Record 43 colleges involved in ninth annual event.

It just keeps getting better . . .

Every year, Turbo President Lori Mraz and her talented staff and coaches find new ways to take bowling’s best college recruiting event to a higher level. July 7-10, 205 student bowlers gathered at Michigan’s Imperial Lanes to soak in all of the learning and friendship that Expo provides.

“We can’t say enough about the young talent that is coming up in our sport,” said Mraz. “Collegiate Expo is such a wonderful experience for our team and we take great pride in watching these young bowlers grow in the sport. Our mission is to educate students and families about our sport and to provide a gateway to college opportunities. Hopefully we send them off on a path of greater understanding to excel in college and beyond.”

Parents, like Francis Vitelli Jr. of Annandale, New Jersey continue to be amazed by Collegiate Expo. Vitalli’s sons, Zackery and Francis III have both attended . . . in fact, Francis just completed his 4th Collegiate Expo, and will be joining his brother Zach at Savannah College of Art and Design this year, where he will also be in the bowling program that won the NAIA Championship last year. It all started when Zachery was recruited at Collegiate Expo a few years ago.

“We love every minute of it,” said Vitelli. I have talked it up to other parents because it is such an important thing where everybody learns and gets information about colleges. When the kids get to work with coaches like Tim Mack and Carolyn and Del Ballard, it just doesn’t get any better than that. The focus is on learning, not just bowling, and the staff works very hard. It is a really great event for everybody.”

One of the highlights of this year’s event was the first time appearance of the 2018 PBA Player of the Year and Pro Staff member Andrew Anderson. Andrew was the featured pro staff member in the celebrity photo booth sponsored by Columbia 300.

“The kids were fantastic,” said Anderson. “I really enjoyed my first Turbo Expo and I’m already looking forward to the next one.”

He had his photo taken with all 205 students and personally autographed each one. These photos were then sold for a nominal fee with all proceeds benefiting the Bowl 4 Life Foundation.

Turbo matched all proceeds for a total $1600 donation to the Foundation. Brunswick’s Chuck Gardner represents Bowl4Life and also presented a seminar on spare shooting during the event.

“We were thrilled and humbled to be a small part of the Turbo Collegiate Expo for the 9th straight year,” said Gardner “Being the charity of choice this year was an honor to my family and the entire Bowl4life Foundation. We are looking forward to being back next year to continue giving back to the sport we love.”

Every Turbo Collegiate Expo concludes with an Audition Tournament to give the college coaches and representatives a chance to see the students in action. This year, the Audition Tournament winners were Efrain Basurto, Mexico, winner of the Boys Division with a total score of 1323, and Runner-Up Zach Greim, Poway, California, with a total score of 1276. Morgan Gitlitz, Freehold, NJ, winner of the Girls Division with a total score of 1229 and JaZelle Lampkin, Henderson, NV, Runner-Up with total score of 1214.

All winners received ball trophies courtesy of On the Ball Bowling and additional SMART scholarships thanks in part to presenting sponsor Logo Infusion, owners Ken and Kathy Keegan.

“This was Logo Infusion’s fifth year as a sponsor for the Collegiate Expo. We are proud to be part of such a well-run, high education-based, junior bowling event,” said Logo Infusion President Ken Keegan “We look forward to being involved once again in the 2020 edition of the Collegiate Expo.”

Turbo Bowling Accessories offers sincere thanks to parents, students, staff and college representatives, and all of this year’s sponsors and looks forward to announcing details on the special 10th Anniversary event later this year.