It's no
secret that bowlers in Burlington are dedicated.
But a group of teenagers have taken that dedication a step further this
summer.
Cotie Holbek, Joe Dietz, Kim Brown and Taylor Melahn are four that will
try and take their game to the next level, in two separate national
events.
Holbek and Dietz both qualified to compete in the Junior Gold National
Tournament this weekend in Indianapolis, while the four will compete in
Reno at the end of the month in the Teen Masters event.
Holbek won his qualifier in Wisconsin to reach the National Gold
tournament, and is hoping to make it past the first cut of the event.
There will be thousands of bowlers in Indianapolis, and only 150
bowlers will make the first cut.
Each bowler will have to bowl 18 games to get the score that will be
used to make the cut.
It
is the first time for both bowlers at the event.
"My goal is to make it past the first cut, shoot some high scores and
represent Towne and Country (Lanes)," said Holbek. Dietz said he wanted
to maintain good sportsmanship and bowl to the best of his ability.
Brown and Melahn will join those two at the Teen Masters event. It is
the first time for all four at the event.
Melahn admitted she would be nervous.
"I'm very excited to go," she said. "(I just want) to bowl good, and
not be mad."
Brown, meanwhile, is the youngest of the group. The other three are
seniors, while she is a junior.
"I'm very excited," she said. "We've been friends for a while."
In preparation not only for the summer tournaments, but for further
experience, 18 of the teens at Towne and Country Lanes have put
together a summer league on lanes that are set up close to a
professional format.
Lanes are oiled less, and oiled in random patterns.
"There's so many different patterns out there," said T&C
General
Manager Theresa Riemer. "They are harder conditions that make the kids
work.
"They decided that they wanted to do this," she added. "They decided
they wanted to be here, all summer."
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