In my lengthy story here on the problems the Wisconsin State Tournament experiences with averages, handicap and sandbaggers, I noted that one intriguing option used by Michigan is an average based on scores in the State Tournament.

I said I thought the concept is great because it would enable the Wisconsin State Bowling Association to know the data is accurate and what conditions the average is established on (the State Tournament has used “Challenge” conditions rather than house shots in recent years).

WSBA Manager Don Hildebrand said last week that he plans to meet with his Michigan counterpart, Barney Eagan, and “we are going to look at” what Michigan is doing.

I interviewed Eagan by phone last week and find Michigan’s system intriguing, though Michigan’s State Tournament has a flaw — allowing repeat and multiple entries — that at least one group is exploiting. (More on that down in this story.)

Eagan, who plans to retire after next season, which will be his 10th as state association manager, said Michigan started using State Tournament averages five years ago.

“It was an idea of mine for quite some time,” Eagan said. “You want an equal playing field. We have had problems with sandbaggers and still have problems.”

That includes guys who “knew what they were doing” bowling in smaller houses with tougher conditions that allow them to establish averages lower than what they would on typical house conditions. That gives them a decided advantage over bowlers who bowl on typical house conditions.

He mentioned some of the same issues with Rule 319 as Hildebrand did in my story: not having a tournament scores database that enables a tournament official to check a bowler’s record.

Michigan’s rule is that an average can be based on 18 or more of State Tournament competition over the last four years. That average will be used even if a bowler has a higher league average.

Michigan State also uses Challenge conditions — Kegel Sunset Strip this year and Beaten Path the prior two years.

“For State, I think you need a more competitive shot,” Eagan said.

For those in Michigan who don’t have 18 State games in the prior four years, the average used is last season’s book average, then this season’s current average if the bowler doesn’t have a book average from last year.

Those without any of those bowl scratch, Eagan said.

Michigan State uses 90 percent handicap based off of 230; Wisconsin uses 90 percent off 225.

Neither allows bowlers to enter just scratch — bowlers must enter handicap to get into scratch. That to me is the ultimate answer, and one I hope Wisconsin will adopt, as I explained in my lengthy story on Wisconsin State’s problems.

Michigan’s is the only State Tournament in the country to use averages from the tournament, Eagan said, adding that Minnesota also has contacted him.

Eagan said he thinks the system has “really helped” reduce sandbagging problems for the tournament.

You certainly must credit Michigan for taking an innovative and pioneering step, although allowing repeat and multiple entries has caused problems, according to Michigan bowlers who contacted me.

And that always seems to be the case with baggers — they find ways to exploit any system.

Michigan allows teams to re-enter once with the same five bowlers and multiple times so long as at least two bowlers are different.

Michigan State has about 1,800 entries, Eagan said, while Wisconsin is tops in the nation with just under 2,000 this year after being over 2,000 for years.

The problem outlined by Michigan bowlers on my Facebook page is a group who use the re-entry option to “manage” their averages by “throwing off” in some of their entries to keep their averages lower than they should be.

Here are last year’s final top 10 as posted on my Facebook page last week:

1 S And B Pro Shop 1 3,553 3,553 $2,000.00 Clinton Twp, MI
2 Rich's Crew 7 3,502 343 3,159 $1,500.00 Roseville, MI
3 Rich's Crew 4 3,464 359 3,105 $1,279.00 Roseville, MI
4 Rich's Crew 6 3,369 303 3,066 $1,094.00 Roseville, MI
5 Rich's Crew 1 3,359 268 3,091 $940.00 Roseville, MI
6 Rich's Crew 8 3,350 227 3,123 $811.00 Roseville, MI
7 Rich's Crew 5 3,349 322 3,027 $702.00 Roseville, MI
8 Rich's Crew 2 3,327 205 3,122 $613.00 Roseville, MI
9 Victory Automotive 2 3,302 74 3,228 $537.00 Olive Branch, MS
10 Candlelite Bowl 3,291 490 2,801 $475.00 Frankenmuth, MI

(S and B Pro Shop is a group of great bowlers who have won Eagles at the USBC Open Championships.)

David Bernhardt, owner of Turbo 2-N-1 Grips, recommended a system like golf where a bowler’s average would be figured by taking, for example, the last 20 series bowled in tournaments and then throwing out the 10 worst scores.

Obviously, that would require a tournament scores database that doesn’t exist in bowling. Sources told me the biggest hurdle for USBC is the funding to set up and manage such a database.

“They would be posted by the tournament director or yourself so everyone could see if they wanted to,” Bernhardt said in an email. “If a score (good or bad) is not posted, everyone could tell and ask way you didn't post your score. I'm sure there could be some variance but we have to start with something to resolve the problem of manufacturing your tournament average. The National, State and City USBC needs to help with this growing problem.”

Joe Krajenke and Daniel Day were among those who said one way around the multiple entries problem is to base the State average only on the highest set bowled each year.