Bowling has been an official Ohio high School sport for several years, and apparently it is still going
through growing pains, at least in the Northern Lakes League.
The recently released All-NLL teams for the season has generated quite a bit of controversy. The rule to
be eligible to be named to the all-league team is a bowler bowl a minimum of 75 percent of the games.
The coaches voted that in and have maintained that rule for years.
Napoleon coach, Randy Schwaiger uses more players on the lanes in a starting role than most of the other
five schools. His bowlers do not average as many games per bowler as the other schools. He has proposed
rule changes to change the requirements reducing the percentage, including one proposal being only 50
percent of the games.
If that was the case, conceivably one team could have 10 very good bowlers each bowling half the games
and take all the spots on both first- and second all-league teams.
Larry Morrison, commissioner for the league, said Monday the 75 percent of games rule for all-league
honors has been voted upon and will remain in effect for the 2014-15 season.
Schwaiger in a Dec. 10 e-mail to one of the other coaches stated, "I know we will have to bend the
rule once again in order to get 15 bowlers eligible for team selections."
That statement and other comments he made to coaches at the NLL tournament indicated this has been the
practice for the previous two years. The other coaches have spoken out against those actions considering
their statistics from the NLL bowling website indicate his statement is not accurate.
Morrison also wants to address the statistical record keeping of the matches so such matters are not an
issue. He said he can’t see why the coaches cannot compare stats during and after a match and sign each
other’s score sheet.
Morrison stated on Monday, "There is definitely a problem. We’re going to get these issues resolved
before next season. I guarantee it."
Also, both Northview and Southview do not field a bowling team in the NLL. Yet both schools have bowling
teams which compete every Saturday in an outside league at Southwyck Lanes in Toledo. Both teams compete
under the school name with banners bearing the school’s name prominently displayed in the bowling
center.
Through it is each school’s decision to field or not to field a team in the NLL, without those two it
limits the maximum number of teams to six. Other area bowling conferences allow teams from more than one
conference to compete across lines, despite other league affiliations. Perhaps, the NLL can look into
that as well.
League ‘lites: Vicki Schumacher, bowling in the Ladies Major League at Al-Mar March 10 had games of 211,
212 and 213 for a very consistent 636 series.
Youth of the Week: Youth bowlers who bowled the most pins over their average in any one game last week,
with pins over, were: Sofia Calderon, 80; Kylee Keller, 63; Nico Calderon, 41; Logan Keller, 36.
Tourney set: Al-Mar will hold its seventh annual Adult/Youth Tournament on Friday at 6:30 p.m. There is a
$30 entry fee per team. There are four divisions for the various combinations of youth (11 and under)
and teen (12-18); along with parents or grandparents. One out of every five will advance to the state
finals. Contact Al-Mar for details.
Surviving the game: The seven bowlers eliminated for Week 20 in Al-Mar’s "Surviving the Game"
with league and pins under average were: Rod Roth, American, 125; Amy Lee, Stadium View Ladies, 95; Gary
Luken, American, 88; Vickie Schumacher, American, 56; Rod Roth, Eagles, 56; Fran Ringler, Ladies Major;
and Cyndee Boyd, Ladies Major, 44. These seven were the last to be eliminated without earning cash. The
remaining 36 entrants will all cash in the season-long competition.
High Rollers:
Bowler
Game
Series
House shot
Vicki Schumacher – 636
Mary Ann Dimick 245 632
Pancha Melendrez 234 619
Mary Ann Dimick 258 –
Yogi Wammes 224 –
Gary Wachter – 750
National tourney shot
Chad Rieger – 723
Joe Beck 279 701
Steve Burton – 701
Bill Wammes 279 –
Youth
Cheyenne Koldzynski
203(2) 555
Sofia Calderon 234 –
Erin Spangenberg 203 –