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Florida, Illinois Rank No. 1 In The Nation In PBA Experience

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By BOB AUSTIN, Tribune correspondent

Published: September 12, 2007

Florida and Illinois were No. 1 in Sport Bowling members during the 2006-07 bowling season with 1,411 each.

That means that the remarkable popularity of PBA Experience leagues virtually exploded last year, allowing Sport members to compete on the same lane oil patterns as professional bowlers.

The patterns, dubbed Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion, Shark and Viper, allow a maximum of three times as much oil on the inside boards versus the outside boards.

Florida was No. 1 for Sport Bowling Leagues with 47 followed by California with 46.

And nowhere was that explosion more evident than this past summer at Pin Chasers Midtown.

Pin Chasers Midtown reserved its Tuesday 8 p.m. shift for those daredevils who sought to increase their knowledge of ten-pins and to see first-hand what the pros look at every week.

The result was sobering. Averages tumbled and that was expected. The ball wasn't roaring back to the 1-3 or 1-2 pocket with regularity, no matter the rate of speed. These guys were shooting at something most of them had never encountered before. But the knowledge these diehards gained will carry them on during this winter season and bowling seasons in the future.

The brass at Pin Chasers Midtown was quick to see the successful results of what went on this summer and decided to continue it this winter season, only in a different fashion.

Beginning tonight, a Sport Bowling PBA Experience tournament will be held at Pin Chasers Midtown at 8 and hopefully will continue throughout the entire winter season.

Paid entrants will face the same lane conditions as did those this past summer.

AMF UNIVERSITY: James Sheppard's 258-561 led the men, while Gloria Williams paced the women with 198-494 last week.

Other good scores for the men were Dwayne Speak 194-560, Roger Duncan 214-556, Lou Struble 202-535 and Bob Braun 227-505. Other good scores for the women were Nancy Naylor 168-462, Pat Bally 170-441 and Wendy Skees 175-426.

FLORIDA LANES: Chris Saturno's 736 and Walter Dickey's 290 led the men, while Charlene Santana's 200 and Terry Broyles' 515 paced the women last week.

Other good scores for the men were Michael Dina 248-722, Steven Strickland 676, Scott Stanton 256-659 and Eric Maddox 269. Other women's scores were Annie Leavines 197-494 and Rhonda Eyring 197-493.

PIN POINTS: Jeri Edwards will be Ken Baber's guest Tuesday from 5-6 p.m. on the 'Let's Go Bowling' show on WTAN, 1340 AM and WDCP, 1250 AM. ... On Oct. 15, the 'Jeff Garcia Pass It On Foundation' will host its first charity bowling event at Splitsville at Channelside. Tickets ($100 per person) can be purchased by calling (310) 545-4949.

Send local bowling news to bobaustin@verizon.net.

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