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October 7, 2009 – Andover, Massachusetts – Seemingly regardless of tournament format, lane condition or level of competition, Chris Barnes is almost always in the mix at the end. It’s a testament to his work ethic, his preparation, and his overall level of skill. Recently in Puerto Rico, his talents were on display as he won Masters gold at the 2009 Pan American Bowling Confederation Championships.

In the Masters finals, Chris Barnes defeated Ernesto Franco of Mexico 2-1 to give the United States men’s team a clean sweep of all six gold medals – singles, doubles, trios, team, all-events and Masters. After taking Game One of their three game series 246-203, Barnes dropped the second game to Franco 233-208 before rebounding in Game Three 218-188 to take home the title.

“This was a week where I really just rode my teammates to gold medals,” Barnes said following his match. “I was just kind of in the background all week, but it feels good to help up come through and complete the sweep.”

The Masters match play competition featured the top 16 men and top 16 women from the all-events standings after 24 games of competition. Barnes was the only male bowler from Team USA to earn a medal in the Masters event.

Here are photos of each member of this year’s Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team receiving their award from Dexter Bowling VP Bud Clapsaddle. Congratulations!

[caption id="attachment_82" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Andrew Koff"][/caption][caption id="attachment_79" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Nicholas Morrissey"][/caption][caption id="attachment_81" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Jacqueline Carbonetto"][/caption][caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Megan Buja"][/caption][caption id="attachment_74" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Kimberly Carper"][/caption]

Andover, Massachusetts – May 11, 2009 – With his win Saturday at Bowling’s Clash of Champions tournament, Team Dexter’s Chris Barnes kept the title within the family for a second straight year.

Chris Barnes’ wife Lynda, also a member of Team Dexter’s Pro Staff and one of the premier female bowlers in the world, took home the title in last year’s Clash of Champions when she defeated Team Dexter’s Sean Rash in the finals. This year, Chris kept the title in the Barnes’ household by defeating collegiate star Rebekah Diers 257-207 in the title match.

Bowling’s Clash of Champions, a unique made-for-television event put on by the United States Bowling Congress, aired Saturday on CBS Sports. The field showcases sixteen champions of various events, ranging in age from teenagers to seniors, and features a generous total prize pool of $100,000.

“Rebekah bowled just terrific and her first six frames were way better than my first six frames,” said Barnes after their championship match. “She sure didn’t seem nervous about bowling (against) me in those first few frames.”

Rebekah Diers didn’t appear to be too nervous about bowling a former PBA Player of the Year. If she was, she overcame it early by opening with four consecutive strikes to start the match. However, in the seventh frame, Diers left a very difficult 4-6-7-10 split that she was unable to convert, thus sealing her fate for the match.

Barnes earned $50,000, and another impressive win to add to his astonishing bowling résumé.

Congratulations Chris!

Andover, Massachusetts – March 23, 2009 – Chris Barnes, the reigning PBA Player of the Year, appears unwilling to give up that title without a fight. After winning the Go RVing Match Play Championship on Sunday, Barnes has vaulted himself back into the discussion for PBA Player of the Year Honors.

The Go RVing Match Play Championship is the PBA’s version of “March Madness” where 64 bowlers competed in a bracket style tournament for a $25,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2009-10 PBA Tour season. While some big names (Pete Weber, Sean Rash) were ousted in the first round of the tournament, third-seeded Chris Barnes and fifth-seeded Walter Ray Williams, Jr. met in the finals. The Team Dexter Staffers engaged in a three-game, total pinfall format in the finals to determine the winner.

Walter Ray got off to a tremendous start by striking in nine consecutive frames to start the opening game. In the tenth, he left the seven pin, and then uncharacteristically missed the single, leaving the door ajar for Barnes. Williams built a 26-point lead after the first game, besting Barnes 267-241, but with two games to go, Barnes seized the opportunity and took advantage of Williams’ mistake. Chris turned the tables and opened with nine consecutive strikes at the beginning of game two, while Walter Ray struggled, giving Barnes a 266-192 advantage in game two and a 48-pin lead into game three. While Walter Ray out-bowled Chris in game three 234-215, Barnes had built too big of a lead, and took home his twelfth career PBA Tour Title with a 722-693 victory.

“Three games was a big deal for me,” said Barnes after his win, acknowledging Walter Ray’s outstanding game one performance. “It gave me a chance to win.”

By virtue of his win Sunday and his victory two weeks ago at the Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator, Chris Barnes has now won back-to-back titles for the first time in his illustrious career. These two victories have suddenly positioned Chris to be a major factor in this year’s PBA Player of the Year race. Barnes trails only Wes Malott and Norm Duke in the points race, and he knows that the only way he’ll have a chance to retain his Player of the Year crown is to win the upcoming U.S. Open.

“Things seem to be going my way right now,” Chris said on Sunday. “The U.S. Open is the toughest tournament of all to win. I will need that to happen to have a chance.”

Before taking his best shot at the U.S. Open, Chris and the other PBA stars will stop in West Babylon, NY for the next PBA Tour stop and compete in the Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic. The championship round will be televised on ESPN on Sunday, March 29th.

Andover, Massachusetts – March 9, 2009 – Chris Barnes was in an almost no-win situation coming into the 2009 Buckeye State Eliminator in Columbus, Ohio. The reigning champion of this event, Barnes would have to temper the expectations of repeating as champion and overcome the burden of not winning this season despite his five previous television appearances. With all of those intangible factors floating around, Barnes honed in and focused on the task at hand, winning for the first time this season by overcoming the Eliminator format.

Getting to the TV final has not been the issue for Barnes, as he made his 6th appearance this season under the lights in Columbus on Sunday. Unfortunately for Chris, the grueling stepladder tournaments have been difficult to navigate. Sunday brought a change – the eliminator format – in which all bowlers would bowl a game and the lowest score would fail to advance to the subsequent rounds. This format lasts all the way until the championship round when it reverts to a standard match format. First, 2007-08 PBA Rookie of the Year Rhino Page was eliminated by virtue of his 202. In the next round, Mike Scroggins was shown the door after his 218 left him on the outside looking in. It then came down to two – Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi – for the championship.

Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi have a relationship that goes back years. The good friends are Team Dexter Staffers and PBA Tour roommates. On Sunday, both bowlers were looking to capture their ever-elusive first title of the 2008-09 season. Both players got off to solid starts, but Barnes capitalized during the middle of the game as Koivuniemi struggled to put together strikes. Mika had four consecutive nine-pin spares during the middle of the game, a stretch in which Chris responded with four consecutive strikes on his way to a 258-172 victory, his first of the 2008-09 PBA season.

“The hardest thing to do is to repeat with all the expectations that come from winning,” Barnes said after the match. “I survived. I have been there enough to put up with the heat. I like the competition and love bowling on Sunday. Chris also attributed some of his success to retired PBA Tour star Mark Baker, with whom he has recently worked to improve his game.

Were you paying close attention for Dexter sightings this weekend? If you were, you may have noticed that all four competitors – Page, Scroggins, Koivuniemi and Barnes were all wearing Dexter bowling shoes. Chris Barnes was even wearing the NEW SST8 in the white/black color. Watch for those to hit pro shops in July 2009!

Congratulations to Chris and Mika for their excellent performances this weekend, and continued success as the PBA Tour season hits the home stretch.

Andover, MA – March 4, 2009 – The Bowling Writers Association of America have named Team Dexter’s Lynda Barnes the 2008 Female Bowler of the Year! It was her first BWAA Female Bowler of the Year title. She can add that to her three BWAA Amateur Female Bowler of the Year titles, which she won in 1991, 1998 and 2001. Lynda beat out Liz Johnson and Dexter’s Carolyn Dorin-Ballard for the award.

The Barnes family almost made it a complete sweep of awards, as Lynda’s husband Chris, the 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year and fellow Team Dexter staff member, finished second in the BWAA Male Bowler of the Year chase behind Norm Duke. PBA All-Time wins leader Walter Ray Williams, Jr. finished fourth in the voting.

Congratulations to Lynda, Chris and Walter Ray for a great 2008!

Andover, MA – September 24, 2008 – Chris Paul has been an NBA All-Star, an NCAA All-American and an Olympic gold medalist. He also might be the biggest athlete ambassador to the sport of bowling there is today.

To kick off the 2008-09 PBA season, the 50th anniversary for the league, professional bowlers and basketball players alike joined forces for the inaugural Chris Paul PBA Celebrity Invitational in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This event was held in conjunction with the Third Annual Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend, and all of the proceeds will support a variety of charities and programs associated with and supported by Chris Paul’s CP3 Foundation.

This landmark event represents the first time professional athletes from other sports partnered with professional bowlers for a bowling event with a dedicated telecast. Both the professional bowlers and the NBA superstars were excited to be part of such an event.

“This gives me an opportunity to show a part of me and it also gives an opportunity for the world to see how big of a sport bowling is,” said Paul, the New Orleans Hornets superstar point guard. “Bowling is a competitive sport and something that I’m very, very involved in, and I love it.”

The bowlers seemed to have an especially good time. “I was really pumped; it was great bowling with my partner (Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James),” said Team Dexter Pro Jason Couch. “It was huge for me to meet these guys, let alone bowl with them.”

Pairings at the Invitational were Paul and 2007-08 PBA Player of the year Chris Barnes; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Dexter staffer Tommy Jones; James and Couch, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay and Dexter’s Doug Kent; and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant and Mitch Beasley.

Among the other celebrities that participated in Chris Paul’s Winston-Salem Weekend were Indiana Pacers point guard Jarrett Jack, New Orleans Hornets coach and longtime NBA player Byron Scott, singer Brian McKnight, and rapper Ludacris.

“All of our guys, Chris, Tommy, Jason and Doug, were thrilled to participate in this event with some of the greatest athletes in the world,” said Bud Clapsaddle, Vice President of Dexter Bowling. “It’s a great cause, and we’re very proud and excited that Chris Paul contributes so much to bowling, a sport he sincerely loves.”

To see some of your favorite Dexter superstars on the lanes alongside some of the best basketball players in the world, make sure to catch the airing of this event on October 19th at 1pm on ESPN.

Andover, MA – September 4, 2008 – Walter Ray Williams, Jr. may be the most decorated professional bowler of all-time, and somehow, he continues to astonish his doubters. On Saturday, Walter Ray added another gold medal to his ever-expanding collection of accolades by winning the Masters event to conclude the 2008 Tenpin Bowling Association Men’s World Championships.

Walter Ray, who had also won the singles gold medal on Friday, won the Masters event by defeating Denmark’s Jesper Agerbo in the finals of the best-of-five, single-elimination tournament. The Masters event featured the top 16 bowlers from all-events.

The 2008 Men’s World Championships marked the much-anticipated first appearance of professionals in major WTBA competition because of a change in legislation last August. This paved the way for Team USA to feature some of the PBA’s finest bowlers including Williams, Tommy Jones, Patrick Allen and Rhino Page.

Walter Ray, seeded fifteenth in the Masters event, started off by defeating fellow Team USAer Rhino Page, 3-1 after starting out 2-0 on the short pattern, a pattern he struggled with during most of the week. In the second round, Williams defeated the all-events gold medalist, top-seeded Choi Bok-Eum 3-1. In the semifinals, Williams dispatched Finnish two-hander Osku Palermaa 3-2, by winning all 3 games on the short pattern.

In the finals, Williams faced fifth-seeded Jesper Agerbo, and decimated him early with a 256-203 victory in game 1 on the short oil pattern. Even though they moved over to the long pattern for game 2, the results were eerily similar as Walter Ray defeated Agerbo 256-202. With the gold medal hanging in the balance, Walter Ray came from behind, striking on three of his final four shots, squeaking out a narrow 228-224 victory to complete the sweep.

“I finally figured out how to bowl well on the short pattern today,” said Williams, who averaged a measly 209.08 in 12 games during the week. “That’s part of the game – figuring out what to do and then executing.”

“We’re very proud of Walter Ray and the impressive showing from Team USA,” said Bud Clapsaddle, Vice President of Dexter Bowling. “Congratulations to everyone that participated!”

Walter Ray will be looking to win an unprecedented seventh PBA Player of the Year award as the 2008-09 season kicks off this fall.

Andover, MA – August 14, 2008 – Dexter Bowling shoes are the NUMBER ONE bowling shoes in the world. We are extremely proud to be an influential company in youth development and the bowling community. This has never been more evident then at the 2008 Teen Masters in Las Vegas – an event sponsored by Dexter Bowling.

“We have a deep commitment to the Teen Masters,” said Dexter Vice President Bud Clapsaddle. “These young bowlers are the best in the sport, and we are pleased to offer a special opportunity and experience for those who wear Dexter bowling shoes.”

As part of the sponsorship agreement with the Teen Masters, Dexter created an exclusive VIP lounge, the Dexter Den, for the second consecutive year. This players-only lounge featured video games, music, and refreshments, and was the hot spot for the participants. In the evening, the Dexter Den turned into Dexter after Dark, the quintessential nightclub for all of the Teen Masters competitors. It was the place to be to meet new people and develop friendships.

Congratulations to all of the competitors in this year’s Teen Masters. Special thanks goes out to Team Dexter’s own Tommy Jones and Tommy DeLutz, Jr. for dedicating their time to bowling’s youth and joining us in Las Vegas for an unforgettable week of excellent bowling and memories to last a lifetime.

Andover, MA – August 14, 2008 – Dexter Bowling and the United States Bowling Congress are proud to present the 2007-08 Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team. Five boys and five girls are selected every year, and are each awarded a $1,000 scholarship. All team members are selected on the basis of their bowling achievements, academic accomplishments and community involvement.

Among the selections, eight of the ten are first timers to the Dexter/USBC High School All-American team. Returning to the squad are Brittni Hamilton, who makes the team for the second consecutive year, and Greg Pizl II, who was part of the 2005-06 team.

“Dexter Shoe is very excited to once again award scholarships to the talented young bowlers on this year’s Dexter/USBC All-America Team,” said Bud Clapsaddle, Vice President of Dexter Bowling. “Each year it becomes increasingly difficult to narrow the field down to five boys and five girls due to the outstanding abilities on the lanes and in the classroom of so many dedicated student athletes. After much careful deliberation, we have selected the most worthy individuals and are honored to welcome them to this year’s team. We wish all of these young bowlers much success in the future, and are extremely proud to be involved in the continued development of youth bowling.”

Here is the complete listing of the 2007-08 Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team:

MALES

•    Andrew Koff, 16, Miami, FL – Andrew won the 2008 Greater Miami USBC Association all-events title and won four gold medals in the 2007 Tournament of the Americas. Just a sophomore, Andrew belongs to both the National Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars.
•    Matt Krueger, 17, Green Bay, WI – Matt qualified for the 2008 USBC Junior Gold Championships by virtue of his second place finish in the Wisconsin State Youth Scratch Tournament. Matt was voted the Green Bay Press Gazette co-bowler of the year. A National Honor Society member, Matt was nominated for Who’s Who in Science and Engineering for the 2007-08 school year.
•    Christopher Lane, 17, Franklin, TN – Christopher finished fifth in the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championships after finishing second in the Nashville Youth USBC Youth Championships. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and has earned the TSSAA Scholar Athlete Award for each year he’s attended high school.
•    Greg Pizl II, 17, Antigo, WI – Greg was selected as a freshman to the 2005-06 Dexter/USBC High School All American team. In December 2007, Greg won the Antigo Youth Association Championships, and was recently named one of the top 50 male high school prospects by Bowlers Journal in 2007. He is a National Honor Society member and recipient of the Presidential Academic Award.
•    Brian Small, Jr., 17, Port Reading, NJ – Brian finished third in the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championships after helping his school become Central Jersey Group III state champions. Brian is a National Honor Society member and a director for the Middlesex County USBC Youth Association.

FEMALES

•    Amanda Cortese, 18, Hoffman Estates, IL – On the lanes, Amanda won the Division 1 doubles title in the 2007 USBC Youth Open Championships. Off the lanes, Amanda won the Illinois High School Association Scholastic Achievement Award. Her sister Natalie has also been selected for this year’s team.
•    Natalie Cortese, 18, Hoffman Estates, IL – Natalie won the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championship. She also won the Hoffman Estates High School Varsity Athlete Award for sports and academics. She co-captained her high school team with her sister Amanda, who was also selected for this year’s team.
•    Brittni Hamilton, 18, Webster, NY – Brittni, a repeat member from last year’s team, earned the 2008 USBC Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award. A member of the National Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society, Brittni has been listed in the Who’s Who Among America’s High School Students.
•    Nicole Oehler, 17, Cincinnati, Ohio – Nicole was selected to the Cincinnati Enquirer All-City team, and was named the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky High School Bowler of the Year. A devoted member of her community, Nicole earned her school’s Gold Service Award for each of the last three years.
•    Samantha Santoro, 18, Reinholds, PA – Samantha finished as the runner-up in the 2008 Denny’s All-American High School Championships, the 2007 Teen Masters and the 2008 individual state tournament for Pennsylvania. Samantha rolled an 859 series last September, which broke her own USBC female youth national record. She also serves on the youth board and awards committee for the Lancaster USBC association.

Dexter Bowling is committed to the development of youth bowling throughout the nation and across the globe. Dexter Bowling would like to wish all of this year’s members of the High School All-American team the very best in their bowling and academic careers.