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Much will happen in the coming year for Safety Harbor's John Spicer - some of it good, all of it challenging.
"I'm looking to get all these people together to make one association," Spicer said, referring to five local associations and their impending merger with the new United States Bowling Council. When the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress and Young American Bowling Alliance voted recently to accept a merger into one organization, the USBC, they set in motion the most monumental changes in the 109-year history of the ABC, younger WIBC and much younger YABA.
Spicer is the Suncoast Association president. He will become president of the Florida State Men's Bowling Association in October, and will be the prime mover in facilitating the merger of the local associations.
The Suncoast men's and women's associations govern five Pinellas County centers and four in Pasco. The Clearwater Women's Association holds sway over four Pinellas centers, and the Upper Pinellas Junior Bowling Association and Suncoast YABA are the youth organizations involved in both counties.
"We are sharing the same office with the Clearwater women and working jointly with them and the Suncoast women on our yearbook and secretaries meetings," Spicer said. "Now, we have to take that much farther in getting all these groups to work together and merge into one association. "That will be difficult because the USBC rules are open to wide interpretation and because some of these associations are at odds with each other," he said.
Every state and local association must be chartered with the USBC, through merging with other associations, remaining separate associations or becoming chartered affiliate associations. Ultimately, the local ABC, WIBC and YABA boards have the final say on local mergers and state delegates have the last say on state mergers.
The associations will meet June 26 for initial discussions. Letters of intent from each group must be filed with the USBC by May 31, 2005.
WIBC-ABC UPDATE: A Classic division team that includes Tampa's Lucy Sandelin is in fourth place at the WIBC Tournament in Wichita, Kan.
World Cup Products.com also includes Char Hammell, Janette Piesczynski, Laura Moriarty an d Cindy Coburn-Carroll. They toppled 3,098 pins behind the leaders, High Rollers of Henderson, Nev., which had 3,320. The division is for players with a 190 average or above.
Cocoa's Kim Adler heads the Classic all-events competition with a 2,133 pinfall and is second in singles with a 753 series, behind Sharon Smith, Bowling Green, Ky., 754. The tournament ends July 6.
James Campell's Top of the Line Pool Service squad leads the Regular division all-events with 9,730 at the ABC Championships in Reno, Nev.
Tampa's Don Yoshihara is third in singles with a 777 series and second in all-events with a 2,134 pinfall. The tourney ends June 28.
NABI WINNER: Fred Heiferman, Bayview, defeated St. Petersburg's Lori Lloyd 205-201 to win the club's Memorial Day Tournament and $430 on Sunday at Seminole Lanes.
Jeff Pennell, Venice, was third and Lynda Masters, Fort Myers, fourth.
Pennell defeated St. Petersburg's Edna Berry 211-165, then stopped Masters 182-167 before falling to Heiferman 240-182. Masters fired a tourney-high 257-700. A dozen members will compete in a one-game roll-off Sunday at Sunshine Bowl to determine the winner of a new ball and free entry into the Nationals Storm Challenge in Las Vegas later this year.
PRO-AM ENTRIES: The PBA South Region tournaments visit the Suncoast three times, starting July 23-25 with Spring Hill Lanes. Countryside Lanes hosts the regional Aug. 13-15, and St. Petersburg's Sunrise Lanes has a tourney Aug. 20-22.
Entries are available at all centers. Since the national tour is on a break, many of the top players will be tuning up in the regionals, so it's a great opportunity to bowl with the pros.
CHAMPIONS GATHER: The 18th annual Champion of Champions Tournament is scheduled for June 12-13 at Sunrise Lanes. Entries are open.
League champions from eight local centers are automatic seeds, and any five-person team may enter for a $50 fee.
Squads from Southland, Liberty, Twedt's, Ten Pin, AMF Kenneth City, Seminole, Sunrise and Sunshine Bowl are eligible to compete.
AROUND THE LANES: High scorers - Frank Brunner, 300-768, Victor Montes, 299-747, John Gesell, 298-646, and Marc Pincince, 289-759, at Dunedin; Steve Nardi, 300-696, and Ray Baumbach, 300 game, Liberty; and Steve Felsman, 300-733, and Chris Springstead, 290-722, Seminole. ... The Pinellas County High School League officers meet 4:30 p.m. July 8 at Twedt's Lanes. Coaches and interested parties are urged to attend.
- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes8@msn.com