Match Tournament
The Greater Miami Bowling Association conducted a 6-game handicap match tournament on February 8, 2004 at Don Carter Kendall Lanes. For this tournament, an optional scratch prize fund was offered.

The GMBA offered a guaranteed first prize of $1,000 and second prize of $500. 90 bowlers entered the tournament. Each bowler bowled a head-to-head match against six opponents. 30 bonus pins were given to the bowler for each match that was won. 15 bonus pins were given to the bowler for each match that was tied. The scoring was based on each bowler’s cumulative handicap score plus their bonus pins. The top 16 at the end of the sixth game went into head-to-head elimination matches.

First prize in the handicap part of the tournament paid $1,100 and the second prize paid $550. Marc Brown and Jeff Davis finished first and second, respectively. Debbie Rich finished third winning $280. Henry Brezniak finished fourth winning $200. Also, as some nice highlights from the tournament, Dave Covington bowled a 299 game and 814 series and Carl Johnson had a 290 game.

31 bowlers entered the optional scratch portion (based on 6 game totals) of the tournament. First prize in the scratch portion of the tournament paid $350 and the second prize paid $175. Dave Covington (1498) and Greg Atwood (1414) finished first and second respectively. Roger Boone (1387) finished third winning $100. Mike Skinner and Mitchell Block tied for fourth (1380), winning $57.50 each.

The GMBA will be holding more of these tournaments in the future, both scratch and handicap. Watch for the flyers coming soon in bowling centers.

Annual Meeting
The annual GMWBA meeting was held at Bird Bowl, at which time checks and "champion" jackets for the city tournament were awarded. After elections for officers and delegates for next year took place, a vote was approved for an increase in sanction dues for next season. GMWBA will now be paying the same amount for a WIBC card as the ABC sanction card. The added revenue will enable the GMWBA to keep up with the ever increasing expenses of running the association business (awards, rent, insurance, etc.).

Secretary of the Year
Bowlers of women's or mixed leagues please note that the deadline for nominating someone for the Secretary of the Year award is nearly here. If your secretary goes out of her way to run your league in style, then please nominate her for this prestigious award.

Coach of the Year
The GMJBA announced their coaches of the year at the 35th Annual Youth Bowling Championships at Homestead Bowling Center: Lisa Fuentes, Bird Bowl; Bruce Brande, Cloverleaf Lanes; Bob Jones, Don Carter Kendall Lanes; Brenda Morrissey, Piper Lanes; Mark Watson, Homestead Bowling Center. They were presented with beautiful jackets at the opening ceremonies.

City Tournament
The 35th Annual Youth Bowling Championships were held on March 13-14, 2004 at Homestead Bowling Center. Manager Robin Berke and her staff helped make the tournament a great success. There are six divisions and the results are listed below.

Open Scratch:
Team: Bird Bowl's Finest 2341
(Mindy Coile, Caitlin Graham, Andrew Koff & David Beck)
Doubles: Jesse Thrash/Chad Brewer 1283
Singles Girls: Brigette Harrelson 718
Singles Boys: Brett Bigenho 771
All Events Girls: Brigette Harrelson 1993
All Events Boys: Brett Bigenho 2098
Division 2:
Team: 1HG & 3UB 2438
(Brooke Kern, Paul Bigenho, Chris Szymanski & Brett Bigenho)
Doubles: Eddie Martelli/Richie Naue 1303
Singles Girls: Jennifer Houston 668
Singles Boys: Jonathan Rawcliffe 733
All Events Girls: Jennifer Houston 1735
All Events Boys: Jonathan Rawcliffe 1909
All Events Girls Handicap: Jennifer Houston 1864
All Events Boys Handicap: Larry Brande 1995
Division 3:
Team : Pong_A_Lang 2562
Samantha Murphy, Matthew Watson, Stephany Falk & Patrick Murphy)
Doubles: Dupree Reed/T.J. Bard 1338
Singles Girls: Stephany Falk 594
Singles Boys: T.J. Bard 719
All Events Girls: Stephany Falk 1519
All Events Boys: T.J. Bard 1722
All Events Girls Handicap: Samantha Murphy 1809
All Events Boys: Nicholas Walker 2005
Division 4:
Team: Devastators 2549
Yasdanee Valdes, Aida Ramon, Nicholas Walker & Akeem Veil)
Doubles: Akeem Veil/Nicholas Walker 1315
Singles Girls: Christina Gamble 651
Singles Boys: Jeffrey Harrell 722
All Events Girls: Ana Koff 1401
All Events Boys: Andrew Perez 1491
All Events Girls Handicap: Samantha Lippel 1885
All Events Boys Handicap: Bryan Bourre 2022
Division 5
Team: Any Questions? 2540
Demetrius Evans, Brittany Evans, Jordan Evans & Brigette Harrelson)
Doubles: Erika Cardona/Amber Brunson 1295
Singles Girls: Cleopatra Johnson 650
Singles Boys: Eric Robinson 674
All Events Girls: Katherine Jones 1284
All Events Boys: Dylan Metts 1249
All Events Girls Handicap: Katherine Jones 1899
All Events Boys Handicap: Dylan Metts 1951
Division 6:
Team: The Bowlers, 2575
Shanice Spicer, Anthony Spicer, Albert Lewis & Michele Harper)
Doubles: Amanda Reis/Sommer Washington 1337
Singles Girls: Sommer Washington 642
Singles Boys: Anthony Spicer 636
All Events Girls: Shanice Spicer 993
All Events Boys: Demetrius Evans 1091
All Events Girls Handicap: Sommer Washington 1967
All Events Boys Handicap: Anthony Spicer 1952

Brigette Harrelson shot a 300 game in her singles event and a 718 scratch set.

Thank you to everyone who participated and volunteered many long hours for this tournament. Your dedication and outstanding service to our youth bowlers is greatly appreciated. We hope to see you at next year's tournament.

Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame nominations have been made and ballots will be sent out Hall of Fame members for voting. Those who live in the area are being asked to attend a meeting for selection on June 6, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at Don Carter Kendall Lanes after the last squad of the day of the GMBA City Tournament. We hope to see a lot of members at this meeting, keeping in mind, a quorum of 10 is necessary to vote. The mail-in ballots will count towards the elections, but not towards the quorum. There are four nominees this year: Roger Boone (ability), Margo Buzzard (service), Sharon Colon (ability) and Orlando DeArmas (ability). The location for the induction dinner has not been decided as yet. The date will most likely be October 16.

Bowlers Victor Link (BVL)
The BVL has been sent a check in the amount of $1,514.50 to help veterans who have been wounded and disabled in conflicts over the years. The Council thanks everyone who helped in raising this money. This money can help to rehabilitate some of those who are coming home each day from Iraq, or wherever else in the world they may be in the service of our country. Thank you so much for your help. Veterans Day is in November, and we will come calling again for this very worthy cause.

Top 8 Invitational Tournament
The time it is fast approaching when the Top 8 average bowlers in the Associations will be gathering to bowl against each other in their division. It will be held on Sunday, July 18, 2004 at Cloverleaf Lanes. When all the May 1 league averages are in, those who qualify will be notified by mail. Qualifications are to bowl in two leagues in two different bowling centers, with a minimum of 60 games each. The composite average of the two leagues is computed to determine the Top 8. Hope to see you there.

The ABC Convention was held in Reno Nevada, on March 1, 2004. There were some rule amendments to be voted on and the election of the officers for the new year. Paul Egbers of Chicago will be sworn in to the office of ABC President on June 12 in Chicago. The big item on the agenda was SMO, Merge, USBC or whatever you wish to call the name of the proposed joining of all Associations to make one organization called the "United States Bowling Congress". The vote was taken by ballot vote. The outcome is unknown until the WIBC Convention. The WIBC delegates will vote on the issue at the end of April. The votes outcome will be announced after May 5, 2004. It will take a two-thirds majority vote of each of ABC and WIBC for it to pass. If It doesn’t pass, there are contingency plans for each organization that have been approved. There are many who wish to remain status quo, thus to remain as separate organizations. So, to say one way or the other is merely a guess.

The Sparetimes would like to thank Danielle Graham for providing the following article about Bob White, who passed away recently at the age of 91. Bob was a bowling icon for many, many years within the city of Miami. Many bowlers who have been around since the 1960's and 1970's most likely would have had a bowling ball drilled by Bob.

Someone recently asked me to describe Bob. This is how I would remember Bob: His all white bowling shoes, black pants, black bowling shirt, black large rim glasses and gray balding hair. He was always wearing a bowling shirt and his bowling equipment was never far behind and he was always willing to lend a hand. Bob White was a bowling pro shop owner for over 25 years and had shops located on NE 2nd Avenue at 12th Street and inside Bird Bowl Lanes. If you can remember employees, we are going a long way back: Tommy Evans, Rich Nichols, Jim Marque, Dave Cicalese, Rubin McDowell and Wayne Graham. Wayne might be the best known. He would go to Bird Bowl after school and ask Bob for lessons everyday. He started working for Bob in 1972. Bob found him backers to get started on the PBA Tour. He sold his business to Wayne in 1986. Remembering Bob was also the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas at Cloverleaf Lanes, all the road trips to the ABC Tournaments, visits to the Bahamas and Central and South America, daily and weekly visits from "Red" Ben Townsley, Hy Hill, Robert Moxley, George Swanson, Tony Macina, Ted Goldstein, Doc Kerr, Tommy Woods, Johnny Durr, Vern Saunders and Mike Praznovsky just to name a few.

Memorials can be made in his name to the GMJBA. Those were Bob's wishes. He was very interested in seeing the young bowlers getting a chance to improve.

Junior Bowling League will start on Saturday, June 12, 2004 and run throuth August 14, 2004. This is for ages 2 thru 20 and no experience is required. The meeting and sign up will be on Saturday, June 12, 2004 at 8:45 a.m. and the league will start at 9:30 a.m. Weekly fee is $7. Come join us for a great summer!

From all of us at Bird Bowl Lanes "Happy Mother's Day" in May and "Happy Father's Day" in June.

High Score Recognition
Wayne Graham 300 Alberto Mestres 300
Jerry Mugar 300 Tony Acosta 299
Wayne Graham 299 Jairo Hernandez 299
John McAllister 299 Pedro Rivera 299
Danny Saunders 299

High series men:
Wayne Graham 825 Steve Delisi 816
Peter Hernandez 803 Andrew Headley 791
Greg Atwood 789 Alberto Mestres 785
Richard Cheney 785 Harold Harper 784
Dave Covington 782 Danny Saunders 775
Orlando DeArmas 774 Julian Herradon 768
Carlos Baquero 762

High series women:
Sue Covington 699 Lisa Fuentes 695
Jennifer Hernandez 675 Stacey Harper 674
Jackie Yaniz 671 Janelle Woodburn 666
Mireya Gomez 644 Penny Joslin 631

High series boys:
David Beck 716 Andrew Koff 707
Chris Best 679 Richie Naue 676
Ryan Reese 658

High series girls:
Caitlin Graham 683 Mindy Coile 624
Brooke Kern 612

Jordie is westward bound
The management and staff at Don Carter Kendall Lanes wants to bid a fond farewell to our employee, Jordanna "Jordie" Cavalho, who will be leaving us soon and moving out west to Arizona. Jordie has been an employee for approximately 6 years, wearing every hat in the building. We will miss her friendly smile and her laughter. Please stop by the front desk and wish her well.

Coach of the Year
Congratulations go out to Coach Bob Jones of our Saturday morning junior program. Bob was named our "Coach Of The Year" at this year’s Junior City Tournament, for his dedication to the Junior Program. Bob has been dedicating his time every Saturday morning for approximately 8 years and has now decided to retire this summer to enjoy time with his family. We will miss him but wish him well.

GMJBA Youth Leaders
The Youth Leaders traveled to all of the five bowling centers in Miami-Dade County selling raffle tickets for bowling equipment, MP3 Player and a DVD Player and collected over $1,500 toward their first Scholarship Tournament which will be held this summer in honor of several of our deceased junior bowlers.

At the Junior City Tournament, they sold rosin bags, towels and more raffle tickets. They are to be commended for a great job well done! Also, a BIG THANKS to the following individuals who donated time, money, or equipment to help make their first fund raiser a huge success: Cloverleaf Lanes, Dave’s Pro Shop, Paula’s Pro Shop, Homestead Bowling Center, Stacey and Harold Harper, Ed and Betty Martelli, Patty and Joe Nevers and last but not least, Richard Coile.

Congratulations go out to the winners of the raffle ticket. Bowling ball winners were: Becky Murray, Cloverleaf Lanes, Cindy Truncale, Cloverleaf Lanes, Jim DeLeonardis, Kendall Lanes and Mike LaCroix, Kendall Lanes.

Becky Murray, Jim DeLeonardis and Mike LaCroix graciously donated their winning bowling balls to Juniors at their respective bowling centers.

The MP3 Player was won by Joan Dillon, President of the GMJBA, and Stephanie Sinclair won the DVD Player.

Kendall Scholarship Tournament
The Dade Kendall Scholarship Tournament hosted some great bowling! The tournament was held on Sunday, February 29, 2004, with 30 junior bowlers from Miami-Dade and Broward County. The winners were: Brooke Kern and Marianne Ward for Girls Scratch and Handicap divisions and Joey Betts and Darryn Auerbach for Boys Scratch and Handicap divisions. High scores were: Caitlin Graham bowled a beautiful 732 Series, and Chad Brewer a beautiful 279 high game.

Upcoming News
The Junior Scratch Scholarship League is going pro! This summer we will be introducing "pro shot oil patterns" to our Monday Night Junior Scratch Scholarship League. If successful, we will continue this approach into our winter season expanding on the oil patterns. If interested in joining, please contact our league office at (305) 385_6160, and leave your name and telephone number, and we will call you back. Hope to see you this summer.

We welcome the adults to join in and bowl with the pro shot oil patterns beginning in September on Monday nights. Please contact our league office and leave your name and telephone number and we will contact you. If enough bowlers are interested, we will expand the pro shot to both adults and juniors.

Learn to Bowl Class
The Learn To Bowl class currently held on Monday evenings, will move to Tuesday evenings, beginning on June 8. The Wednesday classes will remain the same. Cost is $6 for 2 hours of coaching time. Coaches Richard Coile and Mike Hamilton will be on hand to help you improve your game.

Marvel Comics Kids League
The Marvel Comics’ Kids League will begin this June. For more information or to register your child(ren), please contact our league office at (305) 385_6160.

Visit By Spiderman
Spiderman will be coming to Don Carter Kendall Lanes on Saturday, June 19 at 12:00 Noon. Lots of fun will be had by all. Kids will be able to have their pictures taken with Spiderman. So mark it down on your calendars and plan to attend.

With Sympathy
Condolences go out to the Uffenorde Family in the loss of their loved one George. George was an officer of the Males & Frails Bowling League.

Condolences go out to the Jimmy Johnson family in the loss of their Grandfather Marshall Bernard. Marshall bowled in the Blondie’s Diner League and New Neighbors League.

High Score Recognition
Junior Boys:
Mike Hamilton (2) 300 Mike Hamilton 800
Jonathan Rawcliffe 300 Jonathan Rawcliffe 800
Jason Watson 299 Chad Brewer (2) 298
Ronnie Westcott 298 Chris Szymanski 298
Chris Miller 289 Andrew Koff 287
Chris Miller 279 (11-in-a-row)
Michael Sinclair 278 Jesse Thrash 278
Brandon Fraum 277 (109 pins over average)
Matt Caballero 248

Junior Girls:
Caitin Graham 276 Caitlin Graham 732
Mindy Coile 245 Christina Gomez 230
Ana Koff 222

Adult Men:
Harold Harper (2) 300 Greg Kelly 300
Ron Thrash 300 Mike Orenstein 300
Tiger Folmar 300 Steve Maynard 300
Robert Neuman 300 Michael Greene 300
Al Palestrini 299 Chad Cameron 299

Adult Women:
Julie Hall 300 Janelle Woodburn 772
Nikki Mundon 709

A reminder to all secretaries: May 1st averages should be submitted to the bowling office as soon after that date as possible. Please do not wait until your season ends to do this as it delays the completion of the yearbook for next season.

UNTIL OUR NEXT ISSUE

Sparetimes Newsletter
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Miami, Florida 33155