CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Three Clarksville bowlers recently received awards from the Clarksville-Fort Campbell U.S. Bowling Congress Association.
Rodger L. Green Jr. received the Hall of Fame award for Special Service, Chico Aguon earned the Hall of Fame Award for Superior Performance, and youth bowler, Kaitlyn Hanson, was awarded the inaugural $1,000 leadership scholarship, according to a press release from the Clarksville-Fort Campbell U.S. Bowling Congress Association.
Voting was done by Hall of Fame Committee members and three Hall of Fame members. The recommendations from the committee were presented to the local USBC for final approval.
As the Special Service award recipient, Green has made significant contributions to the health, growth and enjoyment of the sport of bowling. Green has been an adult member of the USBC for 25 years and a member of the local association for 20 years. Since the 1990s, Green also has coached youth bowlers and is proficient in all aspects of the game, according to his nomination letter.
“He brings his marketing expertise to the table, working to acquire donations, sponsorships and giveaways for leagues and tournaments,” said Brenda Green, the association’s president. “He’s been an outstanding advocate for our members and for our sport, giving of his time, energy and even equipment to both new bowlers and old. We appreciate his support and
service.”
Green was also a member of the 2003 Clarksville-Fort Campbell City Tournament championship team in the A-division. On April 29, 2002, he bowled on a three-man team setting a state record with a 2,287 series.
As the Superior Performance award recipient, Aguon has achieved individual success in local, state and national tournaments and league play. A native of Guam, Aguon has been an adult member of USBC for 27 years and has bowled in several leagues in the Clarksville area. “When we moved back to Clarksville in April 1992, my father bowled in so many leagues at Skyline, Eastgate, Hooper, Gardner and the Pinnacle,” wrote Aguon’s daughter, Carol Merriweather, on the nomination form. “He’s an awesome bowler and dedicated to bowling.”
His highest lifetime book average was 218 in 2016-17’s Sunday Night Fun Bunch league. Aguon’s highest lifetime certified three-game series was an 812 at the 2009 Johnny Norris Classic. He has seven sanctioned 300 games and one sanctioned 800 series. Aguon won the city tournaments at Eastgate Bowling Center in Clarksville and Hooper Bowling Center at Fort Campbell.
“It’s great to induct someone who has so many years of experience and who represents our membership so well,” Brenda Green said in a press release from The Clarksville-Fort Campbell USBC.
Al Trificano, HOF member and president of the Tennessee state bowling USBC, presented Green and Aguon with crystal bowling pins and jackets. With these honors, Green and Aguon join 63 bowlers who were grandfathered into the Clarksville-Fort Campbell USBC Hall of Fame, according to the release.
“Our Hall of Fame is our best way to honor both our top performers and those who have served our association and our membership well over the years,” Green said. “There are so many people who helped to build our organization over the years, and it’s exciting to be able to expand that list with two of our local legends. These two are the first to be inducted since our men’s, women’s and youth associations merged four years ago.”
A 2020 Rossview High School graduate, Hanson is enrolled as a chemistry major at Austin Peay State University. As a bowler, Hanson placed second in the Singles Handicap, Girls Division A in the 2019 Tennessee State USBC Youth Championship Tournament. She also received the award for second High Game Scratch, Girls Division A with a 243 pin count.
“Bowling has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life because of how it has helped me grow into the person that I am today,” Hanson wrote in her application essay.