“One of these days I’m going to bowl in a Senior PBA Regional Tournament.” That’s what I’ve been telling myself for the past four years, ever since I reached the big 5-0.
While I continue to echo that refrain, one of my longtime bowling buddies put those words into action last week at the PBA East /Central Region Brookville ( Pa. ) Lanes Senior Open.
Batavia native Pat Donaghue (now of Honeoye Falls) made a triumphant Professional Bowlers Association debut by placing 14th and earning $550.
“This has been a big dream of mine. I couldn’t wait to turn 50, and see how competitive I could be with those guys,” said Donaghue, who celebrated the milestone birthday in the summer.
A Rochester USBC Hall of Famer and recent winner of the Rochester 700 Club Tournament for the second time, Donaghue qualified in the 15th position at the PBA event by averaging 214 for eight games on a challenging lane condition.
In the Round of 16, he dropped a hard-fought match to regional champion Gary Shultis of Levittown , three games to one. Donaghue bowled 203, 236, 218 and 203 against Shultis, who went on to place second in the tournament.
David Kneas of Annapolis , Md. , edged Shultis, 247-246, to win the $1,500 top prize. Shultis won $900.
Donaghue, whose mother, Dolores, still lives in Batavia , said he plans to bowl in at least two PBA regionals a year, and also has his sights set on competing in the USBC Senior Masters and U.S. Senior Open next June.
“It was a fantastic experience – really amazing,” said Donaghue, a financial controller for a division of the University of Rochester . “All of the bowlers are supportive and upbeat. I even had a chance to talk with (former PBA Tour standout) Guppy Troup for 45 minutes over lunch.”
Donaghue is living proof that you don’t have to have mega-revs on the ball to score well. He’s a “stroker” who uses accuracy, knowledge of the sport and a solid mental game to succeed.
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COLLEGE BOWLING EXPANDS
As the cost of a college education increases each and every semester, it is important for students and parents to explore all options for scholarships and financial aid. With that in mind, here’s some good news for young bowlers: Intercollegiate bowling is on the rise.
According to an article released last week, the United States Bowling Congress projects the 2009-10 season as the largest period of growth in college bowling history. USBC Collegiate has added 25 new schools this season, bringing the total number of certified schools to an impressive 175 nationwide.
It’s no surprise that the popularity of collegiate bowling has reached new heights, considering that 46 states offer club or varsity bowling programs in high school.
In the article, USBC Collegiate Manager Gary Brown attributed the growth to the financial benefits experienced by both schools and bowlers.
“Of the 25 new schools we have added this season, just about half offer at least some form of financial assistance to bowlers,” Brown said. “ … Collegiate bowling already offered the opportunity to pursue the sport they (student-athletes) love, and compete for team and individual national titles. Now, it can help them pay for their educations, too.”
As Brown further stated, bowling is a “win-win” situation for the school and the individual through increased enrollment and financial aid, respectively. Currently, there are close to 3,000 registered collegiate bowlers, with more than a handful coming from Western New York .
It would be great to see some of the Genesee Region’s youth bowlers make it at the collegiate level in the near future.
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SAYING GOOD-BYE TO SCOTTY
Bowling lost one of its biggest supporters and fans on Nov. 8 when Scott “Scotty Wright” Rytlewski passed away after a long battle against the debilitating disease known as transverse myelitis.
Scott, a lifelong Albion resident, was stricken with disease about 10 years ago. Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord and affects people to varying degrees. In Scott’s case, it left him confined to a wheelchair.
In recent months, the condition worsened, attacking his arms and legs and, eventually, his respiratory system.
In 1994, Scott, along with Paul Spiotta of Batavia and the late Karl Marth, started the Batavia-Albion Challenge Cup tournament, which continues to this day. Despite his physical condition, he followed bowling with a passion – watching the professionals on TV, keeping track of the high scores in the local papers and web sites, and voicing his opinion on occasion in an email or phone call to this writer.
Scott was a top bowler in the 1980’s and early 1990’s, following in the footsteps of his late father, Louie, a two-time Batavia Masters champion.
His mother, Sally, and sister, Joanne, reside in Albion .
This year’s version of the Batavia-Albion Challenge Cup (now named the Karl Marth Cup) is scheduled for Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield on Dec. 5. I would think that some sort of tribute to Scott would be in order.
Scott Rytlewski was 45.
(Mike Pettinella’s Pin Points bowling column appears every Thursday during the bowling season in the print and online editions of The Daily News. If you have an item of interest for his column, contact him at mikepett2002@yahoo.com, at 343-3736 or by mail at 55 Edgewood Drive , Batavia ).