ARLINGTON, Texas – Among the 10 student-athletes selected for the 2016-2017 Dexter/United States Bowling Congress High School All-American Team is a repeat selection and a bowler who was recognized earlier this year with a national award.
Selected by Dexter Bowling in consultation with the International Bowling Campus Youth Development staff, the Dexter/USBC High School All-American team is comprised of five boys and five girls who were nominated by their coach or athletic director.
Returning to this year’s team is Ashley Channell of Morris Chapel, Tennessee, who led Hardin County High School to its fourth consecutive high school state team title. She is joined on the team by Carson Opela of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, who earlier this year was named the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow.
“The Dexter/USBC All-American Team is a special program for me, personally,” said Dexter Bowling Vice President Bud Clapsaddle, who has overseen selection of the team for the last 12 seasons and will retire from Dexter at the end of the year. “Each year is an opportunity to showcase young men and women who have shown talent on the lanes, dedication in the classroom and have given back to their communities. We appreciate the support of the IBC Youth team in helping to recognize these student-athletes.”
To be considered for the Dexter/USBC All-American Team, student-athletes must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) and were required to submit their high school bowling accomplishments, a letter of recommendation and a 500-word essay.
“We appreciate the support Dexter and, specifically, Bud Clapsaddle, has shown high school bowling through the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team,” said Gary Brown, Managing Director of IBC Youth Development. “We also thank the schools, coaches and parents for giving youth bowlers the opportunity to compete in high school bowling.”
Each member of the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team receives a $1,000 scholarship and will be recognized during the Opening Ceremony at the Junior Gold Championships in July in Cleveland.
The five female student-athletes selected:
Ashley Channell (Morris Chapel, Tennessee) – The senior was named Region Player of the Year and had the top average in the state at 220.5. She led Hardin County High School to its fourth consecutive high school state team title and finished third individually. She was vice president of the Future Teachers of America, an Honor Society and Student Council member, and was on the varsity softball team. Ashley is a volunteer bowling coach at a middle school and elementary school.
Brittney Kinney (Columbia City, Indiana) – The senior led the state with a 223 average and earned Indiana High School Bowling first team all-state and academic all-state honors. She has taken several dual credit Advanced Placement courses, including AP Calculus and AP Physics, and has earned an engineering and computer sciences scholarship from Indiana Tech. She has served as a counselor at Camp Invention for elementary students for the last four years.
Alexandra Ross (Greenwood, Indiana) – She is the first two-time winner of the Indiana High School Bowling state singles title, winning her senior and freshman years. She was selected to the all-state first team and the academic all-state team. The top-ranked student in her class, she has done graphic design work for the Central Indiana Council on Aging and for Friendship Church. She has signed to bowl for McKendree in the fall.
Aimee Sherman (Jackson, New Jersey) – The senior led the state in average and went on to capture the New Jersey High School Girls Individual state title. She had a 300 in qualifying to become the first girl with a perfect game at the state event. Aimee took AP classes in chemistry and physics, along with several honors classes. She is a member of her city’s volunteer first-aid squad, which responds to 911 calls, and works with a club that mentors middle school children.
Crystal Singh (Coral Springs, Florida) – The only junior on this year’s Dexter team, she set Broward County records for high two-game series (536), high season average (217.5) and became the first boy or girl to roll a 300 in high school competition. Crystal led her team to a second-place finish at the U.S. High School National Championships and finished fourth individually. A member of the National Honor Society, she has volunteered as a math tutor and was a member of the yearbook staff her sophomore and junior years.
The five male student-athletes selected:
Kyle Bilawsky (Fords, New Jersey) – He was a third team all-state selection and was named all-conference his senior year, after finishing second at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Singles Championships as a junior. Kyle is a National Honor Society member and played baseball. He served as an assistant coach on the middle school bowling and baseball teams, and plans to bowl for New Jersey Institute of Technology in the fall.
Jonathan Lovett (Columbia, South Carolina) – A four-time individual boys state champion and all-state performer, he also has been selected bowler of the year the last four years. He has been a member of the soccer team and the band, and made Bishop’s honor roll his senior year. Jonathan has volunteered as a library apprentice since 2013 and for the U.S. Army Training Museum. He will attend the University of Pikeville in the fall and plans to major in biology and computer science.
Carson Opela (Rio Rancho, New Mexico) – He helped his team to a third-place finish in state his senior year and won two team state titles (2014, 2016) in his high school career. A member of the National Honor Society, Carson ranked second in his class at The ASK Academy Charter School. He has more than 200 hours of community service as Boy Scout and earned Eagle Scout in 2013. He will attend Purdue University in the fall and plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Matthew Stephens (Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey) – The runner-up at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Singles Championships, the senior was selected as NJSIAA Bowler of the Year. He was on the varsity track and cross country teams the last two seasons. Matthew volunteered with Gilda’s Club, serving food and playing games with children affected by cancer, and helped to develop Reading Corner, a program for inner city youth.
Eric Ullian (New Lenox, Illinois) – The senior won the Illinois High School Association sectional title and helped his Lincoln-Way West team qualify for state for the first time in school history. He is a National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta member, and a VFW Voice of Democracy Scholarship recipient. Eric has worked with FMSC, a national organization dedicated to ending starvation in children throughout the world. He has signed to bowl with St. Ambrose University in the fall.
Visit BOWL.com/HighSchool to learn more about high school bowling, including the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team.
2016-2017 DEXTER/USBC HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICA TEAM
Name, Year, High School, Hometown
Girls Team
Ashley Channell, Senior, Hardin County High School, Morris Chapel, Tenn.
Brittney Kinney, Senior, Columbia City High School, Columbia City, Ind.
Alexandra Ross, Senior, Greenwood Christian Academy, Greenwood, Ind.
Aimee Sherman, Senior, Jackson Memorial High School, Jackson, N.J.
Crystal Singh, Junior, Coral Springs Charter, Coral Springs, Fla.
Boys Team
Kyle Bilawsky, Senior, Woodbridge High School, Fords, N.J.
Jonathan Lovett, Senior, Cardinal Newman High School, Columbia, S.C.
Carson Opela, Senior, The ASK Academy, Rio Rancho, N.M.
Matthew Stephens, Senior, Egg Harbor Township High School, Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
Eric Ullian, Senior, Lincoln-Way West High School, New Lenox, Ill.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
