BCAW Awards $5,000 in Scholarships to Graduating Seniors
The Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin (BCAW) established the BCAW Scholarship Program in 1995 to provide scholarships to employees of BCAW member bowling centers and their families. As a benefit of membership, BCAW has awarded over $100,000 to students continuing their education beyond high school. In addition to providing four $1,000 scholarships to a current employee and/or immediate family members of a BCAW member bowling center employee, BCAW also awards a $1,000 scholarship to a current USBC youth member bowling in a BCAW member center. BCAW Scholarships are held at SMART and administered by the USBC.
All applicants must be a graduating high school senior or have a post high school diploma or equivalent; and be under the age of 22 as of February 1, 2021. This year’s selection committee had a challenging job selecting just five award winners for the 2021 BCAW Scholarships.
Ogdensburg’s Brystal Beyer is the first of our four BCAW member center employee scholarship recipients. Many will recognize her as our 2019 WI High School State Girls’ Singles Champion. Beyer is the daughter of Jennie & Matt Beyer, who own Keglers Bowling Center in Manawa. When she is not working at her family’s bowling center, Brystal is busy with school activities including sports (softball, bowling, volleyball), marching and pep band and FFA. She is also an honor roll student in the classroom. Literally growing up in a small rural bowling center has been a blessing that has given her many friends both on and off the lanes.
Will(iam) Kubeny is a high school senior at Antigo High School, and has been an active member of the Middle School and High School Bowling Clubs bowling at Northstar Lanes. Once old enough to work at the bowling center, Kubeny has been employed behind the scenes as a mechanic and doing lane maintenance. He will be attending the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater to study environmental science. It is also his hope to bowl on their nationally ranked bowling club team this fall. From his thank you letter to BCAW: “I have been involved in the sport as long as I can remember, but the last couple years have helped shape my future not only in the sport but outside also. The bowling community is very special to me.”
The next recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from BCAW is Joseph Mastopietro of Brookfield. Another longtime participant in our BCAW school based programs, Joseph credits bowling for providing him the opportunity to meet and make new friends. Working at New Berlin Bowl, he has gone above and beyond to provide positive guest experiences. Proprietor Tracy Posnanski states Mastopietro is a great asset to his business and he helps others to be successful too. Active with his church, he plays the organ for services and helps with bible school and mission trips. He plans on continuing his education at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, where he will study music education.
Austin Noble is from Onalaska and active in bowling in the La Crosse area. Bowling out of Coulee Golf Bowl, he works for Dick Zierke at Pla-Mor Lanes in LaCrosse. He is an exemplary student at Onalaska High School where he is also involved in a number of school activities including the French Club, Chamber Choir and the tennis and bowling teams. A quick learner with a positive attitude, Zierke recognizes Austin’s great work ethic as a valued team member. Austin will be heading out of state to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville to study chemical engineering.
Samuel Wittmershaus of Bangor is the recipient of our USBC Youth Member Scholarship. As an all-around good athlete he is involved in several sports including football, basketball, baseball and trap shooting. But he tells us bowling is his favorite sport! Ryan Tenner, proprietor at Bangor Lanes says “Sam helps all of my younger bowlers in basic techniques of bowling. He has helped many of my younger bowlers become better as well.” The National Honor Society student also excels in the classroom with a 3.96 GPA (4.0 basis) and was the Bangor High School “Student of the Year” in 2019-20. He is planning to study civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Madison this fall.
BCAW recently announced a change in the application timeline for these annual scholarship awards. For consideration next year, all applications and required documentation must be into the BCAW office no later than November 1, 2021 for scholarships being awarded in 2022. Information and forms have been updated and are posted on our website.
The BCAW Scholarship Program is fully funded through the association’s annual BCAW Scholarship Golf Tournament typically held in June each year. With the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertain times, BCAW had to cancel our golf fundraiser in 2020. We are excited that we will be back on the links on June 14, 2021 at the Par 4 Resort in Waupaca for this year’s event. In addition to raising money to support these scholarships, there is a lot of cash and prizes up for grabs. The $75/person (or $300/foursome) registration fee includes 18 holes of golf with a cart and dinner! For more information and to register for our BCAW Scholarship Golf Tournament, check out our website!
