VIDEO: Michael Coffey Is Teen Masters Champion, National Collegiate Bowling Coaches MVP
By Maria Sonnenberg // April 27, 2017
SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME
ABOVE VIDEO: Michael Coffey was the 2014 Teen Masters champion, continued his winning streak in college, winning 36 and counting, international bowling medals in his quest to earn his spot in the Professional Bowlers Association upon graduation.
EAU GALLIE HIGH GRADUATE
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Michael Coffey has kept his eye on the ball – bowling ball, that is – since he was 10 years old.
Now all of 22, Coffey has already reached heights in the sport than most mortal bowlers can’t even imagine.
The Eau Gallie High School graduate, who was the 2014 Teen Masters champion, continued his winning streak in college, winning 36 and counting, international bowling medals in his quest to earn his spot in the Professional Bowlers Association upon graduation.
His can-do philosophy is admirable.
“I know I can do basically anything I want,” he said. “I just have to stay calm and make good shots.”
He is certainly not short on awards, but some of his most cherished distinctions are earning the Most Valuable Player kudos by the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association for his 2015-2016 college bowling season and being honored as College Player of the Year by the International Bowling Media Association.
TEEN MASTERS CHAMPION
Most of us know much less about competitive bowling than other sports such as golf. At a tournament, bowling competitors are met with a set of lane conditions in which the amount and pattern of surface oil spread on each lane varies.
The types of equipment can vary as well. At his 2014 Teen Masters win in Ft. Lauderdale, an event which earned him a $7,500 scholarship, Coffey and his adversaries were limited to a single urethane and a single plastic ball.
In golf, this would translate to showing up for a tournament at an unknown course and beings allowed to bring just two clubs.
With this comparison in mind, consider that Coffey started his Teen Masters final in 2014 with a turkey, meaning the first three balls were strikes for 30 points in the first frame.
A similar comparison in golf would be showing up to the unknown course and sinking three holes-in-one…with just a sand wedge.
ABOVE VIDEO: In 2016, Michael Coffey was named NCBCA First Team All-American and MVP. Coffey was also named IBMA’s Bowler of the Year. He made 9 ATT’s out of 14 tournaments on the year, while winning 3 of them and averaging almost 218 on the year.
NCBCA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
The Melbourne resident currently attends Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, where he is a mainstay on the NCAA Division II Lions Bowling Team.
As the 2014-2015 NCBCA Rookie of the Year, Michael averaged 217.9, placing him second overall in the nation. He collected three individual wins, four runner-up finishes and nine top-five performances.
The pride of Shore Lanes bowling alleys in Palm Bay and Merritt Island, Coffey is also a Space Coast favorite son, an outstanding athlete who inspires us to do our best in whatever we choose to do.
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