Mount Greylock Bowl Gets A Strike
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| A PBA regional bowling tournament is set to begin tonight at the Mount Greylock Bowl in North Adams. [Photo by Sue Bush] |
A First For The Area
This weekend marks the first time that the Berkshires has hosted the three-day event, said bowling lanes business owner Gary Superneau.
"I'm going to say there's about 100 pro bowlers signed up," he said. "We're pretty excited; the east region stretches from Maryland to Maine."
During a Pro-Am event, the pro bowlers and the amateurs, a field which will include several area junior bowlers, will bowl three games. The pairings will switch with each game, and the team that has accumulated the most points will be named as the tournament victors, Superneau aid.
Local Bowlers In The Game
The Pro tournament begins at 8 a.m. March 24, as eight games get underway. At 2:30 p.m., another eight games will begin. Included on the bowling roster are area residents Rick Moon and Danny Goodell, who each bowled perfect games and broke Mount Greylock Bowl and county bowling records, and Scott DeMarsico, who held area bowling records before Moon and Goodell. Area bowler Jeff Trombley is included as part of the pro-bowler roster. There are additional area bowlers included in the line-up as well.
Superneau had extensive conversations with the PBA officials during 2006 to secure the regional event for the city and his business.
"I met with the PBA twice, once in April and again in August and we finalized everything," he said. "On Friday, the Pro-Am tournament is run by the PBA and me, but on Saturday, it's all run by the PBA. They bring their own people to oil and maintain the lanes, they take care of it all."
Top Prize Money Likely Over $3000
After Saturdays's tournament cuts the field to the top 16 tournament bowlers, the event resumes on Sunday. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the tournament launches single elimination match play to whittle the bowlers down to a winner.
Prizes are determined by tournament participants, who pay a $200 or $250 entry, according to information on a PBA Internet web site.
Superneau said he expects the top prize will be over $3,000.
Spectators will be admitted free, Superneau said.
The city-based tournament is the first of the regional season. Bowlers hope to earn enough points during regional play to join the Denny's PBA Tour. The PBA has regions throughout the country.
April Bringing More Championships
The bowling lanes will remain an active competition arena after Easter, when the site hosts the U.S. Bowling Congress men's and women's championships. The eight-weekend event begins on April 14 with the women's championships, and when the women's competition is concluded, the men will take to the lanes.
"There will be in excess of 500 bowlers here during each of those weekends," Superneau said."This is kind of a big deal; the womens championships haven't been here since 1970 and the men haven't been here since 1980. And it's very rare for both to be in one place."
The influx of bowlers, fans, and others associated with the events should bode well for the surrounding motels and restaurants, Superneau said.
"This should be pretty good for the area and we're excited," he said.
