By Mike Pettinella
Attention, New Yorkers. Here’s your chance to stand up and be counted.
Your votes could send three of New York’s finest amateur bowlers – Joe Petrowski of East Syracuse, Jeffrey J. (J.J.) Owens of Ithaca and Dan Keenan of Endicott (originally from Rochester) – to the finals of the PBA Experience Showdown scheduled for April 6-7 at the International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas.
Petrowski, Owens and Keenan are among 18 bowlers still in contention to compete in the unique United States Bowling Congress event. Fan voting through March 1 will determine which six bowlers will have the opportunity to compete in a tournament to determine which one amateur will compete against five PBA champions on national television.
Petrowski is in the running to compete on the Chameleon pattern, Owens is entered in the Scorpion pattern competition and Keenan is one of three bowlers with a chance on the Cheetah pattern.
The trio was selected from more than 1,300 entries sent into the USBC from Sport Bowling leagues across the country. Eighteen competitors were selected randomly as finalists, with the entries divided into six groups based on what lane conditions they bowled on at the time of qualification.
So, over the next couple weeks, Petrowski, Owens and Keenan are hoping that New Yorkers cast their votes for them. You can participate by visiting www.bowl.com and voting for a bowler from each of the six lane patterns – Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion, Shark, Viper and Other Sport Patterns. You can vote one time for each oil pattern per day.
The top vote-getters from each pattern will move on to the PBA Experience Showdown Finals on April 6-7. The finals will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on April 11 on ESPN.
The event format has the six finalists competing in a six-game qualifier, with each game rolled on a different PBA lane pattern. The finalist with the high score earns a spot to compete on television against the five PBA Tour Versatility Swing events – Norm Duke, Rhino Page, Bill O’Neill, Mike DeVaney and Lackawanna’s Jack Jurek.
Following are capsule summaries of the three New Yorkers, all right-handers:
JOE PETROWSKI
East Syracuse, Bowl-Mor Lanes
Chameleon Pattern
Petrowski, 36, has numerous tournament titles to his credit, including the Empire State Masters, Auburn Sport Masters, King Pin singles, Bowlers Journal Doubles and other NYS team and doubles events. He also was the high qualifier in the PBA Odor Easters Championship in Louisville, where he lost in match play to Doug Kent.
He bowls in the Syracuse association, averaging 204 in a PBA Experience Doubles League at Bowl Mor and 226 in a five-man house league at Thunderbird Lanes.
A quality control team leader at a pharmaceutical company in Syracuse, Joe and his wife, April, have two daughters, Amanda, 11, and Emily, 8.
“This is quite an honor,” Joe said. “I really have the confidence that I can win this whole thing.”
JEFFREY (J.J.) OWENS
Ithaca, Patel’s Bowl-O-Drome
Scorpion Pattern
Owens, 35, averages about 210 with several 700 series this season in the PBA Experience League at Bowl-A-Drome. He has won several local scratch and doubles tournaments. In two house shot leagues, he is carrying averages of 230 (Tuesday men) and 242 (Saturday mixed).
He is employed as a maintenance supervisor for the Orthodontic Group of the Finger Lakes. He and his wife, Tabitha, have two children, Adam, 14, and Kaytlyn, 9.
“I’m praying to get into this – this is huge,” he said. “I hope that everyone will vote for me, Joe and Dan.”
DAN KEENAN
Endicott, Midway Lanes (Vestal)
Cheetah Pattern
Keenan, 27, moved to Endicott last year to take the managerial position at Sam’s Club in Vestal. He made his mark in the Rochester area, winning the Domm’s Open in 2008, and making a record three consecutive Rochester Masters cuts.
In December, he won a NABA event in Albany in December, taking home $1,000, and earned a U.S. Open spot at a tournament in Carbondale, Pa. He is averaging 217 in a Friday PBA Experience League at Midway Lanes in Vestal, and 220 in a house league at Ideal Lanes in Endicott.
“I’ve been spreading the word to my friends at Clover Lanes and in the Rochester area,” said Keenan, who is single. “Hopefully, I’ll get enough votes.”