Yaba

The Young American Bowling Alliance welcomes all boys and girls 21 years of age and under to join a sanctioned bowling league.Trained coaches are available and YABA members compete on a team with children in their own age group: Bantams (8 and under), Junior (9-11), Major (15-18) and Senior (18-21).Both centers in Howard County -- Brunswick Columbia and Brunswick Normandy -- have YABA Saturday morning programs.At Brunswick Normandy in Division I, Justin Ross was Star of the Week for Week 4 and Tina Mortensen was Star for Week 5.Division II saw Theresa Rose capture Star of the Week for Week 4 and Nicola Liskovec became Star of the Week for Week 5.Mortensen, 11, lives in West Friendship.

Howard Marshall continues to fit and drill bowling balls at Walt Cervenka's Pro Shop at Fair Lanes Ritchie. He also continues to maintain a 220-plus average and to stay active on the PBA Regional Tour."

The Young American Bowling Alliance leagues are finishing their first month of competition on the tenpin lanes at centers across the nation.The Saturday morning youth bowlers at Brunswick Normandy have been quick to put up some imposing numbers.In Division I for the first three weeks, the Bowlers of the Week for most pins over average are Chris Handel, Mike Hay and Lauren Everhart.In Division II, Bowlers of the Week are Jake France, Jason Kessler and Paul Norko.Handel, 7, is one of the veterans.

A total of 293 athletes representing every U.S. state, six Canadian provinces, Puerto Rico and military commands in Europe, the Far East and the Caribbean participated last month in the 1994 Coca-Cola Youth Bowling Championships at the Superbowl in Littleton, Colo., and Keith Butt, 17, of Dundalk, won the Boys Scratch event.The No. 3-positioned Butt won three stepladder matches en route to earning top honors in the scratch event.He defeated No. 4 Joey Botter of Arkansas, 243-205, in his first match, and No. 2 Michael Lamont of Florida, 204-173, in the second match.

The Maryland State Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA) State Championship Tournament was held over three weekends May at Brunswick Perry Hall. Almost 900 youngsters from across Maryland competed, making it the largest YABA state event ever.Taryn Gaines, a 19-year-old from Sykesville, captured the Major Girls Division Singles title with a 688 total.The Carroll Community College student bowls in the Saturday Morning YABA league at Thunderhead Westminster.Bowling since she was 6 or 7 years old, she carries a 142 average with a high game of 214 and a high series of 530.Throwing a 12-pound Blue Knight bowling ball, Gaines will return to the YABA league next Fall.

The Young American Bowlers Alliance Saturday morning sessions at Hampstead Lanes have produced two bowlers who have been recognized as "most improved" by Ginny Blackowicz, league coordinator and marketing director of the split house on Main Street.Troy Peery and Jaime Bower are the most improved boy and girl, respectively, in the youth league.Peery, 15, lives in Westminster and began his career with duckpins."I switched to tenpins because it seems like a lot of fun," he said. "I tried a lot of different styles this year but it seems that I do best if I throw the ball straight down the middle.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"That was Artis Booker Sr.'s reaction on the lanes at Brunswick Normandy when his 16-pound Bud II bowling ball crashed into the pocket for the 12th strike and his first perfect game."After 15 years, it felt good," he said. "I felt good about the 299 I shot but then I wasn't really trying. This time I wanted that 300, I mean I wanted it bad."Booker of Catonsville bowls in four leagues -- the Never OnSunday league at Country Club lanes, the Monday Mixers, the Thursday Get Togethers and the Friday Original Weekenders at Brunswick Normandy.

This year's annual youth tournament sponsored by the Lions Club at Bel Air Bowl drew a field of 106 tenpin bowlers.Jon Fowler and Jessica Volz were the Senior champions, and Derek Macomber and Tiffany Askew were the Bantam champions.Fowler, 16, lives in Bel Air and bowls in the YABA at Bel Air Bowl. A sophomore at Bel Air High, he is finishing his first year of league competition where he's averaging 116 with a high game of 160.Fowler fired games of 159, 137 and 123 to win the tournament.

The Baltimore Young American Bowling Alliance Championship Tournament at Greenway Bowl Odenton produced a number of winners from the Baltimore area.The Major Girls Team from Fair Lanes Rolling Road -- Erica Berndsen, Keirston Woods, Lavira Brown and Stephanie Small -- captured first place with a total pin fall of 2,430.The Major Mixed Team from Bowl America Reisterstown consisting of Beth Fastner, Keith Wright, Vlad Ioffe and David Mize dropped 2,708 pins to take first place in that division.