bwfeb2018

February 2018 - www.bowlingworld.com 7 SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967 BPAA To Honor Tom Martino With Victor Lerner Memorial Medal ARLINGTON, Texas – The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2018 Bowling Industry Service Awards, some of the most prestigious awards presented by the bowling industry. Tom Martino (Majestic Lanes, Hopelawn, New Jersey) has been selected as the 2018 BPAA Hall of Fame Induc- tee and recipient of the Victor Lerner Memorial Medal. The Lerner Medal is the highest honor awarded by the BPAA and recognizes an indi- vidual for a lifetime of service to the bowling industry and represents the recipient's induction into BPAA's Hall of Fame, located at the Inter- national Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas. Mr. Martino entered the bowling industry more than 40 years ago and served not only at the state level but on national committees as well. He served as treasurer of the Bowling Proprietors’ Asso- ciation of America (BPAA) for six years and as president from 2014-2016. He currently is chairman of Strike Ten Entertainment. Diane Voight (Community Bowling Centers, Livonia, Michigan) will be recognized with the President’s Medal for her many contri- butions and years of service to the BPAA, not only as an At-Large Director on the BPAA Board of Directors but also as past Chair- man of the Executive Evaluation Committee and current member of the Nominating Committee. The President’s Medal is given to an individual judged to have given exceptional support and/or made significant contributions to the association in the eyes of the current BPAA president. Albert Blough (CHB Sports, Reading, Pennsylvania) receives the coveted V.A. Wapensky Award, named after BPAA's long-time chief executive officer, "Chief" Wapensky. Mr. Blough is being recognized for his 50 years of passion and enthusiasm for the sport of bowling. He currently serves as the President of the BPA of Pennsylvania, is a member of the BPAA Board of Directors, as well as the Multi Unit Bowling Information Group (MUBIG). Shannon O’Keefe (O’Fallon, Illinois) was selected to receive the Dick Weber Bowling Ambassador Award, named after the legen- dary bowling icon, recognizing her passion for the game and sport of bowling, both on and off the lanes. Jack McCarthy (Fern Valley Strike & Spare, Louisville, Ken- tucky) will be recognized with the Special Project award for his efforts in reviving the ―Pin Car‖ which is in production and set to debut at International Bowl Expo 2018. Keith Hamilton (Chicago) receives the 2018 Media Award. A member of the Luby Publishing team for more than 30 years, he currently is president of Luby Publishing as well as an award- winning journalist. Nancy Schenk , BPAA President and Awards Committee Chair- man, stated, "Again this year, the committee had many conversa- tions to select individuals in our industry that lead with humble service and passionate dedication, and we congratulate and thank all our award winners for their countless contributions to our in- dustry." The Bowling Industry Service Awards will be presented at the Annual Awards Luncheon, Tuesday, June 19, 2018, during Inter- national Bowl Expo 2018 at Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. The Lerner Memorial Medal presentation will take place during the general session on Wednesday morning. USBC To Reclassify More Than 700 Leagues As Sport Or Challenge Leagues Based On Research By Terry Bigham ARLINGTON, Texas – After researching the averages of bowlers who competed in multiple leagues during the 2016-2017 season, the United States Bowling Congress determined the lane conditions used in more than 700 leagues were more difficult than conditions in Standard leagues and those leagues will be reclassified with the appropriate Sport or Challenge designation. A total of 605 leagues will be reclassified to Challenge leagues and 99 leagues will be reclassified as Sport leagues based on data that showed the scoring pace was significantly different from the scoring pace its members had on Standard league conditions. The averages of the bowlers in those leagues now will carry a Sport or Challenge designation on Find A Member. If they have no other average, the bowlers will need to follow Rule 201 and use the Sport or Challenge conversion charts when entering leagues or tournaments bowled on Standard conditions. ―Average integrity is an important issue this industry continues to face and USBC is being proac- tive in using the data to make sure leagues are properly classified,‖ USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy said. ―This is another positive step to leveling the playing field at all USBC certified events.‖ During the next several days, USBC will send emails and letters to the league secretary, league president and bowling center of the leagues, and inform the local and state association managers of the reclassification. The letters also will state that leagues have the right to appeal the reclassifica- tion; any appeals will be overseen by the USBC Rules department. With assistance from the USBC Specifications and Certification department, the USBC Member- ship department examined the averages of every league from the 2016-2017 season. To ensure it had a sample size large enough to evaluate a league, at least 20 percent of a league’s members had to have an average in another league if the league was to be evaluated for possible reclassification. For leagues with a large enough sample size, the data showed 99 leagues were statistically more difficult for bowlers, with averages of 20 or more pins higher than in a Standard or ―house shot‖ league, which showed the league was competing on Sport conditions. It also found 605 leagues in which bowler averages were 10-19 pins higher than in Standard leagues, which shows Challenge lane conditions. The reclassification of the leagues continues USBC’s efforts to ensure the averages bowlers use in leagues and competitions are a true reflection of their abilities. It also is part of the continuing evaluation of leagues following changes to the Sport program several years ago. The Sport Bowling program was changed in 2015, removing the membership costs and the need to submit lane tapes, and became a resource for lane patterns and information for bowlers seeking a more challenging level. Leagues were tasked with self-reporting by designating their league as Sport if the league used the tougher lane conditions. To bridge the gap between Sport and Standard leagues, USBC introduced the Challenge league designation in 2017 for leagues using tougher, though not Sport, lane conditions. Compared to Standard lanes conditions (house shot), bowlers in Challenge leagues have averages that are 10- 19 pins lower than averages on a house shot. Averages in Sport leagues are 20 or more pins lower. Congratulations to 900 Global Staffer Tyler Wright on breaking the Louisiana State Record with an amazing set of 889!! Tyler had games of 300-300-289 all with the Dream On!!