Veteran Buffalo sportscaster Paul Peck, a familiar face to the bowling community through his commentator role on the Beat the Champ television show, will be the guest speaker at the Genesee Region USBC Annual Banquet on May 10 at Batavia Downs Gaming.
The buffet dinner gets underway at 6 p.m. at the Genesee Banquet Room on the second floor of the Park Road facility.
(Provided photo)
For the last 25 years, Peck has called University at Buffalo football and basketball on radio and TV as the “Voice of the Bulls.” In 2024, he reached a significant milestone, calling his 300th UB football game on the Bulls Radio Network.
Last fall, Peck joined Buffalo Bowling Hall of Famer Sue Nawojski in the revival of the long-running Beat the Champ bowling competition show. The show just finished recording its debut season on the MSG Network, with a second season coming in the fall of 2025.
For this past Buffalo Bills season, Peck was a part of ESPN Radio’s national coverage as sideline reporter for the broadcasts from Highmark Stadium.
He previously served as sports anchor, reporter, and producer at WIVB-TV (CBS) for 24 years. In that role, he covered all four Buffalo Bills Super Bowls, the Buffalo Sabres in the Stanley Cup Finals, the NCAA Basketball Tournament and the Daytona 500.
For 10 years, he served as the radio sideline reporter and host for the Buffalo Bills Football Network. Peck also has been the Master of Ceremonies for the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, one of the largest sports banquets in Western New York.
Peck is involved in the local business community as the executive business manager for Sports Development at VSP Graphics Group, a company focused on enhancing athletic facilities at the professional, college and high school levels.
He lives in Hamburg with his wife, Kimberly, and their dog, Archie. They have two daughters, Rachel and Sydney.
The GRUSBC previously announced that Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls and Darwin “Auggie” Dale of Piffard will be inducted into the association’s Hall of Fame. Hunter Clark of Perry will be receiving the Barbara J. Kreiley Scholarship Award.
Tickets for the dinner are $40 per person. The cost for Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famers and GRUSBC league representatives (one per league) is $20, with no charge for GRUSBC season leaders and tournament champions.
Reservations will be taken until May 3 by emailing mikep@bowlgr.com or calling 585-861-0404. For more information, go to www.bowlgr.com.
GUSTKES DOMINATE GRUSBC ASSOCIATION TOURNEY
Husband and wife Rob and Traci Gustke led the way at the 18th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament last month at Le Roy Legion Lanes (Team event) and Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen (Doubles & Singles events).
The Gustkes, Rochester residents, are members of the Pizzaland Doubles League at Legion Lanes.
Rob combined with Scott Culp, who bowls in the Mancuso Real Estate Monday Doubles League at Mancuso Bowing Center, for a 1,534 score to win the Open Doubles event. He then followed that up with a tournament-best 793 series – all scratch – in the Open Singles event.
Gustke’s 255-279-259–793 eclipsed the 780 rolled by Rob Husted, a league bowler at Rose Garden Bowl.
Traci, who rolled an 833 series earlier this season in the Pizzaland Doubles League, placed first in the Women’s Singles event with a 702.
Both Rob and Traci also placed first in Open and Women All-Events, respectively, with Rob knocking down 2,269 pins – six more than runner-up Shayne Herold – and Traci amassing 1,986 to lead all women.
In Women’s Doubles, Karen Allis and Jane Chaddock successfully defended their title by recording a 1,258 score – 25 pins more than Cathi Fournier and Karen Henry.
In Open Team competition at Legion Lanes, the Thursday Special team of LeRoyans Shayne Herold, Rob Panepento, Rick Howe and Mickey Hyde led the way with a 2,749 score – 39 pins better than the Le Roy-based Nothnagle Realty team.
First place in the Open Team division pays a guaranteed $1,000.
In the Women’s Team event, Pretty Sweet Bakery, comprised of Oak Orchard Bowl, Albion bowlers, tops the standings with a 2,346 total. Team members are Emily Cassidy, Pamela Jenks, Judy Ward and Sarah Cassidy.
Another highlight of the tournament was the conversion of the 7-10 split by Brian Green of Batavia while bowling in the Doubles event on Saturday at Rose Garden Bowl.
The Genesee Region USBC added $750 generated through fundraisers and a portion of expense fees to the prize fund.