SUMMARY

Cedar Crest Lanes is where Kristen started bowling, at the young age of 5.  She was pretty competitive even at such a young age (no bumpers).  When she got a little older, she started entering the TKO (The Kegler Open) monthly tournaments as brother Brian was already participating in them.  Brian is 7 years older than Kristen, so mother Lisa’s time at these tournaments was walking from one end of the center to the other to try and watch them both.

Kristen continued bowling in the TKO through high school and managed to have secured some scholarship money.  She also was awarded in 1999 the Don Lowry Memorial Scholarship, and the Kay Kelly Scholarship.

After graduation from high school, she decided to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  After only a semester, she wanted to return to Kokomo.  She then attended Indiana University-Kokomo in January of 2000 and in 2004 graduated with a BSN in Nursing.

Kristen continued bowling in Kokomo until 2004.  After moving to Clarksville, Tennessee she returned to Kokomo for a short time in 2006-2007.  The family then moved to Hopkinsville, KY and then to Clarksville, Tennessee where she resides today.

Kristen is daughter of Hall of Fame member Lisa Graham and brother to Hall of Fame member Brian Graham.  She is wife to Jeff Butler who is the son of Hall of Fame member Mike Butler.  Jeff is now a member of the Clarksville-Ft. Campbell USBC Hall of Fame.  Bowling was certainly in those families.

Kristen came up through our junior leagues, became a leader in those leagues and went on to become one of the top youth bowlers in the state.  She was the second Kokomo woman to roll a 300 game albeit it was rolled in a youth league in Elwood in 1999.  It was the first 300 for a woman in Elwood.  While she only bowled in Kokomo for 5+ years, she made an indelible mark in her short time here.  She also contributed a “Tip of the Week” weekly column for the Kokomo Tribune for a year.

SERVICE

• 1996 Youth State Board Vice-President
• President of Cedar Crest Youth League
• Secretary of Don Lowry East Youth League
• Wrote weekly “Tip of the Week” column in Kokomo Tribune in 2000-01 season
• KWBA Director 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03
• Worked part-time in the Cedar Crest Lanes Pro Shop for Gary Exmeyer
• Was a certified coach and coached some when she was a major bowler at Cedar Crest

BOWLING PERFORMANCE

• Averages
  • From 1999-2000 through 2003-04 Kristen averaged 185, 186, 191, 181 and 191.
  • She also bowled 21 games in 2006-07 averaging 195
  • Top averages in Clarksville, Tennessee were 199 (2009-10), 198 (2012-13) and 195 (2008-09
• High Series
  • Career high series of 717
  • Also rolled series of 711 in Elwood, 705, 702 and 700
  • Other top series in Kokomo of 696, 685, 683, 681, 671 and 659
• High Games
  • Rolled 300 game in the Youth Pro-Am League in Elwood in June 1999
  • Also rolled a 279 game
• City Tournament Titles
  • 2000 Team Actual with 2992 for The Strike Shop with Beth Stanley, Kathy Exmeyer, Kim Akers and Lisa Graham
  • 2002 Team Handicap with 3124 for Last Chance with Sandy Burton, Karene Painter, Jo Brooke and Lisa Graham
  • 2003 Team Actual with 2860 for Last Chance with Sandy Burton, Karene Painter, Jo Brooke and Lisa Graham
  • 2002 Doubles Actual with 1284 with Lisa Graham
  • 2004 Doubles Actual with 1167 with Lisa Graham
  • 2002 All Events Handicap with 1982
• Youth Accomplishments
  • 1999 Don Lowry Memorial Scholarship
  • 1999 Kay Kelly Scholarship
  • 1998 YABA State Youth Bowler of the Year
  • 1997 Youth Bowler of the Week averaging 187 with highs of 256 and 642
  • 1997, 1998 and 1999 Indiana-Kentucky All Star
  • Won 1998 Indiana –Kentucky All Star Team Event with Stacey Monroe, Brad Slabaugh and Tim Vandergriff
  • 1998 and 1999 State Coca-Cola Champion
  • Finished 18^th in a field of 60 at the National Coca-Cola in 1998 in Houston
  • 1992 Triplicate of 174
  • 1993 - 507 on 127 average as a 12 year-old
  • 1993 – rolled 220 and 554 in a travelling league
  • Earned bowling scholarship to Nebraska. Later switched to bowl for Indiana University.
  • Won State Junior Olympics in 1999 to earn trip to Nationals in Orlando
  • Participated in National Junior Olympics in Reno
  • 1999 Finished 2^nd in field of 16 in the Indiana Masters and Queens tournament
• Other
  • Set City Tournament Doubles Game record with Lisa Graham in 2001 with a 488 game

CAREER HIGHS

Game – 300

Series – 717

Average – 199 (195 in Kokomo)