Local bowler on a roll

Tommy Genova Jr., of Elmont, has been bowling since he was 4 years old. Born into a family of bowlers — his grandfather and mother, Patty, both bowl regularly on leagues; father, Tommy Sr., who coaches at Herrill Lanes in New Hyde Park; and uncle, Vito, runs the Long Island Youth Bowling Tournament — Genova couldn’t help but be immersed in the bowling world.

Today, Genova, 17, is one of the best high school bowlers in the nation.

Genova has bowled in various tournaments, obtaining thousands of dollars in scholarship awards, and on Aug. 4, he competed in the 14th annual national Teen Masters tournament, which was held at the Grand Central Terminal bowling alley in Manhattan. The Teen Masters’ first-place prize was a $64,000 college scholarship, and he competed against, Zack Hattoria, 17, of Las Vegas.

In front of hundreds of fans, including family members, Hattoria and Genova each won a game in the two-game series, and Genova was beaten for first place by only one pin (9-8) in a sudden-death roll-off — where the highest pin count determines the winner. He placed second on the national level, however, and won a $4,000 scholarship.

Genova has been competing as a varsity bowler for Sewanhaka High School since 7th grade. Last year, his average on the high school league, which competes from late November to early February, was 213.4 — fourth in Nassau County. He led Sewanhaka to win the Nassau County High School Bowling Championship in 2009 and 2010. He bowled a 250 average in six games in last year’s county tournament, helping the team win by 19 pins.

Genova has even bowled a 300 twice — his first on Jan. 30, 2009, at Herrill Lanes, at age 14 ; and on April 9, 2010, at age 15, at Herrill Lanes, where he also bowled an 800 series.

At last year’s LIYBT, from which he’s won a total of $668 over the years, Genova bowled a 221 average — the highest average of the 2010-11 season. He has won several other LIYBT tournaments, his first at the age of 9. Additionally, Genova led Sewanhaka to victory at the Long Island United States Bowling Congress Association tournament, as well as the U.S.B.C.A. tournament. This summer, he received the 2010-11 Youth Bowler of the Year Award from the Bowling Writers Association of America.