The Women's International Bowling Congress' Bowl for the Cure® program, which benefits the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, earned the prestigious Associations Advance America Award of Excellence, sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives.

The AAA Award of Excellence recognizes organizations advancing American society with innovative programs benefiting the community. Winners were selected by the following criteria: impact of the program; level of involvement by volunteers; and the program's ability to be replicated by other organizations. Bowl for the Cure® was one of 16 AAA Award winners chosen from more than 100 entries.

"These programs embody the work being done everyday by associations across the country to better our communities and quality of life," ASAE President and CEO S. Olson, CAE said.

In addition, Award of Excellence winners are automatically entered into consideration for the Summit Award, ASAE's highest association honor.

"WIBC is extremely pleased that Bowl for the Cure® has earned this great honor," WIBC Executive Director Roseann Kuhn said. "Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of bowlers who participate in Bowl for the Cure® and work to ensure the program is successful."

All award winners will be honored during ASAE Denver 2002, the society's Annual Meeting and Exposition, to be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Aug. 17-21.

Bowl for the Cure® is a nationwide fund-raising initiative benefiting the Komen Foundation offering bowlers a way to take a stand against breast cancer while educating themselves on early detection and other breast health issues. In 2001, bowlers raised more than $845,000 for the Komen Foundation and hope to raise $1 million during the 2002 event.

During February each league is encouraged to designate one bowling session of its choice as Bowl for the Cure® day. Participating bowlers may donate a penny per pin (or any amount they wish) for their series bowled during the designated Bowl for the Cure® session. The Komen Foundation receives 100 percent of net proceeds, which supports cutting-edge breast cancer research and community outreach programs. Visit Bowlforthecure.com for information on the Bowl for the Cure® program and how to get your community involved in "knocking down pins to knock out breast cancer."

The mission of the Komen Foundation is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment. For more information about breast health or breast cancer, call the Komen Foundation's National Toll-Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I'M AWARE® (800) 462-9273, or visit the Foundation's Web site at Komen.org.

The ASAE was founded in 1920 and represents approximately 10,000 associations serving more than 287 million people and companies worldwide as well as vendors that offer products and services to the association community.

WIBC Queens champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard earns 2001 PWBA Player of the Year

Women’s International Bowling Congress 2001 Queens champion Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, North Richland Hills, Texas, was selected by her peers as the 2001 Professional Women's Bowling Association's Player of the Year. A runner-up for the honor for the past four years, Dorin-Ballard garnered 100 percent of the PWBA player ballot.

"I guess perseverance paid off," Dorin-Ballard said. "I knocked on the door for the last four years and finally it opened up."

Recently chosen by Bowler's Journal International as the industry's Person of the Year, Dorin-Ballard reigned supreme in 23 PWBA tournaments this season. The 12-year pro tied Patty Costello's 1976 record for the most professional women's bowling titles in a single season with seven and closed the 2001 campaign as the tour leader in earnings ($135,045), competition points (17,415) and averages (214.73). In addition she led all PWBA'ers in televised finals appearances with a PWBA-record 18 telecasts and broke or set eight other PWBA records.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to have a season like this past year," she said. "Our tour has so many great players. In many ways the other athletes helped me perform at such a high level because I had to bowl extremely well every week to compete with them."

Known as one of the most consistent players on tour, Dorin-Ballard finished no lower than 15th in any tournament this season extending her streak to 46. She also cashed in all 23 tournaments bringing her consecutive "cashed" streak to 70.

Selected as the Player of the Year Runner-Up was Australia's Cara Honeychurch. Also voted on by the players, Honeychurch received 53.5 percent of the vote to beat out Liz Johnson (39.2), Cheektowaga, N.Y., and Michelle Feldman (7.3), Skaneateles, N.Y.

2000 U.S. Amateur Champion Kulick unanimous choice for PWBA Rookie of the Year

For the first time in the history of the Professional Women's Bowling Association, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.Y., was a unanimous selection as the 2001 PWBA Rookie of the Year.

"I'm humbled by this wonderful honor," said Kulick, the 2000 U.S. Amateur Champion and a three-time TEAM USA participant. "It is extremely gratifying to be noticed by so many of the top bowlers in the world."

Turning pro at age 24, Kulick served notice of her arrival to the rest of the PWBA by starting the 2001 season with a second-place finish at the Women's International Bowling Congress Queens tournament. In 23 events, she was among the top 10 in 14 while cashing in 19. Despite not winning a title, Kulick qualified for the televised finals in five of the last six tournaments and nine total. She ranked eighth in earnings ($65,057) and ninth in competition points (11,645) and average (208.02).

"It's a dream come true to finish my rookie year this way. At the beginning of the season I set high goals for myself but Rookie of the Year is icing on the cake."

A TEAM USA member in 1998, 1999 and 2000, Kulick joined the PWBA after an extremely successful amateur career. She helped TEAM USA to a gold medal at the 1999 Pan Am Games and claimed a gold and two silver medals at the 1999 FIQ World Championships.

A Morehead State University graduate, she helped guide the Eagles to a 1998 Intercollegiate National Championship and was named the collegiate Bowler of the Year in 1997 and 1998. She also was selected as a Collegiate All-American in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Past TEAM USA player, U.S. Amateur Champion Liz Johnson selected for PWBA Robby Award

The Professional Women's Bowling Association voted Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., as the 2001 recipient of the Robby Award. Given to the player who "best exemplifies the most positive image of women in professional bowling on and off the lanes, Johnson earned 32 percent of the player's vote en route to the honor.

"I'm very surprised and flattered to receive this award," said Johnson. "It's a great honor to be recognized by your peers for what you do on and off the lanes."

The 1993 and 1994 U.S. Amateur Champion and TEAM USA 1994 and 1995 member is the 18th bowler to garner the award. She completed the 2001 campaign as one of the tour's top players ranking second in earnings ($85,827), sixth in competition points (12,337) and second in average (212.41). In addition, she claimed four titles increasing her career total to 10. Her victory at the 2001 Hammer Players Championship was her second major championship of her five-year professional career.

"I feel great about the year I just had. To win four titles and make the championship round 10 times is a special accomplishment."

Competing in 20 tournaments, Johnson cashed in 18 events and finished in the top 10 13 times. She appeared in 10 televised finals including the Paula Carter Classic where she made national news by bowling a 300 game in the title match. Along with the championship and first-place purse, Johnson's perfect game earned her a $50,000 Travelodge bonus.

Including TV incentives, the native New Yorker made the most money among all PWBA'ers taking in $156,827 for the season.

Now a two-time winner of the Robby Award (1998), Johnson's pro career has also included making the 1998 Bowlers Journal International All-American Team and earning the 1996 PWBA Rookie of the Year.

During her time at Morehead State University, Johnson was a three-time Bowlers Journal International Amateur of the Year (1993-95) and the 1993 the Collegiate Bowler of the Year.

Hometown hero tops Horan to earn record $100,000 first prize in Reno

Brett Wolfe of Reno, Nev., became the sixth amateur in history to win the American Bowling Congress Masters title Jan. 20 when he defeated Dennis Horan of Temecula, Calif., 269-172, at the National Bowling Stadium.

Wolfe, a 25-year-old business development manager for Coca-Cola USA, raced through two days of three-game, double-elimination match play competition to earn the top qualifying berth for the stepladder final and then posted the largest margin of victory in Masters history to claim the record $100,000 first prize.

"It feels great. I had a blast," Wolfe said. "I’m not one to break down and cry or anything like that, but I had a job to do and I did it. And I think it was a pretty good show for the fans."

Wolfe, a former Arizona State University collegiate star, had never bowled in the ABC Masters before, but made a decision to give it a try only 10 days before the tournament started.

"I crush this place," he said of his previous experiences bowling in the National Bowling Stadium. "The question was whether I wanted to invest the $400 entry fee. Could I hang with the pros for a week? It was a confidence issue, but I finally decided, why not?"

After converting the 3-10 split in the first frame, Wolfe reeled off a string of six strikes with the 10-year-old bowling ball he used almost exclusively during the week. When Horan left the 3-7-9 split and opened in his fifth frame, the match was pretty much out of his reach.

"I finished second and won $50,000, which is more than I won with either of my two major titles," Horan said. "Sure, I wanted to win, but five minutes later, I was over it."

Horan defeated Steve Jaros of Bolingbrook, Ill., 216-190, in the opening match and he eliminated Ricky Ward of North Fort Myers, Fla., 230-224, to advance to the title contest. Ward earned $25,000 for third place and Jaros took home $15,000 for fourth place.

Wolfe was a National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association first-team Collegiate All-American in 1995-96 and 1996-97. He made the all-tournament team at the 1995 Intercollegiate Bowling Championships where he also was most valuable player runner-up. While living in suburban Phoenix, he set an American Bowling Congress record for most 300 games in a season with 14 in 1996-97, a standard that stood for two years.

The 2002 Masters paid a record prize fund of $366,000 and drew a field of 456 professional and amateur entrants. It was conducted under ABC/Women’s International Bowling Congress Sport Bowling lane conditions.

10th annual ABC Senior Masters slated for Tucson, Ariz., in May

The American Bowling Congress, in cooperation with the Professional Bowlers Association, has announced the 10th annual Senior Masters tournament will be held May 24-31 at Golden Pin Lanes in Tucson, Ariz.

The ABC Senior Masters will feature PBA Senior professionals and non-professional ABC members ages 50 and older who will compete for a projected $150,000 prize fund. After two eight-game qualifying blocks, the top 63 scorers will join defending champion Bob Glass of Lawrence, Kan., in the three-game, double-elimination match play finals to determine the 2002 champion.

"The ABC Senior Masters is an event that allows ABC's most talented senior members to compete head-to-head with the world's premier senior professionals," ABC Assistant Executive Director Jack Mordini said. "This event has become one of the premier tournaments in the world for senior bowlers. We're looking forward to another terrific event for the Senior Masters' first visit to Arizona."

In the 2001 Senior Masters at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Glass, the 2000 PBA Senior Player of the Year, defeated defending champion Dave Soutar of Bradenton, Fla., 696-616, to win the title in a non-televised three-game roll-off.

The tournament was first held in 1992 in Tulsa, Okla. Among the oldest and most prestigious events in senior bowling, the ABC Senior Masters is a perennial meeting place for senior bowling’s strongest and deepest field. Past champions include inaugural winner Phil Ware, and ABC Hall of Famers Dave Davis, Gary Dickinson and Soutar.

The Senior Masters is open to all ABC members ages 50 and older who have maintained a minimum 190 average for the past two seasons. The 2002 event will have a limited field of 312 participants.

For entry forms or more information contact Tom Boedecker at (800) 514-BOWL, Ext. 3415.

Entries remain available for second annual FIQ International Senior Open Feb. 3-10 in Reno

Bowlers age 50 and older still have the opportunity to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience by competing in the second annual Federation Internationale des Quilleurs Senior Open Feb. 3-10 at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev.

Competition will be conducted in three age groups - 50-56, 57-66 and 67 and over. Entrants can bowl for titles in singles, doubles, trios, mixed doubles and Masters. Singles action will consist of three games while doubles, mixed doubles and trios will feature three games.

Bowlers may enter as many times as they like. Initial registration fee is $50 per person. Fees for all subsequent entries are $35 per squad for the singles event and $30 per squad for doubles, mixed doubles and trios events. Marathon all events also is available for a one-time $10 fee.

Entries will be accepted until the start of the tournament. For further information, visit the fiq.org Web site or call (719) 636-2695.

National 600 Club announces its 2002 tournament, dinner/meeting dates in Milwaukee

The National 600 Club will hold its 2002 championship tournament and dinner/meeting in Milwaukee to coincide with the Women’s International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament and Annual Meeting.

The National 600 Club tournament will run April 14-June 10 (unless extended) at AMF New Berlin Lanes. It will feature five divisions - 181 average & over, 165-180, 151-164, 150 & under and a new senior division for ages 55 and over. The tournament will be handicapped at 80 percent of 200. Entry fee is $25.

Average verification is required in addition to current National 600 Club and WIBC membership cards. Lanes will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except for WIBC Annual Meeting week when they’ll be available from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The National 600 Club Dinner/Meeting is slated for April 22 at American Serb Memorial Hall. Tickets are $20 and reservations may be made with Rhonda Wiesneski, 2222 S. 69th St., West Allis, WI 53219.

For more information on the National 600 Club, visit natl600.freeservers.com on the Internet.

Notes

American Bowling Congress Life Member Lester Shirey of Fond du Lac, Wis., died Jan. 15 at age 90. He joined the ABC Board of Directors in 1961 serving the Central/Northern Wisconsin area and became a Life Member in 1982.