Pictured Above Is: Marena Zanelli, And Arizona State Association Manager Harold Smith.
Marena Zanelli's Career Day Last November, Was 10 Years In The Making.
From Averaging 130 At The Start, To 190 Today. It Was About Becoming A Competent Bowler.
By Michael 'Chip' Begg - Managing Editor The Ten Pin Express.Com - Director Mesa Metro Association.
Phoenix - - - Marena Zanelli, of Phoenix, Arizona, has only been bowling for about 10 years now. But, during that time span, she has accomplished a lot in the game during the last four years in particular. In 2014 she won the Mesa Metro Association All Events title in her division. In 2016 she won the Maricopa County Women's Senior All-Events and Singles events in Division 1. Early last year she finished in fourth place in the Arizona State Women's Doubles event with Chris Gonos at AMF McRay Lanes. And now, you can call her the defending Arizona State Senior Queens Champion.
Marena accomplished this feat on Sunday November 12, at Brunswick Kyrene Lanes in Chandler. She might have had a bit of a home-field advantage in conquering the field of nine bowlers, as this is where she started her career in bowling in the Guys and Dolls League during the 2004-05 season.
"My win tells me I've come a long way from where I was 10 years ago, when I averaged 130. I've worked hard to become a competent bowler. I always wanted to get to a skill level where I could compete in scratch tournaments and be able to hang with 200 plus average bowlers," she said, in a recent interview, following the completion of the Bob Brown Classic League at Brunswick Mesa. "I don't always stack up, but anyone who bowls knows good bowlers have bad days, and average bowlers can have good days. Especially, if they match up with the conditions well."
Even though this field was a small one, it was a very competitive one. It included Arizona State HOF Shirley Braverman, who was the leading qualifier going into the finals with a score of 757. She rolled the high game in qualifying - a 224. Juli Bayer finished second in qualifying, 745; Jacqueline Smith, 734 third; Lee Rolland 728 fourth; and Christina Niles, 721 fifth. Marena was the last one to make the cut at 712. Phyllis Lowry, Beverly Pederson, and Norma Dovers, were others who bowled and didn't make the cut into the finals.
"Absolutely, I was completely shocked when I won," she said, after she did in fact learn that she won the event. "I didn't realize it, until a friend who was there told me I won. I thought my last match I was bowling was for me hanging on to third place. There were nine bowlers in the field. It doesn't sound like many, but they were all good bowlers. Realistically, just showing up for the event was a big step for me."
Looking back at it now two months after the fact. This win also brought out the best in her competitiveness to succeed in the game of bowling.
"I had been bowling a lot prior to the tournament and was experiencing some nagging back pain, and I didn't think I would make it past the qualifying rounds," she said, leading up to the event. "My thought the day of the event was, I'd only bowl a few qualifying games. Miss the cut, and then be home for lunch. I set a goal to get at least one 200 or higher game in qualifying."
She hit her goal of rolling a 200 game in game two of qualifying - a 205. She added games of: 169, 180, and 158 for her pin fall total of 712 which put her in sixth place after qualifying.
"The cut of the field was from nine to six, and I was the sixth qualifier. Even though I was in some pain, I was thrilled to make the cut. Then the format was match play. Not having bowled in a round robin before I didn't really have a good understanding of how the format/scoring worked.(In a round robin format, bowlers bowl against each other at least once). I didn't pay any attention to total scores, not even my own. Just whether I won the match or not," she said, of the experience. "Before the last match they repositioned us as to the order we were in. I wound up in third place with one more match to go."
But, by not paying much attention to the scores. Was the key to her success in the finals.
"I thought I was bowling to hang on to third. I had round robin confused with stepladder. I won my last match and thought 'great third place!'," she said, of the round robin format. "A friend who was there told me I won. I said, 'No I don't think so. I was bowling for third place. She then said, 'No, you won. You won your match and scored high enough to take over first and second place'. At that point I thought, no way, she doesn't have her facts straight. But, sure enough that was the case and after they verified the scores, I had indeed won."
She also did some home work on the lane pattern that was used in the tournament - the Kegel Winding Road. By researching what it does and how it reacts, this gave her an idea on what kind of equipment to bring to the event.
"I researched it and saw where it could be played from the right or further left. I didn't limit myself to playing right up right even though it worked OK during qualifying on fresh. Kegel also said for Winding Road to use a ball with less surface. I started with a Track Paradox @ 2000, in the qualifying round," she said, of the Kegel Winding Road. "I had a shot up around the five board, but didn't score very high. But, I did get one game of 205 meeting my initial goal. The State gave us some practice before match play, so I tried two of my pearl balls and found several shots with both of them."
In her six round robin games, Marena rolled games of: 177, 170, 215, 225, 175, and 226. Therefore, breaking 200 four out of the 10 games she bowled.
"I stayed with the my Marvel Pearl, since it was the newest ball I have, and I had bowled a 266 with it at a tournament the previous month," she said, of her decision to stick with the Marvel Pearl. "I played deeper in the lane and it held very well. I stayed with that ball through match play and had a couple of 220 + games with it."
There is always one shot and one game that a bowler would like to have back in a tournament. The same thing held true in Marena's case as well.
"Oh yes, there were a slew of 10 pins that I whiffed bad. I had been picking them up all day and then I had a spell where I whiffed about three or four of them over the course of two matches," she admits. "I finally corrected my brain and told myself 'if you gutter a 10 pin, you gutter it', but quit whiffing them!. I would like to have corrected my brain cramp, after the first whiff, and not the fourth. I also had several shots where I lost concentration and chucked a brick."
But, in all fairness, she also has a theory on what made her game work well that day.
"Not limiting to a specific ball and lining up helped. I played a completely different line with a different ball in match play than in qualifying. Although I was nervous, I tried to stay calm and not over think things, and never looked at scores or rankings," she said, of her game of Nov. 12. "I was in a lot of pain the last four matches and I kept telling myself just to relax and try and make a good shot, so you don't have to throw as many balls. By the time I got to the last match, I was just relieved to be nearing the end of the tournament. I'd exceeded how I expected to do so, I just told myself: 'just pretend its practice'. Its your last game and end the day on a high not with a good score'".
She said she has been dealing with the back pain issues her whole life, due to scoliosis. And as she has gotten older arthritis disc degeneration and some spinal stenosis has also developed, so pain free days have been rare for her.
"My back was sore before the event started. At the time I was in physical therapy due to back spasms I had about six weeks prior. The therapy was helping and it had been a long time goal for me to participate in this tournament," she said, of her back issues. "I was determined to try and bowl. I figured if the pain really got bad, I would just pull out. I fully anticipated being done after the qualifying rounds and all I would have to do is tough it out through three or four games. I remember driving home in a lot of pain, thankful I had a short drive. The next day my back was in knots. It is difficult to set a specific goal when you're injured, but generally speaking, I'd like to compete in scratch tournaments in the future. There are a few of them, and I want to try and support them."
But, she is determined to accomplish this goal. She knows it will take her a lot of hard work to get to this point.
"It will take more rehabilitation on my back, and bowling in less tournaments. I need to find a balance between bowling the needed number of games each week to stay proficient and improve with out over doing it," she says, of achieving the above goal. "I don't want to have to give up bowling all together. I've had to give up several sports I enjoyed over the years because of my scoliosis. Bowling is one of my last sport activities left."
Marena started to bowl in leagues at Brunswick Kyrene Lanes in the 2004-05 season, where she averaged 102 for 36 games in the Guys and Dolls League. She recorded her highest average there during the 2013-14 season where she average 181 for 83 games in the Foxes and Hounds League on Tuesday Nights there. Her highest average to date, is a 192 for 51 games in the Bob Brown Classic League at Brunswick Mesa. This came during the 2015-16 season.
"I have been bowling for 10 years. I did not start bowling until later in life. The first several years were with a plastic ball and conventional grip. I started from negative ground zero. I knew nothing about bowling. Not even what arrows were, or why there was oil on the lanes," she said, of her start in the game. "The first year I bowled my average was 102. I worked up to 130 with my plastic ball the next year, and stayed there for several years. I tried to teach myself, but I really didn't improve until I got a reactive ball, and took lessons from Dave Leverage in 2011. He got me to a 145 average the next year, then to 165 the year after that. I typically average around 185-190 now."
Marena has not experienced rolling an honor score yet. But, she has bowled 27 games to date in the USBC Open Championships. She has averaged 160 for those games, but the converted average to the sport patterns is 185.
"I live close to Kyrene and its the first house I ever bowled in, so its nice to have won the Senior Queens in the same place I established my first average of 102. I've had good days and bad days there. I can't say I've had any huge scores there, but that applies to every center in town for me," she said, of the center where she got her start in bowling. "I bowl a summer league there and usually practice there. It's a nice house, and Joe Dabrowski does a great job with the lanes. The staff there is very good, too."
Marena is a native of Phoenix and has lived in Arizona her whole life. She graduated from Alhambra High School and Arizona State. She worked for a Pharmaceutical Company for 30 years in a division that manufactured infant formula and medical nutritionals. She has also been a member of the Arizona Bowlerettes. A group that holds monthly outings at bowling centers in the Valley.
"I've been in the Arizona Bowlerettes since 2011. I really enjoy the group and plan on bowling in it as long as I am able. I joined the board of directors about four years ago. I've mostly served on their calendar committee and last year I was on the banquet committee, too," she says, of her involvement with the group. "Being in the Arizona Bowlerettes has helped my bowling, too. We bowl at a different house every month, so you gain exposure to a lot of different conditions. The events are scratch and there are two divisions based on average, so its very straight forward. There are fun tournaments such as No Tap and 3-6-9 which help level the competition. The group is successful because they are organized and have a simple formula. The Bowlerettes were established in 1971. There are daughters of long time members bowling in it, as well as some granddaughters now. Its a lot of fun. Its the been the best thing about being a bowler for me."
And the Arizona State Senior Queens title she won on Nov. 12, 2017, will always be a reminder of how far she has come in the game of bowling in 10 years.
State Of Arizona Bowling News - January 21, 2017