WATERLOO - Since bowling with Professional Bowling Tour star Jeff Carter last August, 11-year-old Darian Johnson has been waiting an entire year for another opportunity.

And the Cedar Falls boy isn't alone. After Cadillac Lanes played host to a PBA regional in 2006, local officials went to work to bring the event back to town.

Well, the wait is nearly over for Johnson and fellow bowling enthusiasts. A year's worth of planning culminates this weekend when the Greater Cedar Valley Bowling Association and Maple Lanes welcome the Midwest Regional Greater Cedar Valley USBC Open.

A pro practice is the first action of the weekend at 3:30 p.m. Friday. before a 6 p.m. pro-am event - a mix of pros and amateurs in a doubles nine-pin tournament.

However, the centerpiece of the weekend is the PBA regional tournament, which will be contested Saturday and Sunday. It's that event - and $12,500 in prize money - that is drawing some of the sport's bigger names, including Pete Weber, a legendary bowler who has earned $3.1 million on the Denny's PBA Tour.

Other well-known pros expected to compete are Sean Rash, a 24-year-old who owns three Denny's PBA Tour titles; Jeff Carter, the United States Bowling Congress record-holder for highest santioned league average at 261.74; and Steve Jaros, who has won seven PBA Tour titles and 35 more in PBA regional play.

The Cedar Valley's most recognizable name in the field is Waterloo's own PBA pro, Shannon Buchan. Nicknamed "The Bulldog," Buchan scored his first PBA victory at last year's event at Cadillac Lanes in dramatic fashion - a strike in the 10th frame. It was a win that helped get Buchan rolling - he managed three top-five finishes after that in PBA events.

"It's a big event," said Buchan. "Last year's was the first one around here since 1994, and I think the community supports it."

With help from the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Maple Lanes brought the tournament to town for $5,000.

"We're excited about the opportunity to entertain them," said Maple Lanes proprietor Bruce Strom. "There's no admission fee, and the public is invited to come out and watch."

Darian, the son of Maple Lanes employee Hanna Johnson, will be joined on the lanes by the pros for the pro-am once again. However, his 6-year-old sister, Marian, also plans to participate.

"(Darian and Marian) want to be pros, and Darian got to ask them all kinds of questions last year," Hanna recalled.

"If people ever watch the PBA on Sundays on TV, they see these guys and they all know about Shannon. He's Waterloo's pro bowler. It shows them that it's possible, that you can come from Waterloo and be a professional bowler."

The PBA regional tournament will roll from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. The pro finals will be Sunday from 9 a.m. -3 p.m.

There will be another pro-am at 7 p.m. Saturday, at which point Strom said he will introduce the newest member of the Maple Lanes family.

Pros to know:

Pete Weber

2006-07 PBA points rank: 3

Called "PDW", the Missouri man is a veteran of the PBA circuit and is tied for third all-time with 34 career Denny's PBA Tour titles. He has collected 52 perfect games and $3.1 million in career earnings. An animated and fierce competitor who hasn't always been embraced by his foes, Weber has one of the best arm swings in the sport. He is coming off a sensational 2006-07 season during which he won two titles, including a record-tying eighth PBA Tour major (the U.S. Open).

Sean Rash

2006-07 PBA points rank: 15

At the youthful age of 24, the Wichita, Kan., native already owns three Denny's PBA Tour titles and finished third in this event at Cadillac Lanes a year ago.

Steve Jaros

2006-07 PBA points rank: 23

A veteran of the PBA circuit, the Illinois native has won 35 times on the regional level, while grabbing seven Denny's PBA Tour wins.

Jeff Carter

2006-07 PBA points rank: 26

The holder of the USBC record for highest sanctioned league average at 261.74, Carter also sits in second place all-time with 86 perfect games.

Shannon Buchan

The Waterloo bowler came to life on his home turf a year ago, winning his only PBA event to date despite qualifying just 15th out of 16 for the finals. Buchan owns 70 perfect games.

Contact Sean Hylton at (319) 291-1428 or sean.hylton@wcfcourier.com