Do you know who Sean Rash, Derek Sapp, Bill Hoffman, David Haynes, Dino Castillo, Richard Fairley, Jr., Tony Manna, Jr., and Ryan Page are?
How about Diandra Asbaty, Amanda Burgoyne, Lisa Duenow, Joy Esterson, Holly Hoopii, Jennifer Petrick, Shannon Pluhowsky, and Olivia Sandham? Well you should because these bowlers are the men and women members of 2004 TEAM USA that represent our country in international bowling competitions.
Several of the 2004 TEAM USA men members along with former members from previous years, coaches, and supporters of the program bowled in a group this past week in the ABC Tournament in Reno and did extremely well both team wise and individually too.
Sean Rash and Derek Sapp are the defending ABC doubles champions and made an excellent run at their title defense as they are currently in second place with 1445 trailing Mike Vasey and Joseph Crocco, Jr. of Racine, Wisc. who lead with 1477. Rash fired games of 203-300-234 for 737 and Sapp shot games of 255-219-234 for 708 for their 1445 total.
Last Monday, the TEAM USA Support No.2 team took over the team lead with 3075 and the TEAM USA Support No.5 team moved into third (3025). Both teams have now slipped to second and fifth respectively this past week. Only nine teams have broken the 3000 mark in the team event so far this year. TEAM USA Support No.2 is also in second in team all-events.
Rash with 2040 and Sapp with 1981 are currently in third and 10th place respectively in the regular all-events as only eight bowlers have topped the 2000 all-events mark this year.
What impressed me while watching these teams from the stands during their team, doubles, and singles events was the way each team member conducted themselves not only while bowling on such an extremely difficult conditions, but how they interacted with their teammates in every event and not just the team event.
Those bowlers who seemed to have figured out the difficult lane condition and was executing excellent shots would advise and counsel their teammates who were having difficulty not only in just the team competition, but during the doubles and singles events as well.
Most tournament bowlers when they left a "wash-out" (the 1-2-4-10 pin leave) when the ball was sent too wide or left the "greek church" (the 4-6-7-9-10 leave) or the 4-9 split when they got inside or even missed the head pin on the left when they eased up on their ball speed would get upset and lose their focus very quickly.
The TEAM USA members when they failed to execute a good shot (and left one of the spare or split combinations listed above) would just smile and try to convert their next shot into a spare and then would immediately focus on their next shot while sitting on the bench or getting advice from a teammate.
It was refreshing not to see these bowlers "kicking the rack" or "swearing" or "sulking" after throwing a bad shot like you see bowlers do in normal league or tournament play. They are great role models for every bowler to try and emulate whether you are an adult or youth bowler.
I was proud to know and see that these bowlers are representing our country with such excellent bowling etiquette, behavior, and manners that is a credit to themselves and their coaches.
The other characteristic which stood out was their interaction with each other and their concern in helping their teammates with advice even during the singles event let alone while they were bowling the five-man team event or in doubles with their own individual partners.
They would help bowlers who were on a different team, a bowler they were not bowling doubles with, and would help each other during the singles event even though they were competing against each other as well as the all-events competition too.
I have had the privilege of bowling with some of these bowlers in the past, have coached some of them, have sat on committees, and have helped in organizing some of the tournaments they have competed in when I was a member of the Board of Trustees of USA Bowling.
Several of them (two-time National Amateur Champion Bill Hoffman and David Haynes) made a special effort to seek me out during this past week to talk.
Their loyalty to their teammates, their dedication to the sport of bowling, and their excellent manners on and off the lanes were refreshing to witness first hand again. It would be a great and rewarding experience if everyone could meet our TEAM USA members and watch them bowl.
Wichita awarded
2011 ABC Tournament
The ABC Site Selection Committee awarded Wichita, Kan. the 2011 ABC Tournament last Sunday in Reno. Wichita beat out Syracuse, Knoxville, and El Paso.
"It was one of the hardest decisions the committee ever had to make in all his years with the ABC," said Jack Mordini, ABC Assistant Executive Director and chairman of the committee.
"We could have awarded the 2011 ABC Tournament to either of the four final cities bidding for the tournament and it would have been an excellent choice," Mordini added.
Doug Small, President of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, was disappointed that Syracuse did not win but said that they intend to bid for the 2012 ABC Tournament next year.
The ABC Tournament will be held in Baton Rouge in 2005 followed by Corpus Christi (2006), Reno (2007), Albuquerque (2008), Las Vegas, (2009), Reno (2010), and Wichita (2011).
ABC Hall of Fame Inductees
Thursday night at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, professional bowler Pete Couture of Titusville, Fla. and amateur bowling stars Mark Lewis of Wichita, Kan. and Bob Hanson of Minneapolis were inducted as the newest members of the ABC Hall of Fame.
Couture is a five-time winner on the regular PBA tour, a seven-time titleist on the senior PBA tour including two major titles (the 1998 and 2002 ABC Masters), and many top-10 finishes in the ABC Tournament during his career.
Lewis has four ABC titles in his resume. He won the doubles in 1988, regular team event in 1989, and team all-events in 1998 and 2001. He was the 1987 National Amateur Champion and was a member of TEAM USA in 1987 and 1988. He also represented the United States in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul when bowling was an exhibition sport.
Hanson was a member of the Hamm's Beer team which dominated bowling in the ABC Tournament in the 1960s and 1970s in the regular division with many top-10 finishes in the various events. He won the 1965 all-events and was a member of the team champions in 1970 and 1972. He won two gold medals in the FIQ World Tournament in 1971.
Many former ABC Hall of Famers including Dick Weber and Bill Lilliard were on hand to welcome in the new class of inductees during the ceremonies conducted on the tournament lanes.
Feldman slips to second in singles at the ABC Tournament
Two-time (1997-98) Citizen Masters Champion Steve Feldman of Bradford, Pa. and formerly of Auburn was pushed into second place in the regular singles event last Sunday at the 101st ABC Tournament in Reno when Mark Wolff of Wildwood, Mo. shot games of 246-279-268 for 793 besting Feldman's previous leading total of 772.
According to the prize list, Feldman would win $4500 and a watch if he finishes second when the tournament is over.
The Forgery Sports Medicine Team No.2 of Vancouver, Wash. took over the lead in the team event this week with 3131 (the first team to break 3100), while Mike Vasey and Joseph Crocco, Jr. of Racine, Wisc. leads the doubles with 1477, and Ken Gunter of Cleveland currently leads all-events with 2070.
Donahue, The Citizen's bowling columnist, is an ABC Director and secretary-treasurer of the NYS and Auburn Bowling Associations.
You can reach him at spdbowling@aol.com
Several of the 2004 TEAM USA men members along with former members from previous years, coaches, and supporters of the program bowled in a group this past week in the ABC Tournament in Reno and did extremely well both team wise and individually too.
Sean Rash and Derek Sapp are the defending ABC doubles champions and made an excellent run at their title defense as they are currently in second place with 1445 trailing Mike Vasey and Joseph Crocco, Jr. of Racine, Wisc. who lead with 1477. Rash fired games of 203-300-234 for 737 and Sapp shot games of 255-219-234 for 708 for their 1445 total.
Last Monday, the TEAM USA Support No.2 team took over the team lead with 3075 and the TEAM USA Support No.5 team moved into third (3025). Both teams have now slipped to second and fifth respectively this past week. Only nine teams have broken the 3000 mark in the team event so far this year. TEAM USA Support No.2 is also in second in team all-events.
Rash with 2040 and Sapp with 1981 are currently in third and 10th place respectively in the regular all-events as only eight bowlers have topped the 2000 all-events mark this year.
What impressed me while watching these teams from the stands during their team, doubles, and singles events was the way each team member conducted themselves not only while bowling on such an extremely difficult conditions, but how they interacted with their teammates in every event and not just the team event.
Those bowlers who seemed to have figured out the difficult lane condition and was executing excellent shots would advise and counsel their teammates who were having difficulty not only in just the team competition, but during the doubles and singles events as well.
Most tournament bowlers when they left a "wash-out" (the 1-2-4-10 pin leave) when the ball was sent too wide or left the "greek church" (the 4-6-7-9-10 leave) or the 4-9 split when they got inside or even missed the head pin on the left when they eased up on their ball speed would get upset and lose their focus very quickly.
The TEAM USA members when they failed to execute a good shot (and left one of the spare or split combinations listed above) would just smile and try to convert their next shot into a spare and then would immediately focus on their next shot while sitting on the bench or getting advice from a teammate.
It was refreshing not to see these bowlers "kicking the rack" or "swearing" or "sulking" after throwing a bad shot like you see bowlers do in normal league or tournament play. They are great role models for every bowler to try and emulate whether you are an adult or youth bowler.
I was proud to know and see that these bowlers are representing our country with such excellent bowling etiquette, behavior, and manners that is a credit to themselves and their coaches.
The other characteristic which stood out was their interaction with each other and their concern in helping their teammates with advice even during the singles event let alone while they were bowling the five-man team event or in doubles with their own individual partners.
They would help bowlers who were on a different team, a bowler they were not bowling doubles with, and would help each other during the singles event even though they were competing against each other as well as the all-events competition too.
I have had the privilege of bowling with some of these bowlers in the past, have coached some of them, have sat on committees, and have helped in organizing some of the tournaments they have competed in when I was a member of the Board of Trustees of USA Bowling.
Several of them (two-time National Amateur Champion Bill Hoffman and David Haynes) made a special effort to seek me out during this past week to talk.
Their loyalty to their teammates, their dedication to the sport of bowling, and their excellent manners on and off the lanes were refreshing to witness first hand again. It would be a great and rewarding experience if everyone could meet our TEAM USA members and watch them bowl.
Wichita awarded
2011 ABC Tournament
The ABC Site Selection Committee awarded Wichita, Kan. the 2011 ABC Tournament last Sunday in Reno. Wichita beat out Syracuse, Knoxville, and El Paso.
"It was one of the hardest decisions the committee ever had to make in all his years with the ABC," said Jack Mordini, ABC Assistant Executive Director and chairman of the committee.
"We could have awarded the 2011 ABC Tournament to either of the four final cities bidding for the tournament and it would have been an excellent choice," Mordini added.
Doug Small, President of the Syracuse Convention & Visitors Bureau, was disappointed that Syracuse did not win but said that they intend to bid for the 2012 ABC Tournament next year.
The ABC Tournament will be held in Baton Rouge in 2005 followed by Corpus Christi (2006), Reno (2007), Albuquerque (2008), Las Vegas, (2009), Reno (2010), and Wichita (2011).
ABC Hall of Fame Inductees
Thursday night at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, professional bowler Pete Couture of Titusville, Fla. and amateur bowling stars Mark Lewis of Wichita, Kan. and Bob Hanson of Minneapolis were inducted as the newest members of the ABC Hall of Fame.
Couture is a five-time winner on the regular PBA tour, a seven-time titleist on the senior PBA tour including two major titles (the 1998 and 2002 ABC Masters), and many top-10 finishes in the ABC Tournament during his career.
Lewis has four ABC titles in his resume. He won the doubles in 1988, regular team event in 1989, and team all-events in 1998 and 2001. He was the 1987 National Amateur Champion and was a member of TEAM USA in 1987 and 1988. He also represented the United States in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul when bowling was an exhibition sport.
Hanson was a member of the Hamm's Beer team which dominated bowling in the ABC Tournament in the 1960s and 1970s in the regular division with many top-10 finishes in the various events. He won the 1965 all-events and was a member of the team champions in 1970 and 1972. He won two gold medals in the FIQ World Tournament in 1971.
Many former ABC Hall of Famers including Dick Weber and Bill Lilliard were on hand to welcome in the new class of inductees during the ceremonies conducted on the tournament lanes.
Feldman slips to second in singles at the ABC Tournament
Two-time (1997-98) Citizen Masters Champion Steve Feldman of Bradford, Pa. and formerly of Auburn was pushed into second place in the regular singles event last Sunday at the 101st ABC Tournament in Reno when Mark Wolff of Wildwood, Mo. shot games of 246-279-268 for 793 besting Feldman's previous leading total of 772.
According to the prize list, Feldman would win $4500 and a watch if he finishes second when the tournament is over.
The Forgery Sports Medicine Team No.2 of Vancouver, Wash. took over the lead in the team event this week with 3131 (the first team to break 3100), while Mike Vasey and Joseph Crocco, Jr. of Racine, Wisc. leads the doubles with 1477, and Ken Gunter of Cleveland currently leads all-events with 2070.
Donahue, The Citizen's bowling columnist, is an ABC Director and secretary-treasurer of the NYS and Auburn Bowling Associations.
You can reach him at spdbowling@aol.com
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