Younger bowlers from Rome show prowess on local lanes
They prove their skills at the Greater Rome Bowling Association’s first Youth Scholarship Bowling Tournament.
When other kids are staying in bed watching cartoons on a Saturday morning, Ben Cook, Satoshi Kasahara, Brittavious Thurman, Riyah Manley and Makayla Coomer can often be spotted at the local bowling alley, practicing the sport they love.
All five recently won big at the inaugural Youth Scholarship Bowling Tournament sponsored by the Greater Rome Bowling Association.
Ben was crowned tour-
nament champion, taking home the grand prize of a $ 400 scholarship and qualifying for the Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis in July.
Satoshi came in second at the tournament, winning a $300 scholarship.
Third place and a $ 150 scholarship went to Brittavious and Riyah took fourth with a $100 scholarship. Makayla came in fifth and won the last scholarship of the day of $50.
While winning is great, for these athletes, the love of the game is more important.
“There isn’t anything I don’t love about bowling,” said Ben. He said he has been bowling since he could walk, and he hopes he will one day become a professional bowler.
Riyah, on the other hand, has only started bowling last year but enjoys the sport just as much.
“I got into bowling because my dad also bowls in a league,” She said.
Makayla has been bowling for several years and also said she wants to go pro someday. Her personal best score is a 266.
Greater Rome Bowling Association President Dixie Cook said they have over 100 kids currently enrolled in a league and they are hoping to grow the sport in the area.
Like any sport, practice is key to success. The junior league meets every Saturday but some kids, especially the more serious ones, like to practice
Did you know there is more to RN-T.com than just today’s newspaper? Not only can you find the latest local news as well as headlines from around the region and state, but there are also reader-friendly interactives to explore.
Looking to get your news in a different way? Check our FACEBOOK and TWITTER pages.
Does your opinion matter? It does to us. Vote each week in our ONLINE POLL that can be found on the right hand side of our homepage. This week’s poll is: How should Rome respond to the neo-Nazi protest scheduled on April 23?
So far, 72 percent of readers have voted to Ignore it.
Watching your stocks? Check our BUSINESS page for updates on the stock market and current trends. There’s also a searchable stock ticker on the right side of the page to get up-tothe-minute quotes.
Looking for coverage of high school sports? Head on over to PREP CENTRAL, at prepcentralonline.com, for news articles, photos and scores pertaining to prep sports.
Read about your fellow Romans in HOMETOWN HEADLINES, listed under “Lifestyles.” There, you’ll find information about achievements, donations and other local activities.
Looking for something on our website? It’s easy with the SEARCH box at the top of the page. Just type in keywords to bring up relevant older stories as well as those added recently to the site.
during the week.
Ben said when he practices, he likes to focus on his release – the moment the ball is let go. When he releases properly, he’s able to put a good spin on the ball and have better control, hopefully ensuring a strike.
If anyone is interested in joining a youth, or even an adult bowling league, they can contact the Greater Rome Bowling Association by email at ddandsum@charter.net.