The Cherry Bowl

03/07/2026

WELCOME HOME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! 🎳🏆
The Rock Valley College Golden Eagles Men’s Bowling Team are NJCAA National Champions, and the community is invited to help give them the welcome they deserve!
📅 Sunday – March 8th
⏰ 2:00 PM
📍 RVC Campus – Physical Education Center (PEC)
🚗 Enter off Mulford Rd
The team will be arriving back from Lansing, Michigan, and they will be escorted by Police and Fire as they return to campus. Let’s pack the area and celebrate an incredible national championship season!
🎉 Bring the energy!
Bring balloons, flags, noise makers, and school spirit to welcome the champions home in style.
🍰 Cake and beverages will be provided for everyone.
Let’s show these champions how proud the Rockford Area community is of their accomplishment!
👏 Come celebrate the 2026 NJCAA National Bowling Champions!

03/05/2026

🎳 Find Your Perfect Bowling Ball – MatchMaker Live is Coming to Rockford! 🎳
Ready to upgrade your game? Now’s your chance to test the newest bowling technology on the lanes and find the ball that truly fits your style!
MatchMaker Live lets you throw some of the latest releases from Storm, Roto Grip, and 900 Global before you buy. Try different weights, spans, and layouts to see what works best for your game.
📍 Location: Cherry Bowl – Rockford
📍 Address: 7171 Cherryvale N Blvd, Rockford, IL
🗓 Date: March 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
🏪 Hosted by: BowlersMart Rockford-Cherry
🔥 Special Bonus:
Purchase a ball during the event and grips & slug are FREE!
🎳 Test balls like the Ion Max, Next Phase, Bionic, Gremlin Tour, Viking, Storm Concept, and Vengeance and discover which one gives you the best reaction on the lanes.
📞 Questions?
Contact AJ Jensen
📱 815-520-7137
📧 [email protected]
Bring your bowling friends and come see what the newest gear can do for your game! 💥🎳

03/02/2026

PRO-AM TIME - Bowl with the Pros at the PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open Pro-Am

Rockford, IL – Here is your chance to bowl alongside the best women bowlers in the world! Bowl in the PRO-AM portion of the PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open Tournament, hosted at The Cherry Bowl, 7171 Cherryvale North Blvd, Rockford, IL

This exciting and social Pro-Am format gives bowlers the rare opportunity of bowling side-by-side with PWBA professionals in a fun, high-energy atmosphere.

The event will take place on Thursday, April 30th, with squad times at 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM, and is limited to the first 128 bowlers per squad

THE PRO AM IS OPEN TO BOTH MEN & WOMEN, BOYS & GIRLS.

You will bowl 3 games: Each game you will be paired up with a different lady pro bowler.

Your score for each game plus your pros score for each game will be added together, plus your handicap. This total will be your grand total.

1 in 5 entries will win awards. $$$$ Cash for Adults - Scholarship (USBC Smart) for Youth

Event Highlights:

Separate Adult and Youth Divisions
$1,000 First Place Adult Handicap Division
$1,000 First Place Youth Handicap Division
$100 Scratch Bonus for top Adult and Youth bowlers
Three-game format, 90% of 220 handicap, 9-pin no-tap scoring
Bowl with a different Pro each game
FREE souvenir bowling towel or shammy for every participant
Entry fee is $60

Whether you're a competitive bowler or just want the thrill of sharing the lanes with the stars of the PWBA Tour, this Pro-Am offers guaranteed prize money, scholarship opportunities, and an unforgettable experience.

Don't Delay in REGISTERING for the PRO-AM:

Two years ago when the last National PWBA Tour Stop was in Rockford the PRO-AM sold out early.

ONLY 128 spots available for the 6:30 PM squad and 128 spots available for the 3:30 PM squad.
Out of the hospital in a wheelchair for the next two months, she says it will take about a year to heal up and the flame has been lit for 2026 Winter was

Register Here

2024 PWBA Bowlers Journal Rockford Open Pro AM OFFICIAL Results Download PDF

02/24/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Announcing the “Coach Richard Shockley High Average Scholarship Award”

The Rockford, IL bowling community is proud to announce the Coach Richard Shockley High Average Scholarship Award, a new annual scholarship honoring one of the area’s most respected and dedicated coaches.

Since moving to the Rockford area in 2014, Coach Richard Shockley has worked with hundreds of youth and adult bowlers throughout the region. His genuine passion for sport, technical knowledge and ability to connect with athletes of all ages have helped elevate the performance and confidence of countless bowlers.

In recent years, Coach Shockley has been courageously battling Parkinson’s disease. Despite the challenges, he continues to give lessons, bowl in leagues and compete in tournaments — demonstrating the same determination and love for the game that has defined his coaching career. His perseverance serves as an inspiration to the entire bowling community.

The Coach Richard Shockley High Average Scholarship Award has been established to recognize excellence both on the lanes and in dedication to the sport.

The scholarship will be funded annually by three local business leaders who share a commitment to supporting youth bowling:
• Jeff Titus of Rockford Business Systems
• Chad Tuneberg of Tuneberg Asset Management
• Nick Sommer of the Nick Sommer Country Financial Insurance Agency

Each year, the girl and boy with the highest conference match average from either the NIC-10 or NIBC conferences will each receive a $500 scholarship to support their continued education and bowling pursuits.

These two scholarships will be presented annually at the Northern Illinois High School bowling banquet held in March. The 2026 banquet will take place at the Radison Hotel and Conference Center – Rockford, IL on March 22nd.

This year's recipients of the scholarships will be Ashlin Teves of Harlem High School who averaged 233 and Tyson Williams of Hononegah High School who averaged 231.

This award not only celebrates outstanding performance but also honors a coach who has given so much to the Rockford bowling community. Through this scholarship, Coach Shockley’s legacy of mentorship, resilience, and excellence will continue to inspire generations of bowlers to come.

More detailed bio on Coach Richard Shockley: Richard is originally from Atlanta Georgia where he founded the Atlanta Bowling Academy in 1989 that focused on lessons for youth and adult bowlers. In 1992 Coach Shockley was one of the first coaches in the country to receive the USBC Gold Coaching certification. Richard moved to Lake Wales Florida in 1997 where he was one of the original coaches of the Kegel Training Center. While in Florida Richard worked at the Kegel Training Center, managed a pro shop and served as Team USA Junior National Head Coach. Richard also spent time in Qatar as the Head Coach for the Qatar National Team and in Malaysia where he was the technical consultant for the Malaysian National team. While at Kegel Richard was named USA National Coach of the Year. Coach Shockley moved to Rockford IL in 2014 to be the teaching professional for the BowlersMart Pro Shops that had recently moved into some of the Rockford Area centers. Richard was quick to embrace the Rockford area and the local bowling community soon realized they had a great asset to learn from. While in the Rockford area Coach Shockley wore many hats; Special Needs program coach, private coach to hundreds of adult and youth area bowlers, running coaching clinics and bowling many leagues and tournaments himself in the area. Coach Shockley has been very instrumental in building up the youth talent pool in the Rockford area by working with countless middle school and high school athletes. Some of his students have gone on to win IHSA Championships along with NJCAA & USBC Collegiate Championships. He also coached the National High School Individual Champions for both boys and girls. Richard is always the gentleman and known for his great sportsmanship.

02/22/2026

02/22/2026

Big Time Talent !!!! Congrats All

02/22/2026

Congrats Isabella 🎳❤️🎉🏆🇺🇸

02/22/2026

Results from this weekend’s IHSA girls state high school tournament can be found at this link:

https://www.ihsa.org/sports/girls-bowling/state-series/state-results

02/22/2026

❤️Thank You❤️to all the Cherry Bowl employees for all your hard work helping to make sure the IHSA tournament was a great success. 🎉🏆🎳

02/22/2026

IHSA Girls State Tournament Team. Thank You all for another great event.

02/20/2026

🎳✨ GIRLS STATE BOWLING TAKES OVER ROCKFORD! ✨🎳
The best high school bowlers in Illinois are headed to Cherry Bowl in Rockford for an unforgettable weekend of competition, energy, and championship moments! 🏆🔥
This is where legends are made. This is where dreams come true.
📍 Cherry Bowl – Rockford, Illinois
🗓 Friday & Saturday
🎳 FRIDAY – Championship Action Begins!
🚪 7:30 AM – Doors open for teams & coaches
🎉 8:30 AM – Opening Ceremonies
🎳 9:00 AM – Round 1 (24 teams + 30 individuals)
🍔 12:15 PM – Lunch Break
🎳 1:00 PM – Round 2
⏱ 3:15 PM – Competition wraps (approx.)
🎳 SATURDAY – The Road to the Title!
🚪 7:30 AM – Doors open for qualifiers
🎤 8:30 AM – Introductions
🎳 9:00 AM – Round 3 (12 teams + 30 individuals)
🍕 12:15 PM – Lunch Break
🎳 1:00 PM – Final Round
🏆 4:00 PM – AWARDS CEREMONY
💥 24 teams battle it out Friday.
💥 The field narrows Saturday.
💥 One team. One individual. State Champions.
Bring the noise. Bring the school spirit. Bring the energy. 🎉
Let’s pack Cherry Bowl and show why Rockford is the heart of bowling country! ❤️🎳