete Weber and Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Qualifying consists of three eight-game rounds – all on different oil patterns – before the field is cut to the top 36 bowlers. Those advancing then roll eight more games of qualifying, with the top 24 advancing to match play.

It doesn’t get any easier from there as those 24 will bowl 24 games of round-robin match play with the top five making the TV show. Adding another degree of difficulty, the Round of 36, match play and stepladder finals will be bowled on a fourth lane condition.

All rounds (except the stepladder finals) can be seen live on FloBowling.

The schedule is as follows (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Oct. 23 -- 9 a.m. - PTQ

Friday, Oct. 25 -- 8 a.m. – Qualifying Round 1, Squad A (eight games); 1 p.m. – Qualifying Round 1, Squad B (eight games); 6 p.m. – Qualifying Round 1, Squad C (eight games).

Saturday, Oct. 26 -- 8 a.m. – Qualifying Round 2, Squad B (eight games); 1 p.m. – Qualifying Round 2, Squad C (eight games); 6 p.m. – Qualifying Round 2, Squad A (eight games).

Sunday, Oct. 27 -- 8 a.m. – Qualifying Round 3, Squad C (eight games); 1 p.m. – Qualifying Round 3, Squad A (eight games); 6 p.m. – Qualifying Round 3, Squad B (eight games).

Monday, Oct. 28 -- 10 a.m. – Round of 36 (eight games); 5 p.m. – Match Play Round 1 (eight games).

Tuesday, Oct. 29 -- 10 a.m. – Match Play Round 2 (eight games); 5 p.m. – Match Play Round 3 (eight games).

Wednesday, Oct. 30 -- 8 p.m. – Stepladder Finals (top five) – Broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

TOMMY JONES ENTERS PBA HALL OF FAME

As I expected, 19-time title winner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., was unanimously elected to the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame last week.

Jones was voted in to the Superior Performance category by a panel of veteran bowling writers (that includes this writer) and PBA Hall of Famers. He will be enshrined on Jan. 18 at the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame and the Arlington (Texas) Hilton as part of PBA Hall of Fame Classic tournament weekend.

Joining Jones in the Class of 2020 will be former PBA ownership partners Mike Slade and Rob Glaser (both for Meritorious Service).

Followers of the PBA will recall that Slade and Glaser joined forces with Chris Peters to purchase the PBA in 2000.  The trio of former Microsoft executives pooled their money at the time to keep the PBA from having to file bankruptcy.

Jones is one of five PBA players to win both PBA Rookie (2001-02) and Player of the Year (2005-06) honors and has earned more than $1.7 million in his 20-year PBA career. The 41-year-old power player owns 17 standard PBA Tour titles plus two majors: the 2006 U.S. Open and 2007 PBA Tournament of Champions.

ALBION, MOUNT MORRIS TEAMS OFF TO HOT START

The Oak Orchard Bowl I team from Albion and the Mount Morris team won 22 and 21 points, respectively, on Oct. 13 as the Genesee Region Youth Travel League got under way at Mount Morris Lanes.

Oak Orchard Bowl I defeated Oak Orchard Bowl II, 22-6, as Paige Snook led the way with 222-202-165—589. Ben Lennox posted a 559 series for Oak Orchard II.

Mount Morris Lanes downed Perry Bowling Center, 21-7, as Austin Hawker rolled a 587 series. Dennis Van Duser led the way for Perry with a 213 game and 591 series.

Individually, Tony Sprague of Mancuso Strike Force took top honors with a 228 game and 632 series while teammate Emma Miller paced the girls with a 245 game and 592 series. Jillian Menzie of Rose Garden Bowl I notched a 205 game and 549 series.

The league resumes at 12:45 p.m. this Sunday at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

A meeting of the Genesee Region USBC board of directors is scheduled at T.F. Brown’s for 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

HANDICAP BRACKET CHALLENGE SET FOR SATURDAY

The Genesee Region USBC has had trouble getting an early-season tournament off the ground in recent years, but is hoping for a decent turnout this Saturday for the first Handicap Bracket Challenge event at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The tournament, scheduled for noon, features all match play – two-game matches from start to finish. As of Wednesday, 24 names were on the list of entrants at the bowling center.

It’s not too late to enter – just call Mancuso’s at 558-343-1319 or send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com. The entry fee is $35.

Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen is hosting a Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour event on Sunday with squads at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. For more information about the scratch singles tournament, contact Kress at tommys60tour@gmail.com.

Future local tournaments include:

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

CLARENCE LEAGUE HONORS JOE TRIGILIO; MEMORIALS

I recently learned that the Cornerstone League on Monday nights at Clarence Bowling Center has changed its name to the Joe Triggs Memorial League in honor of Joe Trigilio, Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famer who passed away on Sept. 1.

Joe bowled in the league for the past few years along with several other Batavia-area bowlers. This year’s league roster includes local bowlers Matt Balduf, Dean Cadieux Jr., Fred Gravanda, Geoff Harloff, Mike Johnson, Rich Mortellaro, Steve O’Dell, Jim Pursel and Scott Shields.

It is heartwarming to know – and not surprising at all -- that Joe was thought highly enough by the Greater Buffalo USBC league officials to continue his legacy in this way.

Condolences to the families of longtime area bowlers who left us in the past few weeks:

-- Robert “Bob” Radley of Batavia, a steady member of the Polish Falcons and 55 Alive leagues at Mancuso Bowling Center;

-- Bernice George of North Java, a Sunday Mixed League bowler for many years at the former Valley View Lanes in Warsaw and, more recently, at Letchworth Pines in Portageville;

-- Dorothy “Dot” Koziej of Batavia, a standout bowler in the 1970s and ‘80s who worked for several years at Mancuso Bowling Center (then Mancuso Lanes).

-- James “Jim” Marciniak of Corfu, a scratch league bowler for many years with numerous honor scores and awards to his credit.

I feel it is important to remember those who have contributed so much to the sport of bowling in the Genesee Region. I invite any and all readers to inform me of a bowler’s passing so I can include his or her name in this column. I can be reached at mikepett2002@yahoo.com.

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

AMF Bowling, now part of Bowlero Corp., hasn’t endeared itself to the league bowling community in recent years.

As the association manager of the New York State USBC, I have been contacted by more than a few league officials who reported that leagues were either booted out or had their days and times changed by proprietors of AMF centers. The major reason for this, you ask? To accommodate corporate and birthday parties and other social events.

I certainly understand that the bowling business is not what it used to be and that to bowling center owners, especially large corporations such as Bowlero, it’s all about the bottom line. However, the manner in which you go about instilling change – how you treat the league bowlers who have supported you for many years – does make a difference.

Things seemed to have settled down in recent months; league bowlers are adjusting to the new normal, but the perception that AMF doesn’t care about league and competitive bowling is still there.

News earlier this month that Bowlero, owner of more than 300 centers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, has purchased the Professional Bowlers Association Tour may be a step in shifting that negative opinion.

Already Bowlero has increased tournament prize money, doubling the first prize check for next month’s Clash to $50,000, and promises to bring more technology and insight into the life of the professional bowler to its telecasts.

In an interview with FloBowling’s Lucas Wiseman, Bowlero Chief Customer Officer Colie Edison said she did not agree with the thought that Bowlero is against league bowling.  She will be taking over as the CEO of the PBA while current CEO/Commissioner Tom Clark will continue as the commissioner.

“Shocker – I don’t think it’s a fair assessment, but I understand where people are coming from,” she said. “First and foremost, Bowlero Corp. is a for-profit organization and you have to remember a lot of what we have done is to keep bowling alive. If we don’t find ways to earn money at the centers, then the bowling centers go away.”

She said Bowlero has purchased AMF and Brunswick Zone centers to align with its top priority of getting “more people involved in bowling – whether that means bowling recreationally at our centers, bowling league in our centers or watching bowling on television.”

Edison acknowledged that many leagues had to be shifted (primarily off the weekends) but said the company has “put our money where our mouth is” by starting the Bowlero league series which has awarded more than $500,000 in prize money, sponsoring leagues and hosting youth tournaments.

Now, she touts the fact that Bowlero has stepped up to “write the check” with the purchase of the PBA, which has been experiencing an upswing since joining forces with FOX Sports. By the way, longtime PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark will continue with the PBA as the commissioner, focusing more on the tournament competition

When asked what her “dreams” for the PBA were five years down the road, Edison mentioned increased TV rights fees, player prize money and viewership.

“I want to see $20 to $50 million in rights fees … and not be relegated to the lower tiers. There’s no reason we can’t be up there with the other major pro sports. Will this happen in five years? It may be a bit further off in the distance.”

She also said the PBA Tour players deserve to “earn great money” and “not have to worry about where their next pay check is coming from” and seeks to attract millions of viewers and have as many shows as possible on live TV.

“We want the PBA to make money,” she said. “It’s an investment of time and money … using our resources to get sponsors, advertisers to support the prize funds.”

Getting back to the PBA Clash, the field of the top eight money earners for 2019 is set for the Oct. 21 competition at the Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla. Unfortunately, the event will not be broadcast live, but it will be shown on Nov. 3 on FOX.

Vying for the $50,000 top prize are Jason Belmonte, Australia, $275,290; Jakob Butturff, Mesa, Ariz., $185,780; Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., $177,148;  Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., $175,248; EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., $170,445;  Anthony Simonsen, Little Elm, Texas, $159,340; Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., $127,968;  Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., $97,415.

60-AND-OVER TOUR SLATE INCLUDES BATAVIA TOURNEY

The Tommy Kress 60-and-Over singles tour schedule includes a tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center that will be conducted in memory of Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famer Joe Trigilio, who passed away on Sept. 1.

“We lost one of the truly good guys that bowled just about every event (and won a couple),” Kress said. “We’ll be dedicating this tournament to Joe.”

The Batavia tournament is set for Sunday, Nov. 24, with check-in at 11 a.m. and bowling to start at noon.

The 60-and-Over tour schedule is as follows:

Oct. 6, Brockport Bowl.
Oct. 27, Rose Garden Bowl, Bergen.
Nov. 24, Mancuso Bowling Center, Batavia.
Dec. 8, Bowl-A-Roll, Rochester
Jan. 5, Doug Kent’s Rose Bowl Lanes, Newark
Jan. 26, Parkview, Rochester.
Feb. 23, TBA, sponsored by A Better Choice pro shop
March 15, Miller Lanes, Honeoye Falls.
April 5, Pleasure Lanes, Hilton.
May 3, Brad Angelo Lanes, Lockport.
TBA, Year-end tournament.

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

SPARE SHOTS: O’KEEFE DOMINATES ON PWBA TOUR

-- Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Ill., a former Rochester resident (her husband, Bryan, is from the Flower City), completed a spectacular season on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour earlier this month by winning the PWBA Tour Championship in Richmond, Va.

The 40-year-old righty captured five titles in 2019 en route to her second straight PWBA Player of the Year award. She posted an 11-2 record in her seven championship round appearances.

-- Rochester NY USBC President Barry Vee announced that his board of directors has approved opening its annual Bowlers to Veterans Link fund-raising tournament to men and women members of the Genesee Region USBC.

The handicap tournament is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 at Pleasure Lanes in Hilton. It’s a five-person Baker-style event with a buffet following competition included. The entry fee is $75 per team. All proceeds will go to the BVL fund to serve hospitalized veterans.

To enter, contact Vee at barryvee@gmail.com or go to the Rochester NY USBC website – www.rochesternyusbc.org to download an entry form from the home page.

-- A pair of youth travel leagues for kids in our area is finalizing their schedules.

The Genesee Region Youth Travel League will open its season on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Mount Morris Lanes. Bowling begins promptly at 1 p.m.

Other tournaments on the slate thus far are Oct. 27 at Mancuso Bowling Center and Nov. 10 at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

Organizers are expecting seven to eight teams from centers in the GLOW region.

The Rochester Youth Travel League once again will include a team representing Mancuso Bowling Center.

It gets under way on Saturday, Oct. 5 at AMF Dewey Garden Lanes in Rochester, with bowling beginning at 2 p.m. AMF Empire Lanes in Webster will host the Oct. 12 session.

Coach Tom Fluker said six members of the Turnbull Heating Junior League will be participating – Haylee Thornley, Zach Wester, Emma Miller, Tony Sprague, Ben Sputore and Corinne Saluste.

Another bowling season has begun but, for the first time in more than 45 years, it doesn’t include my longtime close friend and teammate, Joe Trigilio.

 “Trigger” – a Batavia native and Attica resident -- took his place in Heaven on Sept. 1 at the age of 66 after a courageous battle against brain cancer.

Joe leaves behind a loving and devoted family – wife, Kathy; sisters, Angela and Tammy; son, Frank (who is a spittin’ image of his dad); grandchildren Gianna, Ciara and Frankie; mother-in-law Dorothy L. Keizer of Alexander; sisters and brothers-in-law, Mary Ellen (Greg) Lewis of Alden; Jack (Carrie) Caccamise of Alexander; Gary Caccamise of Batavia; Marilyn (Dave) Grinnell of Michigan; nieces and nephews.

He also leaves behind hundreds of bowling, golfing and horse racing friends, who carry on with heavy hearts – understanding that our world here will not be the same without him.

Joe was a bigger-than-life personality who wore his heart on his sleeve; he wasn’t shy about expressing his opinion, but he always respected other people’s views.

His distinctive voice and mannerisms made him a “hit” on the lanes (likely the golf course, too). He made friends easily, and they became friends for life.

A true mark of success is not just what we have accomplished in this life – although Joe, a Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famer, did achieve much on the lanes, winning numerous tournaments and recording multiple honor scores. A better indicator is the impact a person had on others. By that measure, Trig (as I like to call him) definitely made it into the winner’s circle.

I’ve already heard from three bowlers in the area who want to run tournaments in memory of Joe.  And one of them, Tommy Kress of Rochester, already has set up a 60-and-Over Tour event for Nov. 24 at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia that will be dedicated to Joe, a two-time champion on the Tour.

Mark Brown of Attica reportedly is looking to add a Joe Trigilio tournament to his schedule and Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw is working with bowlers from Buffalo to Syracuse on a regional team tournament in Trig’s honor.

Joe would be amazed by all the fuss over him – just as he was over the number of people who attended a benefit for him at Batavia Downs Gaming in March.  But for someone who contributed so much for so long, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

GENESEE REGION USBC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

The Genesee Region USBC has released its tournament schedule for 2019-20.

It gets under way on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mancuso Bowling Center with the 1^st GRUSBC Handicap Bracket Challenge, a singles event open to the first 48 men or women association members who sign up.

First prize, based on a full field, is $500, and the top 12 will cash.

The format consists of four 12-bowler brackets, opening with six two-game head-to-head matches determined by a draw. After that, single game matches will take place until a winner is determined.

Entry fee is $35. To enter, contact Tom Fluker at 585-284-2637 or by email at tfstrikeforce@msn.com. By the way, the tournament is SMART approved, which means that GRUSBC youth bowlers are eligible to enter.

Other GRUSBC tournaments are as follows:

Saturday, Sunday, 11/2-3 – Gladys Ford Senior Women, Perry Bowling Center

Sunday, 11/3 – Senior Masters, Mount Morris Lanes

Saturday, Sunday, 1/4-5 – Scratch Memorial, Paris Lanes, Oakfield

Friday-Sunday, 1/10-12 – Adult-Junior, Raider Lanes, Caledonia

Saturday, 2/8 – Five-Man Baker Scratch, Livingston Lanes, Geneseo

Saturday, Sunday, 2/15-16 – Youth Team, Medina Lanes

Saturday, Sunday, 3/7-8 – Youth Doubles, Oak Orchard Bowl, Albion

Friday-Sunday, 3/20-22, 27-29 – Association – Team, Rose Garden Bowl

Friday-Sunday, 3/20-22, 27-29 – Association – D/S, Legion Lanes, Le Roy

OTHER TOURNAMENTS ON THE LOCAL SCHEDULE

Several other tournaments in our area have been scheduled, including a guaranteed $5,000 scratch singles event at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo on Nov. 7-10. The tourney also features a pair of “sweepers” on the evenings of Nov. 8-9, each offering a $700 top prize (based on 48 entries).

For more information, contact Mike Kime at Livingston Lanes – 585-243-1760.

Mark Brown’s tournament schedule is as follows:

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

Saturday, Dec. 14 -- Scratch Doubles, Le Roy Legion Lanes.

Sunday, Feb. 2 – Super Bowl Handicap Singles, Mancuso’s.

Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23, Ron Riggi Memorial 4-person handicap, Legion Lanes.

Saturday, March 7 – King & Queen mixed doubles handicap, Mancuso’s.

Friday-Saturday, March 13-14, T.F. Brown’s Scratch Eliminator, Mancuso’s.

Additionally, I will once again be running the Triple O Mechanical Handicap Singles Tournament at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The first Tommy Kress 60-and-Over singles tour event is set for Oct. 6 at Brockport Bowl, with check-in starting at 10:45 a.m. and bowling starting at noon. To enter, contact Kress at tommys60tour@gmail.com. I will post his complete schedule in my Sept. 26 column.

BATAVIA DUO PLACES 8^TH AT USBC CHAMPIONSHIPS

With Joe Mortellaro’s 50^th USBC Open Championships appearance (and recognition) and teammate Joe Trigilio’s support as a backdrop, Batavians Paul Spiotta (at left in photo) and Gregg Wolff soared to new heights at the national tournament in late April in Las Vegas, Nev.

Competing in the Standard Division (combined averages of 350 or less based on past USBC Open scores), the duo rolled 1,225 in the Doubles event, which put them in fourth place at the time.

Spiotta had the line for all three games, posting 235-202-233 for a 670 series, while Wolff contributed 212-175-168—555. But it should be noted that Wolff finished with four strikes in the last game.

When the tournament ended two months later, Spiotta and Wolff found their names tied for eighth place, good for a $3,000 prize check.

Spiotta said he was moved and motivated by the ceremony for Mortellaro and by Joe Trigilio being able to make the trip.

“It was inspiring to have Joe Trigilio in attendance while we bowled,” he said. “He was my longtime doubles partner but because of his terminal illness, he was not able to bowl. However, to have him there and be dressed in our doubles & singles shirt and slacks brought tears to my eyes.”

ROCHESTER’S MEYER CAPTURES ‘EAGLE’ AT USBC OPEN

While on the subject of the USBC Open Championships, Rochester standout Steve Meyer was part of the Mento Produce of Syracuse team that captured the Regular Division Team All-Events crown in Las Vegas.

Meyer recorded 1,995 for his nine games (Team, Doubles, Singles) on the challenging oil pattern – a 221 average – to help Mento Produce win the prestigious title with a 9,983 total (a 222 average for the 45 games).

Other members were Derek Magno of Syracuse, who had a 2,142 total, including a 300 game; Joe Conti Jr. of Syracuse, 2,084; Anthony Pepe of Long Island, 1,953, and T.J. Mento of Syracuse, 1,809.

Each member of the winning squad will receive an Eagle trophy, emblematic of national supremacy.

PERRY BOWLING CENTER BACK IN ACTION AFTER FIRE

Perry Bowling Center has bounced back even stronger – featuring a new look inside and out – after being forced to close down for the remainder of last season due to a fire that started in an upstairs apartment on New Year’s Eve.

Proprietors Brett and Joann Van Duser re-opened several weeks ago following extensive remodeling of the customer service areas and the outside of the building on Covington Street.

Renovations to the first-floor bowling center included new carpeting, flooring, ceiling, lighting, countertops and painting. The two upstairs apartments were a total loss and were completely renovated to meet current fire codes.

All the leagues that relocated to other centers have returned to Perry.

PARIS FAMILY TAKES OVER OAKFIELD ESTABLISHMENT

Cory Paris, pictured with his daughter, Taylor, is the new proprietor of Paris Oakfield Hotel and Lanes, formerly Scopano’s Paradise Lanes. Paris, owner of an auto repair shop, says he is envisions the establishment as a “community center” and looks to create programs and events to attract area residents. Taylor is the company’s operations manager while brother, Robert, also will assist in the family venture.

Genesee Region USBC bowlers have carried themselves very well recently while competing in national and state tournaments.

But before diving into the scores and standings, let’s give one more "shout-out" to Batavia native (and Corfu resident) Joe Mortellaro on his successful quest to hit the 50-year mark for participation at the USBC Open Championships.

Regular readers of The Batavian would have seen the stories (including my previous Pin Points column) and photos of “Mort” being recognized by USBC officials at this year’s tournament in Las Vegas.

Batavian Paul Spiotta, a national tournament teammate of Mortellaro’s for nearly 25 years, said he and the rest of Joe’s bowling mates and family members in attendance at the South Point Bowling Plaza were overcome with emotion during the presentation on April 26.

“Joe Mort’s ceremony was outstanding,” Spiotta said. “First off, when they announced all of the ‘celebrities’ in the squad room prior to heading to the lanes, they saved Joe for last and he received a standing ovation from the full squad of bowlers. It was so cool as he raised both arms in the air to acknowledge their applause.”

Spiotta said he was “truly touched” when Mortellaro asked Joe Trigilio (another longtime teammate who is battling brain cancer and was unable to bowl) and him to accompany Mort onto the lanes for the presentation.

“All of the other bowlers had already proceeded to their assigned lanes and then they announced Joe Mort and we all walked together to music and applause,” Spiotta said. “The tournament director gave a bio of all of Joe’s bowling achievements -- both local and at the national tournament -- and then Joe was asked to say a few words. It was very emotional for me.”

 Mortellaro was unsure whether he would be able to make it to the tournament this year due to health problems, including the fact that he needs dialysis three times per week.

But he made it and bowled eight of the nine games – three in the Team event on one day and three in Doubles and two in Singles on the next day before having to stop. While 155 was his high game, the scores weren’t important.

Joe Mortellaro is now part of bowling history that not many others can claim. Congratulations, Joe!

Spiotta said his two five-man teams from the Genesee Region didn’t set the world on fire – shooting 2,514 and 2,333, but he and Gregg Wolff made a big splash in the Standard Division Doubles competition.

The duo combined for 1,225 in Doubles, with Spiotta posting 670 and Wolff 555, and left the building in fourth place. When I last looked at the current standings on bowl.com, I saw that they were in fifth place.

The USBC uses bowlers’ averages for their last 27 games in the Open Championships to determine their division, so that put Spiotta (183 average) and Wolff (166 average) in the Standard Division. 

The group’s high series came from the left hand of Brian Green, who posted 625 in Singles with a 252 final game. 

Earlier in the tournament, Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls rolled a 299 game en route to a 715 score in Singles and his in 54^th place. His 1,959 All-Events score – a sparkling 217 average – has him in 69^th place.

Culp is on the short list of best bowlers in our area, having won numerous tournaments and compiling multiple 300 games and 800 series.

AREA BOWLERS AMONG LEADERS AT NYS OPEN

The 95^th NYS Open Championships are taking place at Valley Bowling Center in Waverly – next weekend wraps things up – and Genesee Region bowlers are among the leaders.

In the 1001 & Over Team event, the Johnson No. 1 squad posted a 3,179 score and is in 18^th place out of the 104 teams that have competed thus far. The tournament pays one out of every five entries, so the team has a chance to cash.

Mike Johnson of Batavia led the way with a 691 series on the 41-foot challenge pattern while Josh Elliott of Attica added 629. Other team members were Bryan Johnson, A.J. Allenbrandt and Josh Caryl.

In 400 & Under Doubles, Allenbrandt and Elliott recorded 1,193, which currently stands in 18^th place out of 127 entries, and in 401 & Over Doubles, Elliott and Nathan Cordes are in 47^th place out of 200 entries with a 1,290 score.

In 200 & Under Singles, three GRUSBC bowlers are in the top six, with Allenbrandt tied for third at 683, Bryan Johnson in fourth at 681 and Bruce Kraus of Corfu in sixth at 678.

In 201 & Over Singles, Steve O’Dell of Oakfield shot 724 and is in 17^th place out of nearly 400 entrants, while Jason Quilliam of Batavia sits in 25^th place at 708 and Mike Johnson is 30^th with 705.

Bryan Johnson is 22^nd in 200 & Under All-Events with 1,803 and his father, Mike, is in 31^st place in 201 & Over All-Events with 2,034. Culp’s 2,009 score has him in 38^th place.

Handicap in the 200 & Under division is based on 200 and in the 201 & Over division is based on 220.

NEARLY 100 TO ATTEND GRUSBC BANQUET SATURDAY

About 100 people, including four inductees into the Hall of Fame, tournament winners and league representatives, are expected to attend the Genesee Region USBC Annual Banquet at 6 p.m. this Saturday at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

The event features guest speaker Carl Dixon, famed Canadian rocker who played with The Guess Who, April Wine and Coney Hatch.  Dixon’s inspirational story centers on his recovery from a horrific car accident in 2008.

They are James Foss of Medina in the Achievement Regular category, Robert Hodgson of Medina and Al Vlietstra of Geneseo in the Achievement Veteran category, and Eunice Englert of Nunda in the Meritorious Service category will be inducted into the GRUSBC Hall of Fame.