Koff Named Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Winner
November 03, 2009
ARLINGTON, Texas - Andrew Koff's bowling resume includes winning seven gold medals at an international event, a second-place finish at a major national junior tournament, taking the team and all-events titles at a national youth event, and placing fourth in a PBA regional tournament.
And that was just this past summer.
Koff, a senior at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, has been selected to receive the 2010 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award by the United States Bowling Congress. The award is presented annually to a male high school senior or college student who competes in the sport of bowling and shows star qualities such as distinguished bowling performances on the state and national levels, academic achievement and extracurricular and community involvement.
"Words cannot express how proud I feel," Koff said. "I also realize that receiving this award bears great responsibility. I hope that I can become as successful in bowling as those who have won this award before me. USBC has definitely impacted the course of my life with the generous scholarship awards that I have been awarded."
Koff took second at the USBC Junior Gold Championships to earn a spot on Junior Team USA for the second consecutive year. At 17, he is the youngest member of the team. As a member of Junior Team USA, he won seven gold medals at the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas.
He was part of the championship team at the USBC Youth Open, where his teammates included fellow Junior Team USA members Jake Peters and Brent Bowers. He also took the all-events title at the Youth Open; that title earned him a spot in the 2010 Bowling's Clash of Champions.
The Clash is a USBC tournament that brings together champions from USBC national events. It is scheduled for April in El Paso, Texas, and qualifying for the event ranks high on Koff's list of bowling performances.
"I never dreamed this would be possible," Koff said. "My chance at making the Clash came down to the 10th frame of the ninth game at the Youth Open. I had to get past two of the best youth bowlers I know, Jake Peters and Brent Bowers. I think that being able to participate in the Clash is a dream come true."
Koff has shown he has the skills to compete at the highest levels of the sport. He was fourth in the PBA Midwest Region Illinois Valley Open tournament this past summer and was 48th at the USBC Masters in Las Vegas in February. In March 2008, Koff came within one pin of reaching the match-play round at the Denny's U.S. Open.
Back for his final year at Gulliver Preparatory High School, Koff is carrying a 3.9 grade-point average (4.0 scale). Among his current classes are AP courses in physics, calculus and statistics, and he works a part-time internship at Turbo Vision Design Group, Inc. After graduating, he plans to attend college and major in engineering.
As the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award recipient, Koff will receive a $6,000 scholarship that will be presented at the annual USBC Convention. This year's convention is scheduled for April 28-May 1 in Reno, Nev.
Chuck Hall Star Of Tomorrow Award winners
Year, winner, hometown
1980 Chris Whitty, Simonton, Texas
1981 Drew Barthle, Tampa, Fla.
1982 Ricky Corona, Oakland, Calif.
1983 Dan Nadeau, Las Vegas
1984 Robert Beck, Houston
1985 Justin Hromek, Andover, Kan.
1986 Pat Healey, Wichita, Kan.
1987 Mark Fisser, Buena Park, Calif.
1988 Bradley Joinetz, San Antonio, Texas
1989 Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.
1990 Jason McCarty, Fultondale, Ala.
1991 Chris Williams, Anchorage, Alaska
1992 Robert Smith, Moorpark, Calif.
1993 Vince Biondo, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
1994 Michael Mullin, New City, N.Y.
1995 John Miller, Wichita, Kan.
1996 David Eisenberg, Kendall Park, N.J.
1997 Todd Filter, Cedarburg, Wis.
1998 James (Eddie) Kirtley, Bowling Green, Ky.
1999 Andrew Cain, Glendale, Ariz.
2000 Scott Norton, Cypress, Calif.
2001 Sean Rash, Anchorage, Alaska
2002 Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas
2003 Marc D'Errico, Rochester, N.Y.,
2004 Patrick Haggerty, Weimar, Calif.
2005 Brandon Temple, Tempe, Ariz.,
2006 Eric Helmrich, Saint Leonard, Md.
2007 Jonathan Buckert, Rochester, N.Y.,
2008 Kyle Kahlden, Houston
2009 Chris Bardol, Brockport, N.Y.
2010 Andrew Koff, Miami, Fla.
And that was just this past summer.
Koff, a senior at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, has been selected to receive the 2010 Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award by the United States Bowling Congress. The award is presented annually to a male high school senior or college student who competes in the sport of bowling and shows star qualities such as distinguished bowling performances on the state and national levels, academic achievement and extracurricular and community involvement.
"Words cannot express how proud I feel," Koff said. "I also realize that receiving this award bears great responsibility. I hope that I can become as successful in bowling as those who have won this award before me. USBC has definitely impacted the course of my life with the generous scholarship awards that I have been awarded."
Koff took second at the USBC Junior Gold Championships to earn a spot on Junior Team USA for the second consecutive year. At 17, he is the youngest member of the team. As a member of Junior Team USA, he won seven gold medals at the Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas.
He was part of the championship team at the USBC Youth Open, where his teammates included fellow Junior Team USA members Jake Peters and Brent Bowers. He also took the all-events title at the Youth Open; that title earned him a spot in the 2010 Bowling's Clash of Champions.
The Clash is a USBC tournament that brings together champions from USBC national events. It is scheduled for April in El Paso, Texas, and qualifying for the event ranks high on Koff's list of bowling performances.
"I never dreamed this would be possible," Koff said. "My chance at making the Clash came down to the 10th frame of the ninth game at the Youth Open. I had to get past two of the best youth bowlers I know, Jake Peters and Brent Bowers. I think that being able to participate in the Clash is a dream come true."
Koff has shown he has the skills to compete at the highest levels of the sport. He was fourth in the PBA Midwest Region Illinois Valley Open tournament this past summer and was 48th at the USBC Masters in Las Vegas in February. In March 2008, Koff came within one pin of reaching the match-play round at the Denny's U.S. Open.
Back for his final year at Gulliver Preparatory High School, Koff is carrying a 3.9 grade-point average (4.0 scale). Among his current classes are AP courses in physics, calculus and statistics, and he works a part-time internship at Turbo Vision Design Group, Inc. After graduating, he plans to attend college and major in engineering.
As the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award recipient, Koff will receive a $6,000 scholarship that will be presented at the annual USBC Convention. This year's convention is scheduled for April 28-May 1 in Reno, Nev.
Chuck Hall Star Of Tomorrow Award winners
Year, winner, hometown
1980 Chris Whitty, Simonton, Texas
1981 Drew Barthle, Tampa, Fla.
1982 Ricky Corona, Oakland, Calif.
1983 Dan Nadeau, Las Vegas
1984 Robert Beck, Houston
1985 Justin Hromek, Andover, Kan.
1986 Pat Healey, Wichita, Kan.
1987 Mark Fisser, Buena Park, Calif.
1988 Bradley Joinetz, San Antonio, Texas
1989 Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.
1990 Jason McCarty, Fultondale, Ala.
1991 Chris Williams, Anchorage, Alaska
1992 Robert Smith, Moorpark, Calif.
1993 Vince Biondo, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
1994 Michael Mullin, New City, N.Y.
1995 John Miller, Wichita, Kan.
1996 David Eisenberg, Kendall Park, N.J.
1997 Todd Filter, Cedarburg, Wis.
1998 James (Eddie) Kirtley, Bowling Green, Ky.
1999 Andrew Cain, Glendale, Ariz.
2000 Scott Norton, Cypress, Calif.
2001 Sean Rash, Anchorage, Alaska
2002 Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas
2003 Marc D'Errico, Rochester, N.Y.,
2004 Patrick Haggerty, Weimar, Calif.
2005 Brandon Temple, Tempe, Ariz.,
2006 Eric Helmrich, Saint Leonard, Md.
2007 Jonathan Buckert, Rochester, N.Y.,
2008 Kyle Kahlden, Houston
2009 Chris Bardol, Brockport, N.Y.
2010 Andrew Koff, Miami, Fla.