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Denny's, Pba And Usbc Team Up To Announce The First Ever Denny's All-american High School Championships

(Monday, October 30, 2006) - Already one of the nation's fastest growing varsity sports, high school bowling will get a major boost in 2007 with the launch of the first national high school championships. Just prior to the start of yesterday's USBC Masters in Milwaukee, three major bowling powerhouses - Denny's, the first title sponsor of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, the PBA and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) - announced they are joining forces to create the inaugural Denny's All-American High School Championships to crown the nation's top high school male and female bowlers.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061030/CLM096)

"Denny's is delighted to be a part of this exciting and rewarding project. The Denny's All-American High School Championships give us an opportunity to showcase talented young bowlers and give them national exposure. Who knows? We may discover the next Walter Ray Williams Jr. or Kelly Kulick," said Debbie Atkins, Denny's Director of Public Relations.

"We're so excited to embark on this initiative targeted at young bowlers," said Fred Schreyer, PBA Commissioner and CEO. "Partnering with Denny's and the USBC helps to solidify our commitment to the growing popularity of the sport at the high school and collegiate levels."

Under the rules for the Denny's All-American High School Championships, only those states with varsity level programs will be eligible to participate. Currently, 16 states have both male and female varsity bowling programs, two states recognize varsity bowling for girls only and one has an adaptive program for those with physical and mental challenges. Another 26 states have club level programs. High school coaches from the 18 varsity level states will nominate a senior male or female bowler for the competition, with the nomination process managed by a national selection committee.

"This unprecedented national high school tournament is a wonderful opportunity for young bowlers to gain the recognition they deserve for their hard work and dedication to their sport," said Director of USBC High School and Collegiate, Jeanne Klescewski.

The two-day tournament will feature the top girl and top boy varsity bowlers competing head-to-head on Saturday, narrowing the tournament field down to two male and female competitors, who will face off on Sunday. The newly crowned girl and boy high school champions then will team with professionals Kelly Kulick, the first female PBA exempt bowler, and a member of the Denny's PBA Sponsor Competition Team for a one-game doubles match.

The inaugural high school tournament will coincide with the Denny's PBA World Championship set for March 24 and 25, 2007, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Immediately following the conclusion of the Denny's World Championship, the high school finalists will take to the lanes for the chance to compete for $10,000 in scholarships on a PBA oil pattern and in an arena setting before more than 2,000 spectators. The high school finals will be broadcast on ESPN on April 22, 2007.

About Denny's

Denny's is America's largest full-service family restaurant chain. For more than 50 years, Denny's has been committed to providing guests with quality food, abundant value and a great dining atmosphere. From the award- winning D-Zone(R) menu to its famous Grand Slam(R) breakfasts, Denny's provides a variety of flavorful food and beverage choices for guests of all ages. For further information on Denny's, please visit our web site at www.dennys.com.

About the PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) features the best bowlers in the world competing in National, Regional and Senior Tour events. PBA membership reached an all-time high of 4,300 members during the 2005-06 Denny's PBA Tour season. Also in 2005-06 -- the Tour's first with a title sponsor -- ratings on PBA telecasts increased 12.5 percent among males ages 18-34. PBA sponsors include Ace Hardware, Bayer, Brunswick, Columbia 300, Denny's, Discover(R) Card, Etonic, GEICO, H&R Block, Motel 6, Pepsi-Cola and the USBC, among others. For more information on the PBA, log on to www.pba.com.

About the USBC

The United States Bowling Congress High School program actively offers guidance to all levels of high school bowling by providing rules, instructional opportunities, awards and industry resources to ensure the success of high school bowling nationwide. USBC High School is a resource for school administrators, high school state athletic associations, state proprietor associations and industry member organizations in the creation and maintenance of high school bowling programs. USBC officially launched Jan. 1, 2005, as an organization serving nearly three million adult and youth bowlers in the United States. It resulted from the merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling. For more information, visit www.bowl.com

SOURCE Denny's

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