LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Two Langley Airmen are currently battling their way through bowling trials during the bowling camp at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where they're competing against other Airmen for a spot on the Air Force Varsity Bowling Team.
The eight bowlers who make the Air Force team will go on to compete against the finest bowlers from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps in the Armed Forces Bowling Tournament in Hawaii, Jan. 6-12.
Brian Snyder, the current reigning Air Force Champion and all-services runner-up, is defending his title, while Tiffany Smith competes for a spot on the women's roster. In the men's division, there are 33 bowlers battling for just four spots on the Air Force squad - some of who have competed on the Team USA squad. There are 10 women bowling for the four spots on the team as well.
In order to earn a place on the Air Force team, bowlers must come out on top on some of the more grueling conditions any bowler may ever see, including two challenging bowling patterns.
The first bowling pattern is 30 feet down the lane in what's called a "flat pattern," which means the same amount of conditioner is applied across the entire lane. In contrast, in a normal league pattern, less conditioner is applied to the outside of the lane, which gives bowlers a chance to "hook" the ball from the outside into the pins. The second pattern used at the camp is a flat pattern applied between 40 and 45 feet down the lane.
After the first day of competition, Snyder was in fourth place in the men's division, and Smith was in sixth place in the women's division. Neither bowler has been counted out as there were only about 40 pins separating first from sixth for the men and women's division.