In the Pocket: Capital District Challenge League is fun time for everyone | The Daily Gazette
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May 27, 2021
The Capital District Challenge League, with many members shown here, bowls every Tuesday night at East Greenbush Bowling Center. A different oil pattern is used each week. (Photo provided)
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Eric Morrett’s Capital District Challenge League is unique, fun, safe and extremely successful.
For starters, the CDCL, which is hosted by East Greenbush Bowling Center every Tuesday night, is not just a league. It’s also a mini-tournament on different oil patterns every week. It’s loaded with various ways of earning extra cash. Many of the adults and juniors who test their games in the CDCL end up performing well in other major tournaments contested on demanding lane conditions.
In the Pocket: DiCarlo is still rolling at 98 | The Daily Gazette
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Helen DiCarlo will celebrate her 98th birthday on Friday. She fondly remembers a different era in her favorite sport, but despite the many changes in the game over her last seven decades as a participant, she enjoys every minute of her weekly trip to the lanes.
DiCarlo and her daughter-in-law, Patricia, currently roll in the Thursday Morning Senior Mixed league, a spring/summer program at Sportsman’s Bowl. Every time Helen gets up to bowl, she gets a little help from “Patti” to line her up on the approach. Then, she focuses hard on her mark and delivers her shot with surprising dexterity from someone her age. Patti often lets Helen know which pins are left on the deck, since Helen’s eyesight isn’t that great any more, and after she gets lined up again, she concentrates on making the spare.
In the Pocket: Guidarelli plays a sweet tune on the lanes | The Daily Gazette
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Mike Guidarelli has played some terrific tunes both on and off the lanes for almost half a century. Despite his age, the 66-year-old part-owner of Sportsman’s Bowl remains one of the Capital Region’s top bowlers, and he’s just as sharp as a businessman and a musician.
Remarkably, Guidarelli still has that magic touch knocking down pins, even though he’s old-school with just one strike ball. You won’t see him with a pair of three- or four-ball roller bags. In fact, until recently adding a urethane ball to his arsenal, Guidarelli used the same ball for both strikes and spares. He simply flattens out his hand when shooting 10-pins.
In the Pocket: LeClair is ready to hit the road again | The Daily Gazette
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Arguably the most successful bowler in Capital Region history, smooth-rolling Brian LeClair is embarking on the longest road trip of his career in pursuit of more victories and, hopefully, another major honor.
LeClair, a 56-year-old Delmar resident with an extraordinary resume of both amateur and pro accolades, runs two Revolutions Pro Shops in this area one at Del Lanes during the day and one in the evenings at Boulevard Bowl. That’s his regular job, and he does it quite well with help from his two sons, Connor and Taylor.
In the Pocket: Criscuolo is on fast track to success | The Daily Gazette
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Although 41-year-old Gabe Criscuolo Jr. only became serious about the sport of bowling roughly seven years ago, his desire to excel put him on a fast track to success. Don’t be surprised if he pops up in a bowling center near you. This guy loves to roll the rock.
Now living in Schenectady, Criscuolo, and his wife Elizabeth, the Senior Pastor at Nazarene Church, are both originally from Connecticut. They only dabbled in tenpins until fairly recently. Yet both of them have become passionate about the game and the many friends they meet at the lanes.