Bowling World Newspaper

June 2019 - www.bowlingworld.com 7 SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967 Luby Publishing President Keith Hamilton Named To BVL Board Of Directors FAIRFAX, Va. (June 3, 2019) – BVL (Bowlers To Veterans Link) today announced that Luby Publishing Inc. president Keith Hamilton, of Park Ridge, Ill., has been elected to the BVL Board of Directors. Hamilton currently over- sees Luby Publishing Inc., the world leader in publishing of bowling and billiard publications ―Keith has been a driving force for positive change throughout the bowling industry for decades, and we‘re grateful to add his voice to the BVL Board,‖ said BVL Board Chair John LaSpina. ―He brings a broad perspective and will be an enthusiastic advocate for the trans- formative impact that BVL can make for veterans.‖ ―The idea of being able to serve our veterans is a privilege,‖ said Hamilton. ―BVL showcases the very best of what the bowling community can do for others, so I am grateful for the opportunity to play a role in their mission to enhance the lives of every generation of veterans.‖ BVL is bowling‘s own and oldest charity, raising more than $50 million dollars since 1942 to provide recreation therapy grants at VA hospitals and clinics for America‘s veterans and active duty service members. Fundraising events in bowl- ing and entertainment centers occur throughout the year, with many efforts central- ized around National BVL Month each November. In addition to Hamilton, the BVL Board of Directors is comprised of business com- munity leaders and representatives from the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and the Bowling Proprietors‘ Association of America (BPAA). Hamilton has been a part of Luby Publishing Inc. (LPI) since 1981, starting as an intern with the organization‘s flagship publication, Bowlers Journal, and joining the business full-time after college to work with his mentor, USBC and PBA Hall of Famer, Mort Luby. Hamilton was named president of LPI in 1994 and has often dedicated his time to serve in many volunteer roles throughout the industry. Cur- rently, Hamilton is the president of the International Bowling Media Association (IBMA) and formerly served as the president and chairman of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame (2011-14) and chairman of the IBPSIA Advi- sory Board (2005-2009). During his three-decade-plus tenure in the industry, Hamilton has more than dou- bled the size of LPI, and was also at the helm as the longest-running sports maga- zine in the nation, Bowlers Journal International, celebrated its 100 th anniversary in 2013. While serving on their Board, Hamilton also played a major role in the building of the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, as well the museum‘s first satellite location in Reno, Nev. In his role with the IBMA, he led the charge to resurrect and grow the IBMA Chuck Pezzano Scholarship by devel- oping a corporate partnership program that led to an increase in funding and scholarship payout to the winner. Hamilton has received the ―Friends of IBPSIA Award‖ in two consecutive years (2014-15). He has also earned the Start-Up of the Year Award from the Niche Magazine Conference in 2007 for Pro Shop Operator and the prestigious BPAA Special Projects Award in 2005 for the creation of Bowling Center Management, the official publication of BPAA. Hamilton has also won USBC and IBMA writing awards for his monthly editorial featured in Bowlers Journal International and was awarded the BPAA Media Award in 2018. Hamilton earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in Business Administration from Western Illinois Univer- sity. He and his wife Kathleen reside in Park Ridge, Ill, and have one son, Ryan. Ng Catches Parkin To Win 2019 PWBA Sonoma County Open By Terry Bigham Double Decker Lanes, Rohnert Park, CA. – Shayna Ng spent each round of the 2019 Profes- sional Women‘s Bowling Association (PWBA) So- noma County Open trying to catch tournament leader Missy Parkin, without success. Ng had one last chance as she faced Parkin in Saturday‘s title match at Double Decker Lanes and took full advantage of the opportunity by striking on her first seven shots in a 259-237 victory to claim her second PWBA title. Parkin, from Laguna Hills, CA., was dominant throughout the event, finishing 288 pins ahead of Ng to take the top seed for the stepladder finals. Ng finished second in each of the four rounds over the last two days, ―Finally, on the last one,‖ Ng said about catching Parkin. ―She bowled great all week and was very, very consistent. I had my ups and downs, but when it comes down to just one final game, it‘s really anybody‘s game and I was fortunate to have matched up to the lanes better and earlier.‖ While Ng was striking on her first seven shots in the title match, Parkin had a 10 pin wiggle, but not fall in the second frame, picked up a 2-8 leave in the fifth and a single- pin spare in the seventh. ―I bowled really well all week long, was happy with my execution, and the last game I threw all the shots really well,‖ Parkin said. ―That‘s all you can do. Shayna bowled really well in the stepladder finals and all week long.‖ The No. 2 seed, Ng averaged 263 in her two matches of the stepladder. In the semi- final against No. 3 seed Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, TX., Ng closed out the match with seven strikes. She was quite aware she was on a run of 14 consecutive strikes over the two matches. ―There were nerves,‖ said Ng, who won the 2018 PWBA Las Vegas Open. ―I was really, really quite nervous. But I guess I managed to overcome it.‖ Johnson made the semifinals match with a 227-179 victory over Valerie Bercier of Spring Lake, Michigan. Bercier couldn‘t convert a 2-10 split in the second fame and Johnson stayed clean in the victory. Saturday‘s stepladder was the PWBA Tour‘s fifth of the season – a total of 21 spots – and once again each of the stepladder participants were making their first finals appearance of the season. No bowler has made two stepladder finals in 2019. Ng won‘t have a chance to make another stepladder as she will return to Singapore with the rest of the team. The Singapore national team has been on the PWBA Tour for the last five weeks as part of their training for the Singapore Open. ―It‘s been a long trip, but it is sweet to go back with this win,‖ Ng said. PWBA SONOMA COUNTY OPEN (At Double Decker Lanes, Rohnert Park, Calif.) Saturday‘s Results 1, Shayna Ng, Singapore, 526 (two games), $10,000 2, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 237 (one game), $5,000 3, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 431 (two games), $3,500 4, Valerie Bercier, Spring Lake, Mich., 179 (one game), $3,000 Stepladder results Match No. 1 – S. Johnson def. Bercier, 227-179 Semifinal – Ng def. S.Johnson, 267-204 Title match – Ng def. Parkin, 259-237 ROUND OF 12 DID NOT ADVANCE 5, Giselle Poss, Nashville, Tenn., 6,358, $2,000. 6, Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 6,334, $1,950. 7, (TIE) Thashaina Seraus (n), Aruba, and Julia Bond, Aurora, Ill., 6,299, $1,900. 9, Sandra Gongora, Mexico, 6,258, $1,800. 10, Jen Higgins, Westerville, Ohio, 6,257, $1,700. 11, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, Ill., 6,235, $1,650. 12, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 6,216, $1,600. (Continued on page 14)