Malott #1 Seed For Etonic Marathon Open

Arguably the most versatile bowler on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX, earned top qualifier honors Friday for Sunday’s stepladder finals of the PBA Etonic Marathon Open at Woodland Bowl, in Indianapolis, IN.

With a 12,272 54-game pinfall (227.2 average), Malott finished 223 pins ahead of Hall of Famer Pete Weber from St. Ann, MO, with 12,049 (223.1 average) who earned the No. 2 spot for the finals.

“I’m feeling it and I can tell you everybody out here who bowled the 54 games is feeling it,” said Malott of the grueling format. “I was able to adjust to the pressure of bowling the different conditions—I had a little trouble this morning on the Earl Anthony pattern but I found I had to stay slow on the Shark pattern tonight and I bowled well.”

The unique tournament format consisted of 54 games—total pinfall with no match play—over the last four days contested on six different PBA Tour lane condition patterns. The long format and the use of PBA’s Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion, Earl Anthony and Shark oil patterns was designed to test the competitors’ stamina and versatility.

As the tournament leader, Malott earned the privilege of choosing the Scorpion oil pattern for the ESPN telecast which starts Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The Scorpion pattern incorporates a larger volume of oil on the lanes applied to a distance of 42 feet which often demands a more direct line.

“There are a few reasons why I chose Scorpion, but really nothing more complicated than I do well on it,” said the 32-year-old right-hander.

Earlier this season Malott, a five-time Tour titlist, won the Tour’s Versatility Swing which consisted of six tournaments that featured the Tour’s six named lane conditions. During the Swing he won two events including the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Classic.

Weber, who is tied with Mark Roth for third on the all-time PBA Tour win list with 34 titles, came from 45th after the first round to second.

“Today especially, I was focused on what I had to do when I had to do it. I didn’t second guess myself,” said the 46-year-old Weber. “I’ve always said that the more games you bowl the cream rises to the top. Don’t count anybody out when you have nine-game blocks.”

Looking for his first win this season, Weber has made the last three out of four Tour telecasts. Qualifying third was hometown favorite Ronnie Russell. The 29-year-old Russell has toured off and on for the last six years with a best finish of second in last season’s PBA Exempt Doubles Classic with Joe Ciccone.

Opening the stepladder on Sunday will be No. 4 qualifier Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, who coming into this event is the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour points list leader taking on No. 5 qualifier Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX, the reigning PBA Player of the Year. The winner earns a $35,000 first prize and a one-year PBA Tour exemption.

USBC Town Hall Meetings

Bowling center owners, Pro Shop operators, Coaches and bowlers are encouraged to attend the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Town Hall meeting nearest them this weekend and the weekend of March 7.

Topics to be discussed include USBC's move to Arlington; the future of youth bowling including Bowlopolis; new membership options; dues structuring; communication and delivery systems; financial summary; awards and USBC Board of Directors decisions. Following will be Q and A. To see the dates, locations and times in your area, CLICK HERE

In Chicago, March 1st, 1-4pm at the Crown Plaza Ohare Airport, 5440 North River Road, Rosemont, IL

Mr. Versatility - Wes Malott Moves Into the Lead

Wes Malott has already proven that he is one of the most versatile players in professional bowling by winning the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour six-tournament Versatility Swing this season.

He backed that title up by moving into the lead in the Etonic Marathon Open after Thursday’s third and fourth rounds at Woodland Bowl.

Designed to showcase the most versatile players, the Versatility Swing was based on players’ performance in six PBA Experience lane condition championships held earlier this season.

Malott had a 2,230 pinfall (247.7 average) in Thursday’s nine-game block on PBA’s Scorpion oil pattern and 2,019 (224.3 average) on the Chameleon pattern. The Etonic Marathon Open features the PBA six lane conditioning patterns over the course of the 54-game tournament.

“I just want to keep the momentum going and get to the show,” said the 32-year-old right-hander from Pflugerville, Texas. “I’ve proven that I have had success on the different (PBA) patterns so I’ve got the confidence.”

With an overall 8,295 36-game pinfall (230.4 average) on four different lane conditions thus far in the tournament, Malott holds a 129-pin lead over reigning PBA Player of the Year Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, in second.

“Having to bowl 54 games in this tournament on six conditions really tests you mentally and physically, Malott added. “I accomplished what I wanted to do today. Hopefully I’m leading the tournament when we get to the finals, but making the show is the main thing.”

Malott earned the Versatility Swing title by winning two tournaments and making the ESPN-televised finals three other times.

His finishes in the Versatility Swing events were: Pepsi Viper Championship, fourth; Chameleon Championship, third; CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship, first; Cheetah Championship, 12th; Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship, second, and first in the Bayer Earl Anthony Medford Classic which was conducted on the Earl Anthony lane condition.

Today, the 52-player field will bowl two more nine-game blocks on the Earl Anthony and Shark conditions, respectively. The top five will then advance to the ESPN finals on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern with the No. 1 qualifier determining the lane conditions to be used during the telecast.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Etonic Marathon Open Woodland Bowl – Indianapolis, Ind.
Qualifying Round 4 Standings (After 36 Games)

1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 8,295
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 8,166
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 8,143
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8,137
5, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 8,103
6, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 8,081
7, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 8,067
8, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 8,050
9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 8,021
10, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 8,012
11, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 7,993
12, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 7,934
13, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 7,932
14, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 7,931
15, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 7,930
16, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 7,926
17, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 7,896
18, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 7,877
19, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 7,875
20, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 7,873
21, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 7,870
22, Thomas Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., 7,827
23, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 7,823
24, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 7,804
25, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 7,797
26, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 7,787
27, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 7,778
28, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 7,760
29, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 7,757
30, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 7,752
31, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,721
32, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 7,717
33, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 7,702
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7,700
35, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 7,680
36, Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 7,676
37, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 7,670
38, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 7,665
39, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 7,653
40, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 7,646
41, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 7,602
42, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 7,556
42, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 7,556
44, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 7,552
45, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 7,522
46, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 7,517
47, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 7,505
48, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 7,499
49, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, NM, 7,480
50, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 7,405
51, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 7,343
52, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 7,258
53, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 5,748 (WD)

Loschetter Leads After 18 Games

After bowling on two different lane conditions in two days and averaging 230.06 overall, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, moved into the lead after the second round of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Etonic Marathon Open Wednesday at Woodland Bowl.

Finishing second to Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., after Tuesday’s nine-game first round on the Cheetah condition, Loschetter put together a nine-game block of 1,997 Wednesday on the Viper condition for an overall 18-game pinfall of 4,141, to move ahead of McCune by 29 pins.

The Etonic Marathon Open features the Tour’s six lane conditioning patterns and a format that includes 54 games, total pinfall with no match play. The 161-player field has now been cut to the top 53 who will bowl nine games each on the Scorpion and Chameleon oil patterns on Thursday. On Friday the players will bowl nine games each on the Earl Anthony and Shark lane patterns.

“I bowl pretty well on the Viper condition but I feel like I’m one of the stronger versatile players out here,” said Loschetter, who finished second in the Pepsi Viper Championship last October to winner Brad Angelo of Lockport, N.Y. “I think I have all the tools to do well on any pattern I just haven’t put it all together this year yet.”

The Viper condition measures 38 feet in lane oil distance, and generally, allows bowlers a wider range of strategies to play the lane which seems to match up with Loschetter’s game.

“I’m pretty comfortable playing anywhere on the lane but I would say my biggest test yet will be bowling on the Shark and Earl Anthony conditions which are probably the toughest for me,” Loschetter added.

Looking for his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour win, the 28-year-old Loschetter has finished second four times in his career including his runner-up finish to Angelo. Angelo is currently 30^th after Wednesday’s second round.

With 45 career PBA Tour victories, all-time win leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., moved from 21st after Tuesday’s round to third with a 4,047 18-game pinfall.

“I found a good reaction for eight of the nine games today,” Williams said. “I bowled well yesterday too but didn’t seem to get the same reaction. I just have to make sure I don’t get the ball too far right on any of these conditions because the ball just won’t come back.”

After Friday’s competition, the top five players will compete in the ESPN-televised stepladder finals on Sunday March 1 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The finalists will bowl on the lane condition selected by the No. 1 qualifier.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Etonic Marathon Open Woodland Bowl – Indianapolis, Ind.
Qualifying Round 2 (Viper Pattern) Standings (After 18 Games)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4,141
2, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 4,112,
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 4,047
4, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4,046
5, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,035
6, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4,011
7, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,978
8, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,976
9, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,967
10, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,959
11, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,950
12, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 3,932
13, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, Pa., 3,929, $100
14, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 3,922
15, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,913
16, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 3,905
17, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 3,904
18, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 3,901
19, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,899
20, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 3,898
21, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,892
21, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,892
23, Thomas Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., 3,889
24, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 3,878
25, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,874
26, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 3,873
26, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,873
28, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 3,843
29, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 3,828
30, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 3,818
30, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,818
32, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 3,806
33, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,800
34, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,799
35, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3,791
36, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3,785
37, Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 3,783
37, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,783
39, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,781
40, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,779
41, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 3,778
42, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,776
43, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 3,769
44, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,764
45, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 3,762
46, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,756
47, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 3,753
48, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 3,749
49, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 3,747
49, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 3,747
51, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 3,734
52, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,724
53, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,721
54, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 3,716
55, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,715
56, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,712
57, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 3,711
58, Tony Campagna Jr., Nashville, Tenn., 3,709
59, G. Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 3,708
60, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3,701
61, Jason Flaugh, Avilla, Ind., 3,697
61, Duane Kilts, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 3,697
63, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,696
64, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,695
65, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 3,690
66, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 3,688
67, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 3,686
68, Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, 3,677
69, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,665
69, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 3,665
71, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 3,663
72, Timothy Behrendt, St Louis, Mo., 3,659
73, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 3,646
74, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 3,644
75, Brad Snell, Mount Prospect, Ill., 3,641
76, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 3,640
77, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 3,635
78, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 3,626
79, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,611
80, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 3,594
81, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,580
82, Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky., 3,571
83, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 3,567
84, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,564
85, Theresa Smith-Dill, Indianapolis, 3,559
86, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 3,557
87, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,551
88, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 3,549
88, George Lambert IV, Canada, 3,549
90, Chris Cundiff, Portage, Ind., 3,548
91, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 3,543
92, Terrance Reeves, Valrico, Fla., 3,541
92, Chester Rogers Jr., Milwaukie, Ore., 3,541
94, Michael Svilar, Munster, Ind., 3,536
95, Tyler Selden, Kettering, Ohio, 3,520
95, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 3,520
97, Tracey Burroughs, Noblesville, Ind., 3,519
98, Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan., 3,513
99, Jeffrey Thomas, Indianapolis, 3,505
100, Charles Anderson, Sloatsburg, N.Y., 3,497
101, Anthony Preston, Louisville, Ky., 3,487
102, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 3,486
103, Brian Walker, Indianapolis, 3,475
104, Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Wash., 3,460
105, Jimmy Cook, Indianapolis, 3,458
106, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 3,455
107, Nick Morgan, Sacramento, Calif., 3,452
108, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 3,451
109, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 3,450
110, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 3,446
111, Eric Leuthart, Otisco, Ind., 3,439
111, Matt Dammann, Canada, 3,439
113, Jason Payne, Niles, Mich., 3,434
114, Thomas Siler, Columbus, Ohio, 3,431
115, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3,429
116, Craig Strouse, Muncie, Ind., 3,420
117, Bruce Falcon, Bay City, Mich., 3,412
118, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 3,411
119, Timothy Byer, Covington, Va., 3,404
120, Chris Kliczinski, Pinckney, Mich., 3,396
121, Todd Bieber, Flint, Mich., 3,386
122, Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 3,381
123, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 3,376
124, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 3,371
125, Dan Johnson, Bloomington, Ind., 3,364
126, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 3,361
127, Chris Gentry, Anderson, Ind., 3,346
128, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,332
129, Justin Howard, Rushville, Ind., 3,331
130, Jarrod Melton, Bedford, Ind., 3,325
131, Grant Chleborad, Westfield, Ind., 3,324
132, Chad Morris, Piqua, Ohio, 3,306
133, Dennis Smith, San Francisco, 3,304
134, Terry Buckner, Anderson, Ind., 3,299
135, Ron Schoenbachler, Indianapolis, 3,298
135, Michael Lisch, Zionsville, Ind., 3,298
137, Dallas Baldridge, Lenexa, Kan., 3,287
138, Brandon Turner, Greenwood, Ind., 3,284
139, Jack Nealon, Bowie, Md., 3,232
140, Jason Johnson, Indianapolis, 3,220
141, Edward Kramarcik, Lake Mary, Fla., 3,197
142, Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 3,194
143, Aaron Joseph Loveless, Rochester, Ind., 3,191
144, Scott Bowland, Indianapolis, 3,183
145, Scott Weber, La Salle, Ill., 3,178
146, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 3,173
147, Charles Rott, Shelbyville, Ind., 3,161
148, Gary Zwiezinski, Elyria, Ohio, 3,159
149, Jeffrey Sisson, LaRue, Ohio, 3,153
150, Mark Cornelius, Peru, Ind., 3,151
151, Joseph Satterfield, Newport News, Va., 3,133
152, Doug Crow, St. Clair, Mo., 3,125
153, Ike Brownfield, Lowell, Ind., 3,110
154, Ronnie Montgomery Bedford Heights, Ohio, 3,089
155, Jeff Strong, Greenwood, Ind., 3,046
156, Marc Pruett, Terre Haute, Ind., 3,045
157, Arlo Truax, Franklin, Ind., 3,005
158, Rick Cornelius, Omaha, Neb., 2,938
159, Pete Stamiris, Hammond, Ind., 2,923
160, Ward Rauch, Cheboygan, Mich., 2,538
161, Jack Vermillion, Noblesville, Ind., 1,453

McCune Leads Etonic Marathon Open

With the help of a 300 game, Eugene McCune of Munster, Ind., led after the first round of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Etonic Marathon Open Tuesday at Woodland Bowl, a tournament that incorporates a unique format where players compete on six different PBA lane conditioning patterns over the course of the event.

The 40-year-old McCune, who has one Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title to his credit, topped the 161-player field with a 2,156 nine-game pinfall (239.56 average) on the PBA Tour’s Cheetah lane condition. His 300 game came in the final game of the block.

“In general I do pretty well at this center and believe it or not I play most of the Tour conditions pretty much the same,” McCune said. “Tonight I had a good situation where I was able to play the same area of the lane and just make some speed adjustments.”

McCune, who has been battling chronic knee problems this season, finished eighth in the Lake County Indiana Golden Anniversary Championship last November and ninth in the recent United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters, which are his best finishes this season.

“It’s been an up and down year and I’m just working through it.” McCune said. “It just seems like it’s been one thing after the other with the knee. Tonight I was able to keep my ball speed up but as the tournament goes on I might have to work through the pain again.”

For the Cheetah pattern the lane is conditioned to 36 feet which is the shortest of the six Tour lane conditioning patterns. The Cheetah generally allows players to make “risk-reward” decisions based on playing the outside areas of the lane.

PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., who won the Cheetah Championship in December, was in 27th after Tuesday’s competition.

As part of the Tour’s Extreme Swing, the Etonic Marathon Open format consists of 54 games, total pinfall with no match play. That means nine games on the six PBA lane oil patterns, putting the players to a supreme test of stamina and versatility. After Wednesday’s competition the field will be cut to the top one-third (53 players) who will bowl nine games each on the Scorpion and Chameleon patterns on Thursday. On Friday the players will bowl on the Earl Anthony and Shark lane patterns. After Friday’s competition, the top five players will compete in the ESPN-televised stepladder finals on Sunday March 1 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The finalists will bowl on the lane condition selected by the No. 1 qualifier.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Etonic Marathon Open Indianapolis, Ind.
Qualifying Round 1 Standings, Cheetah Pattern (After 9 Games)

1, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,156
2, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,144
3, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 2,104
4, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,095
5, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,065
6, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,028
7, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 2,022
8, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,013
9, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,012
10, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,011
11, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 2,004
11, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,004
13, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 2,003
13, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,003
15, George Branham III, Indianapolis, 2,001
16, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,000
17, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa, 1,999
18, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 1,997
19, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,992
20, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,990
21, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,988
22, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,984
23, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 1,980
23, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 1,980
25, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,978
26, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,964
27, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,963
28, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 1,962
29, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,961
30, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,945
31, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,944
32, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,942
32, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 1,942
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,941
35, Thomas Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., 1,938
36, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,937
37, Adrienne Miller, Albuquerque, N.M., 1,925
38, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 1,924
38, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,924
40, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,922
41, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,920
42, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,917
42, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 1,917
44, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 1,913
45, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,912
46, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,907
47, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,894
48, Trisha Reid, Columbus, Ohio, 1,892
49, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,888
50, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,886
51, George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,881
52, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1,876
53, Tony Campagna Jr., Nashville, Tenn., 1,874
54, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,873
55, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 1,871
56, Theresa Smith-Dill, Indianapolis, 1,870
57, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,869
58, Timothy Behrendt, St Louis, 1,868
59, Brad Snell, Mount Prospect, Ill., 1,866
60, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,863
61, G. Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,862
62, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,861
62, Duane Kilts, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1,861
64, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 1,858
65, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 1,854
65, Charles Anderson, Sloatsburg, N.Y., 1,854
67, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 1,853
68, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,850
68, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 1,850
68, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 1,850
71, Jason Flaugh, Avilla, Ind., 1,845
71, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 1,845
73, Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 1,844
73, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,844
75, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,843
76, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,842
77, Chester Rogers Jr, Milwaukie, Ore., 1,841
77, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 1,841
79, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,839
80, Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Wash., 1,833
80, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,833
82, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,830
83, Brian Walker, Indianapolis, 1,823
84, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 1,816
85, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,811
86, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 1,809
86, Craig Strouse, Muncie, Ind., 1,809
88, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 1,807
89, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 1,801
90, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 1,799
91, Bob Hale, Louisville, Ky., 1,796
92, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,794
93, Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 1,793
94, Todd Bieber, Flint, Mich., 1,783
94, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,783
96, Jimmy Cook, Indianapolis, 1,773
97, Grant Chleborad, Westfield, Ind., 1,771
98, Tyler Selden, Kettering, Ohio, 1,770
99, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,769
99, Tracey Burroughs, Noblesville, Ind., 1,769
101, Justin Howard, Rushville, Ind., 1,767
102, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 1,764
103, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,763
104, Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan., 1,762
105, Timothy Byer, Covington, Va., 1,749
106, Matt Dammann, Canada, 1,747
107, Eric Leuthart, Otisco, Ind., 1,745
107, Jennifer Petrick, Canton, Ohio, 1,745
109, Nick Morgan, Sacramento, Calif., 1,744
110, Chris Kliczinski, Pinckney, Mich., 1,740
111, Chris Cundiff, Portage, Ind., 1,734
112, Bruce Falcon, Bay City, Mich., 1,726
112, Chris Gentry, Anderson, Ind., 1,726
112, Jeffrey Thomas, Indianapolis, 1,726
115, Terrance Reeves, Valrico, Fla., 1,723
116, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,722
117, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,720
118, Scott Weber, La Salle, Ill., 1,716
119, Anthony Preston, Louisville, Ky., 1,714
120, Jarrod Melton, Bedford, Ind., 1,709
121, Michael Svilar, Munster, Ind., 1,707
122, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,705
123, Dan Johnson, Bloomington, Ind., 1,702
123, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,702
125, Ward Rauch, Cheboygan, Mich., 1,701
126, Brandon Turner, Greenwood, Ind., 1,695
126, Chad Morris, Piqua, Ohio, 1,695
128, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,669
129, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,667
130, Thomas Siler, Columbus, Ohio, 1,663
131, Michael Lisch, Zionsville, Ind., 1,658
132, Dallas Baldridge, Lenexa, Kan., 1,657
133, Jack Laffey, Indianapolis, 1,652
134, Aaron Joseph Loveless, Rochester, Ind., 1,648
135, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,643
136, Ron Schoenbachler, Indianapolis, 1,641
137, Terry Buckner, Anderson, Ind., 1,631
138, Joseph Satterfield, Newport News, Va., 1,625
139, Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 1,618
140, Charles Rott, Shelbyville, Ind., 1,613
141, Ike Brownfield, Lowell, Ind., 1,611
142, Arlo Truax, Franklin, Ind., 1,606
143, Gary Zwiezinski, Elyria, Ohio, 1,593
144, Marc Pruett, Terre Haute, Ind., 1,592
145, Dennis Smith, San Francisco, 1,581
146, Jason Johnson, Indianapolis, 1,578
147, Mark Cornelius, Peru, Ind., 1,572
148, Ronnie Montgomery Sr., Bedford Hts., Ohio, 1,569
149, Jeffrey Sisson, LaRue, Ohio, 1,567
150, Jason Payne, Niles, Mich., 1,562
151, Edward Kramarcik Sr., Lake Mary, Fla., 1,558
152, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,555
153, Scott Bowland, Indianapolis, 1,553
153, Pete Stamiris, Hammond, Ind., 1,553
155, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,529
156, Jeff Strong, Greenwood, Ind., 1,491
157, Doug Crow, St. Clair, Mo., 1,488
158, Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,487
159, Jack Nealon, Bowie, Md., 1,470
160, Jack Vermillion, Noblesville, Ind., 1,453
161, Rick Cornelius, Omaha, Neb., 1,432

Allen Bowler of The Month

Patrick Allen was a unanimous choice as recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) Kegel Bowler of the Month Award for January.

The 38-year-old Wesley Chapel, Fla., left-hander posted three top-five finishes, winning two his first major championship in the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)'s H&R Block Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas and the National Bowling Stadium Championship in Reno, Nev., an event that featured multiple lane conditions during the championship finals.

Other nominees garnering significant votes were: Wes Mallot, who successfully defended his title at the Bayer Earl Anthony Medford Classic, and Wendy Macpherson, who won the Earl Anthony Medford Classic PBA Women's Series title.

Carter Defeats Weber, and It Happened Sunday

Jeff Carter of Springfield, Ill., ended his 122-tournament quest for his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title Sunday, defeating his idol, Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., 235-213, to win the GEICO Plastic Ball Championship at Brunswick Zone-Wheat Ridge.

Carter, 39, threw six strikes in a row after an opening-frame spare to build a 56-pin lead after five frames and he easily held off Weber to win the $25,000 first prize, a one-year exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour next season, and a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions.

The tournament was contested with throw-back polyester bowling equipment that dominated the sport in the 1970s, providing a challenge similar to requiring professional golfers to play an entire tournament using persimmon woods, or tennis players to compete with wooden rackets and cat-gut strings.

With the entire field using identical low-tech bowling balls, the emphasis was on accuracy, speed control and hand action at the point of release. Carter – a contemporary power player – didn’t expect to do well when he entered, but he found the equipment limitations actually worked in his favor.

“This tournament took some variables out of play that I’ve struggled with in the past,” Carter said. “I just put my game into slow motion and went from there.

“Bowling against Pete was indescribable,” Carter continued, adding with a grin: “Actually, bowling him for the title made it easier. He’s my friend. He’s also one of my heroes. I’ve dreamt about bowling him for my first title. Today that dream came true.”

Carter also said that Weber had made a reference before the title match that seeing Carter vs. Weber on the scoreboard was special. Pete was referring to memories of his late father Dick Weber’s close relationship to fellow Budweiser teammate and hall of famer Don Carter. Jeff Carter is not related to Don, but the symbolism wasn’t lost on him.

“Who would have thought it would come down to Carter vs. Weber for my first title,” Carter said. “Who could ask for anything better?”

In the first semifinal round match, Weber followed an open frame and spare with eight consecutive strikes to defeat Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 269-226. In the second semifinal match, Carter fell behind when he left and failed to convert the 4-6-7-9-10 “Greek church” in the fifth frame, but struck on six of his next seven shots for a 220-191 victory over Michael Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y.

The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour now moves to Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis for the Etonic Marathon Championship where an open field of competitors will bowl 54 games on six different lane conditioning patterns. The third stop on the PBA Tour’s “Extreme Swing” gets underway on Tuesday. ESPN will televise the finals next Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

Plastic Ball Championships Finals Set

It has been a long time since reigning Professional Bowlers Association (PBA)Player of the Year Chris Barnes and PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber have used a plastic bowling ball on a regular basis for other than spare shooting. But they got the most out of that technology Friday when both bowlers advanced to Sunday’s finals of the PBA GEICO Plastic Ball Championship at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

Barnes, who is looking for his first win of the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season, defeated Mike DeVaney of San Diego, 4-1 in the Round of 8 best-of-seven match to advance to the finals. He had games of 279, 279, 279, 230 and 257.

“The last time I used a plastic ball on a regular basis was at the American Bowling Congress Tournament in 1992 and I shot an 800 series with it,” said Barnes, who owns 10 PBA Tour titles. “Under any circumstances my primary adjustment is speed and release which is particularly critical when you are using plastic equipment.”

For today’s match play competition all players continued to use identical plastic bowling balls as will the four finalists for Sunday’s ESPN finals which will get underway at 1 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Mountain). The concept of having all competitors use identical equipment for this event is to level the playing field from an equipment standpoint.

“For the TV finals adjusting your speed will be especially important because there will be more carry down (lane conditioner moving down the lane),” Barnes continued. “But there is one advantage--there won’t be a lot of decisions to make in what equipment to use.”

Weber, who is making his second television appearance of the season having previously made the finals when he finished third in the recent Denny’s Dick Weber Open, defeated Jack Jurek of Lackawana, N.Y., 4-3 to advance to the finals. Weber said it has been at least 20 years since plastic equipment was the mainstay of his arsenal.

“I like the format and would have had a lot of fun even if I didn’t make the finals,” said Weber who is tied for third with Mark Roth in career Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titles with 34. “Using this equipment really made you focus plus you had to have a lot of breaks. You had to make the right adjustments to keep from hitting the pocket like a 6-pound ball.”

Joining Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Weber, St. Ann, Mo., in the finals will be Jeff Carter of Springfield, Ill., who is looking for his first PBA Tour title and Michael Fagan of Patchogue, N.Y., who hopes to win his first individual PBA Tour title. Fagan, who won the PBA Exempt Doubles Classic with Danny Wiseman last season, finished second to Norm Duke in the Denny’s Dick Weber Open.

The GEICO Plastic Ball Championship is part of the PBA’s 50th Anniversary season “Extreme Swing,” which also includes the Ultimate Scoring Championship, Etonic Marathon Open, Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator and the GoRVing Match Play Championship.


LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
GEICO Plastic Ball Championship
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge – Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Match Play Standings (Best 4 of 7 Games), Money for Non-Finalists

Round of 8
#8 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX, def. #1 Mike DeVaney $4,100, San Diego, 4-1
#6 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, NY, def.#14 Brian Voss $4,100, Kennesaw, GA, 4-3
#15 Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, def. #7 Robert Smith $4,100, Columbus, OH, 4-3
#4 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, def. #28 Jack Jurek $4,100, Lackawanna, NY, 4-3

Round of 16
#8 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX, def. #9 Jason Couch $2,700, Clermont, FL, 4-2
#15 Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, def. #2 Jason Belmonte $2,700, Australia, 4-1
#6 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, NY, def. #22 Ryan Shafer $2,700, Horseheads, NY, 4-2
#4 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, def. #20 Brian Kretzer $2,700, Dayton, OH, 4-0
#28 Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY, def. #21 Ronnie Russell $2,700, Indianapolis, IN 4-0
#14 Brian Voss, Kennesaw, GA, def. #3 Edward VanDaniker Jr. $2,700, Essex, MD, 4-0
#7 Robert Smith, Columbus, OH, def. #10 Tommy Jones $2,700, Simpsonville, SC, 4-1
#1 Mike DeVaney, San Diego, CA def. #16 Nathan Bohr $2,700, Wichita, KS, 4-2

Round of 32
#1 Mike DeVaney, San Diego, CA def. #32 Patrick Allen $2,200, Wesley Chapel, FL, 4-2
#2 Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. #31 Billy Oatman $2,200, Chicago, IL 4-3
#3 Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, MD, def. #30 David Williams Jr. $2,200, Omaha, NE, 4-2
#4 Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO, def. #29 Tom Hess $2,200, Urbandale, IA, 4-0
#28 Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY, def. #5 Joe Ciccone $2,200, Buffalo, NY, 4-1
#6 Michael Fagan, Patchogue, NY, def. #27 Michael Machuga $2,200, Erie, PA, 4-2
#7 Robert Smith, Columbus, OH, def. #26 Dave D'Entremont $2,200, Middleburg Heights, OH, 4-0
#8 Chris Barnes, Double Oak, TX, def. #25 Brad Angelo $2,200, Lockport, NY, 4-1
#9 Jason Couch, Clermont, FL, def. #24 Steve Harman $2,200, Indianapolis, IN 4-1
#10 Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, SC, def. #23 Mike Edwards $2,200, Tulsa, OK, 4-3
#22 Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, NY, def. #11 Sean Rash $2,200, Wichita, KS, 4-3
#21 Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, IN def. #12 Bill O'Neill $2,200, Southampton, PA, 4-1
#20 Brian Kretzer, Dayton, OH, def. #13 Mike Wolfe $2,200, New Albany, IN, 4-1
#14 Brian Voss, Kennesaw, GA, def. #19 Mitch Beasley $2,200, Puyallup, WA, 4-1
#15 Jeff Carter, Springfield, IL, def. #18 Jason Sterner $2,200, McDonough, GA, 4-1
#16 Nathan Bohr, Wichita, KS, def. #17 Walter Ray Williams Jr. $2,200, Ocala, FL, 4-3

DeVaney Leads in Plastic Ball Championships

In a tournament where all competitors are required to use identical plastic bowling balls, Mike DeVaney of San Diego and two-handed bowling star Jason Belmonte of Australia, are the leaders after Round of 64 qualifying Thursday in the PBA GEICO Plastic Ball Championship at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

DeVaney leads with a 3,348 14-game pinfall (239.1 average) just eight pins ahead of Belmonte in second with 3,340.

The concept of requiring players to use identical plastic bowling balls for this tournament is designed to provide an even playing field from an equipment standpoint.

“I normally use 8-10 balls in a normal week,” said DeVaney, who owns one Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title. “I used one ball all day today. The transition of oil is more consistent over time -- I only moved a total of six boards today between the two squads.”

Belmonte’s previous best finishes on the PBA Tour were a 10th in the PBA World Championship and a 15th place finish in the recent Denny’s Dick Weber Open.

“I was very happy to sneak in through the rabbits (PBA Tour Qualifying Round) (TQR) and very happy to be in this position,” said Belmonte. “Truth be told, the first few shots in each round I threw too hard. For this pattern you had to slow ball speed down.”

“Plastic” polyester balls like the ones featured in the Plastic Ball Championship are almost exclusively used for spare shooting due to the balls’ tendency to go straight on the majority of today’s lane conditions. However, they were at the forefront of ball technology in the 1970s and early 80s. Today’s most popular bowling balls are composed of resin with exotic weight blocks, which enhance the balls’ ability to hook.

The top 32 players will now move into best-of-seven game matches on Friday until the final four are remaining for the ESPN finals airing Sunday, Feb. 22, at 1 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Mountain).

PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss and 2009 USBC Masters champion John Nolen were given commissioner’s exemptions into the tournament with Voss advancing to the Round of 32 by finishing 14th in qualifying while Nolen failed to advance finishing 45th.

The GEICO Plastic Ball Championship is part of the 50th Anniversary season “Extreme Swing,” which also includes the Ultimate Scoring Championship, Etonic Marathon Open, Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator and the GoRVing Match Play Championship. The creative format events are meant to test the greatest bowlers in the world in different areas of the game, provide television audiences with a fresh look while providing education on pertinent aspects of the game.


LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
GEICO Plastic Ball Championship
Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge – Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Qualifying Round Standings (14 Games), Money for Non-Qualifiers
Top 32 Advance to Match Play
1, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,348

2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,340

3, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 3,290

4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,260

5, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,257

6, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,234

7, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 3,203

8, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,195

9, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,182

10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,178

11, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 3,177

12, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,170

13, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,166

14, Brian Voss, Kennesaw, Ga., 3,163

15, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 3,142

16, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,141

17, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,136

18, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,131

19, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 3,122

20, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,118

21, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 3,101

22, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,099

23, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,094

24, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,092

25, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,081

26, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 3,059

27, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,058

28, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 3,049

29, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,045

30, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 3,039

31, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 3,033

32, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,028

33, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,025, $1,800

34, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,023, $1,800

35, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,022, $1,800

36, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 3,006, $1,800

37, George Lambert IV, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 3,002, $1,800

38, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 2,989, $1,800

39, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 2,968, $1,800

39, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 2,968, $1,800

41, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 2,959, $1,800

42, Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Wash., 2,953, $1,800

43, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,944, $1,800

44, Chester Rogers Jr., Milwaukie, Ore., 2,934, $1,800

45, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 2,920, $1,800

46, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,907, $1,800

47, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 2,895, $1,800

48, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,888, $1,800

49, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 2,885, $1,800

50, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 2,871, $1,800

51, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 2,857, $1,800

52, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,848, $1,800

53, Terrance Reeves, Valrico, Fla., 2,844, $1,800

54, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,840, $1,800

55, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 2,838, $1,800

56, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,825, $1,800

57, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 2,811, $1,800

58, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 2,796, $1,800

59, Mike Keily, Lakewood, Colo., 2,788, $1,800

60, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,776, $1,800

61, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,756, $1,800

62, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,754, $1,800

63, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 2,634, $1,800

64, Chris Wimpey, Aurora, Colo., 2,614, $1,800

PBA Plastic Ball Qaulifier

Finishing ninth in the PBA GEICO Plastic Ball Championship Pro Tour Qualifying Round (TQR) Wednesday with a 1,507 seven-game total, two-handed bowling sensation Jason Belmonte of Australia is among the nine players who will advance to the event’s Round of 64.

The international star has received much media attention as a result of his 10th place finish in the season-opening PBA World Championship on the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. Recently, Belmonte enjoyed a 15th place performance in the Denny’s Dick Weber Open in Fountain Valley, Calif. He was featured in prominent stories in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Good Morning America.

David Williams Jr. of Omaha, Neb., rolled a 1,680 seven-game total Wednesday to top the 79-player non-exempt TQR field competing for the nine berths at Brunswick Zone Wheat Ridge.

In addition to Belmonte and Williams the top finishers in the Tour Qualifying Round advancing to the Round of 64 are: Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 1,645; Mike Keily, Lakewood, Colo., 1,603; George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,595; amateur Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,589; John Slavich, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,527; Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,520, and Chris Wimpey, Aurora, Colo., 1,509.

The 64-player field, which begins Round of 64 competition on Thursday, will now be required to use identical plastic balls throughout the rest of the event.

The concept of having the players use identical equipment is similar to that of the former International Race of Champions auto racing series where all competitors drove identically-prepared cars.

Competition continues through Friday to determine the four finalists who will compete in the ESPN-televised finals Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Mountain).

The GEICO Plastic Ball Championship is the 15th stop on the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

GEICO Plastic Ball Championship
Wheat Ridge, Colo.
PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR) Standings
1, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 1,680
2, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, Fla., 1,645
3, Mike Keily, Lakewood, Colo., 1,603
4, George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,595
5, Kris Koeltzow, Wheatridge, Colo., 1,589
6, John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,527
7, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,520
8, Chris Wimpey, Aurora, Colo., 1,509
9, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,507
10, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,502, $1,000
11, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 1,501, $633
11, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,501, $633
11, Brett Cooper, Aurora, Colo., 1,501, $633
14, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,497, $390
14, Tom Crites, Loveland, Colo., 1,497, $390
16, Marc Scherlis, Littleton, Colo., 1,494, $360
17, Tyler Jensen, Keller, Texas, 1,490, $340
18, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 1,488, $320
19, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,487, $300
20, Don Patterson, Loveland, Colo., 1,476
21, Dru Hylen, Longmont, Colo., 1,463
22, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,452
23, Humberto Vazquez, San Pedro, Mexico, 1,446
24, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,437
25, George Brooks, Aurora, Colo., 1,432
26, Daryl Stone, Westminster, Colo., 1,423
27, Scott Myers, Thornton, Colo., 1,421
28, Mike Lewellen, Scotts Bluff, Neb., 1,417
29, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y., 1,413
29, Dennis Samsel, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,413
31, Keith Odette, Waipahu, Hawaii, 1,408
32, Ricky Schissler, Henderson, Colo., 1,406
33, Jason Poole, Aurora, Colo., 1,403
34, John Cicero, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,402
35, Robert Carlson, Littleton, Colo., 1,401
36, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 1,396
37, James Johnson, Arvada, Colo., 1,389
38, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,377
39, M. Shane McCrary, Silt, Colo., 1,373
40, Donald Barry Jr, Omaha, Neb., 1,370
41, Kevin Pickett, Mechanicsville, Va., 1,368
42, Scott Durham, Springfield, Ill., 1,356
43, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,346
44, Amy Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,342
45, Wayne Stellick, Aurora, Colo., 1,325
46, Robert Henle, Bailey, Colo., 1,321
47, Paul Kreins, Edmonds, Wash., 1,319
48, Chad Lusche, Arvada, Colo., 1,315
49, Michael Honeyman, Westminster, Colo., 1,306
50, Lawrence Marquez, Lakewood, Colo., 1,299
51, Paul Stolz, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,295
52, Dennis Sandoval, Thornton, Colo., 1,2945
3, Tish Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,292
54, George Eason, Fort Collins, Colo., 1,290
55, Ben Kreins, Lakewood, Colo., 1,287
56, Zachary Lewis, Thornton, Colo., 1,278
57, Marco Popovich, Greenwood Village, Colo., 1,276
58, Shawn Lee, Centennial, Colo., 1,265
59, Brian Hayes, Lakewood, Colo., 1,264
60, Walter Schaub II, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,262
61, Ron Hosler, Denver, 1,258
62, Ed Hurley, Aurora, Colo., 1,232
63, Everett Lontine Jr, Basalt, Colo., 1,216
64, Mark Payne Sr, Amarillo, Texas, 1,213
65, Michael Reichstein, Agoura Hills, Calif., 1,196
66, Eric Failer, Littleton, Colo., 1,190
67, Michael Smith, Aurora, Colo., 1,185
68, Michael Vasquez, Longmont, Colo., 1,184
69, Jacob Cooper Jr., Aurora, Colo., 1,170
70, Ed Hawkins, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 1,166
71, Nick Miller, Elgin, Ill., 1,159
72, Larry Snodgrass, Lubbock, Texas, 1,145
73, Darrin Cisar, Grand Jct., Colo., 1,142
74, Adam Miller, Littleton, Colo., 1,140
75, Henry Moralez, Denver, Colo., 1,129
76, Frank Kebis, Denver, 1,105
77, Ron Pendergraft, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,083
78, Bobby Dunsworth, Augusta, Kan., 1,081
79, Craig Carpenter, Westminster, Colo., 1,039

Etonic Marathon Open

The Etonic Marathon Open will be one of the most challenging tournaments on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour schedule from Feb. 23-March 1 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. Not only will it be an “open field” tournament – anyone can enter – it will also be the first tournament in PBA history to require players to bowl 54 games on six different lane conditions.

PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., will return to defend his Woodland Bowl title in Indianapolis earned in last season’s PBA Denny’s World Championship.

A star-studded field will compete for the $35,000 top prize, including several players recently named to the list of the 50 greatest players in PBA history as part of the organization’s 50th Anniversary celebration, will join Duke in Indianapolis. Among players on that list are all-time PBA Tour titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr. (45 wins), Parker Bohn III, Chris Barnes, Pete Weber, Wes Malott, 2009 H&R Block Tournament of Champions winner Patrick Allen, and newly-crowned USBC Masters champion John Nolen of Waterford, Mich.

Leading the Indianapolis contingent will be 35-year-old Steve Harman, a second-year “exempt” player who has made two television finals in early 2009 in his quest for his first Lumber Liquidators PBA title. Harman finished third in the USBC Masters after finishing second with partner Jen Petrick in the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship.

As part of the PBA Tour’s Extreme Swing, the Etonic Marathon Open format will consist of 54 games, total pinfall with no match play. That means nine games on six different PBA lane oil patterns, putting the players to a supreme test of stamina and versatility. After 54 games, the top five players will compete in the ESPN-televised stepladder finals on March 1 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and they will bowl on the lane condition selected by the No. 1 qualifier.

At stake in Indianapolis is the $35,000 first prize and points which will ultimately mean berths in the season-ending Six Flags Summer Shoot-out for the top eight players in Extreme Swing points.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
ETONIC MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP
Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23
2-4 p.m. – Squad A practice
6-8 p.m. – Squad B practice

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
10 a.m. – Squad A, 9 games qualifying (Cheetah pattern)
5 p.m. – Squad B, 9 games qualifying (Cheetah pattern)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
10 a.m. – Squad B, 9 games qualifying (Viper pattern)
5 p.m. – Squad A, 9 games qualifying (Viper pattern)

Top 1/3 of field advances (based on 159 or fewer entries), minimum 53 or top 1/4 advance (160 or more entries)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
10 a.m. – Top qualifiers, 9 games (Chameleon pattern)
5 p.m. – Top qualifiers, 9 games (Scorpion pattern)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
9 a.m. – Top qualifiers, 9 games (Shark pattern)
5 p.m. – Top qualifiers, 9 games (Earl Anthony pattern)

Top five advance to Sunday’s live ESPN finals

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
PBA Pro-Am Events and Fan Day
Noon, 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. - Pro-Am squads

Sunday, February 22, 2009
Live ESPN television finals, 12:30 p.m. Eastern

Webb and Sadelin - Senior Bowlers of the Year

Wayne Webb, Sacramento, Calif., who won the Professional Bowlers Association Senior U.S. Open in his "rookie" year, has been elected Senior Male Bowler of the Year by a panel of veteran Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) members.

Lucy Sandelin of Tampa, Fla., was a runaway winner of the BWAA's Senior Female Bowler of the Year honors after posting top five finishes in the Golden Ladies Classic and the PBA Ladies & Legends tournaments as well as finishing eighth in a PBA regional. She also was outstanding in the senior division of the Tournament of the Americas, winning a record six gold medals.

Webb, who also was named 2008 PBA Senior Rookie of the Year by his fellow competitors, won a closely-contested voting race over Tom Baker, King, N.C., 100-91. Baker had been selected as BWAA Senior Bowler of the Year the three previous years.

Webb, bowled in only six of the nine Senior PBA events conducted in 2008, but he led the Senior Tour with a 224 average and was the tour's top money earner. He made match play finals in all six events he entered.

Sandelin, who also was a match play finalist as defending USBC Senior Queens champion, compiled 125 points to top 2008 USBC Senior Queens champion Sandy Postma of Lansing, Ill., who had 90 points.

Others in the 50-and-older group who received votes were: Johnny Petraglia, Jackson, N.J. (76); Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind. (39); Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla. (8), and Hugh Miller, Seattle (1). Others on the women's ballot were: Robin Romeo, Newhall, Calif. (81); Linda Carter, Rockford, Ill. (19); Marliss Tapp, Portage, Mich. (7), and Karen Smith, San Marcos, Calif. (1).

New Colors in The Link Series

The Link series line from 900Global has added new color and surface. The dull Red/Black 600 grit "S30" reactive resin cover, and the 600 grit, "S30 cover", finished with 2000 polish, Rose/White Pearl, join the Blue/Purple and the Burgundy/Gold Link(s).

The Break Point from 900 Global

In the New 900Global Break Point, the original Break series core is tweaked by raising the R.G. and lowering the Differential, producing more length, while using a more aggressive cover S73 reactive resin. The dark blue/silver cover is finished at 4000 Abralon. 15# ball has RG of 2.535 and RG Diff of 0.040.

First-Timer Nolen Wins Masters

Until recently, John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., was a virtual unknown on the national bowing scene. He used Sunday's nationally televised championship round of the 2009 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Masters to change that in a hurry.

Competing on television for the first time, Nolen defeated Danny Wiseman of Baltimore, 202-193, to win the USBC Masters and claim his first career Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour title.

Nolen, the No. 1 seed for the championship round, finished as the top qualifier and blew through match play undefeated to win the title. He finished 7-0 in his matches and became the first top qualifier to win the title since Mike Scroggins accomplished the feat in 2005.

"This means everything to me," said Nolen, who earned $60,000 and a two-year PBA Tour exemption. "I came into this week wanting to get a win, and if this is what I'm going to do for the rest of my life, I have to think that way."

Nolen, 29, sat helpless on the bench as he watched Wiseman finish the match. Needing a strike, nine, spare to even the score or two strikes to win outright, Wiseman stepped up and left a 10 pin on his first shot to hand Nolen the victory.

"I don't like rooting for people to miss, really I don't," said Nolen, who won the PBA Regional Players Invitational in December. "If someone strikes, they earn it and they deserve it, but I wasn't too upset to see that 10 pin standing. Danny is a great champion, and I didn't expect anything other than for him to put 10 back in the pit to win the title."

Wiseman started the title match with three consecutive strikes before struggling with ball reaction down the stretch. In the end, he said he just didn't make the right subtle adjustments to win the match.

"You can't second guess yourself," said Wiseman, who was seeking his second Masters title after winning in 2004. "It's all about decision making. You have to make the change and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You have to live with the decision."

Wiseman, the No. 3 seed, defeated second seed Steve Harman of Camby, Ind., and fourth seed Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C., to reach the championship match.

In the opening match of the championship round, Wiseman pulled away early from Jones with five consecutive strikes to start and cruised to a 257-216 victory. Against Harman, Wiseman struck on his final four shots in a 223-188 victory.

The 2009 USBC Masters featured a field of 452 of the best professional and amateur bowlers from around the world. A major on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour, the players competed for an overall prize fund of $350,000.

Roto Grip's Mars

Look for a midprice, Shield line addition from Roto Grip, in the Mars. The Black and Orange, 1500 grit and polished, "Sure Grip II Hybrid" reactive coverstock encases the "Orbiter II" core. #15 pound RG is 2.61 and Diff .018.

Roto Grip Rogue Cell

Roto Grip Teases new Cell for a March 12th introduction.

The Rogue Cell wraps a "Cytoplsmic XL Hybrid" reactive coverstock onto the "Nucleus Core" of the Cell (2008 Ball of the Year) and Cell Pearl for the new addition to the Crown Line. The cover finished at 4000 Abralon in Sky Blue/Purple/Royal pearl. #15 lb RG is 2.52, and Differential is .056.

Masters Finals Set

After four days of intense competition at Cashman Center, the field is finally set for the championship round of the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Masters on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., outdistanced the competition during qualifying to earn the top seed for match play and then cruised untouched through the double-elimination bracket, compiling a 6-0 record on the way to the No. 1 seed for Sunday’s finals, which will be televised live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Nolen defeated Steve Harman of Camby, Ind., 755-632, to earn the top seed and is the first player since 2005 USBC Masters champion Mike Scroggins to lead qualifying at the Masters and advance to the TV show. It will be Nolen’s first-career television appearance, and he’ll do everything he can to stay calm and keep the momentum in his favor.

“This feels great, but the job isn’t done,” said Nolen, who averaged 230.39 for 33 games this week. “I’m not competing out here every week just to make the show and go home. I really want to win, and right now, I’m in the best position to do that. To lead wire to wire is amazing, and I just hope I can finish the job.”

Nolen entered the season virtually unknown, but quickly got his name in the news with a win at the 2008 Professional Bowlers Association Regional Players Invitational, which also earned him a spot in the recent H&R Block Tournament of Champions and an exemption for the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.

The 29-year-old right-hander has been a regular face at PBA events since and has gained valuable experience with each success and each defeat. He took what he learned during a disappointing match play performance at the Tournament of Champions and went on to finish eighth in last week’s Denny’s Dick Weber Open.

Now, he is just one win away from the $60,000 top prize and a two-year Tour exemption on the line at the Masters.

Also making the first singles television appearance of his career is PBA Tour sophomore Harman, who finished second with Jen Petrick at the PBA Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles Championship earlier this year.

Harman will await the winner of Sunday’s opening match, which will feature a pair of 12-time Tour titlists, 2004 Masters champion Danny Wiseman of Baltimore and 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, S.C.

Jones’ resume includes two major titles, the U.S. Open and the Tournament of Champions, while his best finish at the Masters was fourth in 2006. Wiseman’s Masters victory is his lone major title, and it came in front of a record crowd of 4,303 at Miller Park, the home of Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers.

In the years since his Masters win, Wiseman has struggled to fully recover from an ankle injury he suffered in a car accident, but he’s still focused on reaching his goals of winning two majors and 15 overall titles before he retires.

“This is my first show of the year, and it feels great,” Wiseman said. “It’s been a tough couple of years, and some things just haven’t felt the same, but I’ve dealt with injuries before. It’s a little frustrating when you feel like you’re strong mentally, but your body just doesn’t cooperate sometimes. It’s been a tough week, but I’m elated.”

In all, the field at the 2009 Masters included 452 of the best amateur and professional bowlers in the world.

For complete coverage of the Masters, including stories, photos and results, visit bowl.com.

BWAA Selects Allen January's Top Player

Patrick Allen was a unanimous choice as recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America (BWAA) Kegel Bowler of the Month Award for January.

The 38-year-old Wesley Chapel, Fla., left-hander posted three top-five finishes, winning two his first major championship in the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association's H&R Block Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas and the National Bowling Stadium Championship in Reno, Nev., an event that featured multiple lane conditions during the championship finals.

Other nominees garnering significant votes were Wes Mallot, who successfully defended his title at the Bayer Earl Anthony Medford Classic, and Wendy Macpherson, who won the Earl Anthony Medford Classic PBA Women's Series title.