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NEWS, NOTES AND HAPPENINGS FROM THE WORLD OF BOWLING /// AUGUST 2011 Bulletin Board


BELMO, HANDS DOWN


Two-handed bowler grabs ESPY A


ny questions about Australian two- handed bowler Jason Belmonte’s impact on the sport of bowling were


answered in July when the 27-year-old Profes- sional Bowlers Association star earned the 2011 ESPY Award for Best Bowler. The charismatic Aussie, who posted seven


top-10 finishes on the 2010-11 Lumber Liq- uidators PBA Tour but failed to win a title, outdistanced PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, Chris Barnes and Bill O’Neill for the honor. While the finalists in each sport and award category are selected by ESPN staff, the winners are chosen through fan voting on ESPN.com. “An ESPY is so much more than just a tro-


phy,” said Belmonte, who attended the award ceremony at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles with his wife Kimberly. “To know that I have a strong and loyal fan base around the world makes this award so much more special. With-


out fans there would be no tour and there’d be no way to do what I love on such a grand scale. “This award is as much the bowling fans’


as it is mine,” Belmonte added. “ Thank you to everyone who voted, not just for me but for all of the nominees. Bowling has the best fans in the world.” Belmonte became the youngest recipient of


the ESPY for Best Bowler in the 18-year histo- ry of the award. He’s also the first foreign-born bowler to win the award. “Having my wife fly out to experience this


with me was the best part about the ESPYs,” Belmonte said of the experience. “It’s not often that my family gets to share my experiences in person, so to share this with Kimberly was just awesome. “And rubbing shoulders with some of the


high-profile athletes was a cool experience. I never appreciated just how tall an NBA basket- ball player really is until I stood next to one!”


6 USBOWLER AUGUST 2011


BEST BOWLER ESPY AWARD WINNERS


2011 Jason Belmonte 2010 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 2009 Norm Duke 2008 Norm Duke 2007 Norm Duke 2006 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 2005 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 2004 Pete Weber 2003 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 2002 Pete Weber 2001 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 2000 Parker Bohn III 1999 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 1998 Walter Ray Williams Jr. 1997 Bob Learn Jr. 1996 Mike Aulby 1995 Norm Duke 1994 Norm Duke


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