Sports

In competitive bowling, the mental game plays as important a role in the road to success as the physical game.

It took some time – and a few cases of “letting your emotions get the best of you” – for Warsaw’s Kevin Gray Jr. to grasp this but now that he has, the 36-year-old left-hander has become a force to be reckoned with on a regular basis.

Gray shook off a couple errant shots during Sunday’s Peterson Point match play finals of the Genesee Region USBC Masters tournament at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo and came through in the clutch to unseat defending champion and fellow lefty Rich Wagner of Batavia.

A 213-204 victory in the position round secured the title for Gray, who took the lead after game four of the eight-game final round and held on to win the $300 first prize and Masters’ champion ring.

Gray entered the last game with a 44-point advantage over Wagner (bowlers receive 30 points for each match victory and plus or minus pins based on their score in relation to 200), which meant he needed to beat Wagner for the crown. Wagner, on the other hand, needed to defeat Gray by at least 15 pins to win the tournament.

An open frame by Gray to start the game, coupled by a double by Wagner put the Batavian in the lead temporarily, but Gray responded with four strikes in a row to pull even. After another open in the seventh, Gray once again bounced back with strikes in the ninth and 10^th frame to lock up the match.

“I thought the key for me was being able to leave that stuff (open frames) behind,” said Gray, who won the GRUSBC Scratch Memorial at Mount Morris Lanes in 2016. “I feel I’m better mentally than I’ve ever been.”

Gray, a team leader of the medicine access center at the University of Rochester, was a model of consistency throughout the tournament – qualifying in the third position with 888 for four games and grabbing the fourth spot among the final eight bowlers with 886 on Saturday for a 222 average. And he kept that average on Sunday en route to winning seven of his eight matches.

“I was able to stay focused all day long and not let anything bother me,” said Gray, who used an Ebonite Maverick for the first seven games on Sunday before switching to an Ebonite Gamebreaker II for the last game. “Fortunately, I was able to focus on one match at a time.”

Gray said he dedicated the victory to his late grandfather, Lester Gray, who would have been 102 on Sunday.

Wagner, who picked up $250 for placing second, had the high average for the tournament – 227 – largely due to a 1,024 four-game score (256 average) in the four-game semifinals that propelled him to the No. 1 berth on Sunday.

“I thought I threw it really well, but congratulations to him (Gray). He made the shots in the ninth and 10^th when he had to,” Wagner said. “But first and second in two years, it’s a good day.”

Brian Green, another Batavia southpaw and the high qualifier with 956, finished third and earned $200.

He was followed by three-time Masters champion Fred Gravanda of Batavia ($150), Chris Bardol of Brockport ($100), lefty Mike Johnson of Batavia ($100), Scott Culp of Lima ($90) and Brady Weber of Perry ($90).

Other cashers (in ninth through 16th place) were Jim Pursel of Batavia, Matt Balduf of South Byron, Dean Cadieux Jr. of Oakfield, Geoff Harloff of Batavia, Dana Nowack of Livonia, Joe Trigilio of Attica, Paul Spiotta of Batavia and Josh Elliott of Attica.

The tournament drew 45 entries. For qualifying, semifinal and match play results, go to www.bowlgr.com.

Photo at top -- Tournament director Paul Spiotta congratulates Kevin Gray Jr., center, and Rich Wagner, who placed first and second, respectively, at the GRUSBC Masters. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

LANDERS WINS ROCHESTER QUEENS, BREAKS GRUSBC RECORD

Whether you’re talking about her bowling scores, the winter weather or a bowling ball company, former collegiate standout Caycee Landers has taken Western New York by "storm." 

Landers, a 27-year-old right-hander, migrated from Los Angeles about a year ago, and joined the G&W Vending League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen at the invitation of her boyfriend, Chris Bardol of Brockport.

Since then, she has bowled several 700 series, with her latest – a 782 effort on Tuesday night -- breaking the Genesee Region USBC record of 762 previously held by Bardol’s sister, Jennifer.

Landers, using a Roto-Grip Wreck Em ball (manufactured by Storm), posted games of 267-246-269, and raised her league average to 225.

This comes on the heels of her victory on Feb. 3 at the Rochester NY USBC Queens Tournament at AMF Gates Lanes, where she defeated two of Rochester’s best, Tara Mangiola and Shanna Chepelsky, in the finals.

Landers has been so good on the lanes lately that it has made the WNY cold weather a bit more tolerable.

“I haven’t quite been here a year so I guess I’ve survived my first winter,” she said. “It’s all downhill from here, but it certainly has been an adjustment, coming from a big city. What has made it easier is that everyone here is so nice.”

Landers was an Academic All-American while bowling at Newman University in Wichita, Kan., and previously she bowled at Wichita State. She said that she met Bardol at the Team USA Trials in 2008.

“We’ve always stayed connected through bowling and became good friends,” she said, speaking of Bardol, owner of The North Pole Restaurant in Batavia. “We started dating almost a year ago, and we (she and her 5-year-old son, Landyn) moved to Brockport.”

Landers has multiple 300 games and a high series of 837. She thought she should have had another 800 on Tuesday night.

“I was kind of a bonehead,” she said, referring to a pair of one-pin spares that she missed in the first two games.  “Those two single pins cost me an 800.”

Her 782 fell nine pins short of the Rose Garden Bowl women’s record of 791 set by Mangiola in the Triple O Mechanical Tournament (a non-GRUSBC event).

She did fare better than Bardol, however, who rolled a 694 series on his 30^th birthday.

Landers said she is considering bowling in the New York State Queens Championship on April 21 in Newburgh, a tournament that has been won by another former Wichita State bowler, Shannon Sellens of Long Island, for the past four years.

SPARE SHOTS: JOB OPEN AT LIVINGSTON LANES; SCHEPIS DUO WINS

-- Livingston Lanes owner Marty Estruch, a Mount Morris resident who owns a few hotels in that area, said he is looking for someone to manage the 16-lane bowling center and bar.

The managerial position will be open at the end of this month, Estruch said, adding that the ideal candidate will have knowledge of the business of bowling, customer service skills and an ability to build programs to increase traffic.

Until then, John LaGeorge will be handling day-to-day duties.

-- The brother-sister team of Mike and Shelly Schepis of Medina won the Love ‘Em & Hate ‘Em mixed doubles handicap tournament at Medina Lanes over the weekend.

They were followed by Marion Singleton of Lockport and Brian Cline of Williamsville, Rob Stefani of Batavia and Sarah Cassidy of Albion, and Jenelle and Rusty Boyd of Lyndonville.

-- Right-hander Matt O’Grady of Rahway, N.J., mowed down a couple heavyweight two-handers on Sunday to win the 53^rd PBA Tournament of Champions for his first PBA Tour title.

O’Grady, 31, whose best previous PBA Tour finish was fourth, won four stepladder finals matches at AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio, including victories over PBA Player of the Year Jason Belmonte of Australia and Jesper Svensson of Sweden.

Final standings: Matt O’Grady, Rahway, N.J., $50,000; Jesper Svensson, Sweden, $25,000;  Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich. $13,000; Jason Belmonte, Australia, $11,000; BJ Moore, Greensburg, Pa., $10,000.

Stepladder Results: O’Grady def. Moore, 219-174; O’Grady def. Belmonte, 229-225; O’Grady def. Anderson, 194-185; O’Grady def. Svensson, 207-193.

-- Legion Lanes in Le Roy will be hosting the 16^th annual Ron Riggi Memorial 4-Person Handicap Tournament on Feb. 23-25, offering a first place prize of $1,000 (based on 40 entries).

Squad times are 6:30 p.m. Feb. 23, noon and 3 p.m. Feb. 24 and noon and 3 p.m. Feb. 25. The entry fee is $100 per team.

To enter, contact Mark Brown at 716-474-7960.

-- Three of the five Batavia teams in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League are within striking distance of first-place Rose Garden Bowl I after nine weeks of the 13-team circuit.

Batavia Thunder and Batavia X-Factor gained ground in recent competition at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia with victories over Rose Garden I and Batavia Bombers, respectively.

Rose Garden continues to lead, however, as it is 7.5 points ahead of Batavia Strike Force, 14.5 in front of Oak Orchard Bowl I and16 points ahead of Batavia Thunder and X-Factor.

Individually, James Townsend (Strike Force) topped the list last week with 233—609, while Ben Lennox (Oak Orchard I) had 606 and Sam Miller (Strike Force) posted 603.

For the girls, Samantha Hyde (Le Roy) led the way with a 224 game and 560 series, followed by Corinne Saluste (Strike Force) with 537 and Paige Snook (Oak Orchard I) with 514.

The league bowls at 12:30 p.m. this Sunday at Mount Morris Lanes.

Press release:

Notre Dame announces the hiring of Tim Frappa of Orchard Park as their new Varsity Softball Coach. He replaces Michelle Panepento who decided not to return in order to spend more time with her family. His impressive resume, love of teaching the game of softball and his personality led to his selection from an impressive group of applicants.

Tim has been an extremely successful travel softball coach in the Buffalo area for the past 10 years. For the last three seasons, he coached the NY Inferno 16U and 18U college showcase teams where he has helped players realize their goal of playing college softball. He is recognized as an excellent teacher of fundamentals and is especially strong in the development of pitchers including two daughters who went on to pitch in college. 

Coach Frappa, who  is the Founder and President of Torino Mosaic Flooring, is excited about the opportunity to coach the young ladies of Notre Dame softball and is looking forward to the challenge of building on the success the program has enjoyed in recent years.

Canyon Roster scored 30 points to help lead Le Roy over Warsaw in boys basketball Friday night.

Roster added six rebounds and two steals.

Reece Tresco scored 12 points, Bobby Locke, 7, and T.Y. Williams, 7.

Warsaw's Ben MacConnell was the game's leading scorer with 34 points.

Warsaw falls to 8-11 and LeRoy improves to 13-4.

Press release:

My name is Brenden von Kramer and I am starting a 18U Tournament Baseball Team that will be both affordable to all and for young men who are looking to play past high school and even potentially the next level.

We will be competing in the Darien Lake tournament and potentially a few other tournaments against top-notch teams from all over. The team will be coached by Chad Winkelman David Hall and myself as well as possibly some other high school coaches from around the area.

We are looking for avid baseball players.

If this interests you or you know someone who would be interested, please contact me as soon as possible via call/text or FB Messenger for further details.

We will be holding tryouts in the near future after the basketball season has ended, at a date to be announced later.

We hope to see you there!

Brenden von Kramer

(585) 208-8595

The Byron-Bergen Lady Bees came back from a sluggish first half to beat Alexander 55-53 in girls basketball Wednesday night.

VanValkenburg scored 22 points, with 17 in the second half, to lead B-B.

For Alexander, Macie Riggs scored 15 points.

In my Jan. 18 column, I shared information about the reclassification of leagues by the United States Bowling Congress – the national governing body's analysis of bowler averages that could result in a “Standard (or House)” shot league being changed to a “Challenge” or “Sport” league based on data derived from bowlers who participated in multiple leagues during the 2016-17 season.

While I support the USBC in its effort to even the playing field when it comes to rating bowlers equal to their skill levels, I am not on board with the way the USBC handled a situation that targeted 704 leagues for possible reclassification.

USBC sent letters out of the blue to these leagues, causing a great deal of anger and confusion. This I know because I was copied on the letters from USBC to 39 leagues in New York State (and on several of the appeals from league officials that followed shortly thereafter).

What the USBC should have done was to inform its membership as a whole in advance about the process, letting everyone know that it had been studying averages from last season and that if a league had at least 20 percent of its members who bowled in multiple leagues, it could be subject to reclassification.

For the record, USBC’s research revealed that 99 leagues were statistically more difficult for bowlers with averages of 20 or more pins higher in a Standard or “house shot” league, which showed that those leagues were competing on “Sport” conditions.  It also found 605 leagues in which bowler averages were 10-19 pins higher in Standard leagues, which shows that those leagues were competing on “Challenge” lane conditions.

(Bowlers with league averages designated as “Sport” or “Challenge” are indicated as such on bowl.com, and are subject to using the conversion charts when entering leagues or tournaments bowled on “Standard” oil patterns).

So, instead of informing bowlers with a message on bowl.com and/or an e-mail blast that this was going to happen and of the appeal process, the USBC blindsided its bowlers (and this is not the first time). 

Only after witnessing the negative reaction from league officials for several days did the USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy then shoot off a letter explaining the rationale for its action and acknowledging that other factors could be involved in a league’s scoring pace (bad pins, faulty oil machines, inconsistent maintenance, etc.), before ending with “I hope this letter helps you understand what is going on.”

Talk about shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted!

To date as a result of appeals, the USBC has decided not to change many of the 700 leagues that were targeted. In New York, at least 22 of the 39 leagues identified for reclassification have been kept as "House" leagues.

In the future, I would hope that the USBC brain trust would think things through to avoid alienating its membership base, especially considering that a decade-long trend of declining membership continues.

TOURNEY RESULTS: ‘SENIOR’ FOURSOME 1^ST IN HAIGHT MEMORIAL

Results of tournaments in the Genesee Region over the past couple weeks:

Curt Haight Memorial 4-Person No-Tap
Mancuso Bowling Center, Jan. 20

Longtime Batavia bowlers Joe Trigilio, Fred Gravanda, Joe Mortellaro and Paul Spiotta teamed to place first, rolling a score of 3,187 to capture the $880 top prize.

The event drew 43 teams and raised $1,540 for Genesee Cancer Assistance.

Other cashers were as follows:

Kim Starken, Caycee Landers, Jeanette Sease, Tom Rohl, 2^nd, 3,139, $480; Jason Quilliam, Brian Green, Nate Wright, Mike Lambert, 3^rd, 3,097, $240; Justin Burdick, Jim Prucha, Jim Kessler, Steve Wenzka, 4^th, 3,069, $230.

Dennis Rogers, Mark Brown, Rob Sease, Chris Bardol, 5^th, 3,061, $220; Jen Wagner, Rich Wagner, Jason Gallo, Tony Gallo, 6^th, 3,050, $210; Ron Brown, A.J. Allenbrandt, Heather Johnson, Mike Johnson, 7^th, 3,033, $200.

Mount Morris Pepsi Open
Mount Morris Lanes, Jan. 19-21

Ricky Zinone of Rochester defeated Matt Burt of Buffalo, 192-174, in the title match to win the $1,500 first prize. The 40^th annual scratch tournament drew 108 entries.

Zinone qualified in the eighth position with 949 for four games. Kevin Donovan of Painted Post was the high qualifier with 1,024.

Steve Santini of Mount Morris was the only Genesee Region USBC bowler to make the top 24, qualifying through the one-game, “last chance” squad with a 237.

The field included some of the top bowlers in New York State, including professional Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, Mike Rose Jr. of Rochester, Ken Muscato of Canandaigua and Dan Vick of Rochester.

Help-R-Heroes 4-Person No-Tap
Le Roy Legion Lanes, Jan. 26-28

The Le Roy team of Mickey Hyde, Naomi Hyde, Tom Rohl and Shayne Herold placed first in the handicap tournament with a 3,266 score, winning $600.

They were followed by Mark Brown, Kai Clark, Rob Sease and Norm Bialuski with 3,257, $480; Scott O’Neill, Ian Elliott, Dave Elliott and Bill Van Alst, 3,204, $300, and Tom Fluker, Mike Johnson, Mike Lambert and Nate Wright, 3,105, $200.

Proceeds went toward wounded soldiers returning home.

Baker Style Scratch Doubles
Mancuso Bowling Center, Jan, 27

The Lockport-area duo of Gary Kinyon and Jason Ciliberto defeated the Batavia-area duo of Matt Balduf and Rich Wagner, 465-395, to win the $700 first prize.

Thirty-one teams competed in the tournament, which featured six-game qualifying where bowlers alternate frames. From there, the top eight teams advanced to two-game eliminator style finals where half the field is eliminated in each round.

Balduf and Wagner earned $400 for placing second.

Other local teams cashing were Batavian Gregg Wolff and Brian Green. Tom Fluker of Batavia and his partner, Lowell Schoonmaker of Florida, combined for a 300 game.

MASTERS, CROSSROADS HOUSE TOP FEBRUARY SCHEDULE

-- Livingston Lanes in Geneseo will be hosting the 57^th annual Genesee Region USBC Masters Tournament on Feb. 10-11.

Open to current GRUSBC members with at least 21 games in a particular league, the tournament offers a first prize of $525 plus a champion’s ring (based on 80 entries).

Qualifying squads (four games) are set for 10 a.m and 1 p.m. Feb. 10, with the top 16 advancing to the four-game semifinals at 4 p.m. on Feb. 10. From there, the top eight bowlers (eight-game totals) will move on to the eight-game Peterson Point match play finals at 1 p.m. Feb. 11.

The entry fee is $50, and re-entry is allowed provided the re-entry does not prohibit a first-time entrant from competing.

To sign up, contact Paul Spiotta at 585-202-6458.

-- The 22^nd annual Betty Ellison Memorial “Strike Out for Crossroads House” benefit tournament is scheduled for Feb. 16-18 at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Squad times for the five-person handicap event are 6 p.m. Feb. 16, 3 and 6 p.m. Feb. 17 and 1 p.m. Feb. 18. As of Wednesday morning, openings remain on all squads except for the 6 p.m. Friday squad.

The entry fee is $110 per team until Feb. 9; after that date, it increases to $125.

Registration can be done online by going to www.crossroadshouse.com and choosing the Events tab.

All proceeds from the bowling as well as numerous raffles over the weekend will go to benefit Crossroads House, a comfort care home serving the residents of Genesee and Wyoming counties who have been medically determined to be in their last stages of life (three months or less).

For more information, call 585-409-0136.

-- The 12^th annual GRUSBC Youth Team Tournament is set for Feb. 17 at Le Roy Legion Lanes, with squads at noon and 3 p.m.

Only a few spots remain as the maximum number of teams in the event is 16. Each team consists of four bowlers.

The entry fee is $64 per team.  Scholarships will be awarded to the first-place teams in each of three divisions, based on team average.

To enter, contact Tom Fluker at 585-284-2637.

YOUTH TRAVEL LEAGUE BOWLS IN BATAVIA ON SUNDAY

The Genesee Region Youth Travel League returns to Mancuso Bowling Center at 12:30 p.m. this Sunday.

Rose Garden Bowl I continues to lead the 13-team league by 4.5 points over Batavia Strike Force, with Oak Orchard Bowl I another 13 points back.

In recent action, Josiah Yantz of Scopano’s Lanes led the way for the boys with a 242 game and 682 series, while Paige Snook of Oak Orchard Bowl I led the girls with a 214 game and 563 series.

CHECK OUT THE NEW ‘PIN POINTS’ SPONSOR: NEO-TAC

I'm pleased to welcome a new "Pin Points" sponsor this week – Neo-Tac, Inc., which is owned by scientist and avid bowler, Frank Bernabei of Middleport.

Bernabei’s company specializes in bowling ball surface management products, such as Hook-It, Renew-It and Liquid Nitro, as well as lane conditioners and cleaners. Just click on his ad to learn more.

And while you’re at it, click on all of the ads on this page and support those businesses that help keep the sport of bowling in the news.