Another record turnout is expected when the 2007 Special Olympics Kentucky State Bowling Tournament rolls into Lexington Dec. 1-2. More than 875 bowlers are expected to compete in what is by far the largest single-sport event on the Special Olympics competitive calendar.

The huge turnout will mean a need for extra volunteers throughout the weekend. Volunteers will be needed primarily to serve as Lane Workers, ensuring that competitors bowl in the proper order and that the scores are accurately reported to the official scorer.

"This is unique volunteer opportunity in our program," said Special Olympics Kentucky executive Vice President Trish Mazzoni. "It's a chance for our event volunteers to truly share the competitive experience with our athletes. They are actually much more involved than the athletes' coaches at this event."

The tournament gets underway with five sessions of Singles competition on Saturday, Dec. 1. Sessions will begin at Eastland Lanes at 8:30 am, Noon and 3 pm. Singles sessions at Southland Lanes will begin at 9:30 am and 12:45 pm. Volunteers are needed for all sessions.

Tournament action continues on Sunday, Dec. 2 with Doubles and Unified Team competitions. The Doubles begins at 9 am on Sunday. Unified competition will start at 12:30 pm.

If you are interested in volunteering at the tournament, download and complete the volunteer form or contact Greg Shanks, Special Olympics Kentucky Program Director at 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at gshanks.@soky.org.

A record 875 bowlers turned out in Lexington to roll for gold at the 2006 Special Olympics Kentucky State Bowling Tournament. The Tournament continues to grow every year and it is now the second largest competition on the Special Olympics calendar, behind only the State Summer Games.

Competition got underway early on Saturday Dec. 2 and the day yielded some amazing scores and some very tight competition. Michael Gibson of Fayette County posted the day’s highest scores – both for a single game and a two-game total – rolling a 164, 193 – 357 to easily win gold in his division. On the women’s side, Sabrina McRath of Daviess County proved to be not only the Tournament’s highest-scoring bowler, but maybe its most consistent, rolling a 162, 163 – 325. She needed every pin in that second game as well, as Lynn Janssen of Louisville had jumped out to a big lead in their division with a 189 in the first game. Janssen was able to hold on for a silver medal.

In all, bowlers competed in 135 divisions in the singles competition on Saturday alone, and many of those divisions came down to the wire before a winner could be determined. There were 20 gold medals decided by five pins or fewer including two divisions where co-gold medallists were awarded following ties. In the women’s competitions, Janie Stone of Richmond bowled a 110 in her second game to come from behind and earn a gold medal tie with Carrie Halloway of Meade County. In the other tie, Kathleen Spearbecker of Hardin County Special Olympics came from 22 pins behind with a 134 in her second game to tie 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games bowler Cindy Cusick of Louisville with a two-game score of 233.

In the men’s divisions, Stanley Huff of Ohio County bowled a 101 in his second game – the only score over 100 in his division, to overcome a 26-pin deficit and defeat the aptly named Ronald Bowling of Louisville by just two pins. Mark Thompson of Louisville and Steven Elliott of Lexington staged a nearly pin-for-pin battle in their two games. Thompson led Elliott 102-101 after the first game and the pair was separated by a mere pin in the second as well, with Thompson holding off Elliott 195-193.

Both of the bowlers who will represent Team USA at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games were in action at the State Bowling Tournament. Elizabethtown’s Jessica Haggerty made quite a comeback, rolling a 147 in the second game of her singles competition, but couldn’t quite overcome Annettea Thomasson of Daviess County and finished with a silver medal. For Lexington’s Andrew Browning, it was a battle of World Games bowlers past and future as he was placed in a division with 2003 World Summer Games bowler Jeremy Stephenson of Graves County. Stephenson took an early lead, rolling a 131 in the first game to Browning’s 128, but Browning maintained his stroke in the second, rolling a 126 to claim the gold with a 254.

See More State Bowling Tournament Photos Here

A number of University of Kentucky athletes were among the more than 200 volunteers who made the State Bowling Tournament possible.

Following Saturday’s competition, all the athletes were treated to the annual victory dance. The dance moved this year to the Oleika Shrine Temple in Lexington and was produced by the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Knights of Columbus who did a fantastic job decorating the hall and making sure all of the athletes had a fantastic time.

Sunday brought more stirring competition as both the Unified and Doubles bowling competitions took place. Over the course of the weekend, medals were awarded in more than 170 divisions.

Special Olympics would like to thank our year-round partners – Kroger, Texas Roadhouse and the Law Enforcement Torch Run – for providing the support that makes events like the State Bowling Tournament possible. We also want to thank the more than 200 volunteers who served at the State Bowling Tournament, including groups from the University of Kentucky Athletics Department, Dunbar High School in Lexington, Lexington Catholic High School and Frankfort High School, as well as the Georgetown College baseball team and the Eastern Kentucky University exercise science department.

For more in formation about the Special Olympics Kentucky bowling program or the State Bowling Tournament, please contact Greg Shanks at 800-633-7403 or via e-mail at gshanks@soky.org.