The Greater Lake County USBC have selected the following to be inducted into the Hall of Fame Class of 2021:
Superior Performance: Ryan Schmeling and Fred Sykes
Meritorious Service: Robert Voight
Pioneers: Steve Werenski and Ray Oneth.
 
The Induction Reception will take place on November 7, 2021, at Maravela’s, Ingleside, Illinois
The event will start at 1 pm Cocktails and 2 pm Luncheon with induction to follow.
 
Due to Covid restrictions, we will also be inducting the Class of 2020 at this time.
 
Superior Performance: Kirk Reusch and Bob Romani
Meritorious Service: Brenda Cornell and Wayne Thoma
Pioneers: Hal Erickson and Wally Thorn
 
Special recognition to the following Honorees will also be made:
 
Bowler(s) of the Year:   Christopher Colclasure and Christy Antunez (2020)
                                             Curtis Aemisgger and Nikki Hallwas (2021)
Senior(s) of the Year:    Jim Kedroski and Helen Gradowski (2020)
                                               Michael Jacobs and Rene’e Garrett (2021)
Super Senior(s):             Fred Sykes and Jackie Field (2020)
                                               George Lawrence and Mary Barclay (2021)
Stars of Tomorrow:        Jaren Orbeck, Owen Jones (2020)
                                        Alyssa Olson and Allyssa Tanner (2020)
                                               Phillip Heuser and Joseph Napierkowski (2021)
                                               Emily Hawkins (2021)

Click here to download the Greater Lake County USBC BA Hall of Fame Induction Reception Form

The Greater Lake County would like our membership to know this event will be recorded and available for playback at a later date. While this typically is an open membership meeting, due to social distancing limits we are encouraging only our league officers to attend this meeting. If a league officer is unavailable please appoint someone from your league to attend. If you have any questions please contact the GLCUSBC from our website Contact page or email Greaterlakecountyusbc@gmail.com. Thank you. 

05/30/2021: Subject to the CDC new guidelines we are relaxing the attendance rules to allow more of our membership to attend this year's event.

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Watch presentation video here:  https://fb.watch/5DtEiLnG2l/




By Hope Parsons
USBC Communications

LAS VEGAS - The road to the 2021 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships may be a long one for some, but for most competitors, there are rewards at the end of the journey, including recognition, awards, high scores, camaraderie, a vacation, prize money and more.

Earlier this week, two more bowlers proudly added their names to the list of competitors who have participated in 50 editions of the USBC Open Championships.

Bill Fillman from Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Pat Cornell from Beach Park, Illinois, both had their moment in the spotlight, where they were recognized for their dedication to the event. 

Each new member of the 50-Year Club received a plaque, chevron and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the achievement.

A look at each:

Bill Fillman
Fillman is a dedicated player, and despite dealing with double vison over the past couple of weeks, he still made the trip to Las Vegas and bowled his best at the 2021 Open Championships.

The 74-year-old right-hander had two personal goals - to make it to 50 years of participation at the event and to eventually become a member of the elite 100,000-Pin Club - so missing a year on the lanes just wasn't an option. 

He was happy to be in good enough health to make the trip, motivated by his goals, and the fact that he'd be bowling doubles with his daughter, Tobi, for the first time, as she made her return to the tournament for the first time since 2010.

Being a 50-time participant at Open Championships made Fillman feel nostalgic. 

"I was in awe during my very first tournament," said Fillman, who made his tournament debut at the 1970 event in Knoxville, Tennessee. "I was bowling on a team with Carl Richard, who was an ABC champion, so I was lucky to be on a team with him."

Richard, a 1958 Regular Team and Team All-Events champion, recently died at the age of 97. He also was a three-time Missouri state champion in team, singles and doubles and has his name in the Joplin City Bowling Association Hall of Fame. 

Fillman said Richard still is in the back of his mind when he bowls in tournaments.

On the championship lanes this year at the South Point Bowling Plaza and South Point Bowling Center, Fillman tossed sets of 541 in team, 525 in doubles and 494 in singles for a 1,560 all-events total.

He and Tobi (Thompson) combined for a 1,019 doubles total. 

In 50 years of competition, Fillman has knocked down 86,529 pins, leaving him 13,471 pins from his next goal. If he were to maintain his 192.3 career average, he'd need just eight more years to reach the 100,000-pin mark.

Pat Cornell
Cornell, a 70-year-old left-hander, felt relief and joy at finally being able to have his name among the 50-Year Club.  

Cornell has suffered from both prostate cancer and kidney cancer but managed to make it through both to meet his goal of participating in the Open Championships 50 times. 

"Sticking it out to 50 is a long grind, and you've got to have good health, which is the most important thing," Cornell said.

In 1979, in Tampa, Florida, Cornell led singles up until the last week of the tournament. He had finished with a 746 series, which at the time was believed to be the highest score shot by a left-hander, and his personal best. He went on to finish third.

He got into bowling when he was 18 years old. Originally, he was a baseball player, but after being heckled by friends when bowling, he decided to practice and get better at the sport. 

"Its funny, I'm still friends with the guys who told me I was no good at bowling, but then I got so good they stopped competing against me," said Cornell, who made his first Open Championships appearance at the 1971 tournament in Detroit. "I wouldn't be bowling if it weren't for them."

In his 50 appearances, Cornell has knocked down 86,986 pins, which includes sets of 573 in singles, 563 in doubles and 557 in team, for a 1,693 all-events total at South Point in 2021. His career average is 193.3.

Fillman and Cornell are two of 25 bowlers scheduled to reach 50 years of Open Championships participation this year at South Point. 

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Matt Cannizzaro
March 11, 2021
ARLINGTON, Texas - The recipients of the 2021 United States Bowling Congress National Recognition Awards have been determined by the USBC Board of Directors.

Polly Maples of Knoxville, Tennessee, was selected to receive the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, and John Wing of Mundelein, Illinois, is the USBC Proprietor of the Year.

Each year at the USBC Convention, outstanding bowling leaders are honored for their contributions to the sport. This year's recipients, who were selected from submitted applications, will be recognized in April during the virtual 2021 USBC Convention. 

This year's ceremony will take place virtually April 28 from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Eastern. A similar presentation will be held at the same time April 27 for award winners from 2020. The 2020 Convention was canceled due to COVID-19.

The USBC Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service is named in honor of the fifth president of the Women's International Bowling Congress. 

It annually recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of
adult programs.

Maples had been a member of the Smoky Mountain USBC and Tennessee State USBC for 45 years and has served a variety of roles for each organization - director, officer and committee chair - and was instrumental in the merger that resulted in the creation of the Smoky Mountain USBC. She also put in nearly two decades as a director for the Tennessee youth association. 

Locally, Maples served as the association manager for 29 years and was a committee chair every year for three decades. Her state service includes a stint as the president of the Tennessee State Women's Bowling Association from 1999-2005, and that time frame includes a role as a director for WIBC from 2002-2005.

Her continued dedication to the sport of bowling earned Maples induction into the Smoky Mountain and Tennessee State USBC Halls of Fame for meritorious service, and she became the namesake of the Polly Maples Leadership Award, which is awarded annually at the Smoky Mountain Hall of Fame banquet. 

She was the Tennessee Young American Bowling Alliance Volunteer of the Year in 2003 and also has been awarded the Tennessee State Parks and Recreation Volunteer of the Year Award for her participation in the Pigeon Forge Bowling for a Cure campaign, which helped raise more than $100,000 in 12 years.

As a competitor, Maples has logged more than 40 years on the lanes at local, state and national events. 

"This award absolutely means so much to me because I knew Helen and who she was, and she was someone we all looked up to," Maples said. "Helen motivated all of us to want to do everything we could for the members. And, to get the call from Melissa (McDaniel) a young woman who has done so many amazing things and gone on to become president of USBC, made it all that much more special."

The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award annually recognizes a bowling center proprietor for his/her outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs.

Wing, of Mundelein's Lakeside Recreation Center, is esteemed for his dedication to customer service and creating a camaraderie amongst his bowlers, while promoting participation and growth for bowlers of all ages and skill levels.

As the bowling landscape has changed, Wing has used feedback from his customers to make sure his facility offers the best programs, coaching and technology. 

He remains focused on the bowling needs of the community, but also has been able to adapt and provide additional entertainment options for families, such as laser tag and electronic games. 

The center now includes 24 lanes with automatic scoring, bumper lanes for children, an arcade, laser tag, lounge, video slot machines, a diner and weekly food and drink specials. 

As with many aspects of society, the coronavirus pandemic has brought challenges and restrictions, but Wing and his staff have been able to implement the procedures and protocols necessary to provide a clean, safe and comfortable environment for patrons. 

Wing also has offered continued support to the Greater Lake County USBC Association and support and flexibility for local youth and high school bowlers.

"I am very honored to be recognized as the USBC Proprietor of the Year," Wing said. "I would like to thank all of the people who have contributed to our success, including my wife, Aileen, and the tremendous staffs at both of our bowling centers. This award comes from those I serve in our bowling community, and I am exceedingly grateful. It is humbling to be added to the prestigious list of previous winners."

Wing previously served a variety of roles with Brunswick, and that's where he learned about running a bowling center and all the things customers find most important. 

He and Aileen acquired the first of their two bowling centers, Mockingbird Lanes in Omaha, Nebraska, in 2000 and added Lakeside Recreation Center in 2003.

The Wings have set the highest standards for their venues and staff members and proudly host a well-rounded list of events and fundraisers each year. In 2017, Lakeside earned the local Gold Star Business Award, which was acknowledgement of the center's modernization. 

The 2020 winners include Dave Bowers of Cayce, South Carolina (Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service), Teri Haugh of Faribault, Minnesota (Joyce Deitch Unity Award), and JoAnn West of New Braunfels, Texas (USBC Proprietor of the Year).

We realize being absent from the lanes and the ability to talk to teammates about entering this year's event is delaying our membership from entering this event. The GLCUSBC has decided to open things up to encourage entry into the Team event. The event has been formatted to allow Team entry exclusively into the first four days of this event. We will now offer 5-bowler teams the opportunity to schedule a Team Event during squads reserved for the Doubles and Singles event. This will give teams more time to ready an entry into this year's event and the option for Teams and bowlers to bowl all 9 games in one day. We strongly encourage teams to make these reservations as early as possible to secure their squad dates and times. 

Email the Greater Lake County USBC
Tournament Director - Michael Jacobs - Cell - 847-707-3493
Greaterlakecountyusbc@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 13, 2021The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, where the Board announced that all IHSA sports not operating under an official IHSA season calendar may begin to conduct contact days as soon as they are allowable per Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) mitigations and local school guidance. Contact days normally exist within the IHSA as informal voluntary offseason workouts.

"The IHSA acknowledges the immense mental, emotional, and physical strain that a lack of contact with school programs is causing Illinois high school student-athletes,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “It is our intention that these contact days provide sport-specific training under the leadership of high school coaches. This is an effort to provide a viable sports option to high school athletes given the growing number of student-athletes opting for higher risk opportunities within the state and across state lines." 

Additionally, the Board reviewed several options outlining a sports schedule framework for the remainder of the school year. The Board directed the IHSA staff to take feedback from today’s meeting, as well as any insight gained in the coming weeks, and bring forward viable scheduling options for a special Board meeting on January 27, 2021. The Board will provide an update following that meeting.

Once state leadership allows for low-risk winter sports (Boys & Girls Bowling, Cheerleading, Dance, Girls Gymnastics, Boys Swimming & Diving) to begin participation, those teams will be allowed to begin practice immediately and then continue their season through the season calendar established by the Board later this month. 

The IHSA Board of Directors released a joint statement following today’s meeting:

“We realize there is a desire for finality on a sports schedule for 2020-21, however, we did not believe it would be prudent to lock ourselves into a schedule at a time when IHSA schools are unable to conduct any sports. Per Governor Pritzker, we have hope that low-risk sports may be permitted in certain regions of the state as early as this Friday (January 15). With that in mind, February seems like a realistic timeline to have sports resume statewide. We expect that the events of the next two weeks will go a long way toward informing our opinion on which scheduling option we decide to proceed with. We recognize that if no sports have resumed by February, season lengths could be impacted in certain sports, and that we may need to take a longer look at the likelihood of true seasons being conducted in high-risk sports this year. Our overall goal remains unchanged, as we hope to conduct all IHSA sports during the remainder of the school year calendar. Please know that we see and read many of the comments and messages from student-athletes, coaches, and parents, and that we are doing everything we can to try and bring IHSA sports back within the current parameters we are working in.”

The IHSA successfully conducted seasons in golf, girls tennis, cross country, and girls swimming & diving through Sectional competition this fall, but all IHSA sports have been paused since November 20.

“We remain collaborative in our efforts with IDPH and the Governor’s office,” said Anderson. “We are trying to do our part to fight the pandemic, while simultaneously seeking safe participation opportunities for our student-athletes. We understand the real mental toll this pause in athletics is having on Illinois high school student-athletes. We believe that school-based athletic participation is better regulated, making it the safest participation option for our students, and more data continues to emerge supporting that stance. We will continue to share that information with state leadership in hopes that we can work together to provide participation opportunities for young people in our state.”


ACTION
1. The Board approved a recommendation to approve a Return Play Procedure Policy that provides guidance to schools on a progressive action plan for student-athletes returning to athletic participation following a COVID-19 infection. The Policy was crafted by the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC). To see the Policy, click here.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee has shown great leadership throughout the pandemic in developing plans and procedures to help protect our student-athletes. This latest Return To Play Policy creates an acclimatization plan for student-athletes returning from positive infections, providing much-needed guidance to our schools.”


DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the January 13, 2021, agenda:

1. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director and Assistant Executive Director Beth Sauser members on the recent NFHS Winter Meeting and Lets Connect Meeting that were conducted virtually in early January.

2. The Board discussed a letter from the East Suburban Catholic Conference regarding eligibility exemptions for student-athletes who transfer out-of-state and then return to their school.