This week I decided to take a departure from the standard run of the mill ITLR and look at some of the other athletics that inhabit the Oberlin sports scene. I caught up with this two sport athlete prior to his Tuesday night mental training session. Fortunately, he was willing to talk about his athletic endeavors before embarking on a quarter-laden trek to Tuesday night training. Thus, I present to you Phil Korngut.I’ve heard that bowling is in your blood. How far back do your bowling genes go?Actually, my grandfather, Lazlo Moses (which is where I get my middle name, Moses) grew up on a farm/bowling alley/bar that had been in my family for 400 years in Hungary. My great-grandfather actually wrestled bears on that farm.When were you introduced to bowling and fishing?My grandpa, Lazlo Moses (the bowler), also took me fishing every weekend. Every weekend when I was a child we spent Saturdays on the party boats and Sundays at the racetrack with my grandfather. And bowling I have been doing since I was very, very young. Brooklyn. There is lots of bowling in Brooklyn. When you compete with the Oberlin College bowling team, how does it feel to be a full-fledged NCAA athlete?Oh, well, you know, it’s really intense with the rigorous physical competition that goes on at these tournaments. We compete, most sports have divisions, but the thing with college bowling is that there are no divisions so we play the best bowlers in the country. It’s pretty fun.Who is your biggest bowling rival?Saginaw Valley College. They’re out of Michigan and they have a pretty serious bowling program. They destroy us. Really. We took two out of three from Notre Dame once, though. The Oberlin B team destroyed them.What type of rigorous training schedule do you follow as a two-sport athlete?Ah, let’s see. Monday afternoons is bowling team practice. The intercollegiate bowling team, that is. We often do rigorous drills, all of which are rewarded by the coach, Tom Reid, who is a god among men, a bowling guru, and he rewards the person best at the drill with a candy bar from the vending machine, which is rigorous. Followed by a kegler’s league, which is very intense. Uncle Jimmy and the Homewreckers have been representing Thursday nights for four years and dominating. Then, of course, I have to balance my time between my other sport, so fishing is done on the weekends with intermittent 6:00 in the morning trips in the rain during the week. How do athletes of your caliber compare to other athletes at this school?You know I think if other people put in as much training as me they might be able to get to my level, but it really requires a lot of physical devotion. Do you have any pre-game warm-ups or rituals for either sport?Well, let’s just say that both require the proper mental lubrication.Do you think fishing should be an NCAA sport?Absolutely. I think that we can get together a pretty good Oberlin team and the thought had actually crossed my mind because competitive bass fishing goes on all over the place. What is your best fish story?Okay, so one time, I was surf casting in Coney Island for stripers and I was using sandworms and I gave a big huck from the shore. I casted a little too high and a sea gull swooped down and grabbed the worm and the hook and proceeded to fly around in circles over my head as I reeled it in, and it turned a little ugly after that. You ever thought of pursuing a stint on the PBA or the Pro Bass Tour?Actually, I fantasize cravingly about both, but I will probably need some more rigorous training before I get there. Who are your heroes?Parker Bone III is an amazing bowler. I admire him. Fishing heroes, my grandpa.Complete this sentence. Fish fear me...Women want me.How are bowling and fishing crossover sports?They both require a great deal of mental focus and dedication.Finally, would you rather be a sucker [a river bottom-dwelling garbage disposal] or a bowling pin?A bowling pin.Why?Why not?