The Cornerstone
The Foundation Newsletter
Volume 13, Issue 6 June 2010
"The crisis is upon us, friends. Our sport is in trouble. Many of you, that love the game as we do, will look at the crisis like a friend who is in trouble and needs our help. We must not shrink from the task before us, we should welcome it. It is 'our' generation that has been called to the challenge. If not now, when? If not us, who?"
The Foundation
“One World, One Game”
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Letter from the Editor
More Cutbacks
If you remember, just after the grand opening of the new International Training and laceName w:st="on">ResearchlaceName> laceType w:st="on">CenterlaceType> in Arlington this past January, USBC made several staff cutbacks. Prior to even those layoffs, there were several changes in the upper levels of USBC management. Notably, a new Executive Director, Stu Upson, and the retiring of long time executive Kevin Dornberger.
It seems staff and management changes aren’t the only changes and cutbacks the USBC is making. From the recent USBC Convention held in Reno in early May, cuts of a new kind are coming.
The lagging entries in USBC Championship events — especially in the Women’s Tournament in El Paso — have been particularly problematical, and combined with the other recent money problems led to even more belt-tightening. “We are not broke, we are not bankrupt,’” said USBC Executive Director Stu Upson at one point of the Reno proceedings. “However, we have to be very careful about allocating funds.”
Some of the most notable cutbacks include the cancellation of the US Women’s Open for next year, withdrawal of backing of the PBA Women’s Series, exclusive coverage of the Intercollegiate Team Championships on Bowl.com, and converting the U.S. Bowler to an online magazine. Additionally, delegates at the USBC Convention heard about the creation of a new, independent corporation to oversee and manage SMART funds; SMART is the Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins and is essentially the fund where bowling scholarship monies are deposited for and distributed to recipients. The new corporation will have its own board of directors comprised of bowling industry leaders with financial backgrounds.
With these cutbacks and the previous changes and cutbacks members have seen, one can only wonder what is to come for USBC in the near (and even not so near) future. Delegates at the convention rejected dues increases so members won’t see any increases in sanctioning fees. Will that mean more service cuts? Will USBC cut additional staff? Will there be more program changes? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Until then…see you all at Bowl Expo later this month.
USBC SMART Scholarship funds transferred to new independent corporation
USBC Communications
ARLINGTON, Texas – The United States Bowling Congress has created a new corporation dedicated to the management, protection and promotion of youth bowling scholarships.
All funds in the USBC SMART (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) program have been transferred to the new entity called SMART Bowling Scholarship Funding Corporation. This new corporation is financially and legally independent of USBC, but will continue to use the SMART name. All scholarships previously earned through SMART remain in place with all benefits and eligibility protection for recipients continuing.
“Bowling scholarships can be a fantastic way to attract young people to our sport,” USBC President Jeff Bojé said. “We believe creating an independent corporation supervised by board members with bowling expertise and a financial background will build a new level of trust in SMART and lead to greater attention and growth of youth scholarships.”
The SMART Bowling Scholarship Funding Corporation has three directors on the board: Wally Hall, Pasadena Md., Steve Moehrle, St. Louis, Mo. and Sandy Hansell, Southfield, Mich. A primary objective for the board will be to use SMART for the nationwide promotion of youth bowling and to strengthen the entire bowling industry.
Hall, who will serve as Chairman, holds a degree from laceName w:st="on">HarvardlaceName> laceName w:st="on">BusinesslaceName> laceType w:st="on">SchoollaceType> and is currently a director on the Board of the laceName w:st="on">InternationallaceName> laceName w:st="on">BowlinglaceName> laceType w:st="on">MuseumlaceType> and Hall of Fame and Bowlers to Veterans Link charity. He is a former president of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and has 50 years of industry business experience including serving as President and CEO of Fair Lanes Inc. when it was the largest independent center chain in the country.
Moehrle holds a Ph.D. in business from laceName w:st="on">IndianalaceName> laceType w:st="on">UniversitylaceType> and serves as the leadership council distinguished scholar in accounting at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Before entering the academic profession, he was a member of the Ernst & Young audit staff and accounting policy officer at Citicorp Mortgage, Inc. Moehrle bowled competitively for highly-regarded collegiate teams at Missouri-St. Louis and Indiana. He is currently member of the USBC Board of the Directors with a term ending in August.
Hansell holds a law degree from Harvard and has been active in the bowling industry since becoming a center owner in the 1970s. He is the founder of Sandy Hansell and Associates, Inc., a national firm dedicated to brokering and valuing bowling centers, along with tax planning and financial consulting for bowling proprietors.
“The mission of the new corporation is to be a trusted custodian of scholarship funds, bring more attention to the benefits of using SMART and continue providing a service that protects the interest of young people,” Hall said. “SMART assets will be professionally managed and the focus will be on safety and preservation of principal as well as effective and efficient administration with complete transparency.”
The SMART program continues to be the only bowling scholarship management program providing full protection of a student-athlete’s eligibility status. Administrative services will continue to be provided by USBC. Scholarship recipients and providers should notice no change in operational procedures related to the program.
Kulick takes another major title, wins U.S. Women's Open
By Lucas Wiseman; USBC Communications
The dream season continued to be a reality for Kelly Kulick as she won her second major women's title in 15 days, claiming the U.S. Women's Open.
Kulick, of Union, N.J., defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 233-203, in the first live event televised from the new International Training and laceName w:st="on">ResearchlaceName> laceType w:st="on">CenterlaceType>. Kulick also won the event in 2003 and became the 11th player to win the event more than once.
Just two weeks after winning the USBC Queens in El Paso, Texas, Kulick took a 32-pin lead after seven frames against Johnson and rolled to the title. In January, Kulick made sports history when she became the first woman to earn a title on the PBA Tour, winning the Tournament of Champions.
"This has just been a magical run for me," said Kulick, who also won the PBA Women's World Championship and the PBA Women's Series Shark Championship in September. "This is it. This is what I've always dreamed about. I'm so humbled right now."
Kulick, who earned $20,000 for the victory, struck six times starting in the fourth frame to pull away from Johnson, who bowled a clean game but only managed one double.
"I felt good and got lined up in practice, but the first couple shots didn't come off my hand well," said Johnson, who won the U.S. Women's Open in 1996 and 2007. "After that, I was pretty close, but the pins just didn't fall for me. Kelly just bowled great."
As the player who hooks the ball the most among the five television finalists, Kulick said that turned out to be an advantage. Kulick was able to stay left of the rest of the players and throw the ball into the part of the lane where the oil pattern had broken down.
"The way the lanes broke down was an advantage for me tonight," Kulick said. "Knocking out the 10 pin was challenging. I waited for the lane to come to me, and when that happened, it allowed me to strike."
In the semifinal, Kulick beat Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 201-176. Dorin-Ballard only managed two strikes in the match and suffered through a stretch of five consecutive nine counts in frames two through six. Kulick, meanwhile, threw a pair of doubles in the match and just needed a mark in the final frame to shut out the USBC Hall of Famer.
Dorin-Ballard knocked off Colombian native Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, 216-192, to advance to the semifinal. Dorin-Ballard threw four consecutive strikes from frames three through six, and Guerrero left a pocket 7-10 split in the sixth frame to fall behind by 24 pins, a deficit from which she would never recover.
In the opening match, Dorin-Ballard advanced with an overtime victory against Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas. Barnes struck on her final shot in regulation to tie Dorin-Ballard at 207, but on the first extra shot Dorin-Ballard struck and Barnes left a 4 pin to be eliminated.
Match 1
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, def. Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 207-207 (10-9). (Barnes finishes fifth, earns $6,500.)
Match 2
Dorin-Ballard def. Clara Guerrero, Pflugerville, Texas, 216-192. (Guerrero finishes fourth, earns $8,000.)
Match 3
Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., def. Dorin-Ballard, 201-176 (Dorin-Ballard finishes third, earns $10,000.)
Match 4
Kulick def. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 233-203. (Johnson finishes second, earns $13,000; Kulick finishes first, earns $20,000.)
laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> men, Webber International women win Intercollegiate Team Championships
USBC Collegiate
The laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> men's team won its third consecutive national title, while Webber International claimed the women's championship at the 2010 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Team Championships.
The Shockers dominated the men's final, sweeping Calumet College of St. Joseph, 2-0, in the best-of-three championship match, while Webber International won the women's title with a 2-0 victory over McKendree.
laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> took the opening game, 232-154, and closed out the match with a 226-177 victory over Calumet to win the Kerm Helmer Cup. The Shockers extended their record to a 10th national title, while matching the record for consecutive national titles they set from 1993 to 1995.
"I can't find the words to express what this means," said Wichita State coach Gordon Vadakin, who has led the Shockers to all 10 of their men's titles in his 33 years as head coach. "It's so hard to win one title and to win three in a row is just crazy. Our guys played well all season, and the last three days have been our days."
By the fifth frame in each of the two games, laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> had established a big lead and kept the pressure off its anchor bowler, John Szczerbinski.
"The guys bowled so well in front of me and took all the pressure off," said Szczerbinski, one of two seniors on the roster along with Josh Blanchard. "Going out on top always feels good, but the journey was probably the best thing. The time I've spent with these guys has been unbelievable."
Calumet's Ryan Gleghorn was named the men's most valuable player after leading his team to its first finals appearance in four trips to the ITCs. Joining Gleghorn on the all-tournament team was Szczerbinski, Lindenwood's R.J. Klann, laceName w:st="on">FresnolaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType>'s Paul Hogan and laceName w:st="on">SaginawlaceName> laceType w:st="on">ValleylaceType> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType>'s Matt Gasn.
In the women's final, the Warriors won the first game 203-189 and then topped the Bearcats 163-158 in Game 2 to hoist the Helmer Cup.
Webber International, which is in its inaugural season, became just the second team to win the national title in its first appearance in the event. laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> was first to accomplish the feat in 1975 and went on to win eight more national titles.
"To be mentioned along with Wichita State is great because they are the program to model after with all the success they've had," Webber International head coach Randy Stoughton said. "This is absolutely phenomenal and it means everything to us. It's hard to believe this just happened."
In the opening game, Warriors' anchor Hayley Beavis came through with a mark in the final frame to lock up a victory and then needed just five pins on her first ball in the 10th to win the title in a sweep.
"I'm a little surprised because I sprained my ankle doing fitness a week ago and was on crutches, so I wasn't sure I would even bowl," said Beavis, a native of Southhampton, England, who was named the women's most valuable player. "My teammates are so supportive, and this is just a dream come true."
Members of the championship team were Beavis, Ashly Galante, Tarpon Springs, Florida, Yóselin León García, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Stephanie Martins, Brazil, Jessica Santiago, Puerto Rico, and Katie Thornton, Chesapeake, Va.
Webber International Women are in their first year of competition under the guidance of laceName w:st="on">KegellaceName> laceName w:st="on">TraininglaceName> laceType w:st="on">CenterlaceType> coaches Randy Stoughton and Del Warren.
Beavis was joined on the all-tournament team by a pair of McKendree players, Lori Hanken and Brandi Branka, and two Robert Morris-Illinois players, Samantha Kelly and Heather D'Errico.
The USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships featured the top 16 men's and top 16 women's college bowling teams in the country vying for national titles. All 32 teams competed in best-of-seven, double-elimination match play in the Baker format Friday, after which the field was pared down to four in both the men's and women's divisions.
2010 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships - Men's Division
Semifinals (Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play)
Wichita State def. Saginaw Valley State, 4-0 (Saginaw Valley State eliminated)
Calumet College of St. Joseph def. Lindenwood, 4-3 (Lindenwood eliminated)
Championships (Best-of-three, single-elimination)
Wichita State def. Calumet College of St. Joseph, 2-0.
2010 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships - Women's Division
Semifinals (Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play)
McKendree def. laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType>, 4-2 (laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> eliminated)
Webber International def. Robert Morris, 4-3
Webber International def. Robert Morris, 4.5-3.5 (Robert Morris eliminated)
Championships (Best-of-three, single-elimination)
Webber International def. McKendree, 2-0.
Manufacturers Set to Do Battle in GEICO PBA Team Shootout
Four of bowling’s leading ball manufacturing companies are going to do battle when Six Flags Great Adventure hosts the GEICO PBA Team Shootout in Jackson, N.J., June 11-12. ESPN will air the 15-segment series beginning June 27.
For the fourth summer in a row, stars of the PBA will don shorts and sunglasses, and bowl outdoors on specially-constructed lanes at Six Flags Great Adventure in a made-for-television team competition. The 2010 twist to the Baker team battle will feature Brunswick, Ebonite International, Storm Products and 900 Global – rival bowling ball manufacturers who have selected their own teams.
“Historically, the bowling ball manufacturers have been intense competitors for dominance on the PBA Tour, but those rivalries have been pretty much behind the scenes,” said PBA Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. “By converting the GEICO Team Shootout into a Manufacturers’ Cup event, we’re going to showcase those rivalries by inviting the leading brands to field their own superstar teams in a unique setting that should be as intense as it will be fun for PBA fans and players to watch.”
Brunswick’s roster will feature PBA Hall of Famers Parker Bohn III, a 32-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour champion, and 63-year-old Johnny Petraglia, one of five PBA Triple Crown winners and currently an active “super senior” on the PBA Senior Tour; PBA Tour champions Sean Rash and Brad Angelo, and the only woman in the field, 20-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association titlist Carolyn Dorin-Ballard.
“We will show no mercy to the young inexperienced crankers on the opposing teams," warned Brunswick’s Petraglia.
Ebonite International will field players representing its Ebonite, Columbia 300, Hammer and Track brands: former PBA Players of the Year Chris Barnes (Columbia 300) and Tommy Jones (Ebonite), 2009 U.S. Open champion Mike Scroggins (Ebonite), 15-time PBA Tour titlist Jason Couch (Ebonite), 2010 Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open winner Bill O’Neill (Hammer), and two-time PBA Tour titlist Mike Fagan (Track).
“The Ebonite International team is extremely excited to be part of the manufacturer's challenge. All of the players on our team had great seasons and are proud to throw the best balls made in America - or anywhere else,” Barnes said. “We are looking forward to capitalizing on that success and using that momentum to win this tournament as well. The fact that it is at Six Flags is a bonus, especially since our team is still young enough to enjoy it!”
Storm Products’ lineup will include PBA Hall of Famers Norm Duke (33 titles and one of two Grand Slam winners) and Pete Weber (35 titles and a member of the Triple Crown club); Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte and Rhino Page, the PBA’s two most recent Rookies of the Year; and Roto-Grip representatives Wes Malott, the 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year, and Brian Kretzer, a first-time PBA Tour winner last season.
“Have you seen our lineup? Do you think we can lose? Please…” said Storm’s Weber.
Rounding out the field will be 900 Global’s star-studded roster of Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47 titles and seven-time PBA Player of the Year, including 2009-10) and Brian Voss (25 titles); former U.S. Open champion Robert Smith, and past PBA Tournament of Champions winners Michael Haugen Jr. and Steve Jaros.
"I'm not much into trash talk, but 900 Global did help a Senior bowler win the PBA Player of the Year title!" 900 Global’s Williams said.
The 2010 GEICO Team Shootout will use the Baker team format for all matches. In Baker team competition, five players bowl two frames each to complete a game. The Shootout will call for each team to face each of the other three teams twice in “home and away” matches. The “home team” in each match will select the lane conditioning pattern and finishing lane. The head-to-head matches will produce 12 half-hour shows.
The standings after the round-robin matches will determine stepladder positions for the final three half-hour shows. The “championship round” will begin with the No. 4 team vs. No. 3. The winner will bowl the No. 2 seed. The championship will feature the semifinal match winner against the No. 1 seed.
All matches will be contested on June 11 and 12, with June 13 as a “rain date.” The first two shows will air back-to-back on ESPN on Sunday, June 27, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The next four shows will air consecutively over a span of two hours on Saturday, July 3, at 1 p.m., followed by four more shows airing Sunday, July 4, also at 1 p.m. The series will wrap up with a five-show, two-and-a-half-hour finale on Sunday, July 11, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Admission to the GEICO Team Shootout hosted by Six Flags Great Adventure is included in the price of admission tickets to the theme park. For admission information, visit sixflags.com.
In 2007 Williams and Duke teamed up to win the first GEICO Shootout which was a doubles event hosted by Six Flags near St. Louis. In 2008 the event was conducted at Six Flags Great America near Chicago and changed to a team format won by captain Carmen Salvino’s team (Williams, Malott, Belmonte, Rash, Fagan and Mika Koivuniemi). Last year’s event, held at Six Flags Great Adventure, was won by Team GEICO (Koivuniemi, Angelo, Barnes, Malott, Patrick Allen and Mike Wolfe).
Recent ‘Phantom Radio’ Trivia Contest Winners
Phantom Radio’s monthly Trivia Contests continue to be popular with the listeners and the list of Phantom Phans continues to grow. These contests are sponsored by Storm Bowling and you must be a “Phantom Phan Club Member” to be eligible to win. It’s easy to join, just go to our website, at: www.foundation300.com and look for: How to join The Phantom Phan Club. Listed below are the most recent Phan Club winners. Sign-up today and WIN !
2010 Monthly Winners
MARCH – 2010
1. Michael Patrick: Wins a Storm Bowling Bag. Congrats Michael, and please contact me as soon as possible so that I can put you in touch with our friends at Storm.
2. Kathy Scoppettuolo: Wins a nice Souvenir Carry Bag from the USBC Grand Opening.
3. John Preston: Wins a very nice, unique “Bowling Theme” quick-note dispenser.
4. Debbie Lothes: Wins a Commemorative (miniature) Souvenir Bowling Pin from USBC.
APRIL – 2010
1. Sally Raudy: Wins a Storm Accessory Item from Storm Bowling. Sally, please contact me so that I can put you in touch with our friends at Storm Bowling.
2. Mike Carroll: Wins a souvenir Bowling Poster. It’s: Great Memorabilia!!!
3. June Davis: Wins a very nice, unique “Bowling Theme” quick-note dispenser.
4. Keith Frye: Wins a “Hot – Cold” thermos from the USBC Grand Opening.
MAY – 2010
1. Don Schiele: Wins a very nice Storm Bowling Bag. Don, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can put you in touch with our friends at Storm. Congratulations.
2. Vic Sockrider: Wins a Sean Rash Bobble-Head Doll – a very nice bowling Prize. These two prizes were donated to Phantom Radio from: Cheryn, at Strike 10 Entertainment.
3. Jon Wolfe: Wins a Sean Rash Bobble-Head Doll which is a very nice bowling Prize.
4. Katherine Gerrard: Wins 2-packets of Kegel’s Fizzion Pet Stain and Odor Remover.
For a complete list of all of the past contest winners, go to: www.foundation300.com Once you are there, scroll down and click-on: Phantom Phan Club, then go to: Storm Bowling Trivia Contest Winners. If you don’t see your name, it’s because you are NOT a Member! Join today to take advantage of all of the monthly prizes that are given away. The total amount given away to date is well over $100,000.00 Join and get YOUR share.
Support our Sponsors:
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www.stormbowling.com
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www.kegel.net www.starsandstrikesbowling.com
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Membership Report
We have members in all 50 states,
and the District of Columbia
We have members in 49 countries, including the United States:
Argentina Australia Bahrain Belgium Brazil Canada China Columbia Costa Rica Denmark Ecuador Egypt Finland France Germany Great Britain Greece Guam Guatemala Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea Latvia Malaysia Mexico The Netherlands N. Ireland Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand Panama Philippines Puerto Rico Peru Qatar Scotland Singapore Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey U.A.E. Ukraine Venezuela
Corporate Sponsors
The problems that exist in our Sport are “industry-wide” problems that must be addressed by the entire Industry. The Foundation does all that they can to help, but we can NOT do it alone.
The Foundation has well over 1000-Members who have joined-in to assist. Some Members (Founding and Charter) have paid to show their support. Some Members (Associates) have just lent their “voice”. ALL of the members are important.
Even though The Foundation has NOT actively solicited bowling-related companies for help, some realize the importance of our “Mission” and have come forward with donations. We recognize the following companies for their loyalty and support to bowling.
KEGEL
KAT Travel
I.B.P.S.I.A.
EBN Services
Storm Bowling
Classic Products
Bobs’ Business, Inc.
laceName w:st="on">VincenneslaceName> laceType w:st="on">UniversitylaceType>
BowlersParadise.com
Virtualtournaments.com
laceName w:st="on">WichitalaceName> laceType w:st="on">StatelaceType> laceType w:st="on">UniversitylaceType>
David Driscoll & Associates
International Bowling Industry Magazine
Stars and Strikes Bowling Newsmagazine
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The Cornerstone,
The Foundation’S Newsletter
The Foundation
c/o Kegel
6800 US 27 North
Sebring FL ostalCode w:st="on">33870ostalCode>
Phone: 863-382-2643
Email: savrsprt@yahoo.com
The Foundation
“One World, One Game"