JULY 2015 -
7
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
Dublin Bowl’s Bill Cooley Receives
Jaryszak Laneman Award
By Terry Bigham
Bill Cooley, the head mechanic and lane maintenance supervisor at
Earl Anthony‟s Dublin Bowl for the last 35 years, was presented the
2015 Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award at Bowl Expo.
Because of his extensive knowledge of lane maintenance and Bruns-
wick pinsetters, Cooley was hired by bowling legend Earl Anthony in
1980. The center has been the host of numerous Professional Bowlers
Association national and regional events over the last 30 years.
“When I heard that I won the award, it blew me away. I am over-
whelmed and humbled,” Cooley said. “Lanemen like working in the
background. If you're seeing the laneman, it is usually a bad thing,
which is why this award and recognition is so special for the bowling
industry.
“I want to thank all the people who won before. These were pioneers
in the industry and their support has been unbelievable. I want to thank
Jim Jaryszak for having a vision of how important lanemen are. If he
was here today, I know he would be proud of what this has become.”
Cooley worked with the PBA lane maintenance crew led by Len
Nicholson, the first recipient of the Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award, on
lane conditions for the PBA tournaments and TV finals at Dublin Bowl.
Cooley currently handles lane conditions for the center‟s league bowl-
ers, including PBA Experience leagues for adult and youth bowlers,
along with monthly scratch tournaments using mostly PBA oil patterns.
“He is very talented when it comes to knowing oil patterns,” Ted Hoff-
man Jr., a PBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of Dublin Bowl, said in
nominating Cooley. “Many of our local bowling centers come to Bill
when they need help with their lane conditions.”
The Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award first was awarded by the United
States Bowling Congress Equipment Specifications and Certifications
team in 2011 to recognize a person for his behind-the-scenes career
as a laneman. It is named in honor of the former USBC Research
Manager, who died in 2010. Jaryszak was instrumental in setting up
the USBC Sport Bowling program and was the point person as USBC
worked with the PBA on updating its “animal” patterns.
Cooley is the fifth recipient of the Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award. In
addition to Nicholson, the former Director of Lane Maintenance for the
PBA, previous recipients are: Sam Baca, the first Director of Lane
Maintenance for the PBA, in 2012; John Davis, Kegel founder, who
was posthumously honored in 2013; and Steve Cross of Kegel in
2014.
Go to BOWL.com/EquipAndSpecs to learn more about the Jim
Jaryszak Laneman Award.
Bill Cooley, center,
is presented the
2015 Jim Jaryszak
Laneman Award
at Bowl Expo by
USBC Research
Technician Jason
Milligan, left, and
USBC Deputy
Executive Director
Jason Overstreet.
Magic Slam Dunks Expo
Keynote Basketball legend Ervin 'Magic' Johnson
provided a magnificent lesson for more than 1000
bowling proprietors during his Expo Keynote ad-
dress. Johnson intermingled with the audience to
share lessons from his days on the basketball court
and more recently his days in the board room as a
very successful business leader.
(shown on stage with BPAA Executive Director Frank
DeSocio and BPAA President Tom Martino)
BOWL EXPO News:
Peters and Staton Top Citrus Belt
Competitors at IBPSIA Tournament
by Frank Weiler
LAS VEGAS - Top BOWLERS JOURNAL
executives joined PBA legends and stars and
dozens of fans to watch the BPAA (Bowling
Proprietors Association of America) and IBPSIA
(International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors
Association) scratch tournament as part of
BOWL EXPO. The tournament was held at
South Point's Bowling Plaza for IBPSIA mem-
bers and guests.
The tournament featured bowlers from all
parts of the country which made it seem like an
IBPSIA National Championship Tournament.
The field of 113 entries featured several PBA
Champions including Eric Forkel and Robert
Smith.
The bowlers rolled four games of qualifying
with the top thirty-two earning checks and the
top sixteen moving on to single elimination
match play. After the first four games our own
Darron Peters was the top seed entering match
play with Joe Staton third and Alan Mojado in
thirteenth place. Peters averaged 261
(1047 for four games) while Staton averaged
259 and Mojado 239.
While Mojado lost his first match to David
Haynes of Las Vegas and finished tied for ninth
place Peters and Staton won their first matches.
Staton, who rolled a perfect 300 game during
qualifying, rolled a big 267 to eliminate Eric
Forkel by twenty pins. Both of our guys lost
their next match and finished tied for fifth place.
The tournament produced three perfect
games and numerous games over 280. The
field was packed with great amateur bowlers
including Dan Nadeau (High Roller champion)
and son Chase (future Arizona State bowler),
Jackie Wyckoff (former BWAA President), and
multi amateur champions DeeRonn Booker,
Brian Brazeau and Joel Ricketts.
The bleachers were filled with numerous
PBA legends and stars including Parker Bohn
III, Josh Blanchard, Jason Couch, Tommy
Jones, Bill O'Neill, Johnny Petraglia and Dave
Wodka. Bowlers Journal senior executives on
hand included Keith Hamilton (President), Bob
Johnson (Senior Editor) and Gianmarc Manzi-
one (Editor).
The evening affair was hosted by South
Point's Mike Monyak and was another example
of why BPAA'S BOWL EXPO is our sports pre-
mier event.
Pan Am Games
By Terry Bigham
TORONTO –
Team USA members went
through a final practice session for the Pan
American Games bowling competition on Tues-
day and will begin four days of competition
starting with doubles on Wednesday.
Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York,
Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, Devin
Bidwell of Wichita, Kansas, and Tommy Jones
of Simpsonville, South Carolina, are represent-
ing the United States at Games.
“We‟ve had three days of practice crossing the
house,” Jones said. “We‟ve made our notes and
now it‟s on us to go out and perform.”
While Johnson and Pluhowsky each previ-
ously have competed in the Pan American
Games, it has been a new experience for
Bidwell, left, and Jones. They spent Monday
night in the athletes‟ village watching coverage
of the different sports, including the women‟s
gold-medal basketball game between the
United States and Canada, alongside fellow
athletes.
Jones has bowled in three World Champion-
ships and a World Cup, but said the Pan Ameri-
can Games has been unique.
“It‟s definitely a different environment, being
around different athletes as opposed to people
who are just in your sport,” Jones said. “We get
to ask questions, they ask us questions. It‟s
neat they appreciate you as an athlete, your
level of play.”
Bidwell also is enjoying the experience.
“It‟s pretty neat because you get to see ath-
letes from so many sports and they are the best
at what they do in that sport,” Bidwell said.
