USBC announces National Recognition Awards
January 31, 2014
ARLINGTON, Texas - Nancy Walczyk of Boston, N.Y., Bill Chrisman of Pleasant View, Utah, and Randy Shank of Sterling Heights, Mich., have been selected to receive 2014 United States Bowling Congress National Recognition Awards.
Walczyk was named the recipient of the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, Chrisman is the Joyce Deitch Unity Award winner and Shank was selected to receive the USBC Proprietor of the Year Award.
The award winners, determined by the USBC Board of Directors, will be recognized during the 2014 USBC Convention in Reno, Nev., in April.
Walczyk has been involved with bowling for more than 40 years. She started at the local level, serving eight years as secretary/treasurer of the Erie County Suburban Women's Bowling Association. She also was president of the Erie County Young American Bowling Alliance for six years.
In 1984, she was hired by the New York State WBA and began a 26-year career as secretary/treasurer and association manager at the state level. She also served as secretary/treasurer of the New York State Bowling Council for 15 years. Walczyk was instrumental in the growth of NYS Women's Championships, getting the sport of bowling into the Empire Games and overseeing scholarship programs for the NYS Youth Association. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including election to the Erie County Suburban Hall of Fame and NYSWBA Hall of Fame.
Chrisman's passion for bowling started on the lanes. He bowled collegiately at Weber State and later would serve on a local association board for nine years. In 1985, he launched High Score Products to sell a new product that cleaned urethane bowling balls. The company evolved to become one of the most recognized names in the sport, Storm Bowling.
While Storm Bowling has been an innovator - the introduction of scented bowling balls drew much attention to the sport - Chrisman and his wife, Barbara, have supported bowling through sponsorships of bowlers and tournaments. Chrisman is a member of the Ogden Bowling Association and Utah State Halls of Fame.
Shank has been the proprietor of Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights, Mich., since 1997. Sunnybrook Lanes has served as host to many local, regional and national tournaments, including the U.S. Women's Open, USBC Junior Gold Championships, Professional Bowlers Association regional events and the Michigan State High School Association Championships.
One of the first proprietors to launch youth and adult Sport bowling leagues, Shank also is actively involved in high school bowling and sponsors two teams. He has a USBC Bronze coach on staff and requires youth coaches to be USBC-certified and go through the Registered Volunteer Program. He has been presented several awards for community and bowling involvement, including the George Prybyla Industry Award, and is a member of the Detroit Bowling Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The USBC National Recognition Awards were developed to honor individuals for contributions to bowling.
The Helen Baker Outstanding Association Service Award, named for the fifth president of the Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC), recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of adult programs. The Joyce Deitch Unity Award is named for the WIBC's seventh president and recognizes organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to bowling as motivators, visionaries, leaders and innovators. The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award recognizes a bowling center proprietor for his/her outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about the National Recognition Awards.
Walczyk was named the recipient of the Helen Baker Award for Outstanding Association Service, Chrisman is the Joyce Deitch Unity Award winner and Shank was selected to receive the USBC Proprietor of the Year Award.
The award winners, determined by the USBC Board of Directors, will be recognized during the 2014 USBC Convention in Reno, Nev., in April.
Walczyk has been involved with bowling for more than 40 years. She started at the local level, serving eight years as secretary/treasurer of the Erie County Suburban Women's Bowling Association. She also was president of the Erie County Young American Bowling Alliance for six years.
In 1984, she was hired by the New York State WBA and began a 26-year career as secretary/treasurer and association manager at the state level. She also served as secretary/treasurer of the New York State Bowling Council for 15 years. Walczyk was instrumental in the growth of NYS Women's Championships, getting the sport of bowling into the Empire Games and overseeing scholarship programs for the NYS Youth Association. She has received numerous awards throughout her career, including election to the Erie County Suburban Hall of Fame and NYSWBA Hall of Fame.
Chrisman's passion for bowling started on the lanes. He bowled collegiately at Weber State and later would serve on a local association board for nine years. In 1985, he launched High Score Products to sell a new product that cleaned urethane bowling balls. The company evolved to become one of the most recognized names in the sport, Storm Bowling.
While Storm Bowling has been an innovator - the introduction of scented bowling balls drew much attention to the sport - Chrisman and his wife, Barbara, have supported bowling through sponsorships of bowlers and tournaments. Chrisman is a member of the Ogden Bowling Association and Utah State Halls of Fame.
Shank has been the proprietor of Sunnybrook Lanes in Sterling Heights, Mich., since 1997. Sunnybrook Lanes has served as host to many local, regional and national tournaments, including the U.S. Women's Open, USBC Junior Gold Championships, Professional Bowlers Association regional events and the Michigan State High School Association Championships.
One of the first proprietors to launch youth and adult Sport bowling leagues, Shank also is actively involved in high school bowling and sponsors two teams. He has a USBC Bronze coach on staff and requires youth coaches to be USBC-certified and go through the Registered Volunteer Program. He has been presented several awards for community and bowling involvement, including the George Prybyla Industry Award, and is a member of the Detroit Bowling Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
The USBC National Recognition Awards were developed to honor individuals for contributions to bowling.
The Helen Baker Outstanding Association Service Award, named for the fifth president of the Women's International Bowling Congress (WIBC), recognizes an outstanding bowling leader who has made invaluable contributions to local and state associations as an innovator, creator and mentor of adult programs. The Joyce Deitch Unity Award is named for the WIBC's seventh president and recognizes organizations and individuals who have made important contributions to bowling as motivators, visionaries, leaders and innovators. The USBC Proprietor of the Year Award recognizes a bowling center proprietor for his/her outstanding support of USBC local, state and/or national association programs.
Go to BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about the National Recognition Awards.