Kicking Off 2025 with Regional Highlights and Bowling Brilliance

Kicking Off 2025 with Regional Highlights and Bowling Brilliance

As we step into 2025, the energy across IGBO’s regions is undeniable! From record-breaking scores to vibrant tournaments and heartwarming community moments, our members continue to showcase the spirit, camaraderie, and joy that make this organization so special. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, planning your next tournament, or simply want to celebrate the accomplishments of your fellow bowlers, these regional updates offer a front-row seat to all the excitement. Dive in and see what’s been happening from coast to coast!

Region 5:  North American Heartland

By: Bill Huepenbecker, NAH Regional Director

I hope everyone is having a good start to 2025. NAH had three events in Fall 2024 that I would like to tell you about.

The Motown Invitational Classic (MIC) hosted its 39th annual tournament from October 4-6, 2024. 200 bowlers from across the country were in attendance and the tournament paid out over $32,000 in prize money. MIC is busy planning their 40th anniversary tournament in 2025. Our theme will be “Pride Thru the Years”, celebrating the history of MIC and the LGBTQ+ movement. MIC will also host the first ever MicMini on July 27th. This will be a one-day Doubles/Team event with same-day cash payouts and plenty of jackpots and raffle prizes to be won!  Register for this event at their website: https://mictournament.org/

The Cincinnati Tri-State Invitational Tournament (CINTIT) celebrated their 37th annual tournament over Halloween weekend in 2024. They hosted 120 bowlers from across the US and Canada, their first sell-out in 6 years. Bowlers were treated to a 9-pin no-tap tournament and Scratch Masters along with the normal 9 tournament games. This year, they paid out 1 in 6. 73 of our 120 bowlers (61%) cashed in at least one event (including optional events) and received a total payout of $23,875 which is roughly $199 per entered bowler. They also gave away $4,200 in raffle prizes and almost $6,000 in brackets, trick-or-treat bags and Mystery Score. Therefore, our total payout was $34,000, or over $283/bowler. CINTIT supported two local charities with donations of $750 each, Caracole House and Outreels Cincinnati. Caracole House provides community support to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Outreels Cincinnati provides local filmmakers with a platform to showcase their work. CINTIT is looking forward to welcoming bowlers back from October 31-November 2, 2025, for our 38th annual event.

Hamilton Invitational No-Tap (HINT) was held on November 23, 2024. The theme was “The 12 Days of Christmas” and the bowlers wore many fabulous costumes. There were three perfect no-tap games. Our 2025 tournament, HINT “Lucky 13: A Day at the Casino”, will be held on November 22, 2025. Look for upcoming details on our website: https://ghbowling.ca/hint-tournament/

Also, I would like to give a “shout out” to the high scoring bowlers in the Country Lanes Thursday Night Mixed League in Farmington Hills, MI. Andrew “Drew” Faulkner has had three 300 games, Scott Allison has had two 300 games, and an 802 series. Geno Leverett and Derrick Foster each had 300 games. Great work on those high scores.

NAH returns to a busy schedule as 2025 starts to thaw out (hopefully). The Bluegrass Invitational has just completed in Louisville. April had us visiting Belleville, MI (Detroit area) for the WETT (Winter Express No-Tap Tournament) and Columbus, OH for COMIC (Columbus Ohio Midwestern Invitational Classic).  Just before Annual, Cleveland GIFT (Gay Invitational Fellowship Tournament) will celebrate their 35th tournament. I hope to see you at upcoming events!

Region 6: Rocky Mountain

by: Fernando Pacheco, RM Regional Director

The following 300 games were bowled recently:

Elie Henry = Espresso Cup in Seattle, WA
Mike Haney = Tuesday Nite 4 Play, Denver, CO (also 800 series)
Mike Karol-Chik = Merry Mixers, Wheatridge, CO

Upcoming Events
The IGBO Annual 2025 in Las Vegas will take place June 19-22.

Fundraisers
On March 22, 2025, GLOB (Gorgeous Ladies of Bowling), a DIGLIT fundraiser, took place. DIGLIT hosted a night of drag featuring performances by Board members and volunteers. All proceeds will benefited DIGLIT charities.

Finally, Congratulations go out to the PRIT committee: Gerald Laney, Kevin Lord, John Shovestull, Steve Anderson, Kevin Tucholke, Sherry Miller, Edward Dondlinger, Jeffrey Donovan, Randy Krogstad, Kevin Arnett and all the volunteers for a successful tournament. There were 36 teams from 11 states getting together for merriment, bowling and, most importantly, camaraderie! See you all next year!

Region 7: Northeast

by: Gene Egan, NE Regional Director

TOURNAMENT NEWS

• In September, the Jersey Rainbow Classic sold out for the second year in a row! Billy Kerkenides bowled the tournament’s first ever 300 game!
• In November, CHIT came back strong after a smaller, 1-day event the previous year!
• In January, the Mermaid Classic sold out & had their biggest event yet with 160 bowlers!
• In February, Sweetheart sold out and expanded to 200 bowlers!
• In April, Long Island Pride Invitational also sold out with 144 bowlers!

Coming up

• GREAT in May 2-4!
• Liberty Belle in July 4-6!

2 BRAND-NEW TOURNAMENTS LAUNCHING THIS YEAR!!!

• BARBI (Burgh Area Rainbow Bowling Invitational) in Pittsburgh, PA on March 29!
• CAPIT (Capital Area Pride Invitational Tournament) in Schenectady, NY on August 2!

HIGH SCORES
GSGBO

• James Smith 300/822 (207 avg, highest series in league history!)
• Kyle Lofland 214/591 (151 avg, 1st 200 game & highest series ever)
• Lissa Morillo 201/533 (141 avg, highest series ever)
• Debbie Hamilton 209/589 (152 avg, highest series ever)
• Jason Bopp 279/725 (199 avg, highest series ever)
• Rick Shafto 738 (192 avg, highest series ever)
• Pete Bohan 701 (170 avg, highest series ever)
• Raffy Rodriguez 244/646 (178 avg)
• Michael Salvador 289
• Joey Adisano-Sessa 755 (207 avg)
• Rob Vitale 674

Congrats to Lissa Morillo & Debbie Hamilton, Amy Piwowarski, and Ricardo Cajigas on their weddings in September, December & March respectively!

GALA

• Drew Swint 300 (at HIT in November)
• Tim Blank 277 (at HIT in November)

FRIENDSHIP LEAGUE

• Mike Mayo 300/800

SYRACUSE MIXED PRIDE

• Jacob Patterson 300
• Christine Nichols 800

Region 8: Southern

By: Doug Harding, Southern Regional Director

This is why I love IGBO. I reconnected with a familiar face while in Tampa. I bowled with Timothy Ricks back in 2007 when I was stationed here.
I was introduced to IGBO and GAGME in 2007 and haven’t looked back.

Congratulations to GAGME for celebrating their 35th year as an IGBO Tournament. Donna, Val, Brian, the entire committee, and the volunteers know how to organize a great tournament. Congratulations to Hunter Dancer of Jacksonville, FL, winner of a Mega Bracket, Scratch Masters winner, bowling ball, 2nd Place All Events! Hunter and his brother, Tristan Dancer, also cashed in Doubles. What a great weekend for the Dancer family! Congratulations Mark and Kim!

Congratulations to Patrick Bronstein  for his first 300 game in the Thursday Early Birds league back in November. He then puts on his IGBO 300 shirt for Game 2 and bowls his second 300! Congrats Patrick on your awesome bowling!

Congratulations to Tim Bowman for a great 800 series on January 22, 2025 at Wednesday Night Mixed Invitational, Belleview, FL.

Region 9: West Coast Pacific Nations

By Steve Ingram, WCPN Regional Director

2025 is off to a great start. Our year begins every year with a tournament exclusively for women, the Women’s Invitational Tournament or WIT. WIT was held again this year at Parkway Bowl, an enormous center in the far east reaches of the San Diego area. The tournament was as successful as always and the last large IGBO tournament at this house before it undergoes a multi-million dollar remodel. Expected to bring new lanes, new scoring systems and an entirely new sports bar, the remodel will bring Parkway to the top of the heap of area bowling centers.

Close behind WIT was the famous Espresso Cup in Seattle. Maintaining last year’s two shifts, the tournament was again held at the fabulous West Seattle Bowl. The top notch service and amenities of the house along with the hospitality of the tournament staff made for a most enjoyable experience for all the tournament bowlers. This year’s banquet was held at The Hall at Fauntleroy, a 1900s era schoolhouse converted to an event venue. The Pacific Northwest weather even threw in a little snow this year to top it all off.

Only a couple of weeks later and just in time for Valentine’s Day was the Golden Gate Classic in beautiful San Francisco. Glenn and Robert announced that this was their last year directing the tournament, but the committee is stepping up next year to keep things moving and won’t miss a beat.

Silicon Valley Invitational Tournament (SVIT) completed the Bay Area tournaments with another successful tournament mid-March. The SVIT pulled out all the stops and brought in two different food trucks for the banquet lunch on Sunday. Bowlers had their choice of Mexican or Asian Fusion and got a chance to sit together and enjoy the camaraderie that comes from bowling an IGBO tournament.

The same weekend, Bridgetown Invitational Tournament held another tournament at Super Play in Beaverton. Lucky winners received laser cut-out models of the local Tilikum Crossing Bridge designed by a local artist.

Next up is the 43rd Funlovers California Spring Classic (CSC) in Orange County, California, at the end of April. The CSC had new games and optional events this year to shake things up and keep it all fresh and new.

Spring is off to a great start and so is Region 9. Let’s strike, spare, and celebrate together in what promises to be an unforgettable year of bowling excitement!

Region 10: Central Plains

by: Alan Emmons, Central Plains Regional Director

Hello IGBO Members!

It’s hard to believe we’re already seven months into the 2024-2025 season. Where has the time gone? I hope you have all made it through this snowy and at times very cold winter season! But there has been plenty happening within our region to “heat things up!”

The Central Plains region hosted many tournaments in the last few months. Big D (Dallas) kicked things off in early August with such a large turnout that a second shift was added. Show Me Classic (St. Louis) sold out over Labor Day weekend, while Texas Super Slam (Austin) brought together over 100 bowlers in September as well. HIT (Houston) held a sold-out event in November, ACT (San Antonio) saw overwhelming demand and opened an additional shift in January, and TROT (Grand Prairie) recently hosted another successful sold-out tournament in February. The OKClassic (Oklahoma City) took place in April and was another rousing success.

Upcoming Tournaments

Several exciting events are just around the corner!  SHIFTID (Dallas-Ft. Worth) is over the Independence Day holiday, just before MAKIT (Kansas City) in mid-July. If you haven’t participated in an IGBO tournament yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Regardless of your average, our events are all about camaraderie. I love seeing old friends from across the U.S. and making new ones!

Greetings from St. Louis!

Join us Labor Day weekend for a special celebration as we mark the 40th Anniversary of the Show Me Classic! For four decades, this event has brought together bowlers of all skill levels to compete, connect, and celebrate our sport. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. Last year, we sold out and anticipate another sell-out in 2025. Check our website for more details.

In Memoriam: Remembering James Thigpen

We lost James Thigpen on February 21 after an illness. James was an integral part of the bowling community, first making an impact on Austin leagues and tournaments before moving to Dallas. He was active in several leagues and was the founding director of SHIFTID. Many of you knew him and will remember his larger-than-life personality and his passion for the sport. He will be deeply missed by many.

League Highlights

The Headpins league in St. Louis had some impressive achievements to share:

700 Series Award Winners: Richard Bax (765), Stephen M. Bodine (741), Wil S. Cruz (737), Katie S. Frank (709), Todd Graham (719), Noah A. Herschel (708), Garrett K. Jolly (760), Todd C. Kalna (759), Shawn H. Noakes (702), Chris A. Phillips (703), Michael T. Wallerstein (709), Chris M. Williams (752), Scott Young (706).

600 Series Award Winner: Caro S. Williams (647)

500 Series Award Winners: Peter M. Gianella (502), Shawn King (504), Andrew Missey (518), Del A. Watlington (502)

Additional Recognitions:

· 150 Over Series: Stephen M. Bodine (741), Al Q. Gray (613), Paul Hansen (692), Chris J. Love (689), Shawn H. Noakes (773), Scott S. Payne (680)

· 300 Games: Richard Bax (300), Scott Young (300)

· 285-298 Games: Katie S. Frank (285), Todd Graham (289), Richard B. Haley (289), Garrett K. Jolly (288)

· 225 Game with Average <150: Terry T. Forester (239)

· 200 Game with Average <135: Paul L. Fortner (200), Shawn King (200)

The Friday Night Club league in Kansas City also had some outstanding scores:

David Hocott (211, 540 series), Matt DeFreece (213), Marcus Rivas (141), Jerrin Hawes (177), Colin Michael (256), Joy Curtis (157), Mike Spencer (179), Matthew Her (254), John Vang (618), James Waggoner (701), Dereck Van Royen (746).

Honor Scores within the Region

Congratulations to all these incredible bowlers for their achievements! Keep striving for greatness on the lanes!

Storm Oaklawn Bowling Association Highlights

· Congratulations to Michael Chisholm for shooting a 300 in the Storm OLBA league in Richardson, TX on 2/10/25!

· Farewell to longtime OLBA bowler Steven Hull, who is leaving Dallas for a new job in Seattle. He will be greatly missed, but we wish him all the best at West Seattle Bowl!

Kansas City Bowlers Stay Busy!

Kansas City members are hard at work preparing for their upcoming tournament on July 18-20, which always sells out. Their registration is now open!  Visit: http://www.makitkc.org/ for more information. In addition to planning their event, they are also in the process of preparing a bid package to host IGBO Annual in 2027! The committee is eager to share their plans at the Annual in Vegas.

On that note, I want to say that it is truly an honor to serve as your Central Plains Regional Director! I have enjoyed these past seven months meeting so many amazing people in the region, and I look forward to meeting more of you at our upcoming events! Stay warm, keep bowling, and see you on the lanes!

See You Soon in Las Vegas!
As we reflect on the incredible energy from our regional events, all eyes are now on Las Vegas for the 2025 IGBO Annual Tournament and Conference, taking place June 19–22. With registration now closed, we’re thrilled to welcome all those who will be joining us for a weekend filled with competition, camaraderie, and celebration. Whether you’re bowling, volunteering, or cheering from the sidelines, we’re looking forward to sharing this unforgettable experience with you. Safe travels — and we’ll see you in the lanes!