Sports
Truman Senior Qualifies For National Bowling Tournament
Bobby Copson One Of 108 Bowlers To Qualify
Bobby Copson’s first love is basketball and always will be. Yet on Friday, the Harry S. Truman senior will try to find success on a different type of hardwood.
Copson finished in first place after bowling a 135 pins over average in a four-game series at the district level in Wilmington, DE. He beat out 54 other candidates to qualify for the AMF National In-League Tournament at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Copson, 18, is one of the youngest bowlers ever to qualify for the event.
"I figured if I threw my game I would be able to go," Copson said. "There’s 27 districts in the United States, and I’m representing Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland."
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The averages are based on last year’s performances and Copson averaged a 193. He now boasts a 207 average.
There are four divisions at the National Level; the Open Division, Division A, Division B and Division C. Copson is in Division A, the 189-199 average range.
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Copson played varsity basketball and lacrosse, but never wanted to become a varsity bowler.
"I didn’t want to bowl for school because you have to bowl every day, and I didn’t want to do it every day. I just do it for fun," Copson said.
Copson put his name into the contest at his local bowling alley in Croydon. He finished 38th out of 50 in the first stage of qualifying. In the second level, he had to finish in the top six out of those 50. Copson finished first, highlighted by a 300 game to qualify for districts.
So, is Copson excited to go to Vegas?
"It’s definitely a plus going to Vegas," Copson said. "But I really wouldn’t care if it was in Boston. I don’t care where it is. I don’t care about the prize money -- nothing like that -- just winning would be amazing."
The first place winner in Las Vegas receives $60,000.
Copson plans on attending either Gwynned Mercy or Chestnut Hill and wants to play basketball. As for bowling, Copson wants to wait until college graduation to enter his name into some professional bowling tournaments.
