Friday, March 11, 2011

After 5 Rounds, Upsets Pepper the Field Of The PBA Dick Weber Playoffs

Walter Ray Williams Jr., trying to extend his
Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) record for winning at least one title in a season to 18 years, was among 18 players who advanced to Sunday’s Regional Championships in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs at Woodland Bowl Friday.

Williams, who owns the PBA Tour record for career titles with 47, finished second in the four-player Central Region, to keep his title hopes alive. The Dick Weber PBA Playoffs is the final tournament of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season, which means it’s the last chance for the 51-year-old from Ocala, FL.

The PBA Playoffs is six tournaments-in-one, featuring six regional groups 
bowling elimination rounds within their respective regions. Three players of 
four players from each Region remain in the hunt after Round Five, but like the 
NCAA basketball brackets, upsets took a toll on the inaugural event.

In Round Four, 2011 U.S. Open Norm Duke of Clermont, FL, became the third PBA 
Hall of Famer eliminated during Friday’s action. Duke finished sixth in the 
South Region, missing the cut to the top four by 24 pins. Among the Tour’s top 
six points leaders for 2010-11 who were seeded into the Regions for Round Four, 
only Sean Rash of Montgomery, IL, failed to advance when he finished fifth in 
the East Region.

In Round Three earlier Friday, where the top five of eight advanced, bowlers 
eliminated included Rhino Page of Dade City, FL, who had been the top 
qualifier in both previous rounds in the East Region, and Kelly Kulick of Union, 
NJ, who finished eighth in the Southwest Region after leading Round One and 
finishing fifth in Round Two. PBA Hall of Famers Parker Bohn III of Jackson, 
NJ and Tom Baker of King, NC. (South Region), and 2011 Bayer USBC Masters 
champion Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa (Midwest Region) also failed to survive 
Round Three.

In Round Five, Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, who won the $1 million PBA 
Tournament of Champions earlier in the season, but lost the U.S. Open title two 
weeks ago when he missed a 10 pin in the 10th frame, kept his hopes alive by 
converting the 2-8 in the 10th frame and striking on his fill ball to edge Dan 
MacLelland of Saginaw, MI, was three pins for the third spot in the Central 
Region. Dick Allen of Columbia, SC, and Williams also advanced.

In the East Region, PBA Rookie of the Year candidate Scott Norton of Costa Mesa, 
CA; seven-time PBA Tour champion Steve Jaros of Yorkville, IL, and 2009 
PBA World Champion Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, advanced.

In the South Region, 13-time PBA Tour winner Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC; 
four-time titlist Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, NY, and regional qualifier Randy 
Weiss of Columbia, SC, advanced. Weiss has never won a PBA Tour title.

Current season points leader Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, moved on with a 
second-place finish in the Midwest Region along with six-game leader Jack Jurek 
of Lackawanna, NY, and third-place finisher Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX. 
Malott fired a 248 final game to overtake local favorite Ronnie Russell of 
Marion, IN, for the final spot in the Midwest.

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX, the 2010 PBA World Champion, was second in 
the West/Northwest along with Round Five leader Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, 
WI, and Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, KS. Boresch is trying for his first PBA 
Tour title. Waliczek, who won both of his titles during the 2002-03 season, 
rolled a 248 final game to knock Baltimore’s Danny Wiseman out of the Regional 
Championship round.

Advancing in the Southwest Region were Dino Castillo, Carrollton, TX; 
Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte and Brad Angelo, Lockport, NY. 
Castillo is trying for his first title. Belmonte and Angelo each have won one 
title.

In Sunday’s first Regional Championship at 9 a.m., the three East, South and 
Central Region survivors will bowl one game matches with the winner in each 
Region advancing to the Conference Championship at 3:30 p.m. In the second 
Regional Championship at 1 p.m., the three Midwest, Southwest and West/Northwest 
survivors will bowl one-game matches to determine the other three Conference 
Championship finalists.

In the Conference Championship, the East Region winner will bowl one game 
against the South Region winner, the Central Region winner will bowl against the 
Midwest winner, and the Southwest winner will meet the West/Northwest winner.

The Regional Championships will air on ESPN on Sunday, March 27, at 2:30 p.m., 
and Sunday, April 3, at 1 p.m. Eastern, respectively. The Conference 
Championship will air on Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m. Eastern, respectively.

The three Conference Championship winners will return to Indianapolis on Sunday, 
April 17, for the final live telecast of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour 
season. In the first match, the three finalists will bowl one game with the 
lowest score finishing third. The two survivors will bowl two one-game matches. 
If one player wins both, he will win the $50,000 first prize. If they split the 
two games, a one-ball roll-off will decide the title.

DICK WEBER PBA PLAYOFFS Woodland Bowl, Indianapolis, Friday

ROUND FIVE (after 6 games, top 3 per region advance to Conference Championships 
Sunday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Eastern)

East Region
1, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,402.
2, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,360.
3, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,350.
Did not advance:
4, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,244, $3,000.

South Region
1, Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., 1,455.
2, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,368.
3, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,332.
Did not advance:
4, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,313, $3,000.

Central Region
1, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,513.
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,479.
3, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,452.
Did not advance:
4, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,449, $3,000.

Midwest Region
1, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,351.
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,272.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,269.
Did not advance:
4, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,239, $3,000.

Southwest Region
1, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,309.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,296.
3, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,283.
Did not advance:
4, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,221, $3,000.

West/Northwest Region
1, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,342.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,309.
3, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,295.
Did not advance:
4, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,283, $3,000.

ROUND FOUR (after 6 games, top 4 per region advance to Round Five Friday night):

East Region
1, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,395.
2, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,391.
3, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,370.
4, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,340.
Did not advance:
5, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,299, $2,500.
6, Jeffrey Voght, Canojaharie, N.Y., 1,225, $2,500.

South Region
1, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,467.
2, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,418.
3, Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., 1,414.
4, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,362.
Did not advance:
5, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,355, $2,500.
6, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,338, $2,500.

Central Region
1, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,523.
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,410.
3, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,396.
4, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,384.
Did not advance:
5, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,257, $2,500.
6, Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 1,234, $2,500.
  300 game – Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Midwest Region
1, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,492.
2, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,377.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,365.
4, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,311.
Did  not advance:
5, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 1,304, $2,500.
6, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,271, $2,500.

Southwest Region
1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,471.
2, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,312.
3, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,307.
4, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,302.
Did not advance:
5, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 1,301, $2,500.
6, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,237, $2,500.

West/Northwest Region
1, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,603.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,471.
3, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,459.
4, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,447.
Did not advance:
5, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,404, $2,500.
6, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,220, $2,500.
  300 games – Danny Wiseman (2).

ROUND THREE (after 6 games, top 5 per region advance):

East Region
1, Scott Norton, Costa Mesa, Calif., 1,425.
2, Jeffrey Voght, Canojaharie, N.Y., 1,423.
3, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 1,410.
4, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,348.
5, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,347.
Did not advance:
6, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 1,328, $2,000.
7, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 1,308, $2,000.
8, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa., 1,300, $2,000.
  300 game – Jeffrey Voght.

South Region
1, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,455.
2, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,442.
3, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 1,383.
4, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,380.
5, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 1,328.
Did not advance:
6, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,310, $2,000.
7, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,299, $2,000.
8, Kip Roberts, Glenallen, Va., 1,290, $0,000.

Central Region
1, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 1,501.
2, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,459.
3, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,458.
4, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 1,385.
5, Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich., 1,360.
Did not advance:
6, Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 1,356, $2,000.
7, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,340, $2,000.
8, Bo Goergen, Sanford, Mich., 1,320, $2,000.
  300 game – Troy Stus.

Midwest Region
1, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,500.
2, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo., 1,470.
3, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 1,413.
4, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,368.
5, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,366.
Did not advance:
6, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,356, $2,000.
7, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,305, $2,000.
8, Michael Steil, Wheeling, Ill., 1,234, $2,000.

Southwest Region
1, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,442.
2, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,422.
3, Mike DeVaney, Murrieta, Calif., 1,400.
4, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,366.
5, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,343.
Did not advance:
6, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 1,340, $2,000.
7, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,324, $2,000.
8, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,244, $2,000.

West/Northwest Region
1, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,530.
2, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,518.
3, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,500.
4, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,490.
5, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 1,445.
Did not advance:
6, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,409, $2,000.
7, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,398, $2,000.
8, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,334, $2,000.
  300 games – Lennie Boresch Jr., Michael Haugen Jr.

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