JULY 16, 2020 CALIFORNIA 7502B Florence Ave, Downey,OWLING CA 90240 • Website: CaliforniaBowlingNews.com • Email: [email protected] N • Office:EWS (562) 807-3600 Fax: (562) 807-2288 “LET US GO BOWLING” by Frank Weiler The number of cases of not affect the death rate. O'Keefe Top Pick As PWBA COVID-19 continues to However, if we continue rise. However, the death a lockdown the Bowling rate from the virus contin- industry will suffer irrepa- ues to drop. So “LET US rable damage. Many Bowl- GO BOWLING”! ing Centers may close, and Teams Draftedby Lucas ForWiseman PBA League The cases of COVID-19 many employees may lose Two-time reigning Virus will continue to rise, their jobs. “LET US GO PWBA Player of the Year day by day and week by BOWLING “. Shannon O’Keefe was se- week, as millions more of For the most part, only lected with the first pick us Americans are tested for the vulnerable are at risk. Tuesday in the PBA League the virus. It’s all about the The vulnerable are those Miami and Phoenix Draft numbers. with serious underlying live on FloBowling. As more people are health conditions and the In all, 10 players from tested more people will be elderly. So, let us pro- the PWBA Tour were se- identified with the virus. tect the vulnerable and let lected to join two expan- More important is how le- the rest of us get on with sion teams in the PBA thal is the virus. Millions our lives. “LET US GO League. It’s the first time of us will survive this just BOWLING”. all-female teams will com- as we survive the flu every We protect the vulner- pete in the league. year. We don’t shut down able by isolating them, The PBA also an- the world every flu season. wearing our face masks and nounced the league will “LET US GO BOWLING”. practicing social distanc- take place Sept. 27 and 28 Shannon O’Keefe The trends, cases up and ing. Allowing us to bowl live on FS1 (United States) tour last season and Phoe- fanie Johnson and Maria the coronavirus pandemic. deaths down, will continue will not place the vulner- and FloBowling (interna- nix manager Kim Terrell- Jose Rodriguez. With the cancelation of the whether we lock down able in any danger. “LET tional) at Bayside Bowl in Kearney used the top pick Miami manager Bob PWBA Tour this season, the economy or open the US GO BOWLING”. Portland, Maine. to select her. Learn Jr. used the second the PBA decided to add economy. A lockdown will Let’s protect the vul- O’Keefe, a 13-time Joining O’Keefe on the overall pick to select five- to women’s teams to the not prevent the number of nerable and “LET US GO PWBA champion, led the Phoenix Fury is Liz John- time PWBA champion league. cases from rising and will BOWLING”. points list on the women’s son, Jordan Richard, Ste- Danielle McEwan to join The 12 teams in the his squad. Learn also select- league will compete Sept. ed Dasha Kovalova, Clara 27 and 28. The quarterfi- Guerrero, Liz Kuhlkin and nals will be broadcast live Missy Parkin. at 9 a.m and 4 p.m. on Sept. The PBA League was 27. The semifinals will take Ryan Ciminelli Announces originally scheduled to place Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. and happen this month but be followed by the finals at was pushed back due to 6 p.m. Retirementby LucasFrom Wiseman PBA Tour Eight-time national Mixed Doubles and next champion said he felt like of the top left-handers on champion Ryan Ciminelli week’s Columbus HP 10K he exhausted all opportuni- tour since going pro in announced Monday he is Mega Event, which will be ties to extend his full-time 2007. He broke through retiring from full-time com- broadcast live on FloBowl- PBA Tour career and was for his first career title in petition on the PBA Tour. ing. looking forward to the fi- his fourth season on tour The 34-year-old left- “The time has come in nancial stability of having when he won the 2011 Earl hander said he has been of- my families journey for me a full-time job. Anthony Memorial Clas- fered a job as a commercial to retire as a full time pro- “I’m glad because be- sic, defeating PBA Hall of masonry project manager fessional,” Ciminelli wrote ing a pro bowler is MUCH Famer Patrick Allen, 237- and will pursue his “other on Facebook. “This comes more stressful than many 215. passion of construction with a heavy heart as I have think and I’ll be happy His most recent win management.” put my heart and soul into that the curiosity of where came last season when he Ciminelli does not plan this game for 30 years. To my next check is coming won the 2019 PBA Gene Miami Waves to retire from compet- be honest I’m not sure ex- from is over,” Ciminelli Carter’s Pro Shop Classic Manager: Bob Learn Jr. ing entirely, however, as actly how I feel. I’m heart- wrote. “I guess I feel I’ve by beating Tom Daugherty, Danielle McEwan, Dasha Kovalova, Clara Guerrero, he said he will still bowl broken that I don’t feel like exhausted all the possibili- 217-209, in the title match. Liz Kuhlkin & Missy Parkin this year’s PBA League, I can continue in this pro- ties to extend my full time That win came after a the PBA/PWBA Strik- fession.” career.” turbulent stretch for Cimi- ing Against Breast Cancer The 2015 U.S. Open Ciminelli has been one nelli after he ended his ball contract with MOTIV and was then suspended for two events by the PBA. The suspension was the result of comments he made on the Sweep the Rack pod- cast about the PBA’s lane conditioning operations. “I’m overwhelmed with emotions right now,” Cimi- nelli said in an exclusive interview with FloBowling after his win last season. “A lot of things have hap- Phoenix Fury pened, some people know Manager: Kim Terrell-Kearney about, some don’t. This Shannon O’Keefe, Liz Johnson, Jordan Richard, Ryan Ciminelli continued on page 5 Stefanie Johnson & Maria Jose Rodriguez PAGE 2 CALIFORNIABOWLINGNEWS.COM JULY 16, 2020 Four PWBA Players Who Got Snubbedby Lucas In Wiseman The Draft The draft to determine the 10 PWBA players who would make up the two new all-female teams in the 2020 PBA League had virtually no surprises. Miami and Phoenix managers Bob Learn Jr. and Kim Terrell-Kearney took the Top 10 players as ranked on the 2019 PWBA points list, although not in order. That said, there are a lot of players who were hoping to be drafted who were left out of the league this time around. Here’s a look at four of the biggest snubs from Tuesday’s draft from FloBowling Senior Editor Lucas Wiseman. 1. Kelly Kulick A lot of fans were stunned that Kelly Kulick was passed over in the draft despite being ranked just 19th on 12th LAUGHLIN the PWBA Tour points list in 2019. If you look at her ca- reer as a whole, Kulick without question deserved to be on a team. With five major wins on the women’s tour and even a major win on the predominately men’s tour, Kulick BLAST would have been a solid option for either team. The 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions winner even has past ex- Senior No–Tap Doubles perience in the PBA League having competed for the NYC Handicap Event! Kingpins. But in a draft that seemed to be more about what the players have done lately, Kulick was left out. SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: 2. Shannon Pluhowsky JOYCE DALTON–JENSEN (619) 251–9660 It’s clear the managers on the men’s teams put an www.Laughlinblast.com emphasis on having a left-hander on the roster. Six out of the 10 men’s team have a left-hander on them with many of those being selected in May’s draft. Given left- handers have had success at Bayside Bowl, home of the PBA League, you would think Shannon Pluhowsky, the top-ranked lefty on the board, would have been selected. Pluhowsky, who has admittedly underperformed since the PWBA returned, is a major champion, has loads of Team USA experience and was a standout collegiate player. Not drafting Pluhowsky was a major missed opportunity by BOOK SWEEPERS/GROUP RESERVATIONS/BIRTHDAYS/CORPORATE PARTIES both Miami and Phoenix. 1.888.590.2695 RiversideResort.com 3. Diana Zavjalova If you look at it simply based on 2019 performance, maybe Zavjalova didn’t deserve to be drafted. But when RiversideLanes.June2020.BowlingNews.indd 1 6/6/20 2:34 AMyou look at the bigger picture, Zavjalova has been one of ESTABLISHED 1940 the best players on the PWBA Tour since it relaunched CALIFORNIA in 2015. She’s a two-time USBC Queens champion with four overall titles (only Kulick had more among those undrafted) and she had a stellar collegiate career at Web- BOWLING NEWS ber International. If you remove her 17th position on the PWBA points list in 2019 and look at the four previous MAILING ADDRESS EDITORIAL OFFICE years, Zavjalova’s average spot on the points list was sev- 7502 Florence Ave. 11459 Imperial Hwy. enth – a strong indicator. Downey, CA 90240 Norwalk, CA 90650 OFFICE NUMBER: 562-807-3600 24-HOUR FAX NUMBER: 562-807-2288 4.