Rolling Out a New Era of High School Bowling Champions

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    SPARTANBURG, S.C., Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Already one of the nation's
 fastest growing varsity sports, high school bowling will get a major boost
 in 2007 with the launch of the first national high school championships.
 Just prior to the start of yesterday's USBC Masters in Milwaukee, three
 major bowling powerhouses - Denny's, the first title sponsor of the
 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, the PBA and the United States
 Bowling Congress (USBC) - announced they are joining forces to create the
 inaugural Denny's All-American High School Championships to crown the
 nation's top high school male and female bowlers.
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061030/CLM096)
     "Denny's is delighted to be a part of this exciting and rewarding
 project. The Denny's All-American High School Championships give us an
 opportunity to showcase talented young bowlers and give them national
 exposure. Who knows? We may discover the next Walter Ray Williams Jr. or
 Kelly Kulick," said Debbie Atkins, Denny's Director of Public Relations.
     "We're so excited to embark on this initiative targeted at young
 bowlers," said Fred Schreyer, PBA Commissioner and CEO. "Partnering with
 Denny's and the USBC helps to solidify our commitment to the growing
 popularity of the sport at the high school and collegiate levels."
     Under the rules for the Denny's All-American High School Championships,
 only those states with varsity level programs will be eligible to
 participate. Currently, 16 states have both male and female varsity bowling
 programs, two states recognize varsity bowling for girls only and one has
 an adaptive program for those with physical and mental challenges. Another
 26 states have club level programs. High school coaches from the 18 varsity
 level states will nominate a senior male or female bowler for the
 competition, with the nomination process managed by a national selection
 committee.
     "This unprecedented national high school tournament is a wonderful
 opportunity for young bowlers to gain the recognition they deserve for
 their hard work and dedication to their sport," said Director of USBC High
 School and Collegiate, Jeanne Klescewski.
     The two-day tournament will feature the top girl and top boy varsity
 bowlers competing head-to-head on Saturday, narrowing the tournament field
 down to two male and female competitors, who will face off on Sunday. The
 newly crowned girl and boy high school champions then will team with
 professionals Kelly Kulick, the first female PBA exempt bowler, and a
 member of the Denny's PBA Sponsor Competition Team for a one-game doubles
 match.
     The inaugural high school tournament will coincide with the Denny's PBA
 World Championship set for March 24 and 25, 2007, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
 Immediately following the conclusion of the Denny's World Championship, the
 high school finalists will take to the lanes for the chance to compete for
 $10,000 in scholarships on a PBA oil pattern and in an arena setting before
 more than 2,000 spectators. The high school finals will be broadcast on
 ESPN on April 22, 2007.
     About Denny's
     Denny's is America's largest full-service family restaurant chain. For
 more than 50 years, Denny's has been committed to providing guests with
 quality food, abundant value and a great dining atmosphere. From the award-
 winning D-Zone(R) menu to its famous Grand Slam(R) breakfasts, Denny's
 provides a variety of flavorful food and beverage choices for guests of all
 ages. For further information on Denny's, please visit our web site at
 www.dennys.com.
     About the PBA
     The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in
 the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events. PBA
 membership reached an all-time high of 4,300 members during the 2005-06
 Denny's PBA Tour season. Also in 2005-06 -- the Tour's first with a title
 sponsor -- ratings on PBA telecasts increased 12.5 percent among males ages
 18-34. PBA sponsors include Ace Hardware, Bayer, Brunswick, Columbia 300,
 Denny's, Discover(R) Card, Etonic, GEICO, H&R Block, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola
 and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to
 www.pba.com.
     About the USBC
     The United States Bowling Congress High School program actively offers
 guidance to all levels of high school bowling by providing rules,
 instructional opportunities, awards and industry resources to ensure the
 success of high school bowling nationwide. USBC High School is a resource
 for school administrators, high school state athletic associations, state
 proprietor associations and industry member organizations in the creation
 and maintenance of high school bowling programs. USBC officially launched
 Jan. 1, 2005, as an organization serving nearly three million adult and
 youth bowlers in the United States. It resulted from the merger of the
 American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young
 American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling. For more information, visit
 www.bowl.com
 
 

SOURCE Denny's