The year is almost history, so what better time – from an A-Z perspective – for a “Bowling in 2009” Pin Points review?
A – Anthony, Earl. The late, great left-hander was named the Professional Bowlers Association’s No. 1 bowler of all-time, beating out Walter Ray Williams Jr. Anthony was the dominant bowler of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Last month, the United States Bowling Congress named its new robotic ball-testing machine Earl, in honor of Anthony.
B – Buffalo area bowlers. Jack Jurek, Liz Johnson and Ryan Ciminelli fared exceptionally well in 2009. Jurek won the PBA Shark Championship ($25,000) and Johnson won the PBA Viper Women’s Championship, while Ciminelli placed second in the Cheetah Championship in September. Earlier this month, Ciminelli earned a PBA Tour exemption for the 2010-11 season by placing third in the Regional Players Invitational in Reno.
C – Culp, Scott. The 31-year-old Lima resident rolled 2,066 in the USBC Open Championships all-events in February, taking the lead in the national tournament at the time. He also was a consistent winner on the local tournament circuit.
D – Davis, Jerry. In July, the Pavilion resident was elected president of the Genesee Region USBC Bowling Association, replacing Paul Spiotta of Batavia, who resigned after many years of service. So far, things seem to be running smoothly, and there’s even some stirring toward the formation of a high school bowling league.
E – Empire State USBC BA. New York’s state association has re-emerged as the Empire State USBC BA following the dissolution of the former NYS Bowling Association, which was victimized by embezzlement by its longtime manager. I am proud to be part of the leadership of the new association, which connects with its members via a new website – www.empirestateusbcba.org.
F – Foss, Curtis. January 2009 was a big month for Foss, a 22-year-old righty who won the GRUSBC Memorial Scratch Eliminator at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield, the Monster Energy Drinks Challenge at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, and the Batavia Masters Tournament at Oak Orchard Lanes in Albion. Foss also competed in PBA Tour Qualifying Rounds throughout the year.
G – Gray, as in Kevin Sr. and Kevin Jr. The Warsaw father-son duo excelled on the Buffalo-based Amateur Bowlers Tour, consistently winning or cashing. They compete in numerous tournaments in New York and Pennsylvania.
H – Haight, Curt. Everyone’s rooting for Curt to win his battle against cancer and get back onto the lanes. The Batavian was scheduled to undergo his final chemotherapy treatment on Wednesday (Dec. 30).
I – Illness of Mark Roth. Roth, who ranks third on the list of PBA tournament titles with 34, suffered a stroke in June at the age of 58. Roth changed the sport during the plastic ball era with his high-revolution power game. Through the Bowling Foundation, bowlers and fans across the U.S. have contributed to a fund to help the Fulton resident pay his medical expenses.
J – Junior Travel League. Teams from seven area bowling centers are competing in the Genesee Region USBC Junior Travel League on an every-other-Sunday basis. Tom Fluker, director of the junior program at Mancuso’s, is coordinating the travel league.
K – Kelly Kulick. The only woman to ever earn an exemption on the PBA Tour, Kulick won two tournaments at the World Series of Bowling in September – the PBA Women’s World Championship and the Shark Championship.
L – Letchworth Pines and Livingston Lanes. It was reported that both local bowling establishments would have new owners in 2009, but the deal fell through at Letchworth Pines in Portageville where Chuck Mitasik continues to steer the ship, and is on hold (due to conflict with village officials) at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, where Bob Recotta continues as proprietor.
M – Mortellaro, Joe. The Batavia area’s longtime “Mr. Bowling,” Joe is back in action – participating in two leagues at Scopano’s Lanes – following knee surgery and rehabilitation. And the 600 series are starting to come more frequently, too, for the 73-year-old right-hander.
N – North. The North team, made up of mostly of Medina bowlers, defeated the South (Batavia area) for the second straight year in the annual Karl Marth Cup scratch challenge in December. Medina’s Scott Allis was named the most outstanding bowler.
O – Oak Orchard Lanes. Owner Randy Hanks and his family invested much time, effort and money into the Albion establishment in 2009. Hanks has come up with some neat promotions, and looks at the big picture: What’s best for bowling in our area?
P – Philp, Adam. The Caledonia right-hander posted consecutive 300 games after an opening 243 in league play at Mount Morris Lanes last March. Philp, 26, is on the short list of the best tournament bowlers in the Genesee Region.
Q – Queen of Bowling. That title would go to Liz Johnson, the Cheektowaga star who captured the USBC Queens in Reno last April. She defeated Kelly Kulick, 247-204, in the title match for the $30,000 top prize.
R – Royce, Craig. In February, Royce, a Lima resident, established a GRUSBC record with an 847 series at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo. His games were 300-268-279. In March, Brian Green of Pavilion rolled 24 straight strikes en route to an 823 series in Oakfield, and earlier this month, Matt Slocum of Perry posted a Perry Bowling Center-record 836 series.
S – Sneezy and Scotty. Sneezy is Leonard Snyder and Scotty is Scott “Wright” Rytlewski, Albion area bowlers and bowling promoters who passed away in 2009. Snyder owned and operated Sneezy’s Bowling Lanes in Albion for many years, while Wright helped establish the annual Albion vs. Batavia scratch challenge match.
T – Turnbull Heating PBA Experience League. The first of its kind in the Genesee Region, the league featured 14 bowlers who competed on four different PBA oil patterns over a 26-week period at Mancuso Bowling Center in 2008-09. A highlight was a 300 game by Matt Balduf of Byron. The league did not return for a second season.
U – United States Bowling Congress. The sport of bowling’s governing body officially moved its headquarters to Arlington, Texas. It has joined forces with the Bowling Proprietors Association of America to place a renewed emphasis on growing the sport of bowling, communication (www.bowl.com) and youth bowling.
V -- Van Duser, Brett and Joann. The promotion of bowling by Brett, as proprietor of Perry Bowling Center, and his wife, Joann, as a GRUSBC youth director, is representative of all those who help advance the sport in the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming (GLOW) Region.
W – World Series of Bowling. The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour conducted seven tournaments over a month’s time in two Detroit suburbs in August-September, and then televised the finals of those events on ESPN over the last three months of the year. It is uncertain whether another WSOB will take place again in 2010.
X – The symbol for what all bowlers love to get – a strike. And there were a whole lot of strikes thrown in 2009, judging by the increasing number of honor scores each year.
Y – Year, as in have a healthy, happy and high-scoring New Year!
Z – Zajaczkowski. Batavian Jack Zajaczkowski, a fixture on the local league and tournament scene for over four decades, missed much of this season due to serious knee problems. Here’s hoping that he will be able to return to action soon.
(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).