Sitting here with Rick Coltharp, at the Owensboro Bowling Association Jamie Simpson Eliminator Tournament. Jamie Simpson used to run the pro shop at Southtown and also coached high school bowlers to the national level before passing away from COVID. The tournament was officially named in his honor in 2023.
Rick said the tournament has been running for around 20 years alongside Gary Blanton. When COVID happened, the tournament took a big hit, especially since they were used to having the lanes full of high school kids. They’re now at a point where they’re rebuilding what was once a very successful tournament.
The culture of high school bowling is truly a vibe. Rick says it’s “close to going to a basketball game atmosphere-the excitement, the energy, everybody loud and noisy.” He said the first time he went to a regional tournament with Owensboro Catholic, he was amazed by the environment and passion surrounding the sport.
Rick went on to talk about how bowling is one of the few sports where gender and athletic ability don’t matter as much. “It’s all about control, throwing the right way, and the mental side of the game,” he said. Rick added, “You have to have the nine inches between your ears under control.”
The tournament is put on by the Owensboro Bowling Association and is one of three tournaments held each year. Those tournaments include the Jamie Simpson Eliminator, the Youth City Tournament, and the Adult-Youth Tournament. All three tournaments provide opportunities for youth bowlers to receive scholarship money.
Because of COVID, there is currently a surplus of scholarship funds for bowling tournaments. Over the last four years, the OBA has given out between $30,000 and $40,000 in scholarship money. That money is placed into a SMART fund through the USBC (United States Bowling Congress). The funds remain available for up to eight years after high school and can be used for school expenses, including tuition or tools needed for classes.
One of the responsibilities of the OBA is to promote bowling. Bowling is often seen as an older person’s sport, so the goal is to get younger people involved and keep the future of the sport strong.
The winners of the first half of the tournament were Nolan Case and Ace Dill, both just 8 years old. This marked the first time in tournament history that two 8-year-olds made it to the finals. Ace Dill finished first, while Nolan Case placed second, bowling an impressive 215 with seven strikes.
from left to right: Nolan Case, Ace Dill.
First place carried a $500 scholarship and second place a $300 scholarship. Instead of keeping the awards separate, the two young bowlers chose to combine the scholarship totals and split them evenly, each receiving $400 in scholarship funds. It was a great display of sportsmanship at such a young age.
The second half of the tournament featured high school bowlers with averages over 200. Sophie O’Bryan claimed first place, Sebastian Lawrence finished second, and Addison Wells took third.
From Left to Right: Addison Wells, Sophie O’Bryan, Sebastian Lawrence.
Scholarship awards for the high school division were as follows:
1st place $500 scholarship
2nd place $300 scholarship
3rd place $250 scholarship
Both squads will return tomorrow morning for the Scratch Division, which begins at 9:00 a.m., continuing a weekend focused on competition, sportsmanship, and supporting the future of youth bowling.
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