Florida bowler named Annual Zeb Scholarship recipient

ARLINGTON, Texas – Trace Nuss of Tampa, Florida, has been selected to receive the United States Bowling Congress Annual Zeb Scholarship.

Determined by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee, the award recognizes a USBC Youth member who achieves academic success and gives back to their community through service. The scholarship mainly is based on community service and strong academic success. Applicants must be in their junior or senior year of high school and must be USBC Youth members in good standing.

“Who knew that the Kids Bowl Free summer program that introduced me to the sport of bowling six years ago would have led me on such a diverse and meaningful path?” Nuss said. “The Super Stars, a very special group of athletes and their families I met along my journey, changed the course of my life. I have them to thank for this award, as well. The generosity of others affords me the opportunity to attend the high school of my dreams, this scholarship will help me pursue my education, so that I, too, can pay it forward and continue making a positive difference in the lives of others.”

Nuss is a junior at Jesuit High School, where he is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, DECA, Latin Club, Chess Club and serves as an academic tutor. He has made Principal’s Honor Roll each semester, is a National Latin Exam Awards gold medalist, a Voice of Democracy Speech winner and received the Norman J. Schwarzkopf Leadership Award. He has taken six Advanced Placement courses and several honors courses.

He became involved with Super Stars Tampa, a league for bowlers with developmental and cognitive disabilities, three years ago. He started by setting up ramps, checking in bowlers, coaching and handing out special awards. He recruited volunteers from his school to assist and coordinated their schedules for the league that has almost 70 bowlers.

Parents from the group asked Nuss to join the Special Olympics program as a unified partner and coach. He now is with the group year-round, coaching flag football and basketball, in addition to bowling, and travels with the teams to local, regional and state games.

He volunteers on Sundays at the Feeding America Food Pantry, served as a reading tutor and teacher assistant at local elementary schools and is a volunteer at Kiwanis events through Key Club. He spearheaded the design, funding and construction of The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument to honor the families of those killed while serving in the military.

After high school, Nuss plans to pursue a law degree with a specialization in Special Education Law.

As the Annual Zeb Scholarship winner, Nuss will receive a $2,500 scholarship and an expenses-paid trip to the 2018 USBC Convention, April 23-26 in Reno, Nevada, where he will be presented with the award. The scholarship is for Jim Zebehazy, who served as executive director of the Young American Bowling Alliance from 1996-2004 and later as a regional manager for USBC.

Visit BOWL.com/ScholarshipsAwards to learn more about the scholarship opportunities for USBC Youth bowlers.