When Mike Rowe finally learned to open his eyes, he was able to see what he was missing, thanks to his coaches Jim and Jen Donovan.
Mike was born in Toronto on July 29, 1969 and along with younger brother John, completed the family of parents Jack and Kay Rowe.
Mike started bowling in the Youth Bowling Council (YBC) at the age of five at Avondale Bowl in Bramalea. While Jack passed away when Mike was only a teenager, his mom was the driving force behind his success as a bowler. Kay herself had joined the Teaching division of the Master’s and along with coaches the McDougall’s and the Donovan’s molded Mike into one of the top bowlers in the YBC. In 1987 as a member of the Pepsi Challenge team that represented the Central Ontario zone, Mike and teammates not only captured the Provincial Championships with a score of 4804 but also claimed the National title as well. The Pepsi Challenge, forerunner to today’s Youth Challenge tournament, used a telephone hook-up system to determine the national winner.
Besides bowling, Mike was an outstanding athlete who excelled in wrestling, basketball, football and hockey.
All senior bowlers in their final year of YBC are eligible to bowl in the Bursary tournament, which is sponsored by the Master Bowlers’ Association. After qualifying second with an eight-game total of 2056 and a 257 average, Mike advanced to the match play elimination round. After beating Steve Glowsky from Park Royal Bowlerama in Mississauga, Mike advanced to the finals against Mike Tuck from Sherwood Centre in Hamilton. While Mike Tuck proved to be the better bowler that day, winning the best two out of three matches and being declared the 1988 Men’s Bursary Champion, Mike Rowe walked away with $100.00 for his efforts. Despite this second-place finish, Mike has enjoyed twenty-one years in the Tournament division of the Master Bowlers’ Association. On the tour, Mike is part of a select few who have bowled over 1000 games, establishing a lifetime average of 257, good for eighth overall. As well, Mike has four tournament wins to his credit. His first win came in 1991 at the Lindsay Invitational walking away with a $5,000.00 cheque. The annual Thanksgiving Classic proved to be his most successful tournament as he won that event three times, in 1998, 1999 and 2002. On the National scene, Mike was a member of the 1997 and 1998 Tournament division Men’s team that took home the silver medals. The following year Mike was Bowler of the Year and won the national title in British Columbia.
In league play Mike has bowled with some of the best bowlers in Ontario, from the very competitive Toronto City Majors league, the Mixed Doubles league at Barrie Bowlerama, to the S.L.M. league at Stellar Lanes in Newmarket. Numerous individual awards include high averages of 262 in the Saturday Majors and 256 in the SLM league, a high single of 416, a four-game total of 1427 in Huronia and a five-game total of 1584 in the Toronto City Majors league.
In tournament play, Mike has travelled across the country, from Ontario to British Columbia and from Scarborough to Sudbury in numerous events. Besides taking part in the TSN Pins Game and the CBC Championship 5 Pin Bowling Series, Mike was victorious in the 1994 Cliffside Scratch Singles tournament. In the stepladder finals Mike went head to head against Steve Barker defeating him with a score of 418 to 338 and taking home a cheque for $1,000.00.
Encouraged by his friends, Mike entered the Open Championships and qualified for his first team in 1993 with the Central Ontario Men’s team. After six appearances on their men’s team, it was a move to Bradford in 1998 that York Simcoe would benefit from. With York Simcoe Mike has qualified an additional ten times, nine on the men’s teams, consisting of four singles appearances and one Mixed team. It was the 2003 Men’s team where they captured the Provincial title and travelled to Surrey, British Columbia for the Nationals.
While injuries and business have prevented him from returning to the lanes, plus re-locating back to Brampton, Mike still remains true to York Simcoe. His company, Surplus Electrical Equipment has sponsored our annual golf tournament on numerous occasions, which he has even found time to participate in.
While enjoying a good game of chess, poker and the occasional “hockey” game, York Simcoe is grateful for the move that brought him to our zone and induction to the Bowlers’ division of the Hall of Fame.