New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 
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When Rusty Thomsen offers the bowlers at New Jersey City University some wisdom, he is drawing on his own experience and expertise. The remarkably accomplished bowler enters his sixth season as the assistant coach of the perennial national power Gothic Knights in 2007-08.

 

Thomsen, who was originally hired on September 1, 2002 as only the second assistant coach in program history, may be the most knowledgeable and top assistant coach in the nation at any level. The success of the NJCU women’s bowling team is partially because of his tutelage on the lanes. He deserves a lot of the credit for NJCU bouncing back from the brink of elimination in the 2004 NCAA Championships. After his pep talk, the Gothic Knights  answered by advancing to the first-ever Final Four, before placing third in the country.

 

With a playing portfolio to back up his coaching brilliance, NJCU’s bowlers listen, because Thomsen is a professional. Literally. Through the end of 2007, he has bowled 56 career perfect 300 games and 24 299s. He has bowled over 1,000 700 series as a player and 40 800 series.

 

Thomsen has placed among the Top 80 in the U.S. Open in each of the last two years and has made the cut at what is considered the top tournament in professional bowling in three consecutive years.

Last year at the 64^th U.S. Open in North Brunswick, NJ Thomsen was 80^th overall of 492 competitors with a 200.74 average. His best performance game in 2006 when he was 65^th of 460 with a 201.15 average. He made the cut in his first US Open in 2005, finishing 96^th of 433 with a 194.63 average.

 

Since joining the PBA Tour on February 21, 2006, the highlight of his career came on June 18, 2006 when he won the PBA East Region Kleeners Warehouse Open at Howell Lanes in Howell, NJ. There he placed first of 179 keglers. In that tournament, the top 16 advanced to match play and Thomsen, the 14^th seed, bowled his way to the title. In the round of 16 he defeated #3 seeded Anthony Vigliotti (Staten Island, NY) in a best 3-of-5 series, 3-games-to-1 (169-134, 176-183, 200-187, 196-161). In the best 2-of-3 quarterfinals, he upset #11 Parker Bohn III (Jackson, NJ), 2-0 (231-213, 225-208). In the single-game elimination semifinals, he knocked off #7 Tim Criss (Bel Air, MD), 236-203 before winning the championship over #1 seeded Joe Paluszek (Bensalem, PA), 208-191.

 

In his career, he has three Top 10 finishes in PBA regional action. He placed third of 86 in qualifying before falling in the semifinals and placing fourth overall at the PBA South Region, Florence, SC Open on July 1, 2007. On July 30, 2006, Thomsen was 13^th in the final standings, after qualifying as the #8 seed in the PBA South Region Fayetteville, NC Open.

 

Additionally, he has eight Top 5 finishes in master’s tournaments, 11 Middlesex County and four state titles (two doubles, one singles, and one team). He was named co-Bowler of the Year by the Middlesex County Bowling Association for the 2003-04 season. It’s the second time in his career he has been honored by the MCBA, previously taking home Bowler of the Year honors during the 1999-2000 season. He has also competed in numerous leagues in Central Jersey, including the Friday Summer Adult and Child League at the Woodbridge Bowling Center (WBC) and the Ed Walsh Pro Shop Doubles held at the WBC.

 

Thomsen also finished third in 2005 at the New Jersey State Masters Tournament. Along with teammate Phil Prasch, he captured the doubles championship at the New Jersey State Tournament. He was a key member of the Paris Construction team that won the team actual title at the state event.

 

In his career as a player, his 300 game tallies at the WBC is more than twice that of any other bowler in the center’s history, and he has achieved roughly one-third of all 800 series ever recorded at the site.

 

As a freshman and sophomore at St. John’s University in Jamaica, NY under Coach Bill Delawaski, he was the number one ranked men’s collegiate bowler in the Eastern Intercollegiate Bowling Conference’s during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons. As a freshman in 2000-01, Thomsen was named the EIBC Rookie of the Year after leading the league in high average, a feat he duplicated in 2001. He finished with 2535 total pins at the 2000 National Collegiate Team Matches games in helping the Red Storm take the men’s team title.

 

In standings among the Young American Bowling Alliance in April 1999, Thomsen was the only men’s bowler in the country aged 20 or under to have registered three series of 800 (824, 811, 803).

 

A June 1999 graduate of Sayreville (NJ) War Memorial High School in Middlesex County, Thomsen was a four-year member of the bowling and golf programs for the Bombers.

 

In four seasons of bowling from 1995-99 under Coach Pete Nicholiason, Thomsen won the 1999 Greater Middlesex Conference tournament championships as a senior, after placing second in the GMC as a junior in 1998. He had four years of tee times for Coach Larry Helwig with the golf team from 1996-99.

 

Thomsen formerly worked at the WBC for 10 years. Since August 2004, NJCU has hosted the annual Russ Thomsen Memorial Scholarship Tournament at the site. The event, which draws dozens of local bowling talent, is named in honor of his late father, who was very active in youth athletics in Middlesex County during his life.

 

Thomsen, 27, is a 2005 graduate of Kean University with a degree in physical education. He is currently a health and physical education teacher at Woodbridge Middle School. In his spare time he gives bowling lessons, works at a golf course, and umpires baseball and softball games. An avid golfer, he owns a -3 handicap. Born December 15, 1980 in Perth Amboy, NJ, Thomsen resides in Morgan, NJ.