FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STUDENTS SCORE SCHOLARSHIP CASH AT INTERNATIONAL FAMILY TOURNAMENT
Kentucky and Maryland Bowlers Take Home Top Prizes After Weekend Competition
ARLINGTON, Texas - After two days of intense, but friendly competition on the bowling
lanes, two student/parent teams emerged atop the leaderboard to take home serious
scholarship money at the 2012 International Family Tournament (IFT) presented by
QubicaAMF and hosted by the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America at Jupiter
Lanes, Jupiter, Florida, July 26-29.
Some 67 teams representing 25 states took part in the two-day competition. The finalists
represented contestants from across North America who won their state competitions
qualifying them for an all-expense paid trip to Florida to compete for the scholarships.
The IFT is the only sporting event in the United States in which parents participate
with children and youth for an International Championship and scholarship funds.
In the Youth/Parent division (32 teams, ages 11 and under) Travis Zimmer and his
dad, Ed from Louisville, Kentucky, narrowly defeated Kerina and Eric Gray of Dixon,
Illinois, 218-215 to advance to the final. In the exciting final match, the Zimmers
took on Ashley and Neil Bishop from Silverton, Oregon. The elder Zimmer struck out
in the tenth frame putting pressure on Neil Bishop to mark. When he failed to do
so, it sealed the victory for the Zimmers.
When asked about his win, Travis Zimmer was quick to say, "This is awesome!"
In the Teen/Parent group (35 teams, ages 12 and older), Dylan Darby and mom, Sharon
Carmean from Sharptown, Maryland, squeaked by Jason Gallitz and his father, Larry,
from West Allis, Wisconsin, 205-203. Darby and Carmean then out-bowled Kristopher
Clay and his dad, Jason, 235-224 in the title match. The Gallitz's were a late addition
to the tournament lineup. They were second place finishers in Wisconsin but were
invited to the IFT after the state winners were unable to make the trip.
Scholarships for the champions in each division were worth $5,000, second place,
$3,000 and third place finishers took home $2,500. Additional scholarships of $500
each for boys and girls in each division were awarded to Youth and Teen Division
bowlers with the highest six-game scratch total during the qualifying round. The
overall scholarship purse was worth $70,000.
Sharon Carmean said, "This is the first time Delaware has made the finals and we
won! This trophy is going to the bowling center for a couple of weeks as a thank
you for all the hard work they have done for us."
Bowlers competed all day Friday to field the top 8 teams in each division to meet
on Saturday morning. After lunch, the top three teams in each division bowled in
a stepladder format to decide the winners.
The excitement started early in the tournament when Jerry "Alex" Whobrey, 14, from
Louisville, Kentucky, bowled his first-ever 300 game in the second game on the first
day of qualifying. The teen, who bowls out of Fern Valley Strike and Spare Lanes
in Knoxville, Tennessee, said he was worried about his last shot in the 10th frame,
"but they all went down."
Teams were greeted Thursday evening with a welcome reception at the Embassy Suites
in Palm Beach Gardens, the host hotel for the IFT. After Friday's competition, the
teams were treated to a Safari Night at the Palm Beach Zoo. During a break on Saturday,
PBA Hall of Famer, Norm Duke, who drove up from his home in Clermont, performed
trick shots with Team USA member Stefanie Nation. Later in the evening during the
awards dinner, Duke took to the microphone for a Q&A session with the audience.
Plans are already in the works for the 2013 IFT at a location to be determined.
BPAA Executive Director Steve Johnson said the 2013 event would be held in conjunction
with the Men's and Women's Open Championships. Details and more information will
follow.
About Bowling Proprietors' Association of America
The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA), founded in 1932, serves
as the voice of the bowling industry. Headquartered in Arlington, TX at the International
Bowling Campus, the BPAA provides it's more than 4,000 member centers with group
purchasing programs, business and educational seminars, and legislative representation
and proactively promotes the association and bowling industry. The BPAA's mission
is to enhance the profitability of its member centers and raise the profile of bowling,
America's top-ranked participatory sport.
