Several Genesee Region bowlers competed on Sunday in the season’s first 60-and-Over Tour event at Brockport Bowl but only one – Batavian Paul Spiotta – advanced out of the three-game qualifying round. Spiotta shook off a 159 start, finishing with 257, to claim the last berth to the second round. Unfortunately, his 165 game wasn’t enough to keep him in contention; he pocketed $50. John Masiello of Kenmore placed first, winning $200. The next tournament in the series directed by Tommy Kress is set for Oct. 28 at Doug Kent’s Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark.
Speaking of tournaments, the Genesee Region USBC had to cancel an Invitational Match Play handicap singles event that was scheduled for last weekend due to a lack of entries. The concept is fine – three-game matches throughout until a winner is determined – but I think the $50 entry fee may have scared bowlers away (especially since it could be a case of “three games and out”). With advance promotion and maybe a $25 entry fee, I believe it could work.
Brockport’s Chris Bardol opened the league season with a 299 game and 814 on Sept. 11 in the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, and, two nights ago, he added another 300 game to his resume en route to a 761 series. Bardol said he’s not sure of the exact count, but estimates that he now has 30 perfect games and 15 800 series. He continues to own and operate The North Pole restaurant on Swan Street on Wednesday through Saturday for dinner.
Also on Tuesday night, Scott Bliss of Batavia just missed perfection – firing 279-299-177—755 in the Antique World Coed League at Mancuso Bowling Center.
While the ownership situation at Scopano’s Lanes is yet to be settled, it’s business as usual at the Oakfield facility. That includes the continuation of a solid Saturday morning youth program, which gets under way on Oct. 13. Director Carrie Monachino said parents of children 4 years of age and up are welcome to sign their kids up from noon to 2 p.m. this Sunday. A pulled pork BBQ fundraiser is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Caryville Inn.
Medina Lanes caught lightning in a bottle last season by hosting the Sunday Rolloffs League and (no surprise) is planning for another two-round campaign in 2018-19. The handicap singles league, where bowlers are placed in divisions according to their averages, will consist of a pair of 10-week slates -- Oct. 7 through Dec. 9 and Jan. 6 through March 10. The league is limited to 30 bowlers. To enter, call Medina Lanes at 318-4474.
Genesee Region USBC President Gary Kuchler and Director John Wood will be attending a USBC Association Leadership Academy session on Oct. 20-21 at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel in Erie, Pa. The USBC paying all costs associated with the seminar, including hotel, mileage and meals. The purpose of the seminars (I was able to attend one in Arlington, Texas a couple years ago) is to assist state and local association leaders in building their organizations and effectively communicating the USBC brand.
The Greater Buffalo USBC will be inducting nine people into its Hall of Fame on Nov. 24 at Samuel’s Grande Manor in Williamsville. The list includes professional bowler Brad Angelo of Lockport in the outstanding ability category. Others slated for induction are Ray Bellet, Holly Parrish, Dave Williamson, Mary Grace Williamson and Ruth Wooliver, outstanding ability, and Mary Chase, Cindy Kosanovich and James Wangler Jr., meritorious service. Tickets are $50 per person and can be secured by calling the association office at 716-668-4222 by Nov. 8.
Tonawanda Bowling Center (which is managed by Mary Chase) is hosting the BL Challenge #18 at 9 a.m. Oct. 13. The scratch singles event attracts the top bowlers in an area well beyond WNY, and offers a guaranteed top prize of $6,000. The entry fee is $240. Side events include the Columbia Doubles at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 and the Turbo 2N1 Marathon at 10 a.m. Oct. 14. For more information, go to www.budlightchallenge.com.
It’s not too late for USBC-certified bowlers age 50 and over to enter the NYS Open Senior Championships – a doubles, singles and six-game combine handicap tournament – on Oct. 13-14, 20-21 at Sunset Bowl in Waterloo. Squad times are 12:30 and 3 p.m. on Oct. 13-14 and 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Oct. 20-21. For an entry form and more information, go to www.bowlny.com.
Local tournaments in the near future include the Camp Rainbow 3-person no-tap event at Medina Lanes on Oct. 13 and the Gladys Ford Senior Women’s tourney on Nov. 3-4 at Letchworth Pines in Portageville.
The Professional Bowlers Association emailed my Hall of Fame ballot a couple weeks ago and I am glad to report that both of my selections – Patrick Allen of Elmwood Park, N.J., and Mike Koivuniemi of Finland – received enough votes to ensure their induction on Jan. 5 at the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas, as part of the PBA Hall of Fame Classic tournament. The finals of this event, the first on the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA season, will be televised live at 11 a.m. Jan. 6 on FS1 (Fox Sports 1). Allen is a 13-time PBA title winner and was the Chris Schenkel Player of the Year in 2004-05, while Koivuniemi has 14 PBA tournament wins, including the PBA Tournament of Champions in 2011 – where he claimed a $250,000 first prize.
