Bowling Buzz: Rio Rancho’s Youth NM Open Scholarships, ‘Filling Frames’ Triumph, Real Bowling Heroes, & High School Season Kickoff!

BOWLING UPDATE

From Tenpins & More
* An unprecedented, one-time added scholarship of $ 5,000 is being awarded to bowlers coming to Rio Rancho this weekend (September 23-24) for the annual Youth New Mexico Open.

Both scratch and handicap division winners this Sunday will each receive scholarships for a record
$ 1,250. Boys and girls ranging in age from six to twenty will vie for the prizes and trophies.

It is also the first event in the Mountain West region season of the Junior Bowlers Tour, with double points given. Entries can be processed at bowljbt.com.

* Six winners were named after contesting the new “Filling Frames” tournament at Tenpins & More in Rio Rancho.

Scores did not count in the multi-graded event, instead one point was awarded for each strike and spare made during a four-game set (with 40 points the maximum available).

Joseph Paterson and wife, Teri, drove up from Socorro to win their respective divisions. Joseph closed 35 frames in Mens A, while Teri scored 17 in Womens C.

Trent Irwin, one of the Center’s most diligent practice bowlers, won Mens B with 34 while James DeGroat, who attended last month’s Coaching Clinic, won Mens C with 25 marks.

Johnna Mora, who bowled the summer Scratch Doubles league with multi-Hall of Fame member, Dana Miller-Mackie, threw 31 closed frames for the Womens A win, as did Gloria Gonzakowski in winning Womens B.

* Rick Dennison, who bowls the Senior Trios here on Monday afternoons, was nominated and accepted as the newest member of the Tenpins & More “Real Bowling Heroes” award board.

Dennison, who bowls three leagues a week between Rio Rancho and Albuquerque Centers, has had his share of health issues these past few years but continues to thoroughly enjoy the sport he has now played for more than fifty years.

* The New Mexico High School bowling season gets underway Monday October 2 at Bowling Centers around the state with practice/training sessions after school weekdays and weekends prior the opening matches Saturday November 4 and 11 at Tenpins & More.

The local Center has already booked Rio Rancho, Cleveland, Volcano Vista, Sandia Prep, Cibola and Bernalillo High Schools, along with eligible eight graders to get expert coaching prior the imminent start-up.

* For more than two decades now, Rio Rancho league bowlers have been the most awarded competitive bowlers in the state, evidenced again last Saturday at the New Mexico USBC banquet.

Female Bowler of the Year was our Aileen Linares, while all these bowlers won their way through state- organized events, including Lucia Griego, Kira Vanderlip, Aiden Ruiz-Jimenez, Ayden Lopez, Karen Barcal, Haskell Lee, Gary Hadley, Carl Chavez, Michael Beach, Mike Avila, Brenda Hamilton, Shane Muller, Mia Medina, Alyssa Burks, Kylie Belnap, Phyllis Bustos, Kathy Leitch, Rebecca Sanchez, Adrienne Hare, Robin Prioleau, Michelle Dennison, Kelsey Kryjewski, Zach Harvey, Carson Opela, Jacob Gill, Lauren Jaramillo and Pete Sheridan.

The upcoming state tournament calendar was released. Senior is at Silva Lanes November, Pepsi Youth at Artesia in January and April, Women at Farmington in March and the Open State meet at Clovis in May.

Fifty members who passed during the year were honored and remembered including Tony Vigil who was a regular three-day-a-week league bowler at Tenpins & More.