Inaugural USBC Youth Open Championships kick off
07/14/07
The next chapter in bowling's history book was written Friday as the inaugural United States Bowling Congress Youth Open Championships kicked off at AMF Thruway Lanes.
More than 1,600 athletes are expected to compete in the nine-day tournament, modeled after the USBC Open and Women's Championships. Bowlers will take part in singles, doubles and four-player team competition which is open to all USBC Youth members.
Participants in Friday's 10 a.m. squad featured teams from all over the United States and Canada as well as two from Puerto Rico. One bowler who drew a lot of attention from spectators and fellow competitors was 8-year-old Nathaniel Brown (pictured right) of Siloam Springs, Ark., who only started bowling in a Saturday morning league last fall at Arkoma Lanes.
"Bowling is fun to do," said Brown, who rolled a 101 in his first game - well above his entering average of 58. "At home, I like to set up shampoo bottles and other bottles as pins and knock them down with other balls."
Joining Brown on the Siloam Springs Panthers team was 17-year-old Breanna Clark and 13-year-old Cody Thomas - both of whom also bowl at Arkoma Lanes - plus 16-year-old Erik Abbott, who lives in Sioux Falls, S.D.
"It's cool to have a tournament like this for the kids, just like the adults have," said Clark, who also competed in this week's USBC Junior Gold Championships in Buffalo. "It's a great way to meet a lot of new people from around the country. Plus, it's always fun to get more bowling in."
The R U Ready 4 This team from Troy, N.Y., only had to travel across the state to compete, but team captain Leigh Pratt said distance wouldn't have mattered to her team.
"It's always good to have something to practice and strive for," said Pratt, 18, who teamed up with sisters Liz, 15, and Rebecca, 13, as well as Bethany Duchowny, 12. "It's great to stay here and have fun bowling. This gives us a taste of things to come when we grow up and compete at the Open and Women's Championships."
USBC Chief Officer of Tournaments and Events Roseann Kuhn cuts the ceremonial ribbon to open the USBC Youth Open Championships.
Highlights of the opening ceremonies prior to competition were the mass ball rollout from each lane, two $500 scholarships from the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau that were randomly awarded to Bradley Robinson of DeSoto, Texas, and Keisheena Waldon of Seat Pleasant, Md., plus an inspirational pep talk from Team USA star and USBC Youth spokesperson Diandra Asbaty.
The tournament is broken into four average divisions (129 and below, 130-159, 160-189 and 190 and above) and is based on actual pinfall. One out of every four entrants in team, doubles and singles will receive scholarships, while one in six will receive scholarships in all-events.
2007 USBC Youth Open
More than 1,600 youth bowlers of varying ages, averages expected to compete
The next chapter in bowling's history book was written Friday as the inaugural United States Bowling Congress Youth Open Championships kicked off at AMF Thruway Lanes.
More than 1,600 athletes are expected to compete in the nine-day tournament, modeled after the USBC Open and Women's Championships. Bowlers will take part in singles, doubles and four-player team competition which is open to all USBC Youth members.
Participants in Friday's 10 a.m. squad featured teams from all over the United States and Canada as well as two from Puerto Rico. One bowler who drew a lot of attention from spectators and fellow competitors was 8-year-old Nathaniel Brown (pictured right) of Siloam Springs, Ark., who only started bowling in a Saturday morning league last fall at Arkoma Lanes."Bowling is fun to do," said Brown, who rolled a 101 in his first game - well above his entering average of 58. "At home, I like to set up shampoo bottles and other bottles as pins and knock them down with other balls."
Joining Brown on the Siloam Springs Panthers team was 17-year-old Breanna Clark and 13-year-old Cody Thomas - both of whom also bowl at Arkoma Lanes - plus 16-year-old Erik Abbott, who lives in Sioux Falls, S.D.
"It's cool to have a tournament like this for the kids, just like the adults have," said Clark, who also competed in this week's USBC Junior Gold Championships in Buffalo. "It's a great way to meet a lot of new people from around the country. Plus, it's always fun to get more bowling in."
The R U Ready 4 This team from Troy, N.Y., only had to travel across the state to compete, but team captain Leigh Pratt said distance wouldn't have mattered to her team.
"It's always good to have something to practice and strive for," said Pratt, 18, who teamed up with sisters Liz, 15, and Rebecca, 13, as well as Bethany Duchowny, 12. "It's great to stay here and have fun bowling. This gives us a taste of things to come when we grow up and compete at the Open and Women's Championships."
USBC Chief Officer of Tournaments and Events Roseann Kuhn cuts the ceremonial ribbon to open the USBC Youth Open Championships. Highlights of the opening ceremonies prior to competition were the mass ball rollout from each lane, two $500 scholarships from the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau that were randomly awarded to Bradley Robinson of DeSoto, Texas, and Keisheena Waldon of Seat Pleasant, Md., plus an inspirational pep talk from Team USA star and USBC Youth spokesperson Diandra Asbaty.
The tournament is broken into four average divisions (129 and below, 130-159, 160-189 and 190 and above) and is based on actual pinfall. One out of every four entrants in team, doubles and singles will receive scholarships, while one in six will receive scholarships in all-events.