National High Average, Series award winners revealed for 2023-2024 season
December 19, 2024
ARLINGTON, Texas – Several well-known names and repeat winners highlighted the top scores across the nation as the United States Bowling Congress announced its National High Average and Series award recipients for the 2023-2024 season.
The USBC National High Average and Series Awards are presented to both adult and youth USBC members for posting the top average (minimum of 66 games in the same league) and three-game series during the season.
The top averages for the year in the adult division belonged to Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, and Matt McNiel of Alva, Florida.
Kuhlkin – a three-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour champion – earned her third national high average award in the women’s division after finishing the Jamie Mazuryk Homes Team league at Schenectady’s Towne Bowling Academy with a 239.8 average over 90 games. She also posted a 239.24 average across 124 games in the Towne Mixed Doubles league during the 2023-2024 season.
The right-hander previously claimed the high average for the season in 2019-2020 (240) and 2021-2022 (247) to go along with three consecutive youth awards from 2008-2011. Kuhlkin – a three-time titlist at the USBC Women’s Championships – also posted the top series during the 2016-2017 season to set the women’s three-game mark with 890.
McNiel recorded his first USBC National High Average Award after closing the Oakes Farms 23-24 league at Lightning Strikes in Fort Myers with a 253.81 average for 72 games to top the men’s division.
The left-hander is no stranger to striking at the USBC Open Championships, where he has earned five Eagles and is the only competitor in the tournament’s 120-year history to win Regular All-Events three times (2010, 2012 and 2015). He set the all-events record on the way to victory in 2010 (2,326) and is the only bowler with three 800s at the tournament.
The names remained the same at the top of the youth listings for the second consecutive year as Melia Mitskavich of DuBois, Pennsylvania, and Ethan Crouse of Lowville, New York, finished with the high average in their respective divisions.
Mitskavich now has posted the top average for three consecutive seasons in the youth female category after concluding the DuBois Lanes Junior league in DuBois with a 236.69 average for 78 games.
The 2024 Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow recipient won the award during the 2021-2022 season with a 237 average and followed in 2022-2023 with 236. She’ll be part of Junior Team USA for the first time in 2025 after earning her spot at the 2024 Junior Gold Championships, where she finished fourth.
The last youth female to win the award in three consecutive years was Kuhlkin.
Crouse took home the top average in the youth male division with a 252.4 average across 78 games during the Lowville Youth league at Lowville’s Lewis Lanes.
He recorded a 251 average to win the award during the 2022-2023 season and will join Mitskavich on Junior Team USA in 2025 after finishing as the runner-up at the 2024 Junior Gold Championships.
Team USA’s Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, earned her second USBC National High Series Award after pacing the women’s division with an 866 series on Nov. 26, 2023, during the Kahler Sunday Morning Travel league at Kittyhawk Lanes on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The four-time PWBA Tour champion rolled games of 300, 299 and 267 to claim the top series. She also won the award during the 2017-2018 season with an 868 set and has recorded the high average for the year on four occasions (2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).
Pluhowsky – a four-time winner at the Women’s Championships – also posted the top average in the Sport Bowling category for the 2008-2009 season.
On the men’s side, Todd Amstutz of Ottawa, Ohio, posted the top series during the 2023-2024 season with 899 on Dec. 20, 2023.
Amstutz rolled games of 300, 299 and 300 for a near-perfect evening during the Terry Henricks Ford league at Rivercity Bowl-A-Way in Napoleon. He left a 10 pin on his final shot of Game 2.
The youth awards for top series went to Nicholas Vuono of North Babylon, New York, and Vicki Andrews of Indianola, Iowa.
Vuono had games of 278, 300 and 289 for an 867 series on Dec. 5, 2023, to claim the top youth male score. He connected for his first 800 series during the North Babylon HS Boys league at AMF Babylon Lanes.
Andrews rolled games of 264, 280 and 279 on the way to an 823 series during the Rama-All Stars league on Oct. 14, 2023, to earn the youth female honor. She also posted her first 800 series during the set at Bowlerama Lanes in Des Moines.
For the list of USBC National High Series and High Average Awards, click here.
The USBC National High Average and Series Awards are presented to both adult and youth USBC members for posting the top average (minimum of 66 games in the same league) and three-game series during the season.
The top averages for the year in the adult division belonged to Liz Kuhlkin of Schenectady, New York, and Matt McNiel of Alva, Florida.
Kuhlkin – a three-time Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour champion – earned her third national high average award in the women’s division after finishing the Jamie Mazuryk Homes Team league at Schenectady’s Towne Bowling Academy with a 239.8 average over 90 games. She also posted a 239.24 average across 124 games in the Towne Mixed Doubles league during the 2023-2024 season.
The right-hander previously claimed the high average for the season in 2019-2020 (240) and 2021-2022 (247) to go along with three consecutive youth awards from 2008-2011. Kuhlkin – a three-time titlist at the USBC Women’s Championships – also posted the top series during the 2016-2017 season to set the women’s three-game mark with 890.
McNiel recorded his first USBC National High Average Award after closing the Oakes Farms 23-24 league at Lightning Strikes in Fort Myers with a 253.81 average for 72 games to top the men’s division.
The left-hander is no stranger to striking at the USBC Open Championships, where he has earned five Eagles and is the only competitor in the tournament’s 120-year history to win Regular All-Events three times (2010, 2012 and 2015). He set the all-events record on the way to victory in 2010 (2,326) and is the only bowler with three 800s at the tournament.
The names remained the same at the top of the youth listings for the second consecutive year as Melia Mitskavich of DuBois, Pennsylvania, and Ethan Crouse of Lowville, New York, finished with the high average in their respective divisions.
Mitskavich now has posted the top average for three consecutive seasons in the youth female category after concluding the DuBois Lanes Junior league in DuBois with a 236.69 average for 78 games.
The 2024 Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow recipient won the award during the 2021-2022 season with a 237 average and followed in 2022-2023 with 236. She’ll be part of Junior Team USA for the first time in 2025 after earning her spot at the 2024 Junior Gold Championships, where she finished fourth.
The last youth female to win the award in three consecutive years was Kuhlkin.
Crouse took home the top average in the youth male division with a 252.4 average across 78 games during the Lowville Youth league at Lowville’s Lewis Lanes.
He recorded a 251 average to win the award during the 2022-2023 season and will join Mitskavich on Junior Team USA in 2025 after finishing as the runner-up at the 2024 Junior Gold Championships.
Team USA’s Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, earned her second USBC National High Series Award after pacing the women’s division with an 866 series on Nov. 26, 2023, during the Kahler Sunday Morning Travel league at Kittyhawk Lanes on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The four-time PWBA Tour champion rolled games of 300, 299 and 267 to claim the top series. She also won the award during the 2017-2018 season with an 868 set and has recorded the high average for the year on four occasions (2013-2014, 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019).
Pluhowsky – a four-time winner at the Women’s Championships – also posted the top average in the Sport Bowling category for the 2008-2009 season.
On the men’s side, Todd Amstutz of Ottawa, Ohio, posted the top series during the 2023-2024 season with 899 on Dec. 20, 2023.
Amstutz rolled games of 300, 299 and 300 for a near-perfect evening during the Terry Henricks Ford league at Rivercity Bowl-A-Way in Napoleon. He left a 10 pin on his final shot of Game 2.
The youth awards for top series went to Nicholas Vuono of North Babylon, New York, and Vicki Andrews of Indianola, Iowa.
Vuono had games of 278, 300 and 289 for an 867 series on Dec. 5, 2023, to claim the top youth male score. He connected for his first 800 series during the North Babylon HS Boys league at AMF Babylon Lanes.
Andrews rolled games of 264, 280 and 279 on the way to an 823 series during the Rama-All Stars league on Oct. 14, 2023, to earn the youth female honor. She also posted her first 800 series during the set at Bowlerama Lanes in Des Moines.
For the list of USBC National High Series and High Average Awards, click here.