NIAA adjusts high school bowling rules, proposes new wrestling tournament

By Jared Harmon

Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 | 2:40 p.m.

High school bowling will undergo a trial makeover this winter in Southern Nevada after the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association's Board of Control voted Thursday to change the scoring format for the coming season.

Previously, bowling was scored in a seven-point scale using three two-point games and a seventh point for total pins. This winter, total pins will be worth three points meaning teams that win the first two sets can still lose the match.

"The problem was that coaches were telling us that the third game often didn't matter," said Donnie Nelson, the association's assistant director. "If a team won the first two sets there was no point to playing the third. This puts added importance on the overall score."

The decision was made after a poll of Clark County School District coaches came back with 20 coaches in favor of the change and 11 opposed.

Nelson said the change will last for one season as a pilot program and will be reviewed before becoming permanent.

Some coaches favored the old system because it rewarded teams that won the first two sets by allowing them to play junior varsity members in the third.

Green Valley High coach Corey Gehlken said the change won't affect his coaching strategy.

"There are always going to be ways to get junior varsity involved and get some experience," Gehlken said. "I don't see this being much of a change in (the Southeast Division). It's such a tight race that every point matters. Winning 5-2 was a big difference over winning 4-3. No one was taking a set off even if they could."

The association was also slated to vote on expanding the state wrestling tournament from an eight-man bracket to a 16-man bracket to increase participation. However, the board did not reach a decision and coaches poll will be conducted by the next meeting in December.

Nelson said the tournament featured a 16-man bracket until six years ago when budgetary concerns caused the association to shrink it by half.

"I think expanding the tournament is absolutely a good thing," Cimarron-Memorial coach Tim Jeffries said. "It's going to help perpetuate the sport by allowing more athletes into the tournament and more schools will qualify. With about 50 schools in the state an eight-man tournament is just too small."

The agenda item also called for discussion about adding an additional level to the tournament after the 4A state champion had been named — a "superstate" tournament that would allow the weight class champions from 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A to compete against one another.

"If the NIAA is willing to pay for the additions I think it would be great for the sport," Jeffries said. "It will create a lot of excitement and the kids deserve to compete against one another."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].