Base bowler competes in international meet Published June 19, 2007 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler youth bowler Michelle Fuller heads to Buffalo, N.Y., July 16-18 to compete at the Pepsi U.S. Bowling Congress international youth championships. Fuller, 19, won her division at the state tournament in Jackson last month with a 1,343 series at the end of six games with the girls' handicap factored in. The handicap is based on a bowler's average subtracted from 200 and multiplied by 90 percent. With the handicap, Fuller averaged 224 points a game. Without it, she averaged more than 160 a game. Bowlers in Buffalo "There'll be about 50 to 60 bowlers competing in my category in Buffalo," Fuller said. "Some areas have more bowlers than others, so they can bring more people to compete." The USBC has provided $400 for Fuller's travel, and she's raising money to fund the balance of her expenses. Her family is accompanying her and plans to stay at a relative's cabin outside Buffalo. At the international finals, which include participants from Canada and U.S. military zones overseas, athletes in each division roll two four-game qualifying blocks before the field is cut to 16. These semifinalists compete in a single-game, double-elimination format. The top four in each division receive scholarships. Scholarships at stake A scholarship would help Fuller, who'll attend Missis-sippi Gulf Coast Community College's Jackson County campus in the fall. Eventually, she'd like to study culinary arts or become a biology teacher. Bowling runs in Fuller's family. Her mother, Ricki Fuller, an office automation clerk in the 85th Engineering Installation Squadron, has been involved in league bowling at Keesler for many years. "My dad managed the Triangle bowling alley years ago -- he got involved in coaching and got us kids involved in leagues out here," she recalled. "I've bowled since I was 8 years old." Last year, her 21-year-old son, Shawn, competed against 1,400 bowlers in Ft. Lauder-dale, Fla., for a berth on the USBC Junior Team USA. Even her 6-year-old son, Ryan Fiorentino, has bowled since he was 2 and recently participated in the state tournament. Preventive medicine "Be involved with your kids and keep them active in sports -- it's the best medicine for keeping them out of trouble," Ricki suggested. "Bowling at Keesler has been great for the kids. Juniors can bowl for a $1 a game, which really helps with the costs for parents getting their kids involved in a sport. "The youth leagues need good coaches," she continued. "We have a lot of good adult bowlers, and it would be great if some volunteered to show the kids how to bowl and familiarized them with information about lane conditions and ball types. "Many parents would like to get involved but don't know much about the game," she added. "Many coaches don't stay long because they move on to other assignments and the league tries to find more volunteers to help."