Fall league bowling is underway

Now that the fall bowling leagues are underway there is plenty of activity going on in the bowling centers in Prince William County.  As in most sports, bowling has many levels of competition ranging from the high flying pros on the PBA Tour to the smallest peewee in the youth leagues.

Several of Prince William County's top bowlers often compete in professional events but most high average bowlers limit their bowling to strong competition on local lanes.  These lanes usually fall under jurisdiction of the Nation's Capital Area United States Bowling Congress Association which covers the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia.

League bowlers compete at their own level in the dozens of leagues in the five bowling centers in the county.  Bowl America has three centers: Woodbridge, Bull Run and Manassas.  AMF has two: Centreville and Dale City.  All of them run leagues throughout the week, some in the morning and others at mid day and the majority in the evenings after people's workday is done.

Tournament Tidbit

Battle at Bull Run: This is the sixteenth annual no-tap elimination tournament hosted by Bowl America Bull Run (703) 368-6256.  This tournament features a 9 pin no-tap Gray Division for bowlers with a 170 or higher average and an 8 pin no-tap Blue Division for those at 169 or below.  First prize for the Gray Division is $750, 2nd $325 and 3rd $225.  For the Blue 1st prize is $500, 2nd $200 and 3rd $125.The battle runs from Labor Day thru Thanksgiving.  The five top qualifiers will bowl in the step ladder finals on December 7th.  Entry fee is $13.00.

Youth Warriors of Bull Run: The second annual no-tap elimination scholarship tournament for youth bowlers runs from August 29 thru November 2 also at the Bull Run Center.  This event has a 9 pin no-tap Gray Division for those entrants with a 150 average or above and an 8 pin no-tap Blue Division for those with a 149 or below.  Scholarships are awarded in lieu of cash.  For each Division these run $150 for 1st, $100 for 2nd and 50 for 3rd.  Top 5 qualifiers receive scholarships in each Division.  Finals are on November 8.  Entry fee is $10.

Rules of the Game

Most leagues are sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress, the national governing body of the sport of bowling.  USBC also publishes the rules for league play.  Do you know the rules?  Test your knowledge with the Q & A below:

• Question:  A minimum legal lineup must be present to complete the first frame of any game of a series unless the league rules state another frame.  But what constitutes a legal lineup?

Answer:

1.  A legal lineup is:

a.  Three or more eligible players in five-player team leagues, unless league rules state two or more.

b.  Two or more eligible players in either three- or four-player team leagues, unless league rules state one or more.

c.  One eligible player in two-player team leagues.

2.  Substitutes count to determine a legal lineup, unless otherwise provided by league rules.

3.  Leagues may include in its rules the number of players from a team's roster who must be present to count toward a legal lineup.

Freelance Writer Gil Sanchez can be reached at 703-587-6792

Area High Roller

The scores shown are for selected leagues in Prince William County.  Each league has its own characteristics and different levels of bowling averages.

Bowl America Bull Ru

Monday Night Classic (8/25/08): Men—Greg Goodwin 742 Roger Rowley 742 Tom Middleton 725 Tim Colley 725 Roger Rowley 300 Mike Burchfield 290 Tim Colley 278 Bill Bean 277 Women—Cathy Bock 643 Pam Byrd 642 Stephanie Sutton 631 Dianne Pauza 598 Cathy Bock 257 Tiffany Bell 238

Monday Night Classic (9/8/08): Men—Tres Bean 797 Kenny Jones 760 Garry Breeden 747 Tres Bean 290 Tim Cooley 279 Randy Bouyea 279 Women—Katie Gillon 669 Tiffany Bell 655 Stephanie Sutton 651 Stephanie Sutton 257 Tiffany Bell 237 Terri Franklin-CA - 235

Route 66 Mixed League: Men - Allen Collier 721 Eddie Piel 659 Jim Spillane 627 Al Roberts 624 Vince Sievert, John McFarland Sr., Scott Lee Jr. 630 Allen Collier 289 Vince Sievert 258 Eddie Piel 253 Women - Fe Fronda 582 Maureen Burr 564 Terry Hall 552 Patty Capozoli 534 Bev Gaunt 530 Fe Fronda 224 Maureen Burr & Sharon Rob-erts 201

Wednesday A.M. Ladies: Lulu Jackson 620 Barbara Carson 531 Aneta Lamb 495 Lulu Jackson 224 Barbara Carson 210 Marie Johnson 189

Bowl America Woodbridge

Sunday Night Mixers: Men—Doug Gathof 731 Anthony Harris 670 Jim Ramge 664 Jim Anthanas 663 David Reid 635 Al Massey 245 Wes Reynolds 244 Women—Latoya Kirkland 674 Lynnette Fanning 669 Haw Sok Yi 555 Paula Williams 205

Automotive Men (9/4/08)—Series: Mark Glover 766 Johnny Gutridge Jr.756 Jamie Dalton 746 Brendan Nohilly 705 Jose Moreira 704 Game: Johnny Gutridge Jr. 296 Jaime Dalton 267 Mark Glover 265 Rob Moran & John Ma-son 257

Woodbridge Rollers: Men—Tamer McGuire 673 Ralph Miller III 667 Derrick Rollins 643 Carlos Cole 253 Charles Keplinger Sr. 245 Ralph Miller III 241Women—Anita Hawkins 611 Martha Keplinger 501 Anita Hawkins 214

Thursday Nite Early: Men - Glenn Keffer 661 Shaun Green 636 Joe Hansen 627 Randy McNeil 624 Phil Reynolds 615 Dick West 233 Ken Catterton 229 Women -  Valerie Greer 633 Vicky Richard 566 Penny Duncan 517 Beverly Canaday 511 Annetta Sharp 182

Four Seasons Fun Bunch: Men—Norman Prince 641 Roland Arrington 562 John Lyon 550 Norman Prince 247 Women—Carolyn Frye 480 Sharon Dibbley 479

Monday Early Mixed: Men—Greg Wilhelm 694 Randy Greer 672 Henry Potter 627 Will Bruen 222 Nelson Duff 221 Skip Barg 208 Women—Val Greer 609 Dana Rose 606 Tabitha Yaksimg 583 Annetta Sharp 215 Pat Edwards 213

Senior Prime Timers: Men—Gregg Luhmana 645 John Handley 601 Paul Fugitt 599 Otha Vines 220 Martin Wag-ner 217 Bill Potts 214 Women—Aileen Wilson 526 Manan Young 524 Ellen Ripper 517 Virginia Davis 205

Nightengale: Men—Dennis Smith 650 Chris Chapman 643 Frank Johnson 632 David Currle 257 Brian Hood 234 Women—Remy Sheppard 564 Shelly Hansen 554 Judy Brewer 537 Stacy Watkins 170

Ladies Nite Out: Series—Wendy Wingers 641 Nisha Harbison 599 Docie Whitlock 598 Missi Strickland 593 Teresa Medina 585 Game—Debbie Batchelor 235 Cryshana Harbison 229 Alexis Gilbert-Foster 222 Barbara Gutridge 215 Lynn Frechette 213

Merchants Mixed: Men—Rob Baziluik 756 Bob Mosser 755 Jim Ramge 754 Mike Phillips 748 Bruce McClung 729 Howard Hiob 280 Terry Bell 276 Robert Lawrence 275 Shawn Anderson 268 Dan Moon & Joe Ragland 266 Women - Terri Franklin 689 Dawn Fay 685 Louise Jefferson 661 Bryanisha Harbison 652 Marcia Smith 636 Ruthie Bonta 259 Latoya Kirkland 225 Wendy Wingers 225 Lauren Hicks 222 Jolita Perry 216

Bowl America Manassas

Tuesday Early Mixed: Men—Bryan Waldeck 638 Matt Toms 633 Andy Sullivan 571 Butch Sullivan 216 Tracy Carrico 212 Ted Wynes 203 Women—Juanita Hinkle 462

Wednesday Night Mixed: Men—Albert Utterback 640 Nathan Sekula 625 Jim Corbett 610 Mike Borden 242 Women - Colleen Ganoe 534 Patricia Utterback 472 Barbara Finney 470