The Professional Bowlers Association will provide exclusive live Xtra Frame on-line coverage of the match play finals of the 2010 Teen Masters from the National Bowling Stadium in Reno in late July, and will reward two players in both the Collegiate Masters and Teen Masters with paid entries into the PBA World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas in October.

The Teen Masters, originated by Gary Beck’s Killer ‘B’ Promotions in 1997, is the nation’s longest-running national championship tournament for youth bowlers. The 2010 edition will include a Collegiate Masters, July 22-24, followed by the traditional Teen Masters, July 23-29, at the National Bowling Stadium.

The Teen Masters program provides high-level scratch bowling competition and handsome scholarship prizes for youth bowlers in 14-Under and High School divisions.

"From the beginning in 1997, the PBA has helped to make the Teen Masters National Championships a memorable and rewarding experience for America's top youth bowlers,” Beck said. “Having the 2010 finals look and feel like a PBA national tour stop and including three days of match play competition covered by Xtra Frame will make this event even more special for those who make the trip to the National Bowling Stadium."

The PBA has noted growing interest in PBA-level competition by young bowlers. Under recently-approved United States Bowling Congress rules, youth bowlers are allowed to accept prizes in the form of scholarship money without jeopardizing their eligibility.

Two 18-year-olds with past Teen Masters experience – Andrew Koff (pictured left) of Miami, Fla., and Matt Gasn (right) of Laurel, Md. – have won 2010 PBA Regional events while 12-year-old Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tenn., became the youngest bowler ever to cash in a PBA Regional event.

More than a dozen other USBC Youth bowlers have earned scholarship prizes by cashing in PBA Regional events across the nation.

Demanding competition on difficult lane conditions in the Teen Masters has become a proving ground of a number of talented young players. Past Teen Masters champions Mike Fagan, Jason Sterner and Ryan Ciminelli have gone on to fulfill their dreams of bowling as PBA Touring Players (Fagan has won a pair of PBA Tour titles since winning the inaugural Teen Masters in 1997).

The Teen Masters will include more than 300 boys and girls bowling in qualifying and head-to-head match play competition in pursuit of scholarships plus the first-ever opportunity for two top players from the Collegiate and two from the Teen Masters to bowl alongside the best bowlers in the world in the 2010 PBA World Series of Bowling, Oct. 24-Nov. 6, at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas.

PBA.com’s Xtra Frame, a subscription-based on-line video streaming service, will provide live coverage of the final three days of match play eliminations in the Teen Masters, Tuesday, July 27 through Thursday, July 30.

 

History of Teen Masters Champions

1997 - Tiffani McCoy, Dallas, Texas; Mike Fagan, Greenlawn, N.Y.
1998 - Kari Schwager, Montgomery, Ill.; Brian Hatcher, DeWitt, Mich.
1999 - Amanda Burgoyne, Newport, Minn.; Scott Savage, Elwood, Ind.
2000 - Chris Jones, Marion, Ind.
2002 - Josh Harper, Hopkinsville, Ky.
2003 - Jason Sterner, Jonesboro, Ga.
2004 - Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.
2005 - Dana Kamerman, Niles, Ill.; John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
2006 - Brittni Hamilton, Webster, N.Y.; Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill.
2007 - Ashly Galante, Palm Harbor, Fla.; Geoffrey Young, Denton, Texas
2008 - Tiffany Shurbrooks, Robesonia, Pa.; Joe Imholte, Hamilton, Ohio
2009 - Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y.; Brandon Fietek, Eden Prairie, Minn.