Senior tourney bringing 1,100 to local lanes

Shamrock Lanes will host 5-weekend USBC tournament.

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By Kermit Rowe, Staff Writer 11:38 PM Wednesday, October 26, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — Clark County is about to experience a senior moment.

In fact, the moment will last five weekends. And no one is complaining.

The Clark County United States Bowling Congress Bowling Association, in conjunction with The Ohio State USBC Bowling Association, is hosting the state USBC seniors tournament at Shamrock Lanes in Springfield.

The tourney will begin on Saturday and run each Saturday and Sunday until Nov. 27.

“There’s quite a bit of work going into this,” said Bob Evans, the Clark County USBC Bowling Association Manager. “We’ve been meeting with the (Springfield) Chamber of Commerce and they’ve been helping us out.

“They are making up packages to give to the bowlers, discounts around the county, and they are helping us with monitors and scorekeepers.”

To get an idea of the magnitude of the tournament, there are more than 1,100 bowlers registered. Most every area of Ohio has bowlers coming into Springfield, which will have about 69 of its own senior bowlers competing.

There will be 57 different bowling associations that will bring bowlers from more than 300 cities.

“We bid for the tournament a couple of years ago,” said Evans. “It’s been going everyplace else and we thought we’d throw a bid in, too. A lot of bowlers like coming to Springfield because it is centrally located.”

The Clark County USBCBA estimates about half of the bowlers will be spending at least one night in the area.

“It’s a big boon for the restaurants and shopping,” said Evans. “We’re looking forward to it. Everybody seems to know everybody.”

The prize fund is about $13,000, divided up between four age groups: 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and 70 and over. There are special prizes for bowlers 75 and over. Each senior will bowl six games.

And this is the start of a state tournament trifecta for the city.

The state women’s tournament will be coming to Springfield in March of next year, and in 2013, the men’s tourney will be here, running from February to May.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0364.

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