Spreading the Word - bowling

Bowling Digest, Oct, 2001 by Dick Denny

While at Vincennes, Matovina took two journalism classes. He sent resumes to several bowling publications but did not land a job. In the summer between his two years at Vincennes, he worked as an installer for Mendes, and Matovina was hired by Classic Products in 1996, working in Fort Wayne until he was transferred to Plant City a year ago.

Shockey says he went to Vincennes mainly to bowl, but wound up "learning a ton of things about the bowling industry. It was a great experience for me. Gary Sparks is a great guy. You can joke with him and talk about anything, from bowling to family."

In 1997, Shockey won the NJCAA All-Events title in Baltimore. "Bowling for Vincennes was probably the most fun I've had in the game," he says. The lefthander hopes to have even more fun as a new PBA member. "With new ownership, now is the time to join the PBA. Big things are going to happen soon."

Gail Gazdag of Galesburg, Mich., was a late arrival at Vincennes, but when she got there she fell in love with the place. "I'd definitely recommend Vincennes to my customers," says the 32-year-old Gazdag, an account manager for Columbia 300 in San Antonio. "Galesburg is only a town of 1,863, so I felt at home in Vincennes, where the pace was very slow. It is a very old town [the oldest in Indiana] and is very historical. And I remember well the trains. The tracks are near the campus and you would learn the train schedule, because if you ordered a pizza and it was late being delivered because of a passing train, you'd get it free."

After graduating from high school, Gazdag worked in a medical office and bowled in four leagues. A friend who attended Vincennes put a bug in Gazdag's ear, and Gazdag enrolled in the bowling management program in 1990.

"I only bowled one year at Vincennes," Gazdag says. "Unfortunately, I didn't have Gary as a coach, but I took classes under him. He was a mentor to us. And with a degree from Vincennes, you can do so many things: center management, district sales, own a pro shop, or work for a manufacturer."

After graduation in 1992, Gail went to work for DBA Products in Lake Bluff, Ill., as an assistant marketing manager. Three years later, she was hired by Columbia 300 to energize the Pro Grip arm of DBA, which Columbia had purchased. Gail was named an account manager three years ago.

"It's funny," she recalls. "I was at a Classic Products wade show last year in Fort Wayne and they took a picture of all the Vincennes grads there. There were 11 of us, which kind of shows you that there are a lot of Vincennes grads in the industry."

Sparks wants that number to grow, and he's out there blazing the trail for it to happen.