6
- July 2017
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
PBA Spare Shots: PBA Stars
EJ Tackett, Sean Rash, Wes Malott
Visit White House Lanes
By Bill Vint
Thanks to more than a little help from a PBA member
with government insider connections, PBA stars
EJ
Tackett
,
Sean Rash
and
Wes Malott
got a chance to
bowl on the Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley in the White
House complex recently.
PBA member
Chris Holmes
, who works for the U.S.
Department of the Interior, was asked by another gov-
ernment friend if Holmes would show his staff what “real
bowling” looks like…so Holmes figured that would be a
great chance to get some real bowlers to lend a hand.
After getting appropriate approvals, Holmes invited
Tackett through MOTIV, Rash and tour rep
Chuck
Gardner
through Brunswick and Malott through Roto
Grip to visit the White House lanes.
Under the condition that the players’ visit would remain
confidential until after the fact, the players got a chance
to bowl and discuss the sport with a few members of
the White House Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy while Holmes shot some video and recorded some
interviews.
Some of Holmes’ content aired on WUSA-TV in Wash-
ington, D.C. Each of the players also will have access
to some of the content for their own social media out-
lets.
Indiana Laneman Selected To Receive Jaryszak Award
By Terry Bigham
ARLINGTON, Texas –
Bob Hileman of Portage, Indiana, who has worked in bowling for more
than 40 years, was named recipient of the 2017 Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award.
The annual award was presented to Hileman at Bowl Expo 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.
First awarded in 2011, the Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award recognizes a person for their behind-
the-scenes work as a laneman. The winner is selected by the United States Bowling Congress
Equipment Specifications and Certifications team from submitted nominations.
“It was a total surprise,” Hileman said. “I’m deeply honored and humbled at the same time.
Jim Jaryszak and I were very good friends, and I miss him dearly. To have my name associ-
ated with all the lanemen in the world – Lenny Nicholson, John Davis, everyone – I’m quite
honored. I can’t say enough.”
Hileman has been the laneman at Stardust Bowl II in Merrillville, Indiana, for more than 35
years. He started his career at the center in the mid-70s, working as a porter when he was 15,
but soon began his work behind the scenes. Wally Kucharski trained Hileman as a mechanic,
and when Kucharski left the center in the late 1980s, Hileman assumed the job as head me-
chanic.
He was instrumental in running Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) national and regional
events held at Stardust Bowl, including the PBA Tour Trials. He is a three-time recipient of the
Pat Patterson Award, which recognizes individual contributions toward the PBA Regional pro-
gram.
“I’ve seen him helping out another laneman at a high school tournament, not at his center,
when their lane machine broke down,” said Stephanie Cooley, coach of the Lake Central girls
bowling team, who was one of two people to nominate Hileman. “He always does whatever he
can to help. His knowledge is unsurpassed in the area of lane maintenance.”
The Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award is named in honor of the USBC Research Manager, who
passed away in late 2010. Jaryszak was instrumental in setting up the USBC Sport Bowling
program and served as the point person when the PBA was updating their animal patterns.
Past recipients include Sam Baca, the first Director of Lane Maintenance for the PBA, Kegel
founder John Davis, and Len Nicholson, the former PBA director of lane maintenance, the first
recipient of the award.
Bob Hileman, center, is presented the 2017 Jim Jaryszak Laneman Award by USBC President
Frank Wilkinson, left, and Len Nicholson, the first recipient of the award.
