PBA Tour

It was a day of firsts as Brad Angelo and Stefanie Nation each captured their first career ProfessionalBowlers Association (PBA) title at the Pepsi Viper Championship at Thunder Alley in Omaha, the second stop of the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

Angelo, a seven-year veteran of the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, defeated No. 1 seed ChrisLoschetter of Avon, Ohio, 256-215 in the championship match. With both bowlers vying for their first title, the game was tied at 107 in the fifth frame and Angelo proceeded to strike in the sixth through 11th frames to run away with the victory. Prior to today, Angelo had appeared in 13 PBA televised finals without garnering a title.

“This is what everybody on the Tour always dreams of, it’s what we all do it for,” Angelo said. “I’ve been knocking on the door for several years, and it finally happened for me.”

Angelo, of Lockport, N.Y., who entered Sunday’s live televised finals as the No. 3 seed, defeated No. 4 seed Wes Malott of Argyle, Texas, 222-195, and No. 2 seed Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., 221-214, in order to advance through the stepladder format. Williams Jr., who is the all-time PBA titles leader with 44, became the first to surpass the $4 million mark with his third-place finish.

Stefanie Nation, of Arlington, Texas, a veteran of last year’s inaugural PBA Women’s Series which is sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), also claimed her first PBA title on Sunday, defeating Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., 225-200. Nation struck in the third through sixth frames keeping the match close. Feldman, opening in the ninth frame, enabled Nation to clinch.

The PBA Tour travels next to Hammond, Indiana for the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship with the live finals airing on ESPN Sunday, November 9th at 1:00pm.