PAIGE, CLEVELAND WILL BE SURE
TO ENJOY FREE TOURNAMENT, BUT BOTH
HOPE TO COME BACK WITH MORE THAN MEMORIES
BY ADAM HIMMELSBACH
Michael Paige and Josh Cleveland both bowl at AMF Fredericksburg Lanes, but their pedigrees are quite different.
Paige has competed in elite divisions of national competitions, he has a 205 average, and he once came within a spare of bowling a perfect 300 game.
Cleveland first picked up a bowling ball about a year ago at his father?s urging, he has a 143 average, and he recently competed in his first tournament.
But the one thing Paige and Cleveland will have in common this weekend is an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in the $700,000 AMF National In-League Tournament.
The two bowlers were among 25,000 people nationwide who entered the tournament. There were several qualifying rounds, and Cleveland and Paige are among 108 to make the final cut.
Paige will be one of 27 bowlers in the Open division, and Cleveland will be in the C division.
?I think this is going to be a great experience,? Paige said.
Paige, 38, lives in Caroline County and works as a therapist for at-risk youths. He started bowling competitively about five years ago and quickly proved himself.
He now competes in the Open division, which requires an average of 200 or higher, and he recently competed in national tournaments in Reno, Nev., and Baton Rouge, La.
?I didn?t think I was all that good, but then people started complimenting me on all the improvements I?d made,? Paige said. ?So I thought I might have gotten better.?
Since qualifying for this tournament, in which he could win up to $50,000, Paige has been consulting with friends who are competitive bowlers.
The most important piece of advice he received, he said, was making sure he stays calm, sticks with his mechanics and has fun.
He usually tucks his pant legs into his socks when he bowls, and his main concern now is whether or not the tournament directors will allow his unusual uniform.
?I?m just really excited to be going to the tournament,? he said.
Cleveland, 22, recently graduated from the University of South Carolina. The Sumerduck resident has been bowling for just one year, and he joined a team with his father so the two could spend more time together.
Cleveland improved quickly, but since his initial average was so low, he remained in the C division, which is the lowest of four. He entered this tournament with a 429 three-game average and demolished that number by bowling a 588 in the final round of qualifying.
?It just seemed like my day,? he said. ?I felt like I couldn?t do anything wrong.?
Cleveland is allowed to bring one guest on the trip, and he invited his father. Like Paige, he has been seeking advice from fellow bowlers. The most important tip had nothing to do with the tournament.
Cleveland has two bowling balls?one for strikes and one for spares?and he planned to put them in his checked baggage on the flight west.
?And I?ve had two people tell me already that I should keep them in my carry-on bag in case they lose them,? he said.
Adam Himmelsbach: 540/374-5442
ahimmelsbach@freelancestar.com
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