Brian Graham
SUMMARY
Brian was born and raised in Kokomo and has been a league bowler since the age of 5. He has come a long way since cleaning out deadwood and taking out the trash cans at Cedar Crest Lanes. Since that time, his experiences in bowling are like no other from Kokomo. From being a top collegiate bowler, Team USA member, top tournament winner and now bowling industry executive he has made his mark across the bowling industry worldwide.
CAREER HIGHS
Game – 300 (28 times - 1 in Kokomo)
Series – 855 (847 in Kokomo)
Average – 238 (226 in Kokomo)
MAJOR BOWLING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
City Tournament titles
- 1995-1996 Team Actual (3180) with Bob Burge, Clint Spencer, Tom Arnett and Danny Preston
- 1995-1996 Doubles Actual and Handicap (1394) with Gregory Harris
- 1995-1996 All Events Actual (2068)
Averages:
- Top Kokomo averages of 221 and Traveling League split seasons of 226 and 220
- Other national averages of up to 238 with nine seasons of at least 230
High Series
- 3 800's in Kokomo - 803 on 3/17/95, 847 on 12/12/95 (with 3 solid 8 pins!) and 828 on 4/11/96
- 19 other 800 Series around the nation
- Rolled countless 700 series
High Games
- Rolled one 300 in Kokomo on 12/12/95
- Rolled 27 other sanctioned 300 games and a similar number that were non-certified
See Below for a summary of Brian's many other accomplishments including his leadership positions in the bowling industry.
Brian’s list of bowling accomplishments and contributions is quite large.
Brian was born and raised in Kokomo and has been a league bowler since the age of 5. He has come a long way since cleaning out deadwood and taking out the trash cans at Cedar Crest Lanes. Since that time, his experiences in bowling are like no other from Kokomo. From being a top collegiate bowler, Team USA member, top tournament winner and now bowling industry executive he has made his mark across the bowling industry worldwide.
Let’s start with his bowling accomplishments right here in Kokomo. He was certainly one of our top youth bowlers and used those skills to compete in many tournaments. One great Indiana youth bowling tournament series was The Kegler Open. The TKO bowled once a month at various venues across the state. Bowlers would bowl 6 games of qualifying and the top five would qualify for a step-ladder roll-off. What a great way to gain tournament experience. Brian’s involvement in bowling led him to winning both the 1991 Kokomo Bowling Association – and Kokomo Women’s Bowling Association - scholarships.
Brian was the 1989 and 1990 Indiana State Youth Coca-Cola Scratch Champion and 1990 Pepsi Scratch Champion. He was the 1991 Indiana State Youth Bowler of the Year.
After six years of TKO events and other tournaments, he won enough scholarship money to completely fund two years at Vincennes University where he graduated with an Associate Degree in Business Administration.
While at Vincennes, Brian was a First Team All American in 1992 and 1993 as well as the 1992 and 1993 National Junior College Athletic Association Team champion and the 1992 Doubles champion. In 1993, Vincennes was the #1 ranked collegiate team in the country – even as a Junior College. They finished in 4th place in the National Collegiate Team Championship in 1992. These accomplishments would result in Brian being inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
He went from one top-ranked bowling team to another when he continued his education at the University of Nebraska where he would graduate with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and Marketing. While there, he gained experience working in a pro shop fitting and drilling balls, selling merchandise and coaching.
In 1994, while at Nebraska, he was the Collegiate Singles Champion and 2nd Team All American for the #1 ranked Cornhuskers. His team finished in 3rd place in 1994 and 2nd place in 1995 in the National Collegiate Team Championships. Brian was the National Collegiate Singles champion in 1994. In 1995 he was a First Team Collegiate All American and a runner-up for Collegiate Bowler of the Year.
Following graduation he competed heavily in amateur bowling events, especially the ones with large prize funds. At that time, the Professional Bowling Association tour was being restructured and there was more prize money available in amateur events. This was also the age of the Megabucks tournaments.
It was at this period of time when Brian showed up on a Friday night league at Don Lowry Lanes Eastl to sub for his father Don. It was St. Patrick’s Day 1995 and he shot only the 6th 800 series ever in Kokomo with games of 279, 247 and 277. The 803 series was the highest series in Kokomo that year and the first 800 ever at Don Lowry Lanes East.
The next year he would bowl a complete season competing in the travelling Super Classic League that rotated between two bowling centers. On December 12, 1995, Brian fired games of 268, 279 and a perfect 300 for an 847 series. He struck on all but three shots – and get this – all three leaves were solid 8 pins! So with a little more luck he could have been the first bowler to roll a 900 series instead of Jeremy Sonnenfeld who would accomplish the feat a little over a year later. Overall I was able to count 19 series over 700 in his short time bowling in Kokomo.
Brian would wind up that season averaging 221 in the Monday night Progressive League and 226 and 220 in the two halves of the Traveling Trio’s Super Classic League. So for the 1995-96 season, he had the high game, high series and high average for the local association. Beyond that, he also subbed in the Kokomo Classic scratch league and rolled another 800 with games of 290, 269 and 269 for an 828 series - the first ever 800 series at Don Lowry Lanes West. So in a little more than a year, Brian rolled the 6th, 8th and 10th 800 series ever in Kokomo. He also assisted in the Pro Shop for Gary Exmeyer’s The Strike Shop.
In his only City Tournament in 1998, he captured three titles. The Gutter Kings team won the Actual Team event with a score of 3180. Other members of the team were Bob Burge, Clint Spencer, Tom Arnett and Danny Preston. Now THAT’S a strong team!! Brian teamed with Gregory Harris to win Doubles Actual and Handicap with a score of 1394, 739 of that contributed by Brian. His 2068 All Events Actual was also the top score.
Other than subbing a few times in the next 10 years, that was the end of Brian’s Kokomo bowling career.
In the summer of 1996 Brian tried to qualify for Team USA – the national amateur bowling team. His mother Lisa also tried to qualify. They both made it to the finals but only Brian made it onto Team USA. I wonder if Lisa was a little distracted. They were the first mother and son combo to reach the finals.
As a 1997 member of Team USA, Brian travelled the world for his country. He had opportunities to bowl in the Dominican Republic and in South Africa. In the Dominican Republic, he won the FIQ American Zone Trios Bronze Medal with Bruce Stefani and Jerry Sikora; the Gold Medal in Singles and a Gold Medal in the prestigious Team event with Chris Barnes, Brad Angelo, Vernon Peterson and Bruce Stefani.
When the Brunswick World Team Challenge came to Indianapolis in 1997, he was a member of the champion team. Then at the Grand Championships in Reno, their team was runner-up.
During this time frame, Brian was Marketing Coordinator for Turbo 2-N-1 Grips. In 1998 he joined Columbia 300 in Texas as their Eastern Account and Brand Manager. From 2001 to 2004 he was the Director of Collegiate Bowling for the WIBC – Women’s International Bowling Congress in Greendale, Wisconsin. From 2004 to 2008 Brian was the Brand Manager for Ebonite International in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Then on to the USBC in Arlington as the Director of Youth Development through 2010 when he joined Brunswick Bowling and Billiards in Muskegon, Michigan. Currently, Brian is the Vice President of Consumer Products, Center Supplies and Lane Care at Brunswick Bowling Products.
What a career!
While working in these many locations Brian continued to bowl.
Here are some of the events won by Brian.
- 1996 Bradley Open in Louisville, Kentucky
- 1998 Michigan Majors in Jackson, Michigan
- 2000 Cream of the Crop Doubles in New Port Richey, Florida
- 2002 Bowlers Journal Doubles with Dino Castillo in Billings, Montana
- 2004 Cream of the Crop Singles in New Port Richey, Florida
- 2012 Paragon Open in Grand Rapids, Michigan – which had a $10,000 top prize
Along the way he captured a number of State and Local titles including:
- 1994 Nebraska State Team
- 1997 Michigan State Singles
- 1998 Greater Detroit Team
- 2002 Greater Milwaukee All Events
- 2003 Greater Milwaukee Hall of Fame Classic
- 2004 Clarksville, Tennessee All Events
- 2009 Texas State Team
- 2009 Greater Fort Worth Team
- 2012 Greater Muskegon, Michigan Masters
Brian was also named to the Detroit All-City second team in 1997 and to the Milwaukee All-City team in 2002.
Brian has bowled in 20 ABC/USBC national tournaments with a lifetime average of over 208 which is only 1.7 pins below the top 50 for 20+ year participation. His top finishes include a 2011 7th place in the Team Event, a 2014 14th place in Doubles and a 36th place in All Events in 2001 with a score of 2036.
He was the first person to roll an 800 series in a World Team Challenge event while bowling for the Team USA team in Las Vegas in 1997. His Bowlers Journal doubles title was thanks to his 825 series. Two of his 800’s were shot the same day at different centers with one of them being in the Clarksville, Tennessee city tournament including back-to-back 300’s. He had one other series with two 300 games.
Overall, he has accumulated 22 sanctioned 800 series – with a career high of 855 - and 28 300 games. He has a similar number of 300 games in non-sanctioned events. Brian has averaged over 230 nine times including a high of 238.
It’s kind of interesting to note that he has shot 300 games in 8 states, 800 series in 8 states with 10 states between them.
Wow, what a list of accomplishments and contributions.
From a humble start in bowling in Kokomo youth leagues, Brian has gone on to lofty achievements in competition and the industry. His career should be an inspiration to any of our youth bowlers to follow their dreams.
Please join me in welcoming Brian back home for his induction into the City of Firsts USBC Hall of Fame. What a journey it has been!