Survivor League returning with altered format
High school and collegiate bowlers in need of a tuneup can fine tune their skills in the Survivor League.
The popular scholarship league for bowlers 20 and younger is back at Beaver-Vu Bowl with a shorter season and new format starting June 17.
“It’s competitive but more of a practice league, a great way to get back in the groove after several months off the lanes,” league director Greg Coulles said.
The seven-week singles league is a limited handicap league with six divisions — girls and boys U15, U18 and U20. Bowlers roll three games every week with the top two in each division bowling an additional game to determine the weekly winner.
Bowlers will compete on a variety of conditions including the OHSAA state championship pattern and two college sport patterns. Scholarships will be awarded based on participation as well as performance in all six divisions.
From collegiate national tournaments to premier youth events, the COVID19 pandemic spurred the cancellation of tournaments around the state and across the country.
International Bowling Campus Youth Development canceled its national youth championship events including the highly-anticipated Junior Gold Championships slated for July, leaving many youth bowlers with few competitive options for the summer. Coulles is hoping to fill that void a bit.
“If middle, high school or college bowlers want to work on their game, this is where they want to be,” he said.
For more information or an entry form, visit www. daytonbowling.com.
Open doors: Most local bowling centers are back up and running with some noticeable changes. From employee masks to social distancing and temperature readings — of employees and customers alike — more than a few things have changed as a result of the coronavirus. But bowlers are back as summer leagues, Kids Bowl Free and open bowling are all getting underway.
Need an added incentive to get back on the lanes? Marian Lanes is offering $1.25 games for all bowlers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and Beaver-Vu is welcoming back its league bowlers with three games for $5.
PWBA update: The Professional Women’s Bowling Association has canceled its 2020 Tour season, including its two major events, the United States Bowling Congress Queens and the U.S. Women’s Open.
The PWBA determined workability concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and varying nationwide restrictions would not allow them to conduct fullfield tour events. The USBC Queens drew 192 competitors last year.
“When we looked at the way other professional sports leagues are resuming play, the consistent approach is regular testing while isolating athletes and staff from outside contact,” said Chad Murphy, United States Bowling Congress executive director.
“Sadly, we do not see a workable way to operate a national tour in 2020 across varying venues and states in a manner that meets standards for a professional sports league.”
The PWBA will explore the possibility of conducting special events later in 2020.
“If conditions improve to allow special events to be an option for the PWBA, we want to find a way to make that happen,” said Frank DeSocio, Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America executive director.