In the Pocket: Women-only tournament could be a hit

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bob Weiner

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The spotlight will shine on

female bowlers when the Huck Finn/Northeast Bowling Proprietors of New York’s “Capital

Region Bowling Show” hosts its first women-only tournament later this month.

A handful of women have tried to qualify with the men, and some women have made the show as part of the popular mixed doubles format, but this is the first attempt at a women-only event for scratch bowlers.

“We are doing everything we can to promote this,” said Towne Bowling Academy proprietor Marty

Capullo Jr., who is providing a special incentive for any scratch woman who bowls out of his house.

“If someone from Towne wins, they’ll get an extra $250. There will be $150 for second and $100 for third and fourth,” said Capullo.

A good portion of the field could come from Capullo’s own Towne Bowling Academy Women’s

Doubles league, which is probably the best women’s league in the

region.

Three-time Queens champion Debbie Capullo (225 average), Chris Allen (225), Laura Brizzell (220), Robin Fredenburgh (220), Kara Struffolino (216), Jenn Schissler (215), Bridget Auclaire (215), Karrie Romanowski (215), Meg Fountain (214), Rebecca Gavitt (214), Ursula Pasquerella (212), Jessica Herrington (209), Pat Boguzski (208), Debbie Fawcett (206), Tina Blake (206), Erika Poje (205), Jen Sleeter (205), Stacy DiStefano (204) and

Julie Drexel (202) each average better than 200 in that league alone.

Area standouts like Jessica DeCrescente, Jodi Musto and Jackie Robarge, who each used to bowl in the Towne Bowling Academy Women’s Doubles league, are also likely contenders.

“We’ve got 24 bowlers in the women’s doubles league, and we will hopefully get about 18 or so of those bowlers competing. Plus, we’ve got six or eight women from our house who don’t bowl in that league who could bowl in the tournament,” Capullo said.

“We have asked every house in the local proprietors’ association to get two bowlers from each house to bowl. Plus, we’ve sent flyers out to the members of WASA. They have some of the best bowlers in the region, and they bowl for only $700 on top. We’re offering $1,000 on top.”

Sleeter, who also works at Towne Bowling Academy, has also jumped in to help promote the tournament.

“We’ve contacted the ladies from around the state. We also contacted bowlers who competed in a reg-ional women’s tournament held in New Jersey on the first weekend of this month,” she said.

“We are trying to get a hold of state-wide and regional-wide associations to help us out.”

Unlike regular Huck Finn scratch events, where the TV taping is done a couple of weeks after the qualifier, the TV taping for the women’s event will be on the same day.

“That’s one of the things we

really wanted to have for this event,” Sleeter said. “It’s important, especially for the women who are coming from out of town. This way, they can come in and qualify on either Saturday or Sunday, and then stay for the taping on the same day. They can be back to work on Monday.”

In order to make this tournament a success, economically, there have to be at least 50-60 women who try to qualify. Sleeter said that’s not out of the question.

“I have a feeling we could get closer to 70 bowlers,” she said. “We’re about three-quarters participation in our own league here, and many of the ladies are going to want to try more than one qualifying squad. Since we have 28 houses in our association, if they bring two bowlers each, we should be OK. I think 70 is a realistic number. The bonus program here at Towne should also help.”

Sleeter said that the scratch women’s show could be the most popular Huck Finn show of the season.

“It’s great for everyone in the area,” she said. “It’s not only great for women’s bowling, but it’s also great for our association. This could be one of the biggest draws as far as watching bowling on TV. We’ve been kidding around all week here at Towne. Who would you rather watch on TV, Goose [Bob Faragon] or Marty’s wife [Debbie Capullo]?”

The first qualifying squad will be Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Sunset Recreation. Entry fee for that squad will be $45. Entry fee for the other qualifiers will be $55, but re-entry will cost only $45. There will be one qualifying squad Nov. 29 at

3 p.m. at Towne Bowling Academy, and there will be two more squads

Nov. 30 at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Towne. The TV taping will follow the finals at about 5 p.m.

MORE HUCK FINN

This week’s regular Huck Finn qualifiers will be Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Sunset Recreation and Sunday at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Towne Bowling Academy.

Call Jeff Segel at 439-7628 for reservations.

Qualifiers from last week were Matt Sherman, Joe Mazuryk, John Alix Jr. and Ron Gardner.

STRIKES & SPARES

u Sharon Sager tossed a 679 to win the Class D title in the Schenectady & Scotia Women’s Bowling Association’s Senior Singles Tournament recently at Towne Bowling Academy. Anne Torak (671) was second in Class D. In Class C, Pat Boguzski shot a 643 scratch, and Rickie Gageway rolled a 643 handicap triple. Joy Hall took Class B with a 626, and Dolores Santor was the Class A winner with a 641. In Class AAA, Marion Champagne (715), Laura Simpkins (684) and Naomi Henderson (636) were the top three.

u Schenectady’s Bob “Goose” Faragon was fourth with a pinfall of 1,463 (209 average) after the first seven-game block in the Senior Round of 16 at the PBA Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship. Faragon had seven more games to bowl Thursday night. He had to finish in the top eight to qualify for match play today.

u Bonnie Arbitrio was the Division A champion (566 scratch, 776 with handicap) in the 500 Club Turkey Shoot last weekend at Boulevard Bowl. Marie Moorhead (603-744) and Pat Clark

(516-720) rounded out the top three. In Division B, Julie DeBie (519-741), Donna Ahnert (489-705) and Ginger Wickham (450-690) were the top three.

u Ballston Spa’s RJ Martinez shot a six-game total of 1,308 to win the Bud Light Challenge Sunday Marathon in the Buffalo area. Martinez took home $1,000. Former touring pro Brian LeClair (1,300, $400) of Athens was second, while women’s touring pro Liz Johnson (1,276, $150) was fourth in a field of 42 .

u Clifton Park’s Bob Kavanaugh won the PBA East Region Mark Roth/Colony Park Senior Open

recently at Colony Park East in York, Pa. Kavanaugh, who beat former touring pro Sam Maccarone, 226-203, in the championship game, took home $1,500. Other local seniors to cash included Albany’s Chris Fedden (eighth, $600), Catskill’s Len Reyngoudt (ninth, $500) and Rensselaer’s Bill

Neumann (20th, $400).

u Kylie Pasquerella fired a 641 to win the Major Girls scratch division, and Jordan Schellenger ripped a 650 to win the Major Boys scratch division of the Schenectady Youth Bowling Association Singles Tournament. Megan MacMurray won Major Girls handicap division with an 852, while Ryan Sickler took the Major Boys handicap division with a 779. Other division winners were Lizabeth Kuhlkin (637 scratch) and Meredith Cuddihy (696 handicap) in the Junior Girls division, Sara Defruscio (400 scratch) and

Megan Caza (616 handicap) in the Prep Girls division, Destiny Crandall (277 scratch) and Julia Zadrozny (405 handicap) in the Bantam Girls division, Mike White (598 scratch) and Ron Zadrozny (820 handicap) in the Junior Boys division, Zachary Schellenger (474 scratch) and Anthony Gray (669 handicap) in the Prep Boys division and Brandon Krutz (303 scratch) and Justin Homburger (385 handicap) in the Bantam Boys division.

u Joe Kotary of Sunset Recreation, Zach Christenson of Uncle Sam Lanes, Steve Hotaling of Middleburgh Lanes and Doug

Muraski of Spare Time Latham were the handicap division semifinalists for the “Capital Region Bowling Show.”

u Bryan Alpert of North Hills, Calif., Ashly Galante of Palm Harbor, Fla., Clara Guerrero of Pflugerville, Texas, and Adam Jablonski of Sterling Heights, Mich., were the 2007-08 sport bowling national high average award winners. Alpert, Guerrero and Jablonski were first-time winners, while Galente led her category for a USBC-record fourth consecutive season. Galente led all female youth bowlers with a 204.18 average. Alpert averaged an astonishing 232.60 in a PBA

Experience league. A record of 31,582 bowled in sport bowling leagues last season.