KELLY KULICK WINS 2021 PWBA ALBANY OPEN

SOUTH GLENS FALLS, N.Y. – Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, was in complete control of her game this week at the 

Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Albany Open, and her masterful performance concluded with a return to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2017.

The United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer defeated two-time reigning PWBA Player of the Year Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, in a thrilling title match at Kingpin’s Alley Family Fun Center, 228-217, to record her seventh PWBA Tour victory.

The championship round was broadcast live on BowlTV.com, with Kulick earning $10,000 for the win. O’Keefe collected $5,000 for the runner-up finish.

Kulick’s last win on tour came at the 2017 PWBA Fountain Valley Open, and her victory Saturday was her second since the relaunch of the PWBA Tour in 2015.

The 44-year-old right-hander entered Saturday’s competition as the tournament leader and retained that spot through 12 more games to earn the top seed for the stepladder finals, averaging more than 240 for her 24 qualifying games.

O’Keefe never let her out of her sights, however, averaging more than 238 to finish qualifying in second place.

The 14-time tour champion continued to pressure Kulick as the title match got underway, rolling three consecutive strikes after a spare in the first frame to take the early advantage.

Kulick maintained her hold on the pocket on this week’s 36-foot oil pattern, but she didn’t record a double through the first five frames.

A small adjustment in her physical game helped her create a better angle through the pins, resulting in four consecutive strikes, starting in the sixth frame.

“I talked with my tour reps and wondered if I needed to make a ball change,” said Kulick, a 17-time Team USA member. “After talking about it, I told them I knew what I needed to do. I got my hand underneath the bowling ball and started to go around it a bit more, to create more angularity off the spot. I know I have the tools and the knowledge, but you have to trust what you’re able to do. I trusted myself, like I had all week long.”

Kulick entered the final frame with the opportunity to roll two more strikes to shut out O’Keefe, but a light hit on her first delivery resulted in a 7 pin. She converted the spare and struck on her fill ball to force O’Keefe to double for her second win of the season.

O’Keefe, who won the season-opening PWBA Bowlers Journal Classic, left a 3-10 split on the first shot of her 10th frame, allowing Kulick to raise the trophy.

Kulick had finished as the runner-up five times since her win in 2017, including earlier this season at the PWBA Lincoln Open.

Saturday’s run to the stepladder finals was her third championship-round appearance in five events this season, and her confidence is growing as she looks ahead at the rest of the year.

“I came out here for two reasons – to have fun and enjoy bowling again and to know I could win again,” Kulick said. “Age is just a number, and I still feel energetic, youthful and like I’m in great shape. With the way I’m throwing it right now, I’m building confidence, and I know the sky is the limit for the rest of the season. I’ve been bowling smart and trusting myself, and the fact that I’m making shows on multiple patterns means my versatility is still there, too.”

O’Keefe advanced to the title match by defeating her former student-athlete at McKendree University, Breanna Clemmer of Clover, South Carolina, 247-193.

O’Keefe is the head coach for the women’s bowling program at McKendree, and Clemmer attended the university from 2016-2020. O’Keefe and Clemmer helped bring the Bearcats titles at the 2017 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship and Intercollegiate Team Championships.

Clemmer, a rookie on tour this season, made her second consecutive championship-round appearance after recording a third-place finish at last week’s PWBA BVL Open in Farmingdale, New York.

The 23-year-old right-hander advanced to the semifinals by defeating three-time PWBA Tour champion Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, in the opening game of the stepladder, 213-192. Clemmer closed with four strikes to shut out Johnson, who made her first championship-round appearance of 2021.

The 66-player field in South Glens Falls bowled 12 games Friday, before the first cut to the top 32 athletes. Advancers bowled an additional six-game block Saturday morning, with the top 12 competing in a final six-game round to determine the four bowlers for the stepladder, based on 24-game pinfall totals.

The PWBA Tour will head to Smyrna, Tennessee, next week for the PWBA Greater Nashville Open. The event will be held at the Smyrna Bowling Center and take place June 10-12. 

LIZ JOHNSON WINS 25TH PWBA TOUR TITLE, ROLLS 300 GAME AT 2021 PWBA LINCOLN OPEN

LINCOLN, Neb. – A day before her 47th birthday, Liz Johnson of Niagara Falls, New York, earned a long-awaited gift as she put together an unforgettable performance to win her 25th Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour title at the 2021 PWBA Lincoln Open.

Johnson collected three victories to run the ladder in Saturday’s championship round at Sun Valley Lanes, averaging 261 in her three wins, which included a 300 game in the semifinal and a 238-213 victory over Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, in the title match.

The 10-time major champion earned $10,000 for the win, and a $10,000 bonus from Go Bowling for rolling a perfect game during the stepladder finals.

BowlTV.com provided wire-to-wire coverage of the 2021 PWBA Lincoln Open, including the stepladder finals.

“This is probably the best birthday present I’ve ever had,” said Johnson, a United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer. “I couldn’t ask for a better present, and this is one I’ll never forget.”

The title tilt featured Johnson holding the slight edge through the first seven frames, with a 7-10 split from Kulick in the eighth frame giving Johnson a 25-pin lead as the game neared its conclusion.

Needing eight pins in two shots to secure the win in the final frame, Johnson rolled a strike to claim her first title since the 2018 Nationwide PWBA Columbus Open.

The win moves Johnson into a tie for fourth place on the PWBA’s all-time titles list, joining Patty Costello and Tish Johnson. Lisa Wagner tops the list with 32 wins, with Aleta Sill and Leanne Hulsenberg following with 31 and 27 victories, respectively.

Johnson’s historic run Saturday, which also included the right-hander becoming the first bowler in PWBA history to roll multiple 300 games in championship-round appearances, was the result of trying to do something different in attacking the event’s 46-foot oil pattern after the scoring pace slowed down toward the end of qualifying.

There have been five perfect games rolled in championship rounds on the PWBA Tour, with the last being achieved at the 2019 Pepsi PWBA Louisville Open by Ukraine’s Dasha Kovalova. Kovalova’s 300 game was against Johnson in the title match.

“They were brutal earlier today, and after talking to my ball reps, we tried something out,” said Johnson, who rolled her first 300 in a championship-round appearance during the title match of the 2001 Paula Carter Classic. “I wanted to take a ball and put some surface on it to see how it looked from the outside part of the lane. It was the same ball I had used most of the week, but from different angles. I was fortunate to find the right combination.

“I felt really focused tonight. It was probably the most I’ve been in a long time, and everything kind of fell into place. My mindset was good, I felt great physically and was making the shots I needed. I was very excited to have another chance to shoot 300, and being able to do that and win tonight was absolutely amazing.”

Johnson’s 300 game in the semifinal was against Gazmine Mason of Cranston, Rhode Island, who was making her first championship-round appearance on the national tour after winning a pair of regional titles in 2019 and 2020. Mason rolled 232 in the match.

Saturday’s opening game featured Johnson besting Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, 245-223.

Mason and Pluhowsky were part of a large contingent of former University of Nebraska standouts competing at the PWBA Lincoln Open this week.

Mason helped the Cornhuskers win the 2015 NCAA Women’s Bowling Championship, while Pluhowsky was part of three national-title-winning teams (2001 Intercollegiate Team Championships and 2004 and 2005 NCAA) and recently helped Nebraska claim the 2021 NCAA title as an assistant coach.

Johnson qualified as the No. 4 seed for the stepladder after rolling 216 in her final qualifying game to jump into the top four. Kulick, who finished third at last week’s PWBA Twin Cities Open and was looking for her seventh PWBA Tour title, earned the top seed by averaging more than 224 for 24 games, finishing with a 5,381 total.

The 65-player field bowled 12 games Friday, before the first cut to the top 32 athletes. Advancers bowled an additional six-game block Saturday morning, with the top 12 competing in a final six-game round to determine the four bowlers for the stepladder finals, based on 24-game pinfall totals.

The 2021 PWBA Tour season, which features 20 events, will head next to Yorktown Lanes in Parma Heights, Ohio, for the PWBA Greater Cleveland Open. The event will take place May 6-8.

For more information on the PWBA, visit PWBA.com.


2021 PWBA Lincoln Open
At Sun Valley Lanes
Lincoln, Neb.

Saturday’s results

FINAL STANDINGS
1, Liz Johnson, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 783 (three games), $10,000
2, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 213 (one game), $5,000
3, Gazmine Mason, Cranston, R.I., 232 (one game), $3,500
4, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 223 (one game), $2,500

STEPLADDER RESULTS
Match No. 1 – Johnson def. Pluhowsky, 245-223
Semifinal – Johnson def. Mason, 300-232
Championship – Johnson def. Kulick, 238-213

QUALIFYING - ROUND 4

     1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 5,381. 2, Gazmine Mason, Cranston, R.I., 5,251. 3, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 5,236. 4, Liz Johnson, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 5,203.

DID NOT ADVANCE

     5, Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, 5,183, $1,900. 6, Julia Bond, Aurora, Ill., 5,158, $1,700.
     7, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 5,149, $1,625. 8, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 5,131, $1,550. 9, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 5,128, $1,500. 10, Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., 5,080, $1,450. 11, Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine, 5,077, $1,425. 12, Verity Crawley, England, 4,994, $1,400.

QUALIFYING - ROUND 3

     1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 4,089. 2, Gazmine Mason, Cranston, R.I., 4,042. 3, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 4,040. 4, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,976. 5(tie), Stefanie Johnson, McKinney, Texas, and Liz Johnson, Niagara Falls, N.Y., 3,938.
     7, Julia Bond, Aurora, Ill., 3,909. 8, Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 3,898. 9, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,881. 10, Dasha Kovalova, Ukraine, 3,862. 11, Shannon O'Keefe, Shiloh, Ill., 3,844. 12, Verity Crawley, England, 3,835.
DID NOT ADVANCE

     13, Breanna Clemmer, Clover, S.C., 3,802, $1,100. 14, Taylor Bailey, Joliet, Ill., 3,795, $1,100. 15, Birgit Noreiks, Germany, 3,778, $1,100. 16, Abby Ragsdale, Aurora, Ill., 3,772, $1,100. 17, Erin McCarthy, Elkhorn, Neb., 3,754, $1,100. 18, Maria Bulanova, Russia, 3,745, $1,100.
     19, Maria José Rodriguez, Colombia, 3,688, $1,100. 20, Kayla Bandy, Wichita, Kan., 3,676, $1,100. 21, Lindsay Boomershine, Perry, Utah, 3,674, $1,100. 22(tie), Valerie Bercier, Muskegon, Mich., and Elise Bolton, Merritt Island, Fla., 3,670, $1,100. 24, Taylor Bulthuis, Coral Springs, Fla., 3,651, $1,100.
     25, Josie Barnes, Hermitage, Tenn., 3,645, $1,100. 26, Jen Higgins, Lewis Center, Ohio, 3,643, $1,100. 27, Jasmine Snell (n), Papillion, Neb., 3,634, $1,100. 28, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 3,630, $1,100. 29, Caitlyn Johnson, Beaumont, Texas, 3,615, $1,100. 30, Cassandra Leuthold, Lincoln, Neb., 3,609, $1,100.
     31, Kayla Pashina, Minnetonka, Minn., 3,596, $1,100. 32, Kara Mangiola, Spencerport, N.Y., 3,543, $1,100.

About the PWBA
The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) originally was formed in 1960. The PWBA Tour has events throughout the country, offering high-level competition and top prize money for women bowlers. The PWBA is supported by the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC).

Hall of Famer Kelly Kulick won the all-events at the 2019 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Women's Championships for her first title at the tournament. 

In the 2019 USBC Women’s Championships at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kansas, all of the leaders heading into the finals days held on to win. 

by Jeff Richgels

Photo by United States Bowling Congress.

PEPSI To Sponsor Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) today announced a new sponsorship deal making Pepsi the official soft drink of the 2016 PWBA Tour.

As part of the agreement, Pepsi will be the title sponsor of the PWBA Tour stop in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open will take place June 9-12 at Sun Valley Lanes.

“As the official soft drink of bowling and longtime partner for Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America centers, we are excited to partner with Pepsi as part of the growing PWBA Tour,” BPAA President Tom Martino said. “The PWBA Tour also provides a wonderful way to showcase the iconic Pepsi products that are offered in bowling centers and to continue to build our relationship to benefit BPAA members.”

As an official sponsor, Pepsi also will be featured during 2016 PWBA Tour telecasts on CBS Sports Network. The United States Bowling Congress and CBS Sports Network recently reached an agreement to televise 23 major championship bowling events in 2016, including 13 telecasts of the PWBA Tour.

“Seeing Pepsi as an official sponsor of the PWBA Tour gives us a great feeling of pride,” PWBA spokeswoman Kelly Kulick said. “Pepsi has a rich history in bowling and we’re looking forward to our new partnership.”

The stepladder finals of the 2016 Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open will be taped during the PWBA Players Championship in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on June 26, and will air on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, July 12.

Go to PWBA.com for more information about the PWBA Tour and players.

Smallwood Moves into The Lead at The 51st Firelake PBA Tournament of Champions

by Bill Vint February 3, 2016 08:22

SHAWNEE, OK – Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, who has made a career out of bowling well in major championships, averaged 231.4 for 16 games to move into the lead at the end of qualifying in the 51st FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center Wednesday.

Smallwood, 38, posted games of 258, 258, 203, 259, 260, 200, 206 and 231 Wednesday for a 16-game total of 3,703 pins, advancing from 10th place to first in a hotly contested battle for the top 27 berths in Thursday’s eight-game cashers round.

Among those who remained in title contention was Australia’s two-handed star, Jason Belmonte, who advanced from 48th place to qualify 13th for the cashers round. Belmonte is trying to equal PBA Hall of Famer Jason Couch’s record as the second player to win the Tournament of Champions three consecutive times.

Trailing Smallwood at the end of qualifying was 2014 PBA Rookie of the Year Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., with 3,665 pins, 38 pins behind Smallwood, followed by PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., at 3,662; EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 3,661 and Dom Barrett of England at 3,633.

Smallwood, who made national news when he won the 2010 PBA World Championship after losing his job at General Motors during the recession, has done his best work in PBA majors. He finished second in the 2011 Tournament of Champions, fourth in the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Masters and fifth in the 2012 PBA World Championship in addition to winning his second PBA title in the 2012 PBA Scorpion Championship.

“I don’t put any more time or effort into the majors, but it’s only natural to put a little more emphasis on them because they pay more and they’re more prestigious,” Smallwood said. “For whatever reason my ball decides to strike more in the majors, which is fine with me.”

Smallwood said he found a way to play the lanes that other players weren’t playing, and they actually helped move the oil around to his favor.

“Usually I’m playing the wrong part of the lane, but I played a little farther right of everybody tonight and it worked,” he said. “The first six games, I only moved four boards with my eyes, and that was it. Everyone else was playing farther inside than I was, and they actually gave me more hold area which allowed me to stay where I was.”

Among the players advancing to Thursday’s cashers round was reigning Professional Women’s Bowling Association Player of the Year Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, who also is the first woman ever to advance to the PBA national telecast and the only woman ever to accomplish that feat twice. Johnson qualified in a tie for 20th place.

“I never really put a PBA Tour title on my bucket list, but it would be nice to win one,” Johnson said. “The thing I realized this week is that I bowled my first women’s pro tournament 20 years ago this week, and to think I’m still out here doing what I’m doing is pretty amazing to me.”

Johnson was one of four women in the TOC field. Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, who won the 2010 Tournament of Champions to become the only woman ever to win a PBA Tour title, was in contention Wednesday but faltered down the stretch, finishing 31st and missing the cut by 14 pins.

At the conclusion of Thursday’s cashers round, the top 24 based on 24-game pinfall totals will advance to three eight-game rounds of head-to-head match play to determine the top five for Sunday’s live ESPN finals at 2 p.m. ET. PBA’s Xtra Frame online video-streaming service will cover the cashers round and all three match play rounds live. Rounds start at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST Thursday and Friday.

FIRELAKE PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

FireLake Bowling Center, Shawnee, Okla., Wednesday

Final Qualifying Standings (after 16 games)
1, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,703.
2, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,665.

3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,662.
4, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,661.
5, Dom Barrett, England, 3,633.
6, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,631.
7, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,627.
8, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,606.
9, D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, 3,595.
10, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,594.
11, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 3,580.
12, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,579.
13, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,575.
14, Tyler Jensen, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,569.
15, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,567.
16, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 3,560.
17, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,525.
18, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,522.
19, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 3,512.
20, (tie) Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., and f-Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,497.
22, Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3,496.
23, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,495.
24, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,493.
25, Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3,483.
26, A.J. Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 3,480.
27, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,476.

Failed to advance
28, Stuart Williams, England, 3,470.
29, (tie) Jon Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,468.
31, f-Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 3,462.
32, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,458.
33, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3,457.
34, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,454.
35, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,453.
36, Cameron Weier, Tacoma, Wash., 3,447.
37, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,435.
38, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,433.
39, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,431.
40, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,427.
41, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 3,422.
42, Paul Moor, England, 3,416.
43, Will Barnes, Wichita, Kan., 3,414.
44, Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 3,405.
45, Patrick Allen, South Salem, N.Y., 3,379.
46, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,359.
47, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,353.
48, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 3,352.
49, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 3,346.
50, David Scardaville, Houston, Texas, 3,341.
51, Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 3,325.
52, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,313.
53, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,296.
54, Dave Wodka, Beavercreek, Ohio, 3,294.
55, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,286.
56, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 3,276.
57, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 3,269.
58, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 3,265.
59, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 3,244.
60, J.T. Jackson, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 3,222.
61, (tie)  f-Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 3,210.
63, f-Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., 3,207.
64, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,202.
65, Scott Greiner, Platte City, Mo., 3,193.
66, Blake Demore, Springfield, Mo., 3,189.
67, Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., 3,180.
68, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,150.
69, Paul Brewbaker , Midwest City, Okla., 3,141.
70, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, 3,133.
71, Brandon Bivens, East Ridge, Tenn., 3,083.
72, David Williams Jr., Omaha, Neb., 3,067.
73, Lee White, Odessa, Texas, 3,048.
74, Joe Salvemini, Nevada City, Calif., 2,987.
75, Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 2,890.
76, Carmen Salvino, Schaumburg, Ill., 2,887.
77, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,369.

f-denotes female

Parker Bohn III Tops Qualifying For PBA Cheetah Championships

Defending Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Champion Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ, rolled a pair of 300 games Saturday on his way to earning the top qualifying position for the PBA Cheetah Championship finals at South Point Bowling Center while Colombia native Clara Guerrero became the third woman in PBA history to qualify for a nationally-televised stepladder final.

  

The Cheetah Championship is the first of five tournaments on the PBA World Series of Bowling V program which continues through Nov. 3.

 

Bohn, who won the 2012 World Championship during PBA World Series of Bowling IV, fired his 91st and 92nd career 300 games (one behind all-time leader Walter Ray Williams Jr., who has 93 perfect games in PBA competition) for a 14-game total of 3,503 pins and a 250.21 average. The 33-time PBA Tour champion won the top berth in the Cheetah stepladder finals by 49 pins over fellow PBA Hall of Famer and 37-time Tour champion Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO. Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, qualified third with 3,452 pins and Guerrero finished her climb from 10th place to claim the fourth berth in the finals with a 3,446 total.

 

Guerrero will join Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, and Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, as the third woman to reach the championship round of a PBA Tour event. Kulick went on to win the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions to become the only woman to capture a PBA National Tour title.

 

The Cheetah Championship finals will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 2, on lanes installed in South Point’s Exhibition Hall B and will air on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m. ET.

 

Bohn, who started the semifinal round in fifth place, found his comfort zone and ran away from the field.

 

“I don’t have many issues with the Cheetah lane condition,” Bohn said. “My speed allowed me to play it comfortably. The lanes were a little tighter than they were in practice, but once I got my speed dialed in, the ball did what it was supposed to do.

 

“I’m very, very happy,” he added. “Now I get to bowl one game for the title, which is always a good thing. Even better, I’m way ahead of last year when I didn’t have one top 16 finish in any of the animal pattern events, but I still won the World Championship.”

 

Guerrero’s charge out of 10th place was a surprise to everyone but her. Earlier in the day, she became the second woman in the five-year history of PBA World Series competition to finish among the top 24 in the 238-player, male-dominated event. Kulick finished 15th in the 2010 Shark Championship, seventh in the 2011 Chameleon Championship and 21st in the 2012 Viper Championship. Guerrero also joined an elite group of women who have won a PBA Regional title when she won her first PBA Southwest Region title in Austin, Texas, last October.

 

“It would be very nice to win a title here, too,” she smiled. “I’d like to finish history the right way.”

 

Guerrero started her final seven-game round with a 189 game, an ominous total in the high-scoring Cheetah contest, but followed with games of 244, 289, 213, 267, 278 and 277 to complete her stunning rally.

 

“I was a little stiff from the layoff between the first and semifinal rounds, but then I got my rhythm and made better shots,” the former Wichita State University All-American said. “After the 189 start, I didn’t think I could make it, but after a couple of big games, I saw I had a chance and in the last couple of games, I really went for it. Things came my way. I finished strong. It was great.”

Guerrero, who has been a member of Colombia’s national bowling team since 1995 when she qualified at age 13, is now a U.S. citizen, married and living in Pflugerville, Texas.

 

Earlier Saturday, National Football League all-pro wide receiver Terrell Owens made his professional bowling PBA debut in the Cheetah Championship, and struggled to finish with a 1,178 total, a 168.29 average. But he said he wasn’t terribly disappointed.

 

“I got better as I bowled,” Owens said. “I had 194 my last game, which was decent, and I didn’t come in last.

 

“These are best bowlers in the world. By no means did I expect to come in here and crush the lanes,” Owens added. “Obviously I have a lot of learning to do. But tomorrow is another day and I can only get better.”

 

World Series competition continues Sunday with the Viper Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge. Qualifying squads will bowl seven games at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT, with the top 24 advancing to the seven-game semifinal round at 7:30 p.m. The final two animal pattern events – the Chameleon and Scorpion Championships – will be held on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

 

All qualifying rounds from the World Series are being covered live on PBA’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel, and via “live scoring” on pba.com. For daily, monthly or yearly subscriptions to Xtra Frame, click on the Xtra Frame link on the pba.com home page.

 

PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP

South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas, Saturday

 

SEMIFINAL ROUND STANDINGS (after 14 games; top 4 advance to stepladder finals on Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. PT for ESPN telecast on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. ET)

1, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,503.
2, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,454.
3, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,452.
4, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 3,446.

5, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 3,426, $4,000.
6, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,416, $3,500.
7, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,413, $3,000.
8, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 3,410, $2,500.
9, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 3,390, $2,200.
10, Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, 3,351, $2,000.
11, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 3,350, $1,800.
12, Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, 3,341, $1,700.
13, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,325, $1,650.
14, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 3,311, $1,600.
15, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 3,305, $1,550.
16, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,290, $1,500.
17 (tie), Dom Barrett, England, and Mike Moore, Oviedo, Fla., 3,256, $1,425.
19, Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., 3,226, $1,350.
20, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 3,207, $1,300.
21, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 3,184, $1,275.
22, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 3,171, $1,250.
23, Travis Anderson, Washington, Ill, 3,141, $1,225.
24, Jacob Heger, Spring, Texas, 3,004, $1,200.

 

300 Games (9): Bryon Smith, Lonnie Waliczek, Parker Bohn III (2), Anthony Colosimo, Tom Hess, Eugene McCune, Eric Forkel, Pete Weber.

FIRST ROUND STANDINGS (after 7 games; top 24 advance to semifinal round)1, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,780.
2, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,762.
3, Mike Fagan, Ft. Worth, Texas, 1,754.
4, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,752.
5, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,749.
6, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,744.
7, Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., 1,738.
8, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,732.
9, Mike Moore, Oviedo, Fla., 1,730.
10, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,728.
11, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,718.
12, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,711.
13, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 1,689.
14 (tie), PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., and E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,688.
16 (tie), Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas, and Jacob Heger, Spring, Texas, 1,686.
18, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,685.
19, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,684.
20, Dom Barrett, England, 1,681.
21, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,677.
22, Bryan Viator, Friendswood, Texas, 1,675.
23 (tie), Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., and Travis Anderson, Washington, Ill, 1,674.

Other cashers (after 7 games)
25, Fumihiro Yoshida, Japan, 1,670, $800.
26, Mik Stampe, Denmark, 1,667, $770.
27, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,665, $850.
28, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,663, $740.
29, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Chatsworth, Calif., 1,662, $730.
30, Sean Lavery-Spahr, Denton, Texas, 1,659, $720.
31, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,657, $710.
32, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,656, $700.

Failed to cash33, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind., 1,655.
34, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,653.
35, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,649.
36 (tie), Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., and Todd Book, Russells Point, Ohio, 1,643.
38, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 1,640.
39, Kris Koeltzow, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 1,633.
40, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,632.
41 (tie), Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., and Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,630.
43 (tie), Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,626.
45, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 1,621.
46, Kim Bolleby, Sweden, 1,617.
47, Paul Moor, England; William Keenan Jr., Orlando, FL, and Jake Peters, Decatur, IL, 1,609.
50, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 1,608.
51 (tie), Stuart Williams, England, and Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,605.
53 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Will Garber, Modesto, Calif.,
1,602. 55, Brian Nicodemus, Akron, Ind., 1,601.
56, Tetsuya Kobayashi, Japan, 1,600.
57 (tie), Luis Rovaina Jr., Venezuela; Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, and B.J. Moore III, Apex, N.C., 1,597.
60, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 1,594.
61, Craig Auerbach, Sunrise, Fla., 1,590.
62, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 1,588.
63 (tie), Mike Keily, Golden, Colo., and Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,585.
65, Patrick Girard, Canada, 1,584.
66, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 1,583.
67 (tie), Ashley Warren, Australia, and Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,580.
69, Randy Pedersen, Clermont, Fla., 1,579.
70 (tie), Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, and Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,577.
72, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,576.
73, Pat Nolan, Japan, 1,575.
74, Dale Coleman, High Springs, Fla., 1,574.
75, Curtis Woods Jr., Santa Rosa, Calif., 1,573.
76 (tie), Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., and Timothy Tripp, Santa Clarita, Calif., 1,571.
78, Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 1,570.
79, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,568.
80, Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., 1,567.
81, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,566.
82, Carsten Hansen, Denmark, 1,564.
83, Dan MacLelland, Canada; Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, and Tim Gillick, Milford, CT, 1,563.
86, Chad Pojas, Wahiawa, Hawaii, 1,561.
87, Manuel Otalora, Colombia, 1,560.
88, Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., 1,559.
89, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,558.
90, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 1,557.
91 (tie), D.J. Archer, Friendswood, Texas, and Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,556.
93, Brian LeClair, Albany, N.Y., 1,554.
94, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,553.
95, David Knight Jr., Folcroft, Pa., 1,552.
96, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,551.
97, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 1,548.
98 (tie), Anthony Colosimo, Pembroke Pines, Fla., and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,547.
100, Andre Eubanks, Los Angeles, 1,546.
101 (tie), Myles Duty, Modesto, Calif., and Gary Faulkner Jr., Memphis, Tenn., 1,545.
103, Travis Celmer, Wernersville, Pa., 1,538.
104 (tie), Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., and Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, 1,537.
106 (tie), Hernan Ramirez, Venezuela, and Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,535.
108 (tie), Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., and Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 1,533.
110, Hadley Morgan, England, 1,530.
111 (tie), Calvin Sellers, Stratford, Conn., and James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 1,526.
113, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,522.
114, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 1,521.
115 (tie), Tommy Berish, Cordova, Tenn., and Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,520.
117, Christopher Sloan, Ireland, 1,517.
118, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 1,516.
119, Clint Land, Richmond, Texas, 1,515.
120 (tie), Lee Rathjen Jr., Naples, Fla., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,514.
122, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,512.
123, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 1,511.
124 (tie), Bob Markiewicz, San Diego, and Clarence White, Tracy, Calif., 1,510.
126 (tie), Douglas Yu, Canada, and Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,509.
128 (tie), Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., and Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 1,508.
130, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 1,507.
131 (tie), Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., and Anthony Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 1,506.
133, Robert Lee, Japan, 1,505.
134, Gabriel Sanchez, Puerto Rico, 1,501.
135 (tie), Matt Villegas, Phoenix, and Austin Hunt, Kennewick, Wash., 1,500.
137 (tie), Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla.; Gary Haines, West Babylon, N.Y., and Mike Armstrong Jr., Battle Ground, Wash., 1,498.
140, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 1,497.
141, Jeremy Mooney, West Palm Beach, Fla., 1,496.
142, Alan Mojado, Pala, Calif., 1,494.
143, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,493.
144, Mike DeVaney, Winchester, Calif., 1,491.
145, Alejandro Reyna, Costa Rica, 1,490.
146, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 1,489.
147, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 1,482.
148 (tie), Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash.; Shota Kawazoe, Japan, and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,480.
151, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,479.
152, John Furey, Freehold, N.J., 1,478.
153 (tie), Meen Woo Kim, Korea, and David Stouffer, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 1,476.
155, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,475.
156, Raymond Watts, Orange, Calif., 1,474.
157, Kelvin Wiggins, Rocky Mt., N.C., 1,472.
158, Gustavo Viramontes Jr., Mexico, 1,471.
159, Keith Laing, Culver City, Calif., 1,468.
160 (tie), Gary Baker, England, and Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 1,465.
162 (tie), Dustin Sherman, Petaluma, Calif., and Vladimir Sverchkov, Russia, 1,456.
164, Robert Piroozshad, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,455.
165 (tie), Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., and Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., 1,454.
167 (tie), Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, and Chad Lusche, Arvada, Colo., 1,453.
169 (tie), Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., and Kevin Kullman, Tinley Park, Ill., 1,451.
171, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,446.
172, Matt Schermerhorn, El Segundo, Calif., 1,443.
173 (tie), Kevin Beers, Reinholds, Pa., and Sandra Andersson, Sweden, 1,440.
175, Mike Bailey, Allen, Texas, 1,439.
176, Shigeo Saitoh, Japan, 1,438.
177, Rob Shepherd, Sierra Vista, Ariz., 1,437.
178, Kalani Dilliner, Las Vegas, 1,436.
179, Miguel Lopez, Wichita, Kan., 1,435.
180, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,434.
181, Stephen Carter, Australia, 1,433.
182, Glenn Morgan, Carson City, Nev., 1,430.
183 (tie), James McCleland, Venice, Fla., and Junia Yoshida, Japan, 1,428.
185 (tie), Marek Talpa, Czech Republic, and Josh Lewis, Asheville, N.C., 1,427.
187, Giorgio Clinaz Jr., Venezuela, 1,422.
188, Scott Halvarson, Lakewood, Wash., 1,416.
189, Kyle Paxson, Orlando, Fla., 1,410.
190, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,407.
191 (tie), Matthew Graham, Emeryville, Calif., and Russ Hunt, Kennewick, Wash., 1,406.
193, Joseph Costanzo, Bethpage, N.Y., 1,405.
194, Matt Watson, Australia, 1,400.
195 (tie), Jonathan Sellers, Stratford, Conn., and Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,398.
197, Rameses Chambers, Kansas City, Mo., 1,387.
198, Hyun Bum Kim, Korea, 1,384.
199, Cameron Zacher, Australia, 1,381.
200, Mykhaylo Kalika, Ukraine, 1,378.
201, Frankie Mazzella, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,373.
202, Ryan Appel, Cinnaminson, N.J., 1,370.
203, Jonathan Hocsman, Argentina, 1,369.
204, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 1,366.
205, Nick Morgan, Sacramento, Calif., 1,365.
206, Wesley Edwards, Blue Springs, Mo., 1,361.
207, J.T. "Action" Jackson, Sherman Oaks, CA, and Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, CN., 1,360.
209, Justin Stevens, Aiea, Hawaii, 1,358.
210, Jay Hess, Ocoee, Fla., 1,356.
211, Patrick King, Yankton, S.D., 1,354.
212, Frank Guccione, Castle Rock, Colo., 1,353.
213, Adam Wilson, Reno, Nev., 1,343.
214, Jon King, Australia, 1,339.
215, Keith Bullock, Moscow Mill, Mo, 1,338.
216, Richard Lupo, St. Charles, Mo., 1,336.
217, Mark Milasinovich, Macomb, Mich., 1,335.
218, David Maycock, Bermuda, 1,331.
219, Jon Wheatley, Australia, 1,330.
220, Gerald Marrs, Huntley, Ill., 1,322.
221, Ariachizu Kamalu, Chicago, 1,312.
222, Chris Watson, Australia, 1,271.
223, Ken Truong, Canada, 1,262.
224 (tie), Scott Dull, Cresson, Texas, and Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C., 1,253.
226, Jason Miller, San Antonio, 1,234.
227, J.D. Sommers, San Jose, Calif., 1,221.
228, Steve Ford, Seaside, Ore., 1,218.
229, Dave Nebe, Richmond, Va., 1,209.
230, Ed Cutter, Manassas Park, Va., 1,208.
231, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 1,193.
232, Alvaro Infante, Venezuela, 1,185.
233, Terrell Owens, Studio City, Caif., 1,178.
234, Paul Nilsen Sr., Murrieta, Calif., 1,148.
235, Vijay Krishnamoorthy, Kennesaw, Ga., 1,132.

Barnes and Parkin Win World Bowlers Tour Finals

Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, CA, successfully concluded two years of international travel when they captured Bayer Advanced Aspirin World Bowling Tour (WBT) men’s and women’s finals titles to kick off the 2012-13 Professional Bowlers Association television season at South Point Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV.

Barnes, a 14-time PBA Tour champion, defeated reigning WBT men’s champion Mika Koivuniemi of Finland, 244-228, while Parkin defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, NY, 238-190, in the women’s finals during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling (WSOB). Both finals, which featured three players who qualified by earning points in World Tenpin Bowling Association-PBA International Tour events over a span of two years, aired Sunday on ESPN. Both champions earned $20,000.

Barnes, who won the Columbia 300 Vienna Open in Austria in October to lock up his berth in the WBT men’s finals, edged Mike Fagan of Dallas, 258-244, in the semifinal match before closing with a string of six strikes for a come-from-behind victory over his close friend, Koivuniemi, in the title match.

“Any win feels good,” Barnes said. “Mika and I always have good matches. I’ve been fortunate the last three times, but I’m pretty sure it’ll even out whether I like it or not.”

The key to Barnes’ victory was three 10 pins left by his long-time international rival on the right lane in the third, seventh and ninth frames.

“I left a couple of solid 10s on that lane myself,” Barnes said. “I knew that lane was tighter. I threw one shot that I thought was pretty good that didn’t even get back to the pocket.”

Forced to finish his game on the tricky right lane after Koivuniemi’s misfortune in the ninth frame gave him an opening, Barnes made a critical adjustment and threw three strikes in the 10th frame. The first strike was the one that iced the title.

“I knew I was going to move right and have to stay firm with the shot,” Barnes said. “Earlier on in my career I didn’t commit to that shot very well, but I committed to it, and made the shot I wanted to throw. It didn’t quite get up to high flush, but it was good enough today.”

As part of their ongoing rivalry on television, Barnes and Koivuniemi make a side bet that has involved things like the gaudy Madras plaid pair of pants Koivuniemi was forced to wear on television the last time he lost.

“We had a jersey bet on this one,” Barnes said of his WBT win. “I, or my fans, or his daughters will get to design a jersey that he’ll get to wear on a future TV show. And pretty much anything goes as long as it’s legal for TV.”

In the women’s finals, Johnson advanced to the title match after a thrilling 267-260 victory over PBA Tour titlist Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ. But Johnson’s strike shot evaporated in the title match. A 4-6-7 split in the second frame and a 4-6 in the fourth put her in a hole she couldn’t escape.

“I’ve come in second a lot lately,” said Parkin, who lost to Chicago’s Diandra Asbaty in the Australian Masters title match prior to the WSOB and finished second to Kulick in the U.S. Women’s Open earlier in the year. “Today I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I kind of went out with a mindset that I was going to make the pins strike. I know you can’t do that, but it was the mindset I had.

“I only had one game, and I needed to throw 10 really good shots, and I feel like I did. Luckily the pins fell my way and it was enough to win.”

But for Parkin, the victory made her international travels worth the effort.

“This year all of the travel has been particularly hard being away from family and friends,” she said. “It’s really hard; a lot of people don’t understand how much we travel. Winning this tournament after two years and having to accumulate all those points means so much.”

The second annual Bayer Advanced Aspirin WBT Finals presented by the PBA also signaled the start of a new points cycle for the international series. Points earned in WTBA-PBA International Tour events over the next 12 months will replace points earned in the first year of the qualifying cycle, leading into the third WBT Finals which will be part of PBA WSOB V in November 2013.

The 2012-13 PBA Tour season on ESPN continues next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with the finals of the Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Cheetah Championship. Stepladder finalists will include Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA; Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio; Jeff Roche, Dearborn, MI, and top qualifier Mike Wolfe, New Albany, IN.

 

Pre- and post-telecast shows for all PBA-ESPN telecasts will be available on Xtra Frame, PBA’s online bowling channel.

Kelly Kulick Tops WSOB IV Female Players

Four women were among the capacity field of 240 players who competed in WSOB IV, and PBA Tournament of Champions winner Kelly Kulick of Union, NJ, had the best showing among them. Kulick finished PBA World Championship qualifying in 53rd place, averaging 221.13 for her 32 games. She also cashed in the Viper (21st) and missed cashing in the Chameleon by one pin, finishing 37th.

US Women's Open Final Five Set