Cooper City bowler a national standout
Larry Brande's bowling resume stands out.

by Peter Holehan with the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (Published May 24th 2009)

Reposted by permission.

 

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An All-American selection by the Bowlers Writers Association of America.
The National Collegiate Bowling Coaches' Association Rookie of the Year.
An All-American Second Team selection by the NCBCA.
Two perfect games, including one in Webber International University's first tournament in school history.

When you cap it off with an appearance in the semifinal round of the national collegiate tournament, Brande, of Cooper City has made quite a first impression. Webber International and Brande fell to eventual champion Wichita State.

"To make it to the national semis is such an amazing accomplishment," said Webber coach Bob Slowinski. "We are a small school of only about 600 students. We were really close to beating them, and they have one of the most recognizable programs in the country. It was very rewarding and hopefully a sign of things to come."

The Warriors made it interesting by qualifying with a top-four finish. They went undefeated on day two of the tournament and lost the next day to the top winning program in men's college bowling history.

On the season, Brande averaged a 208 to rank 12th overall and fourth among rookies on the rankings of collegebowling.com. He had a plus-25 pin differential to rank eighth overall.

Brande's season had setbacks. On Jan. 7, he underwent surgery to fix a tear between his kneecap and ACL. He rehabbed the knee for six weeks and re-joined the team in time to play for higher stakes.

In the March 14-15 sectionals in Allentown, Pa., Brande was part of the team's effort that resulted in a 217 average in a Baker format for the fourth best score in the country.

"Larry was such an important part of our season," Slowinski said. "There is no question that his game has evolved. Whether it was ball speed accuracy, launch angle or using a three-step or five-step approach, he made the changes to get better. I was really proud of his effort."