Road Bowling Group Announces 2012 Schedule

The 2012 tour schedule for Wild and Wonderful West Virginia Irish Long Bullets Road Bowling recently was released.

With new events in Chief Logan State Park and Coopers Rock State Forest, this ancient sport is now available in all regions of West Virginia.

The sport continues to grow in popularity, and the first West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Singles League Championship was held this fall at Stonewall Resort.

Travis McClintic, Lewisburg physical therapist and professional bullrider, won the 2011 championship by a few yards on the final shot.

With the score tied, McClintic’s long uphill throw decided the match, edging Stephen Wallington, of Culloden, by just a few yards on their last throws across the finish line.

Jerod Putnam, one of the founders of West Virginia Irish Road Bowling, from Ireland, opened the 4-handed score with a booming 200-yard plus throw from the start line, to take the early lead over McClintic, Wallington and Clifton Colebank, of Morgantown.

All four bowlers stayed even for more than a quarter mile, then McClintic began to push ahead, while Wallington cut tight into a curve, kicked up gravel flying, then came back into the road for his own very long shot. As Putnam dropped off two short shots passing the Lodge, and Colebank fought to stay near the leaders, McClintic powered to a lead uphill to the finish.

However, Wallington battled back. He played a perfect curb rub around the uphill curve, then another long throw up the straightaway, to draw close to McClintic near the finish line. Wallington had about a 15-yard deficit, at 30 yards from the finish to McClintic’s 15 yards to the finish.

The throw-out road past the finish was a steep uphill, then curved to the right. Wallington threw first, drove it uphill with plenty of speed, but the bowl held slightly to the left, went through the curve and off the road, without following the curve up to the right. McClintic was faced with a 100-plus yard uphill throw for the win - his shot was more to the center, did catch the curve right, passing Wallington’s mark for the championship. Both McClintic and Wallington covered the 1.2 mile road in 15 throws.

Many thanks to Kevin Smith of Glade Creek United for designing the Singles League with 12 separate schedules, coordinating the WVIRBA’s first-ever Singles League competition, and keeping track of the standings all year long. Twelve of the most experienced players in West Virginia spent the spring, summer and fall traveling all over West Virginia, with scores on all the state’s road bowling roads. Thanks to all the road bowlers who participated.

For the 2011 Ladies’ Long Shot at Stonewall Resort, 10 hard-throwing ladies scorched the pavement. When the smoke cleared, Elise McClintic threw the longest shot. Aleacha Wallington had the next longest throw for runner-up.

Many thanks to Stonewall Resort for their support of the WVIRBA.

More information is available online at www.wvirishroadbowling.com.