Hurlburt bowling champions: 1st SOCMS rules the lanes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Juan Gonzalez
  • 1st SOCMS
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  The 1st Special Operations Component Maintenance Squadron bowling team out dueled the 39th Information Operations Squadron team to win the Hurlburt Field Base Bowling Championship.

After 30 weeks of competition and a week long single-elimination tournament, the 1st SOCMS team beat out seven other top qualifiers for the Hurlburt Field Base Bowling Championship.

Hurlburt Field had two intramural leagues consisting of 21 total teams, each vying to be one of the eight teams in the base championship roll-off. The top four teams from each league advanced to the single elimination total pin fall tournament that ended last week.

The 1st SOCMS team was comprised of six first-time bowlers, one bowler who had not bowled in four years, and one experienced bowler. Since the intramural bowling program provides handicap based on your average and ability, all teams - no matter what their experience - we're able to equally compete at the same level, as the inexperienced 1st SOCMS team proved with their run to the championship.

Two individuals on the 1st SOCMS team had season and lifetime high games and series, leading their team through each progressive round of the tournament. All the matches were highly competitive, and many games came down to the 10th frame before being decided. This is the second straight year the 1st SOCMS team has won the Hurlburt Base Bowling Championship.

Although only one team wins the base championship, all teams competed for United States Bowling Congress awards and league prizes throughout the year.

The awards are based on handicap and are given out to the highest average bowlers, and to the lowest average first time bowlers. In most cases, the lower averages bowlers receive the most USBC awards, because of the handicapping system.

The Tuesday International Intramural League participants were the 39th IOS team, the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron, the 505th Exercise Squadron #2 team and Air Force Special Operations Command #2 team.

The Thursday National Intramural League participants were 1st SOCMS A team, 1st Special Operations Equipment Maintenance Squadron and the 1st Special Operations Services Squadron "outdoor wrecker" team and the AFSOC #1 team.