ASBATY, HOFFMAN NAMED 2006 BWAA AMATEURS OF THE YEAR

>United States Bowling Congress Team USA members Diandra Asbaty and Bill Hoffman have been selected as the 2006 Amateur Bowlers of the Year by the Bowling Writers' Association of America. The honor is the second for Asbaty, who also won in 2003, and the fifth for Hoffman who previously won in 2003, 2002, 2000 and 1999.

>Chicago resident Asbaty opened her highly successful 2006 by earning the U.S. Amateur champion title at the United States Bowling Congress Team USA Championships. She later earned titles in the Malaysian Open and in doubles in the Cream of the Crop tournaments before capping her year with the gold medal in the QubicaAMF World Cup. She also was one of 16 women to compete in the inaugural USBC Women's Challenge in 2006.

>The biggest moment of 2006 for Hoffman, who resides in Columbus, Ohio, was helping Team USA to the team event gold medal in the World Tenpin Bowling Association World Championships, the first time in 35 years his country had captured team gold. He rolled a 300 in the next-to-last game to help the Americans win. Hoffman finished ninth in the 2006 USBC Team USA Championships and was named to Team USA by the National Selection Committee. He also helped the U.S. capture the Weber Cup.

Asbaty topped fellow Team USA members Shannon Pluhowsky, Phoenix, and Olivia Sandham, Wichita, Kan., in the women's voting. Hoffman edged Rhino Page, Fresno, Calif., in the men's voting with 2006 U.S. Amateur champion Dan Patterson, Buffalo, N.Y., in third place.

Asbaty and Hoffman will receive their honors June 26 during the BWAA Press Party in Las Vegas. (3-25-2007)

BWAA TO HONOR BVL, McLEARY, PEARSON
Bowling Writers Association of America members have selected the Bowlers to Veterans Link, President Hazel McLeary and bowling veteran Reg Pearson as winners of its 2007 industry awards.

The three recipients will be honored during the 2007 BWAA Convention which will be held in conjunction with International Bowl Expo in Las Vegas June 23-28. No specific date has been set at this time.

BVL will receive the John O. Martino Award which is presented to an individual or organization that has devoted time, energy and talent for the sport of bowling over a period of years.

McLeary of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is the second woman to earn the Mort Luby Sr. Hall of Fame Award for distinguished contributions to print, broadcast, telecast or photographic bowling coverage among BWAA members. (The first woman to earn the BWAA’s Hall of Fame honor was life member Pearl Keller in 1990.)

Pearson, Virginia City, Nev., earned the Rip Van Winkle award for his contributions to the sport which occurred 20 or more years ago.

BVL has long supported war veterans. Making a difference for our sons and daughters on the front line, BVL has renewed efforts to make the lives better for those serving our nation. More than 400 portable carpet bowling lanes have been sent to individuals and units in Iraq and Afghanistan. Founded in 1942 to support the recreational and therapeutic needs of America's armed forces, $34 million has been raised by bowlers to provide such items as playing cards, pocket size books and a variety of sports equipment for veterans. It also provides visits to hundreds of hospitals every year by celebrity bowlers such as Helen Duval, Johnny Petraglia, Kim Terrell and the late Earl Anthony.

McLeary continues to serve as the Canadian Tenpin Federation media director and has filed results of Canadian tenpin teams at international competitions all over the world. Her expertise in a variety of bowling areas has made her an internationally known and requested official for many FIQ zone and world events.

Pearson has been a friend to bowling since 1983 when he became manager of MGM Grand Casino bowling center in Reno. He was instrumental in attracting the WIBC national tournament to the Reno/Spark/Carson City area in 1988. And he was a driving force behind the funding and building of the National Bowling Stadium, serving as its first director when it opened in 1995. (3-10-2007)