Fort Bliss Monitor

Varsity athletes did Bliss proud in ‘04

Scott Carr
Fort Bliss Sports Office

The volleyball, softball and basketball teams and the post Army Ten Miler running team headlined the accomplishments of Fort Bliss’ 2004 varsity sports program.

Individually, Capt. Karrie Marton of the 5035th Garrison Support Unit made the women’s All-Army and Interservice volleyball teams, serving as team captain for the latter, while Spc. Hilberto Malave of HHB, 2nd Bn, 43rd ADA, made the men’s All-Army volleyball team.

Additionally, Sgt. Billy Robertson of C Btry, 3rd Bn, 6th ADA Bde, an outfielder for the Team Bliss men’s softball team, left in August to compete for the All-Army softball team, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Camacho of the El Paso Recruiting Company tried out for the All-Army golf team and 1st Lt. Gary Hernandez of the 208th Sig Co attended the All-army rugby trials.

The following is a sport-by-sport recap of the post-level teams competing in the varsity sports program for 2004:

Women’s basketball
Due to a lack of military competition, the team only played locally in two leagues and two tournaments. They finished second in the El Paso summer league and in the postseason tournament.

Men’s basketball
The team won the Western Division of the Southwest Military Basketball League with a 15-1 record. They finished third in the postseason tournament at Altus AFB, Okla.

Men’s softball
The team competed in two El Paso leagues finishing in the top three in both. They also played in 16 tournaments traveling throughout Texas and New Mexico, earning seven trophies. They won both the West Texas and Mid-Texas State Military Championships and competed in the National Military Championships in Dallas.

Men’s volleyball
The crowning accomplishment for the team was finishing 6th among 72 teams in the national Division A tournament in Atlanta in June. They played locally in coed leagues with Team Bliss’ women’s team throughout most of the year. They traveled to Albuquerque three times and to Los Angeles once for tournaments, finishing in the top three twice, winning one of the Albuquerque tournaments.

Women’s volleyball
In addition to playing with the Team Bliss men in coed leagues, the team played in two women’s leagues, finishing 2nd in the summer league. They placed 1st in the San Juan Recreation Center 4x4 tournament in August and traveled to Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Tucson, and Frisco for tournaments.

Men’s soccer
The team was unable to find a local league to compete in and only made one road trip to Houston, finishing with a 2-2 record.

Men’s golf
The team played in two military tournaments, one in Jacksonville, Fla., and one at Underwood Golf Course, but did not place in either.

10-miler running team
The team did exceptionally well at the Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C., in October, with the men’s team placing 5th, and the women’s team finishing 8th. Some team members represented Fort Bliss by competing in the Duke City Run, Turkey Trot, Sun Bowl 5K, Transmountain Run and the Bataan Death March. Team members will continue to represent Fort Bliss in many runs in El Paso, Tucson, Phoenix, and Albuquerque throughout the year.

Judo
The recently formed team has already enjoyed success in meets in San Antonio, College Station and Juarez. Especially notable are the five 1st place winners, two 2nd place, and five 3rd place finishers in a November tournament in Juarez.

Bliss to help El Paso host Professional Bowlers Association event

PBA Press Release
Special to The Monitor

Fort Bliss military and civilian personnel will assist the Professional Bowlers Association in hosting a PBA tournament in El Paso for the first time since 1993 during next week’s El Paso Classic at the brand-new Oasis Lanes.

The tournament begins Wednesday and lasts through Jan. 16 when ESPN will broadcast the final two rounds live at 11 a.m. Mountain time.

Beginning Tuesday, Fort Bliss personnel will assist the PBA as volunteer ball caddies, ushers and PBA assistants and with the Jan. 16 ESPN broadcast by setting up for it, serving as part of the audience and in taking down the broadcast equipment, according to Clifton Taylor, volunteer coordinator.

“I only have about 10 spots left (for volunteers),” Taylor said Tuesday in an e-mail message to The Monitor. “The cutoff to contact me to volunteer is Sunday.”

There is a meeting for volunteers at 3 p.m. Monday at the Fort Bliss Bowling Center, Taylor noted. He can be contacted at 568-9342 for more information.

The 2005 El Paso Classic begins Wednesday with the PBA Tour qualifying round, followed by a practice session. The qualifying round features non-exempt PBA members and amateurs bowling nine games of qualifying, with the top four PBA members and top amateur entering the 64-bowler bracket for the El Paso Classic.

Joining the 64-bowler bracket for the event is former PBA Tour member and 12-time tour title winner Del Ballard Jr., who was awarded a special Commissioner’s Exemption. Ballard spent 22 seasons on tour from 1982 through 2003-04, amassing more than $1.1 million in PBA career earnings while winning three major titles – the 1987 U.S. Open, 1989 Tournament of Champions and the 1993 U.S. Open. He also captured the 1988 ABC Masters before it became an official tour event in 1998.

Also scheduled to compete is six-time PBA Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr., who needs just one more title to tie PBA legend Earl Anthony for the most career titles at 41.

Others scheduled to compete for the $232,000 prize fund include PBA Hall of Fame members Parker Bohn III, Brian Voss and Pete Weber, as well as 2004 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi and other tour stars including Chris Barnes, Jason Couch and Norm Duke, all of whom will be on hand to compete and participate in the pro-ams.

The round of 64 will feature a different format than the first half of the 2004-05 season. Fans will be able to see more of their favorite bowlers as Thursday’s round of 64 will now feature two seven-game qualifying blocks, with the top-32 bowlers based on total pinfall advancing to the round of 32.

Friday will feature best-of-seven, head-to-head match play, with bowlers hitting the lanes for the rounds of 32, 16 and 8 until just four bowlers remain.

Saturday is a day for the fans, with PBA pro-ams taking place. This is an excellent opportunity for fans to meet the pros, as well as compete and get photographs with the PBA Tour stars.

Sunday the four remaining bowlers will vie for the $40,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2005-06 PBA Tour season live on ESPN.

Individual ticket prices for the tournament range from $10 to $35 during the week and are $15 to $60 for Sunday’s finals. A weeklong pass, including the finals, costs $75 to $120. Tickets and pro-am slots can be purchased three ways:

• Online at the PBA’s official Web site, www.pba.com
• Over the phone at 1-866-PBA-PRO-AM (1-866-722-7762) or at Oasis Lanes (855-1183)
• In person at Oasis Lanes at 1660 N. Zaragosa Road.

Sports briefs

Boxing cancelled
The brigade box-offs, originally scheduled for October and rescheduled for Friday, have been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled again, according to the Sports Office.
The 2005 post boxing championships will take place in July. For information, call 568-4508.

Payday bowling tourney
As part of MWR’s monthly post payday activities, the commanding general would like to invite all Team Bliss military and civilians to participate in a 3-game bowling tournament Friday at 1 p.m. The cost is $1 per game with no charge for shoe rental. A limited number of spaces are available. Prizes will be awarded to the first through fourth place individuals with high game and high series. Interested individuals must sign up no later than 4 p.m. today. The commanding general endorses the activities to promote team building and camaraderie among community members and to serve as a pleasant departure from the regular workday. While not mandatory, attendance is encouraged. For information, call 568-6272.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	January 6, 2005

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Varsity athletes did Bliss proud in ‘04 Scott Carr Fort Bliss Sports Office The volleyball, softball and basketball teams and the post Army Ten Miler running team headlined the accomplishments of Fort Bliss’ 2004 varsity sports program. Individually, Capt. Karrie Marton of the 5035th Garrison Support Unit made the women’s All-Army and Interservice volleyball teams, serving as team captain for the latter, while Spc. Hilberto Malave of HHB, 2nd Bn, 43rd ADA, made the men’s All-Army volleyball team. Additionally, Sgt. Billy Robertson of C Btry, 3rd Bn, 6th ADA Bde, an outfielder for the Team Bliss men’s softball team, left in August to compete for the All-Army softball team, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Camacho of the El Paso Recruiting Company tried out for the All-Army golf team and 1st Lt. Gary Hernandez of the 208th Sig Co attended the All-army rugby trials. The following is a sport-by-sport recap of the post-level teams competing in the varsity sports program for 2004: Women’s basketball Due to a lack of military competition, the team only played locally in two leagues and two tournaments. They finished second in the El Paso summer league and in the postseason tournament. Men’s basketball The team won the Western Division of the Southwest Military Basketball League with a 15-1 record. They finished third in the postseason tournament at Altus AFB, Okla. Men’s softball The team competed in two El Paso leagues finishing in the top three in both. They also played in 16 tournaments traveling throughout Texas and New Mexico, earning seven trophies. They won both the West Texas and Mid-Texas State Military Championships and competed in the National Military Championships in Dallas. Men’s volleyball The crowning accomplishment for the team was finishing 6th among 72 teams in the national Division A tournament in Atlanta in June. They played locally in coed leagues with Team Bliss’ women’s team throughout most of the year. They traveled to Albuquerque three times and to Los Angeles once for tournaments, finishing in the top three twice, winning one of the Albuquerque tournaments. Women’s volleyball In addition to playing with the Team Bliss men in coed leagues, the team played in two women’s leagues, finishing 2nd in the summer league. They placed 1st in the San Juan Recreation Center 4x4 tournament in August and traveled to Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Tucson, and Frisco for tournaments. Men’s soccer The team was unable to find a local league to compete in and only made one road trip to Houston, finishing with a 2-2 record. Men’s golf The team played in two military tournaments, one in Jacksonville, Fla., and one at Underwood Golf Course, but did not place in either. 10-miler running team The team did exceptionally well at the Army Ten Miler in Washington, D.C., in October, with the men’s team placing 5th, and the women’s team finishing 8th. Some team members represented Fort Bliss by competing in the Duke City Run, Turkey Trot, Sun Bowl 5K, Transmountain Run and the Bataan Death March. Team members will continue to represent Fort Bliss in many runs in El Paso, Tucson, Phoenix, and Albuquerque throughout the year. Judo The recently formed team has already enjoyed success in meets in San Antonio, College Station and Juarez. Especially notable are the five 1st place winners, two 2nd place, and five 3rd place finishers in a November tournament in Juarez. Bliss to help El Paso host Professional Bowlers Association event PBA Press Release Special to The Monitor Fort Bliss military and civilian personnel will assist the Professional Bowlers Association in hosting a PBA tournament in El Paso for the first time since 1993 during next week’s El Paso Classic at the brand-new Oasis Lanes. The tournament begins Wednesday and lasts through Jan. 16 when ESPN will broadcast the final two rounds live at 11 a.m. Mountain time. Beginning Tuesday, Fort Bliss personnel will assist the PBA as volunteer ball caddies, ushers and PBA assistants and with the Jan. 16 ESPN broadcast by setting up for it, serving as part of the audience and in taking down the broadcast equipment, according to Clifton Taylor, volunteer coordinator. “I only have about 10 spots left (for volunteers),” Taylor said Tuesday in an e-mail message to The Monitor. “The cutoff to contact me to volunteer is Sunday.” There is a meeting for volunteers at 3 p.m. Monday at the Fort Bliss Bowling Center, Taylor noted. He can be contacted at 568-9342 for more information. The 2005 El Paso Classic begins Wednesday with the PBA Tour qualifying round, followed by a practice session. The qualifying round features non-exempt PBA members and amateurs bowling nine games of qualifying, with the top four PBA members and top amateur entering the 64-bowler bracket for the El Paso Classic. Joining the 64-bowler bracket for the event is former PBA Tour member and 12-time tour title winner Del Ballard Jr., who was awarded a special Commissioner’s Exemption. Ballard spent 22 seasons on tour from 1982 through 2003-04, amassing more than $1.1 million in PBA career earnings while winning three major titles – the 1987 U.S. Open, 1989 Tournament of Champions and the 1993 U.S. Open. He also captured the 1988 ABC Masters before it became an official tour event in 1998. Also scheduled to compete is six-time PBA Player of the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr., who needs just one more title to tie PBA legend Earl Anthony for the most career titles at 41. Others scheduled to compete for the $232,000 prize fund include PBA Hall of Fame members Parker Bohn III, Brian Voss and Pete Weber, as well as 2004 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi and other tour stars including Chris Barnes, Jason Couch and Norm Duke, all of whom will be on hand to compete and participate in the pro-ams. The round of 64 will feature a different format than the first half of the 2004-05 season. Fans will be able to see more of their favorite bowlers as Thursday’s round of 64 will now feature two seven-game qualifying blocks, with the top-32 bowlers based on total pinfall advancing to the round of 32. Friday will feature best-of-seven, head-to-head match play, with bowlers hitting the lanes for the rounds of 32, 16 and 8 until just four bowlers remain. Saturday is a day for the fans, with PBA pro-ams taking place. This is an excellent opportunity for fans to meet the pros, as well as compete and get photographs with the PBA Tour stars. Sunday the four remaining bowlers will vie for the $40,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2005-06 PBA Tour season live on ESPN. Individual ticket prices for the tournament range from $10 to $35 during the week and are $15 to $60 for Sunday’s finals. A weeklong pass, including the finals, costs $75 to $120. Tickets and pro-am slots can be purchased three ways: • Online at the PBA’s official Web site, www.pba.com • Over the phone at 1-866-PBA-PRO-AM (1-866-722-7762) or at Oasis Lanes (855-1183) • In person at Oasis Lanes at 1660 N. Zaragosa Road. Sports briefs Boxing cancelled The brigade box-offs, originally scheduled for October and rescheduled for Friday, have been cancelled and won’t be rescheduled again, according to the Sports Office. The 2005 post boxing championships will take place in July. For information, call 568-4508. Payday bowling tourney As part of MWR’s monthly post payday activities, the commanding general would like to invite all Team Bliss military and civilians to participate in a 3-game bowling tournament Friday at 1 p.m. The cost is $1 per game with no charge for shoe rental. A limited number of spaces are available. Prizes will be awarded to the first through fourth place individuals with high game and high series. Interested individuals must sign up no later than 4 p.m. today. The commanding general endorses the activities to promote team building and camaraderie among community members and to serve as a pleasant departure from the regular workday. While not mandatory, attendance is encouraged. For information, call 568-6272.