Based on responses in the discussion on the message board and phone calls I have received, I notified USBC that we would be willing to certify our medal tournaments #1-20. That has been done and we have a new certification certificate reflecting that change.
The Winter Break and Championship/BASH tournaments will not be certified as we will not be using SMART to manage our scholarship money.
Basically, the only change that will effect us will be that the bowlers are now eligible for what awards are left being given by USBC.
Brian Graham from USBC will be following your responses in the message board regarding the awards program. So...here's your opportunity to possibly make a difference in the scheme of things.
I spoke at length with Brian (and Gary) at USBC this afternoon.
The long and short of it all is that we must certify our medal tournaments (all but the Winter Break and Championship/Bash Tournaments) in order to qualify Jr Gold advancers this season. Unless I hear opinions to the contrary, I see no reason not to do so.
After our talk, I received the following e-mail from Brian Graham, in which he re-iterates a request he had made to me during our discussions. He wants in-put from youth and parents alike about the types of awards they would like to see for junior bowlers and the scores that should be necessary to obtain such awards.
Brian Graham to kathimccaw@gmail.com 5:01pm
Kathi,
I thank you for taking time to speak with us today. We really do want to work with you to provide the very best tournament opportunities for youth bowlers, and I have a great deal of appreciation for the work that you do.
Please make sure that you get me some feedback on the USBC Youth awards program. We are currently in the process of reviewing that program, and I am looking for information from the field. Ideally, I would like to know what type of awards the youth bowlers are looking for and the scores required to earn those awards. As you know, the program needs changes.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Brian
817-524-4473 (temp office)
I will be starting a thread on the message board. I hope everyone will chime in with their opinions, suggestions, etc. regarding a re-vamped youth bowler awards program so that we can send them on to Brian....
I have been notified by AMF Silver Lanes that they will be unable to host our Nov 2nd tournament. I am not able to move it up the following weekend as I will be out of town.
(To compensate they are giving us a break on lineage for the Winter Break Tournament in December. That will increase the scholarships we will be able to award!)
We will be holding the November 2nd tournament at North Bowl Lanes in N. Attleboro, MA. I understand it is under new ownership/management - for anyone who remembers the disaster we had there a few years ago. They have booked us for 1PM.
USBC has received information indicating that the NEJST Tour has been offering Junior Gold Qualifiying events as a side event within NEJST tournaments. The evidence suggests that scores from non-USBC certified NEJST events are being taken and used in a secondary competition, a USBC certified Junior Gold Qualifier.
Junior Gold and USBC rules do not allow the scores from non-certified competitions to be submitted into a USBC certified competition. (See USBC Rule 302b)
In order to determine the compliance of the NEJST Junior Gold Qualifiers (USBC certification # 04307) with Junior Gold and USBC rules we are requesting the following information be submitted for any Junior Gold qualifier where spots for the 2009 event were awarded.
1 - A complete listing of the participants and their JG qualifying scores in each 2009 qualifying event.
2 - The standings for the respective NEJST tour events that were scheduled at the same date and time as the Junior Gold qualifier.
We request that this information be submitted to USBC by October 29, 2008. It can be submitted via e-mail to gary.schmit@bowl.com, by fax to 817-633-3810 or by mail to USBC, 621 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, TX 76011.
If it is determined that the qualifying events for the 2009 USBC Junior Gold Championships are in violation of Junior Gold and USBC rules, we will have no alternative but to void the results of these events and notify the participants they must qualify for the 2009 USBC Junior Gold Championships through another event.
Until this investigation is concluded, any further requests for additional Junior Gold spots will be held.
Your timely compliance with this request is appreciated.
Sincerely,
Gary Schmit
USBC Youth Tournament Manager
and I responded with the following:
Gary:
Needless to say I was quite surprised to receive your e-mail today. I thought this situation had been settled two years ago. And as far as I am aware USBC's rules in this regard have not changed since that time.
Please reference the e-mail, copied below, from Maureen Vicena dated 9/21/06 in which she informed me that USBC had OK'd our Jr Gold Qualifiers. Nothing in our tour has changed since that time.
Please let me know if you still require further documentation of some sort.
As we discussed, you have "two parts" of qualifying going on during your tour stops. On one "set" of lanes are JG athletes competing for the chance to advance to Buffalo (ratio of 1:5.... separate divisions if you have enough in a gender). The other "set" of lanes are non-JG athletes still bowling the six games of qualifying. After both "sets" have bowled their six games, all scores are combined and the top 5 (additional advancers if more than 15 athletes enter your event) go to a stepladder finals were only medals are given out. At no time are scholarships awarded during these stops.
The June event is the Year End tournament. This tournament is only comprised of athletes that have bowled 7 or more of the "tour stops". It is not based on points, etc. However... at this event there are scholarships awarded. You have indicated that you do not wish to use SMART for the scholarships. Thus, this specific event could not be certified since you will not be using SMART. The individual stop CAN be totally certified if you choose since no scholarships are being awarded and the awards are in compliance with Rule 400 (i.e. medals). But that choice is up to you.
The individual tour stops are still recognized by Junior Gold. These "sets of lanes" that are earmarked for Junior Gold are also covered by USBC since you have certified those initial 6 games.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
October 5th we were at Del Lanes, Delmar, NY. Marvin, as usual, put out a fairly difficult US Open pattern for us. We had 40 entries. Collegiate Alex Weglarz (NY) was the only bowler to average 200 for the day with a 1228 series. Russell Hagan, the previous event's Collegiate Division winner, had the high game of 276.
The Shoot-Out was won by Stephen Rogers (NY). The Mystery Score was not hit thus the scholarship jackpot grows to $107 for our next event.
Three Jr Gold bowlers advanced to the National Tournament to be held next July in Indianopolis: Chris Dziengiel, Tory Jansen, and D.J. Quesnell.
In the Prep Division, Josh McCart (NY) placed 1st, Dakota Fleury (VT), 2nd, and Taylor LeClair (NY), 3rd.
Jr Boys Division step-ladder:
4. Sam Matthews (NY) def. Jeremy Janusz (NY) 172-167
3. Ross Whitehead (NY) def. Sam Matthews 176-162
2. Ross Whitehead def. Patrick Ward (NJ) 206-136
1. Ross Whitehead def. Joey Wolfrum (NY) 199-152
Collegiate Boys Division:
4. Drew Brown (NY) def. Floyd Prince (NY) 240-184
3. Josh Grabiec (CT) def. Drew Brown 194-193
2. Josh Grabiec def. D.J. Quesnell 201-170
1. Josh Grabiec def. Alex Weglarz 168-146
Major Boys Division:
5. Chris Gorry (CT) 206 def. Ryan Sickler (NY) 158, Luke Ciccarelli (NY) 165, and Josh Regnier (CT)
162 to advance to the step-ladder.
4. Shane Fleury (VT) def Chris Gorry 159-157
3. Ryan Graywacz (CT) def. Shane Fleury 187-156
2. Ryan Graywacz def. Chris Dziengiel 189-183
1. Ryan Graywacz def. Sean Lenahan (NY) 174-160
September 21st found us in Malden, MA at Town Line Ten-Pin for our 2nd tournament of the season. 40 bowlers competed on a house shot. The high game of 290 was thrown by Jr Boys Division's Qwadaris Rembert (RI). Collegiate Danny Khuu (MA) wasthe high qualifier for the day with games of 259-225-201-247-277+242 for a very nice 1451 series!
In the Jr Boys Division Nick Sauve (MA), pictured far right, captured the gold medal. Vincent Borowy (RI), won the silver medal.
Bobby Pacuk (RI), pictured on the left, finished with the bronze medal.
In the Girls Division: Nicole Trudell (RI), on the right, defeated Alley Kiesman (MA), center, to win the gold. Jadee Scott-Jones (RI), left, earned the bronze medal.
This season the Girls and Jr Girls Divisions have been merged. The Jr Girls are holding their own and winning medals!
Major Boys Division: Cameron Lawson (VT), right, claimed first place. Shane Fleury (VT), center, was second. Ryan Graywacz (CT), left, was third.
In our Prep Division, finishing in first place with the gold medal was Bryan Bourget (RI), right. Jordan Lewis (RI), center finished second. And Noah Frankforter (CT), left, placed third.
And our Collegiate Boys Division! Like that picture? They didn't hang around to have it snapped. However, Russell Hagan (VT) defeated Danny Khuu (MA) to win the gold medal. Rai Doblmeier (RI) finished in third place.
