MITers needed more than a robot ball - News, Notes & Quotes - two Massachusetts Institute of Technology students at the Men's U.S. Open bowling tournament - Brief Article

Bowling Digest, June, 2002 by Dick Evans

THERE'S NO QUESTION that bowling is going high-tech after we talked to two Massachusetts Institute of Technology students in December during the Men's U.S. Open at Fountain Bowl in California.

At first, Rhett Creighton and George Martin Jr. appeared to be a pair of rogues who had wandered off the street and into the center, taken their one ball out of their one-ball bags, and commenced to practice on one pair of lanes.

Watching them, it was easy to see they enjoyed bowling, but they obviously were out of their class physically. Or maybe it should be said that most of the other 257 tournament entrants were out of their class intellectually.

So what were two MIT students doing tearing up their thumbs while practicing for the U.S. Open, with school an entire country away?

"We came to win," said Creighton, of Havertown, Pa., with a straight face.

"I came because Rhett wanted to come. He was excited about the chance to bowl in the U.S. Open," said Martin, of Ocala, Fla.

But how did the two get from Boston to Los Angeles?

"We saw information on a Web page about the Men's U.S. Open, and how to enter. Then we had to call the Bowling Proprietors Association of America in Texas to make sure we could enter," said Creighton, who had been an avid Young American Bowling Alliance member for eight years. But only after they sent in their $400 entry fees did the fun begin.

The two said they sold one of their inventions to get enough money to fly to Los Angeles. From there, they got a ride to a motel in the Fountain Valley area, where they slept the first night in the motel lobby. Needing transportation to get to and from the tournament lanes, they walked to a nearby garage sale and bought a used bicycle for $10. They decided that since Martin was larger and older (21) than the diminutive Creighton (20), he would be the designated pedaler of the bicycle.

But on the second night came their first crisis: where to sleep for the remainder of their stay. They somehow managed to spend the night in the players' paddock, which was a tent erected in the center's parking lot. When Kirk Von Krueger, national tournament director for the PBA, found out, he smiled ... and gave them the boot. The two solved all future lodging problems by hooking up with a player who welcomed two roommates to save on the motel bill.

But while the two MIT students are bright in the classroom, they couldn't outsmart the lane conditions. "It was a lot tougher bowling conditions than we expected, and the pros were a lot better than we expected," said Creighton, who finished the first round 256th among the 259 starters.

Martin, who was using Creighton's other ball, wound up 258th, thanks to the injury withdrawal of Donald Walters, Jr.

Creighton was overjoyed. "Did you notice I beat one guy by a couple pins? Don't worry, I'll do better tomorrow."

He did, but not enough to write home about. What's worth writing home about is the duo's creativity and inventiveness.

Said Creighton, "We make a little money by inventing things," including a robot bowling ball that will answer to commands, much like model airplanes do.

"We bought a six-pound alley ball, tore out the insides, put in a gyroscope and things, and now it weighs 16 pounds. It rolls pretty slowly, but we can get it to go left or right. Now our problem is producing a legitimate bowling ball that works."

From a talent standpoint, neither of the MIT students legitimately belonged in the U.S. Open, but because it was a BPAA event and not a PBA tournament, they could compete. And as a result, Creighton and Martin became the most fantastic human interest story of the Open.

"All of the pros were great to us," Martin said. "They seemed to be happy we were bowling."

Creighton said that Marshall Holman walked up to him and shook his hand, and told the two that he hoped they were enjoying themselves and learning things.

"That was great, and guess what? Right after that, Marshall had a bad game, almost as bad as one of mine. But Walter Ray Williams Jr. is our favorite, because he can throw bowling balls and pitch horseshoes."

"It was cool bowling next to Parker Bohn III. He's great," Martin added.

Both MIT students were smart enough to know that everyone could have treated them with contempt.

"They could have made us feel like outcasts, but they didn't. We both got positive vibes, and I can't wait to get back to Boston and bowl in leagues," Creighton said.

And continue rolling their robotic bowling ball.