"My dad was in the Marines so we lived on military bases on the East coast when I was young," said Uffman. "He was a bowler and there was usually a bowling alley nearby or on base, so it was pretty easy to get at it."

Uffman stuck with the game and competed at Wayland Union High School, just south of Grand Rapids, before enrolling at Michigan State University.

Uffman did not carry a high average in high school, and the first year head coach feels that benefited him when he joined the collegiate bowling level.

"I came in with a low average and got better," said Uffman. "A lot of times high school bowlers come in with over inflated averages and when they bowl in tougher conditions against tougher teams, their averages go way down and they decide they don't like it anymore."

Uffman made Michigan State's "B" team as a freshman and his experiences there have helped him improve ever since. Being a part of the "B" squad gave him the opportunity to travel with the team and to compete in a few events. But it also provided Uffman with a chance to watch some of the other really talented bowlers from around the country, several of them who are now PBA champions or on TV every other Sunday.

"There was a great group of bowlers to watch and learn from while I was at Michigan State," said Uffman. "That helped me get better."

Uffman's proudest accomplishment came as a sophomore at a sectional qualifier when Michigan State was making a move to nationals. Uffman had 18 strikes in a row.

"We came up just short in making the national tournament, but that was definitely my proudest moment."

The summer prior to his freshman year at Michigan State, Uffman had to make a choice between going to Europe with the Spanish Club or going to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji as a bowling ambassador.

"I had to decide where I wanted to go," said Uffman. "Either way, I'd be going with people I didn't know so I thought if I went with bowling we'd at least have that in common and I'd make friends pretty quickly."

Uffman spent a week in each country and was able to bowl against people from all over the country as well as the Australian and New Zealand teams.

Uffman continues to compete on a regular basis.

Last month, Uffman bowled in the 67th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event drew 352 entrants, including some of the top bowlers in the word. The field included male and female amateurs, regional, national and international professionals, as well as members of the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame. After 18 games, the field was cut to 88. Uffman finished in the middle of the original pack at 179. The top four finishers, including tournament champion and former Saginaw Valley State University collegiate standout Bill O'Neill, bowled on ESPN on Feb. 28.

"Competing at Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open was awe-inspiring," said Uffman. "I sort of knew what to expect coming in with the oil patterns being the most demanding conditions on the PBA, so that wasn't too much of a shock to me. But being surrounded by all of these guys that I've watched on TV made it a challenge psychologically. It was an amazing experience."

Uffman competed in a tournament in early March in LeMars, Iowa, and plans to take part in tournaments at Ida Grove, Iowa, and at the Iowa state tournament.

In the meantime, Uffman continues to build the Clarke bowling program. He recently signed his first two recruits, Tyler Heintzelman, of Shorewood, Ill., and Jonathon Heidler, of Channahon, Illinois.