Links

Member Rewards

MBA 800 Series

MBA 300 Games

MBA 11 in a row

In This Issue

Bowl for the Cure
Thompson Wins Masters
City Team Final Weekend
Village Lanes Valentines Scottish Doubles
McDowell Baker Tournament
Awards / Recognition Survey

Bowl For The Cure February 27

Check out what will be offered in the silent raffles this first year. You will find a resort stay at the Grand Geneva, a getaway package in Green Bay (with champagne brunch!), Bucks and Brewers tickets, restaurant gift certificates, free bowling, and much more.

The inaugural Susan G. Komen Bowl for the Cure® event, brought to you by the MBA, is only a couple of weekends away. The donations have been streaming in and the MBA thanks our supporters. A web page has been created on the MBA website listing the generous people who have contributed.

The MBA thanks Viking Lanes league bowlers from the Miller Lite Wednesday Night Classic League and Thursday Badger League for their cash donations to this worthy cause. John Hjortland, secretary of the Badger league sent in $50.00 and MBA Director Don Aslakson sent in $100.00 on behalf of the Classic league.

Would you or your company like to help with a cash donation, gift donation, or team entry? Call the MBA at 221.0300.

The event will be on February 27, 2009. We will bowl three games - one regular, one nine-pin tap, and one eight-pin tap. There is still time to enter your team.

The registration deadline of January 31 has been extended!

Participation packets have been distributed to MBA bowling centers and leagues. If you are interested in participating as a team or individual contact your league secretary, center manager, or the MBA for more information.

BFTC Page

Hall of Famer Thompson Wins 2010 MBA Masters

A pair of MBA Hall of Fame members provided a very dramatic title match in the 2nd annual MBA Masters tournament at Bowling Green. 2009 inductee Kevin Thompson outlasted tournament leader and 2008 inductee Marc McDowell 236-222. The match was dead even after the first four frames; both bowlers putting up the first four strikes. It remained even through five when both bowlers lost the pocket but converted seven count spares. The close match continued with both players putting up doubles late - Thompson's going into the 10th frame. In the end, Thompson needed nine on his first ball for the win. We almost witnessed a repeat of last year's title match when Ken Duffield slammed a 4-9 split in the 10th frame to fall to Bob Richardson. It was not to be the same fate for Thompson, though, as his 4-9 'almost' was broken up when the nine fell late.

Thompson won $400.00 for first place, the crystal MBA Masters Eagle, passes to the annual MBA Hall of Fame Dinner and the annual MBA Dinner With the Champions. McDowell earned $250.00 as runner-up.

Complete Masters Results

City Tournament Update

There are new leaders in Division 1 and Division 2 Team event following this weekend's action as four of nine teams best previous scoring leaders.

5th Quarter Team 3
Nick Schultz, Fred Schulze
Cory Crose, Leann Butts, Carrie Poole

In Division 1, Ten Pin Alley's 5th Quarter Team 3 rolled 345 pins over their team average to take the top spot. The 1029 average team started out with a decent but not overwhelming game of 1072. They blew away the field with their very impressive games of 1200 and 1160. Carrie Poole was highest over average at +90. Team captain Nick Schultz threw a 716 and Cory Crose added 703.

Sugar River Lanes
Tony Cenite, Tyler Smith
John Wallace, Mark Schwoegler, Scott Davis

In Division 2, team Shake N Bake of Viking Lanes suddenly find themselves in fourth place after the weekend scoring barrage. Leading the way was Sugar River Lanes, captained by Mark Schwoegler. The team posted a 388 pin over average total, led by new Division 2 All Events leader Tony Cenite who fired a 750 series. Tyler Smith added 691 and Scott Davis shot 664.

First shift participants Nesbitt Mixers briefly held the lead with a +235 set that included a 700 series by Nick McCullick. Their effort edged out current third place team Presitge Plumbing - also of Ten Pin Alley. Prestige shot +222 over average on the strength of efforts by Ross and Ryan Erickson who were +117 and +133, respectively.

5th Quarter and Nesbitt Mixers now occupy the top two spots in the $1,000 league challenge.

One more weekend of team competition remains at Middleton Sport Bowl. Minor events resumes at Bowling Green and continues through February 21. Entries are accepted throughout the tournament. Contact Association Manager Bill Dennis at the MBA office - 221.0300 or by mobile at 770.4328.

Complete Tournament Standings

Village Lanes
Valentines Scottish Doubles

Diamonds, chocolates, weekend getaway to Paris, Valentines Scottish Doubles, candlelight dinner... Wait - what was that fourth thing?

That's right, something you can both enjoy - picking up each others spares. Village Lanes is conducting a Valentines Scottish Doubles tournament on Saturday, February 13.

The cost is only $35.00 per couple and includes bowling, prize money, hors d'oeuvres, and music from London Fog.

First place is $300.00, based on 72 entries, which could go a long way towards one of those other romantic things.

Call Village Lanes at 221.7361 if you love your partner.

Village Lanes

10th Annual McDowell
Baker Tournament

The 10th Annual McDowell Baker Tournament will be hosted by Village Lanes and run Sundays only February 14, 21, 28, and March 7. Each day will have two squads, one at 12:30 and one at 3:30. The entry fee is $54.00 per three person team - bring a squad of nine and get your entry FREE.

If you have never bowled Baker style, the format is unique and fun. Each bowler on the team participates in the same game. Typically, the first bowler bowls frames 1, 4, 7, and 10. The second bowler rolls frames 2, 5, and 8. The third bowler bowls frames 3, 6, and 9. In some tournaments the bowlers rotate positions between games. Check with Village Lanes to see how the format is conducted for this tournament.

This tournament is open to USBC members. You can bowl as often as you wish, but can only cash once with the same team.

Handicap is 90% of 660, maximum of 600 total. One out of six entries will cash.

Contact Village Lanes at 221.7361 for more details.

Village Lanes

Recognition
What Are You Looking For?

The end of the season is approaching and many leagues will distribute recognition awards to their bowlers.

This year, the USBC changed the awards system from top to bottom - from ring styles and options for 300 games and 800 series to the game and series awards.

Game and series awards are no longer pins and patches, they are magnets. This included a tightening of the qualifications necessary to earn them. For example, last season a bowler averaging 210 or less could earn a 700 series pin. This season, a bowler must average 190 or less and the award is a pin shaped magnet.

Further, the awards for All Spare Game, Triplicate, Dutch 200, Big Four conversion, and 7-10 conversion have been replaced by printable certificates available on Bowl.com here.

This change was hard for some to bear, but probably long overdue. Last season the MBA processed over 11,500 achievements for around 6,800 bowlers.

It brings to question what the achievement really is - if seemingly everyone can accomplish it. If there were an award for a 200 season average in 1950, that would have been a pretty special thing. There were seven by five different bowlers. Today, there are over 1,400 averages of 200 by 932 different bowlers.

Recognition is important to bowling and to bowlers of all abilities. Average based milestones are integral to marking success and progress in the sport.

As a bowler, what would you like to receive in terms of recognition for your bowling accomplishments?

Is it important to you to receive the same recognitions every year, i.e. 600 series or 250 game?

Given that award production, processing, and distribution carve some cost out of you membership fee, would you be willing to pay more for better awards?

Or, would you prefer a better award - but only once in a lifetime?

Maybe you have a different idea?

Tell us what you think.