By BILL SNIER
PARMA HEIGHTS — It has been a struggle for Kirsten Moore during the first two events of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Summer Series — Cleveland.
But having that “extra set of eyes” can make all the difference.
With Youngstown State University head coach Doug Kuberski helping his former player, Moore raced toward the top of the leaderboard during Sunday’s opening qualifying round of the PWBA Rock ’n’ Roll Open at Yorktown Lanes.
Moore, who was a fifth-year player on YSU’s NCAA Championship team this season, shot 268, 266 and 259 in Games 3 through 5 of the six-game session and averaged 236.5 to sit fifth heading into Sunday’s 5 p.m. session.
This comes after the Tallmadge High School graduate finished 35th and 78th, respectively, during the first two events of the Summer Series at Yorktown.
“I think I just started throwing the ball better this morning than I did the last few days,” said Moore, who has bowled in all four PWBA Tour events this season, with her highest finish being 36th in the Cleveland Open.
“Having that extra set of eyes gave me extra help. He guided me on moves and ball changes.”
Moore admitted her game has undergone a huge transition since entering YSU as a freshman.
“I got a lot of work done there physically, mentally … all aspects of my game. It’s such a big change … I had to get myself out of that college mindset,” the 22-year-old right-hander said.
“The atmosphere, oil patterns and everything … it’s a completely different ball game. Most college events you are making similar moves and similar ball changes. That’s not how it works on Tour.”
But college did have a big impact on one aspect of her game — the mental approach.
“My mental game from when I was a freshman to my fifth year on the team was just a complete 180, but it’s nowhere close to complete,” Moore said. “I’m better at grinding out the hard games and keeping myself in a good mindset and focusing on one shot at a time.”
Moore, a former member of Junior Team USA in 2023, will be heading to Team USA camp in September after earning her adult spot with a seventh-place finish during the Team USA Trials. In fact, during Sunday’s qualifying rounds, she crossed with Junior Team USA coach Kelly Kulick.
“It was really a pleasure to cross with her. With the junior team, I learned a lot from the players and the coaches. They were always helping with something different, and I’m looking forward to the same thing in the fall with Team USA,” Moore said.
Moore majored in English at YSU and is working part-time through the university on website writing and editing.
But it’s not her career choice for the immediate future.
“For the longest time, I haven’t been able to imagine myself doing anything else but this,” Moore said of bowling on the PWBA Tour. “Thinking about myself in an 8 to 5 or 9 to 5 desk job … I just dread that.
“I love doing this, I love competing and bowling with these incredible women … it just means everything to me and I want to do it as long as I can.”
As for her immediate future heading into Sunday’s second qualifying round, Moore admits physically she is “tired.”
“When we bowled states in high school we could bowl 15 games, but this is different. I didn’t bowl match play the first two tournaments but I’m tired,” Moore said. “I’m feeling it in my hand and my body. I can’t imagine bowling match play and getting through it.
“But this is what I signed up for.”
As for a game plan for the second shift, she is using Kuberski’s help to figure it out.
“I’m just going do the same thing to start. I know they will play different … they have every squad,” said Moore, who used a Track Stealth Mode in the morning session. “I have some surface changes in mind for my weaker equipment if I need to go with it.”
All in hopes of reaching match play in a PWBA Tour event for the first time.