Columnist John McCarron: 1998 season starts Saturday

John McCarron

Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998 | 12:07 p.m.

JOHN McCARRON is a former pro bowler, international coach and a member of the Massachusetts Bowling Hall of Fame. He can be reached via the internet at J300SUN@aol.com or by fax at 254-7330.

THE NEVADA Tournament Bowlers Alliance will start its 1998 season with Mahoney's 12-Game Super Kickoff at the Silver Nugget Bowling Center Saturday at noon.

After a successful rookie year, the NTBA has put together a streamlined and value-packed 1998 program of 48 events for Southern Nevada's scratch-level bowlers. The new Bowl Nevada program includes a wide variety of individual and team events to be held by managers or independent organizers at eight Las Vegas valley bowling centers.

As in the past, the tournaments at each center will maintain their own characteristics and formats. The NTBA affiliation means the events have been cooperatively scheduled to avoid time conflicts with other NTBA events and other area tournaments. In addition, bowlers are assured of value for their dollar as every tournament must pay back a minimum of 80 percent of the entry fee to the players.

In 1997, the average payback for 63 tournaments was 83 percent with one of every four bowlers paid back. Between tournaments, survival groups and a generous sponsor donation, almost $5,000 was added to the championship tourney fund.

David Haynes, the 1997 champion, took home $2,500.

For 1998, NTBA-affiliated events will be held in eight bowling centers. Each center is represented on the NTBA Advisory Group by its manager or a representative. In addition, a group of players representatives provides the bowlers' point of view in all matters before the group.

Bowling center and tournament representatives include Bob Prevost, Gold Coast; Donna Zbierski or Garry Griffin, Mahoney's Silver Nugget; Mike Monyak, The Orleans; Bud Horn or Wally Fellman, Renata's Sunset; Cliff Jensen, Sam's Town; Bud Horn or C.W. Wyatt, Santa Fe; Bea Goodwin, Showboat; Steve Beckman, Terrible's Town; and Bart di Bartolo, WildDOG events. Players reps include Rick Benard, Joe Gentile, Bob McDonough, Jim Moran, Paul Renteria and Tim Schwerdtfeger.

This group meets regularly to to establish and implement policy, coordinate scheduling and plan the year-end championship tournament.

For information regarding NTBA Bowl Nevada, call 451-7474 or send e-mail to wilddog1@mindspring.com. For information on individual tournaments, please call the individual bowling centers.