RASH NAMED APRIL BWAA KEGEL BOWLER OF THE MONTH

Near Unanimous Selection After Tournament of Champions Win

ARLINGTON, Texas - Sean Rash of Montogomery, Illinois has been named the April 2012 Kegel Bowler of the Month by the Bowling Writers Association of America.

Rash won the PBA Tournament of Champions defeating Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, New, York, 239-205 for his fifth career PBA title. It is also his second career major win and his first win since the 2007 USBC Masters, ending a five-year wait.

The four-man stepladder finals featured the #4 seed Ciminelli downing a pair of PBA Chris Schenkel Player of the Year candidates. The first defeat was handed to #3 seed Mike Fagan, Dallas, 190-182. Ciminelli then pulled away from #2 seed Jason Belmonte, West Orange, NSW, Australia, 257-223, setting up the title match with the top-seeded Rash.

With the win, Rash becomes another strong candidate for the PBA Player of the Year race. Although this was his lone win on the 2011-12 PBA Tour, Rash was either first or second in earnings, average, match play appearances, and tournament points. 

Others receiving votes were Diandra Asbaty, winner of the USBC Queens; Lennie Boresch, Jr., winning his first PBA Senior Tour stop five days after becoming eligible, the PBA Senior Sun Bowl in the Villages; and Norm Duke, winner of the PBA Dick Weber playoffs, presented by Hammer.

2012 BWAA Convention Schedule   Reno, Nevada

Sunday, June 24  

Columbia Awards Dinner    6:30 cocktails/7:30 Dinner                       Eldorado Hotel

Monday, June 25

12 noon   BWAA Brunswick Luncheon                                                             Eldorado

1:30 – 3:30 Combined Board of Directors and Life Members Meeting     Eldorado

3:30 - 5:00 breakout sessions if needed

Tuesday, June 26

8:00 – 9:00  Storm Breakfast                                                                             Eldorado

9:30 – Noon  BWAA Annual meeting                                                               Eldorado

2:00 – 3:30   Q & A with the PBA and World Bowling Tour                          Eldorado

Wednesday, June 27

10:30 – 4:30   BWAA Radio & Video Stage Featuring

                        Len “The Phantom” Nicholson,

                        BJI Exec.Editor Jim Dressel and guests           Reno Convention Center

Thursday, June 28 

 10:00 – 3:30  BWAA Radio & Video Stage Featuring

                        “Let’s Go Bowling” Hosts Ken Van Baber,

                         Bill Zuben and guests                                       Reno Convention Center  

The Bowling Writers Association of America recognizes Jazreel Tan and Matt Weggens

as 2011 Amateur Bowlers of the Year

ARLINGTON, Texas,  April 13, 2012: -  Jazreel Tan, Wichita, Kansas, and Matt Weggen, Muscatine, Iowa, have been selected as the 2011 Bowling Writers Association of America Amateur Bowlers of the Year. Tan earned her honor through consistent, year-long college performances.  Weggens earned his through a blistering, record-setting day in Reno.

Tan, 22, a Wichita State University junior majoring in Sports Management, was also the BWAA Collegiate Female Bowler of the Year. She was selected as the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association All-American Most Valuable Player and First Team All-American. She won individual titles at the Blue & Gold and Backhaul-Hoosier tournaments.

Tan, originally from Singapore, was a two-time Singapore National Champion and Singapore National Council Sportsgirl of the Year. She said, ”It’s always nice to be recognized.”

Weggen, 32, a systems analyst for Involta Technologies, set a USBC Open Championships record by being the first bowler to roll consecutive 800 series on the tournament lanes. He followed up an 806 series in doubles with an 826 in singles to capture the Singles Championships. Adding his 636 in team won the All-Events title with 2,268.

“It’s just unbelievable,” he said. “You set goals for yourself, but never dream of doing anything like this.”  Weggen states that, “Bowling has been a huge part of my life since I started way back when I was five years old. My parents drove me all over the Midwest for scholarship tournaments.” Married to LeeAnn, he will now carry on that tradition with daughter, Addison, and son, Hunter.

BOWLING WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TO HONOR R.F. CORDERMAN

WITH 2012 LUBY HALL OF FAME AWARD

ARLINGTON, Texas - A man who elevated the coverage of bowling in his region for more than 40 years, R.F. (Robert Frank) Corderman, has been voted the newest recipient of the Luby Hall of Fame Award by the Bowling Writers Association of America.

Corderman, 60, was known mostly for his ability to cover all aspects of the West Coast scene through the pages of the Pacific Bowler, with which he was affiliated from 1978-2004. He set standards for regional coverage in areas such as wheelchair bowling, senior news, the youth level and, of course, the PBA Regional Tour. That, along with his insightful voice covering the issues via his "Pin Action" column, made PB a "must read" not only in his area of coverage, but well beyond.

He started his journalistic career as Editor of the Citrus Bowler in San Bernardino, Calif. He left that newspaper after four years to join the Pacific Bowler in Garden Grove, Calif. He moved up through the ranks to eventually become Editor-Publisher of the newspaper, a post he held with his wife, Berdalee.

While there, he (and his wife) also served in the same capacity for 10 years with the San Diego County Bowler.

For more than 25 years, starting in 1976, he was the publicist for the Professional Bowlers Assn. Western Region. Again, he set a standard that was hard to match.

"R.F. covered all of our regional tournaments," remembered PBA lane man Lenny Nicholson. "He was awesome. He showed up for every regional event, and always wrote a great story. I never met anybody who covered the regionals as well as he did. He also put together the regional program book. He was all business and admired for his tenacity."

As a result of those efforts, he was named the Pat Patterson Award recipient for his regional contributions. Only PBA members were eligible, but PBA Regional boss Ted Hoffman Jr. secretly bought R.F. an associate membership so he could be presented the plaque at a Southern California Bowling Writers All-Star Awards Banquet.

Beyond that, he was a longtime president of the Southern California Bowling Writers, which presided over the annual Southern California Bowling Writers All-Star Awards Banquet.

This is his third Hall of Fame honor. He was named to the Southern California Bowling Hall of Fame for meritorious service, and selected by the Orange County Bowling Assn. Hall of Fame for meritorious service.

He retired in 2004, and he and Berdalee now are living in Bedford, Iowa.

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JOHN LASPINA IS 2012 BWAA MIKE HENNESSY AWARD OF MERIT RECIPENT

Award for Contributions to the Sport to be Presented at

BWAA Annual Meeting June 24 in Reno, Nev.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- For contributions to bowling through education, promotion and commentary on issues affecting the sport, the Bowling Writers Association of America has announced that John LaSpina is the recipient of the 2012 BWAA Mike Hennessy Award of Merit.

LaSpina has served in leadership roles at many levels during his lifetime of involvement in the sport. He was president of the New York City BPA, the New York State BPA, and has chaired the Tri-State Bowling Promotions Committee. On the national level, he served as vice president and then president of the BPAA from 1992-94. He also served on BPAA's board of directors from 1977 until recently and was on the board of the Young American Bowling Alliance, during which time, he served as vice-president.

It was through his involvement with YABA that LaSpina was instrumental in the development of the YABA PEE WEE program designed to promote the sport to very young children.

LaSpina, along with his brother, Peter, also administers the Peter J. LaSpina Memorial Scholarship Tournament in memory of their late father and has spearheaded many other bowling-related fundraisers for many charities locally and nationally.

In response to the aftermath of 9/11, Maple Family Centers organized the Maple Family Center BVL tournament that has raised thousands of dollars for the charity. LaSpina is currently president of Maple Family Centers which operates five centers in New York.

"What makes receiving this award all the more special is that it is in honor of Mike (Hennessy) who was a great friend," said LaSpina. "I've always encouraged the concept of working together not only in my work as a proprietor but also in the leadership positions I've had in the industry.

Throughout his tenure as an industry leader, LaSpina has written numerous articles and columns for industry publications focusing on bowling issues. He is also past-chairman of International Bowl Expo and the East Coast Bowling Centers Convention.

"As a proprietor myself, I care deeply for the future of the sport and have always tried to convey that enthusiasm to everyone I've worked with in the industry because it is indeed a lifetime sport."

LaSpina has also been recognized with many other industry awards including:

• New York City Bowling Proprietors' Association Hall of Fame Award - 1982
• Metropolitan Bowling Writers Award - 1984
• International Bowling Industry Magazine Person of the Year - 1994
• BPAA's President's Medal - 1995
• New York State Bowling Proprietors' Association Award of Excellence - 1996
• William Landgraff Award - Metropolitan Bowling Writers Association - 1998
• BPAA Hall of Fame and Victor Lerner Memorial Medal - 2002

The Mike Hennessy Award of Merit is named after the late bowling reporter, former BWAA president and USBC Hall of Famer who held many positions in the bowling industry and covered the sport at all levels. Jim Goodwin was the recipient of the inaugural Hennessy Award of Merit in 2011.

LaSpina will be presented with his award during BWAA Annual Meeting activities held in conjunction with BPAA Bowl Expo June 24-29 in Reno, Nev. 

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We are now looking for a few good men or women...

To serve on the BWAA Board of Directors.

Please complete and return the attached form before May 15, 2012 to be considered.

Click here for the application

We have now added a "BWAA Photo Gallery" to the website.  There is a box with a link in the left column of this page that you can use to access the Photo Gallery.   Please take a look at it and see photos from Bowl Expo and the Grand Opening of the new "50 Years of Womens Professional Bowling" exhibit at the Hall of Fame.  More will be added soon...