Pictured is the NBS, on Monday March 16, 2026.
Tucson Metro USBC Update
By Mark Kerr, President
Tucson - - - As this 2025-26 bowling winter season concludes, I reflect on the challenges, the accomplishments, and the successes we have seen for this past season.
Tucson became a five, active bowling center city again with the reopening of PINZ-Fiesta, and sanctioned leagues taking the floor at PINZ, as well as new sanctioned leagues bowling at the other four centers in Tucson.
This year marked the beginning of a new era for Tucson Metro USBC, with the merging of Tucson Youth Bowling into the association and the creation of Tucson Metro Youth, currently headed by Tucson Metro USBC Board Member Gloria Harris. Gloria and other Board members oversaw the City Youth Championship Tournament, as well as the Kings and Queens and other youth bowling events.
The schedule of tournaments was expanded to include a Junior Masters tournament, with 60 young bowlers taking part at Cactus Bowl. Congratulations to Christopher Charron and Nathan Bravo from Cactus Bowl’s Youth Program for winning the handicap division and scratch division titles.
Tucson Metro USBC had the usual tournament schedule, with these being run concurrently, which helps the bowlers with more dates to choose from and allows Tucson Metro to conduct the events concurrently. In addition, Tucson Metro USBC held a new event, a one-day Team Swiss Tournament with 60 bowlers taking part at Bowlero Tucson. Tucson Metro USBC wants to thank the management and staff of the bowling centers for hosting our events, and we look forward to working with you all in the 2026-27 season.
Tucson Metro USBC wants to thank everyone who took part in this year’s BVL (Bowlers for Veterans Link) In-House League Tournament. This tournament paid the top 97 Spots, low to cash was +57. Congratulations to Joe Pate, who won with a +206 over average, and everyone who cashed. The bowling ball was won by Jeffrey Kane (Tucson Bowl, Welcome to Oz). Thanks again to Shawna Strause for donating the bowling ball for this effort.
Tucson’s bowlers make our tournaments a success, and Tucson Metro USBC wants to thank all the bowlers, from Tucson, Pima County, and across Arizona, who bowled in our events this season, as well as to congratulate those who cashed and those who won this season. Tucson Metro USBC conducted its annual Masters, Senior Masters, and Super Senior Masters tournaments. Congratulations to Shawn Whitelaw, winning the Masters Tournament, Mike Tountas winning the Senior Masters, and John Cook winning the Super Senior Masters Tournament
Tucson Metro USBC has a new website, thanks to the wonderful work and effort of our Vice President, Joe Shelton. With Joe’s work, Tucson Metro USBC’s website has online registration and other interactive features for the bowlers. Steve Harris, Association Manager for getting Zelle for Tucson Metro USBC, is making tournament payments easier and more convenient.
Tucson Metro USBC has handed out thousands of awards to bowlers for their honor scores this past season. Thanks to the work of Board Member Gloria Harris, who meticulously tracks the scores and awards, many bowlers proudly display their keychain awards. In addition, this year, Tucson Metro USBC created the 11 In A Row Challenge Coin, a new award for bowlers who throw 11 consecutive strikes in a game. This award was created by Don Jones, Board Members Lino Nava Jr., Gloria Harris, and Association Manager Steve Harris. It has been a hit with the bowlers and is an award that bowlers can get once a season now.
This season, Tucson Metro USBC inducted four great individuals to its Hall of Fame as the Class of 2026. Shawna Strause and Richard Curtis were inducted for Superior Performance and Cory Knop and Joe Salgado were inducted for Meritorious Service, at a ceremony held at Bowlero Tucson.
Tucson Metro USBC would also like to thank our sponsors: Visit Tucson, J.L. Investments, Park Avenue Jewelers, Roof Teks, Shawna Strause, Kaycee Club, for their support, as well as Don Jones and Sahuaro Trophy, for their work on the awards that were presented this season and Desert Bowler, for giving the opportunity to write for and publicize our tournaments and bowling events.
Without the work and efforts of the Tucson Metro USBC Board, we wouldn’t have a tournament season. Thank you to Vice President Joe Shelton, Gloria Harris, Austin Struble, Alonso Sodari, Adela Lozano-Sodari, Joe Beard, Lino Nava Jr., Ken Lewis, Dave Hyatt, Matt Klaer and Kari Snyder for your work this season and for the bowlers.
A special thank you to Steve Harris, who serves as the Association Manager for Tucson Metro USBC and has helped to move this association forward with his work, commitment, and support. Tucson bowlers are thankful Steve Harris is the Association Manager.
We also saw the passing of members of our bowling family this season, including June Hatfield, Ron Davis, Les Classen and other bowlers. Our condolences goes out to their families for their loss and to let them know we are there for them. Our bowling family is sadder but knows they are bowling at Heaven’s Lanes now.
The 25-26 season is concluding but the summer is here and people are bowling in new sanctioned leagues in Tucson. Bowling is coming back!
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USBC CONVENTION REPORT
By Mark Kerr, President Tucson Metro USBC
Reno, NV. - - - More than 600 delegates attended the 2026 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Convention held in Reno, Nevada, April 27-29 at the Silver Legacy Hotel & Casino.
Tucson Metro USBC was represented by Mark Kerr, President, Board Members Gloria Harris and Lino Nava Jr., and Association Manager Steve Harris.
The theme for the 2026 USBC Convention was “Sparking Momentum,” building on the efforts of local and state associations, for which themed workshops were offered.
Every year, the convention begins with the keynote speaker, and for this year, it was Change Leadership Authority, Anne Bonney. Her high-energy talk, entitled “Thriving through Change,” delivers practical tools, bold insights, and empowering strategies to help face uncertainty with confidence and resilience.
There were also three special guest speakers at the convention, who conducted workshops as well:
John Kennedy, presented his workshops, “Start Moving Mountains,” emphasizing the “people” aspects of business - customer experience, sales and strategic and succession planning, creating a culture of measurements and metrics and now it can help local associations.
Candy Whirley presented her “Emotional Intelligence” workshops to improve customer service and helping people understand one another better, to work better and to deal with tough situations.
Rocky Bush gave presentations, “Kick Start Your Social Media Campaign,” to show how associations can level up their social media, websites and overall marketing that get real results, talking about a TikTok video about TopGolf and Logan’s Work Christmas party to take place, which went viral and got millions of views. During her second presentation, Rocky created a TikTok video with attendees present, including Lino Nava Jr., and showed it, which had gotten thousands of views in an hour that it had been put on TikTok.
During the convention, USBC also had workshops on their new Field Services Team and activating youth bowling; review of the USBC Bylaws and local association rules and policies; networking session on association tournaments; sparking confidence through rules knowledge; partnerships with non-profit and for-profit businesses; and communication.
Six members of the 2026 United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame class were celebrated during their induction ceremony as part of the USBC Annual Convention.
Michelle Feldman of Auburn, New York, was inducted in the Superior Performance category; Marliss Tapp of Portage, Michigan, and Bob Larson of Kenosha, Wisconsin, were inducted in the Outstanding USBC Performance category; and Jo Dimond of Columbus, Ohio, Mark Martin of Waterford, Michigan, and Rod Ross of Pocatello, Idaho, were inducted in the Meritorious Service category.
Delegates elected three board members, Michael Stevens of Old Bridge, New Jersey, Cheryl Younger of Leavenworth, Kansas and Glenda Beckett of Palmetto Bay, Florida. Delegates voted down two legislative proposals, dealing with off-site voting for USBC Annual Conventions and switching hands on the first and second ball shots in a frame.
The 2027 USBC Annual Convention will take place May 3-6, 2027, at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
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