Kelly Kulick's victory in the PBA Tour's Tournament of Champions made the big news of the week in bowling and it may go down as the bowling story of 2010.

The 32-year-old Union, N.J., bowler did not win by any fluke. She defeated one of the

sport's big names and best clutch performers in Chris Barnes by a decisive score, 265-195,

last Sunday in Las Vegas.

"He got run over. It's as simple as that," said Lynda Barnes, Chris' wife, who herself is a

pro bowler.

Kulick's victory made her an instant celebrity in the world beyond bowling. First, the T of

C finals drew the second largest audience in 10 years for the bowling on television with a

Nielsen rating of 1.52 (more than 1.7 million viewers). Kulick suddenly became much in demand

for media interviews. Her Facebook page was inundated. Her e-mail account was overloaded. She

received hundreds of text messages. The Web site pba.com had a record number of visitors for

the next two days.

The victory assured Kulick of a two-year exemption on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. Two

years ago, Kulick became the first woman to gain a PBA Tour exemption with her finish in the

Tour Trials, but she lost the exemption the next year.

Western New York fans of Liz Johnson hoped the Cheektowaga bowler would be the first woman

to win a PBA Tour title. Until last Sunday, she had come the closest, losing in the finals of

the Banquet Open to Tommy Jones in 2005.

Baker, Faliero in Hall

Buffalo native Tom Baker and Mike Faliero will be inducted into the Empire State USBC

Bowling Association Hall of Fame at the state organization's dinner at Antonio's banquet

facility in the Quality Inn, 7708 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Niagara Falls, at 7 p.m. on April 10.

Baker, a PBA Hall of Famer, and Faliero, who is in the Greater Buffalo USBC Hall of Fame,

will be joined by PBA great Mark Roth and Jack Moran, longtime local, state and national

administrator, for the honor. Moran's Rose Bowl in Canandaigua has hosted the U.S. Open, PBA

Tour events and major state, regional and local competitions over the years.

The inductions will be part of the festivities surrounding the state tournament which will

be held in Niagara Falls and Tonawanda on Saturdays and Sundays from April 10 to May 16 with

the exception of Mother's Day weekend. The team event is set for the Rapids Bowling Center in

the Falls and the doubles and singles for the Tonawanda Bowling Center.

To obtain a tournament entry form e-mail esusbcba@twcny.rr.com or call (315) 623-7100.

Local pair wins

Last weekend was a successful one for Western New York collegiate bowlers at the University

of Notre Dame's Blue and Golf Classic at Chippewa Bowl in South Bend, Ind.

Individual titles went to Wichita State's John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda and Krystal

Gravelle of Erie Community College.

Szczerbinski led the Shockers to the men's team title. The former U.S. Teen Masters

champion shot a five-game 1,239, which included a 300, one of four shot in the tournament.

Gravelle, a freshman from Niagara Falls, led the women with a grand total of 1,045 for a

209 average. After a 154, Krystal bowled a 221, 210, 246 and 214 to finish 22 pins in front of

Jenn Boisselle of Central Florida.

Gina Maduri (Tonawanda) of ECC was 12th with 964.

Wichita State also won the women's team title with 8,727 total for four team games and four

Baker games. ECC was fifth with 8,244. Medaille was 35th with 7,178 but finished in front of

some teams from larger schools such as Michigan.

The ECC men finished 48th in the team scoring.

Pin chasers

Lucky Lanes in Fredonia will be the venue for Sunday's Western New York Regional

Queens Tournament hosted this year by the Dunkirk Women's Bowling Association. Liz Johnson won

the last two Division I titles, her third and fourth career victories in the event.

All past PBA All-Star Travel League bowlers interesting in bowling in the Western

New York All-Star Tournament on April 18 at Spare Time are asked to contact Dave Miller

(dam2bowl @aol.com) or Jim Wangler Jr. (jwangs@aol.com).