Dias Wins First PBA Title in Florida

After four seasons competing on the Professional Bowlers Association Senior Tour, 
Mike Dias of Lafayette, CO, captured his first title by winning the PBA Senior Don 
Carter Open Thursday at Carter Family Bowl.

Dias defeated Tom Howison of Chillicothe, Ohio, 215-176, in the championship 
match after winning five previous matches Thursday to get to the final. Two of 
those matches were against PBA Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, 
FL, and Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas.

“The toughest part of the whole day was definitely having to beat two Hall of 
Famers in back-to-back matches,” said the 54-year-old Dias who works as a 
software engineer for the Boeing Co. “You could say it was a dream match against 
Walter Ray having to throw two strikes to beat him.”

In the Round of 8, Dias defeated PBA Hall of Famer and two-time Senior Tour 
winner Mark Williams 2-1 in a best-of-three-game match, and then in a semifinal 
match defeated Williams Jr. who was also last season’s Senior Rookie of the 
Year, 222-213, to advance to the championship match.

“I had a feeling the scores would be low in the final match,” said Dias who has 
one PBA regional tournament title to his credit. “It was going to be a matter of 
which one of us adjusted the quickest.  After the previous two matches I was 
actually pretty relaxed for the final so I just made the best shots I could and 
whatever happens, happens.”

In the other semifinal match, Howison, a third-year Senior Tour Player also 
looking for his first win, defeated 2009 Senior Player of the Year Ron Mohr of 
Eagle River, Alaska, 173-138.

The next stop on the PBA Senior Tour will be the Sun Bowl In The Villages at 
Spanish Springs Lanes April 23-26 in The Villages, Fla. Final-day coverage of 
the Sun Bowl In The Villages will be available on pba.com’s Xtra Frame video 
service. Additional information can be found by visiting the pba.com homepage 
and clicking on the Xtra Frame logo.

Queens Finals on ESPN2

Not long ago, Elysia Current was a dominant collegiate bowler.

Now, she's the top seed at the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens, and one win away from officially proving herself against the best bowlers in the world.

The 26-year-old right-hander averaged 228 on the way to a 6-0 match-play record at the Oncenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY, including a 626-584 win Tuesday against former Team USA member Missy Parkin in the battle for the No. 1 seed for tonight’s ESPN2 telecast.

Parkin (formerly Bellinder) earned the No. 2 seed for the show and is looking to avenge a heart-breaking loss to eventual champion Kelly Kulick in the second match of last year's stepladder, when she needed a mark to advance, but left a 7-10 split and finished fourth.

The two will be joined by No. 3 seed Kim Terrell-Kearney, No. 4 Cathy Dorin-Lizzi and No. 5 Wendy Macpherson, who is looking to win a record fourth Queens title. Terrell-Kearney and Macpherson are USBC Hall of Famers.

"I'm just taking everything in as it happens and trying to enjoy being out here and competing," said Current, who was the 2003-04 Collegiate Player and Rookie of the Year at Fairleigh Dickinson University. "When I'm not in a bowling center, I try not to think about bowling or talk about bowling. Tonight (Tuesday), I'm going to relax and enjoy the moment and just wait for the lights to go on (Wednesday)."

After two successful seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson, Current transferred to bowling powerhouse Wichita State University and enjoyed some time under the TV lights while helping the Shockers to a win at the 2007 USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships.

That same year, the two-time Junior Team USA member also took home the women's title at the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships, which earned her a spot on “Bowling's Clash of Champions” in 2008.

"I know they all have more experience, but I've been on TV twice before, and that's in the back of my mind right now," Current said. "I just love competing, and I'm excited about the opportunity to prove myself as a competitor at this level."

The championship round of the Queens was televised live on ESPN2 earlier Wednesday evening at 7 Eastern.

Koivuniemi, Barnes and O'Neill Top PBA Statistics

Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, has officially won the 2010-11 Lumber
Liquidators PBA Tour earnings title and George Young High Average award,
while Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and Bill O’Neill of Southampton, PA, topped
the other key PBA statistical charts.

Thanks to his PBA-record $250,000 first prize in the PBA Tournament of 
Champions, Koivuniemi dominated the Tour in earnings with $333,040, the 
third-highest single-season total on record behind Walter Ray Williams Jr.’s 
$419,700 during the 2002-03 season and Patrick Allen’s $350,740 in 2004-05. 
Koivuniemi also led the PBA Tour in earnings during the 2003-04 season when he 
won PBA Player of the Year honors.

Koivuniemi also won his second George Young High Average Award, bowling at a 
222.50 pace for 292 games. He won his previous high average award during his 
Player of the Year season, averaging 222.73.

Despite the fact that Koivuniemi became the first player in PBA history to reach 
the nationally-televised finals in all four PBA majors (PBA World Championship, 
Tournament of Champions, Bayer USBC Masters and U.S. Open), Barnes was nearly as 
dominant. His PBA World Championship title along with his consistency throughout 
the season was the key factor in topping both O’Neill and Koivuniemi to win his 
third career Harry Smith Point Leader Award.

O’Neill also had an excellent season, topping the Tour with 12 cashes and 10 
match play finals in 12 events. He also tied Koivuniemi for the most 
championship round appearances with five.

For complete listings of all statistics for the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA 
Tour season, click on the “statistics” tab on the pba.com home page.

Sullins Defeats Williams in PBA Senior Sun Bowl in The Villages Event

Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, MI, defeated PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray 

Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL, 248-239 in the title match Tuesday to win the Professional

Bowlers Association (PBA) Senior Sun Bowl In the Villages at Spanish Springs Lanes. 

Sullins, who won the 2009 PBA Senior World Championship for his first Senior 

Tour title, put together seven consecutive strikes after an open and spare in the 

first two frames of the title match to help seal the win. 

“I thought I would have a good read with the ball I was throwing in the semifinal 

match but that wasn’t the case,” said Sullins, who also owns five PBA Tour titles. 

“I had to go to another ball, adjust my hand position and release and was able to

put seven strikes together.” The win brought back some memories for the 53-year-

old Sullins who won his first title on the PBA Tour by defeating Williams in the 

championship match of the True Value Open in 1986. 

“It brought back some memories bowling in that match,” Sullins said. “Anytime you

bowl Walter Ray you’re in for a tough match. There’s a saying out here on tour—if 

you want to win you have to beat Walter Ray.” 

Sullins had to win four matches Tuesday to get to the title match including a 253-

175 win in the semifinal against Mike Hastings of Millsboro, DE. 

“All the matches were tough today,” Sullins said. “I had a pretty good handle on 

the semifinal but I really felt I had to earn this one.” In the other semifinal match,

Williams, the 2010 Senior Rookie of the Year, defeated 2009 Senior Player of 

the Year Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, 270-199, to advance to the final match.

The next stop for the PBA Senior Tour is George Pappas Victory Lanes in 

Mooresville, N.C., for the PBA Senior Miller High Life Classic May 1-4. 

PBA SENIOR SUN BOWL IN THE VILLAGES Spanish Springs Lanes, The Villages, FL. 

Final Results Championship Match Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Township, MI. ($7,500) 

def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, FL. ($4,000), 248-239. 

Semifinal Round (one-game matches, losers earn $2,500) 

W.R. Williams def. Ron Mohr, Eagle River, Alaska, 270-199. 

Sullins def. Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 253-175. 

Round of 8 (best-of-three games, losers eliminated, $1,700 each) 

Mohr def. Brian Brazeau, Ocala, Fla., 2-1. 

W.R. Williams def. Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 2-0. 

Hastings def. Ron Jacobson, Jupiter, Fla., 2-0. 

Sullins def. Vince Honeycutt, Buford, Ga., 2-0. 

Round of 16 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,300 each) 

Mohr def. Dave Patchen, Oregon, Ohio, 3-0. 

Brazeau def. Henry Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3-1. 

W.R. Williams def. Kerry Painter, Henderson, Nev., 3-0. 

M. Williams def. Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 3-2. 

Jacobson def. Marc Lineberry, Camanche, Iowa, 3-2. 

Hastings def. Gary Shultis, Levittown, N.Y., 3-0. 

Honeycutt def. Tom Baker, King, N.C., 3-0. 

Sullins def. Don Sylvia, Reno, Nev., 3-1. 

Round of 24 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,100 each) 

Patchen def. Keith Glasgow, St. Petersburg, Fla., 3-1. 

Brazeau def. Frank Gallo, Jr., Newport News, Va., 3-2. 

W.R. Williams def. Steve Ferraro, Kingston, N.Y., 3-2. 

Dias def. Don Blatchford, Santa Monica, Calif., 3-1. 

Jacobson def. Pete Couture, Titusville, Fla., 3-1. 

Hastings def. Tom Howison, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3-0. 

Honeycutt def. Bob Handley, Winter Garden, Fla., 3-2. 

Sullins def. Warren Blankenship, Ardmore, Okla., 3-2. 

Round of 32 (best-of-five games, losers eliminated, $1,000 each) 

Patchen def. Peter Knopp, Germany, 3-1. 

Brazeau def. Dave Bernhardt, Romeo, Mich., 3-1. 

Ferraro def. Kenny Parks, Hammond, Ind., 3-1. 

Dias def. Ken May, Titusville, Fla., 3-0. 

Couture def. Tom Milton, St. Petersburg, Fla., 3-2. 

Howison def. Emilio Mora Sr., Defiance, Ohio, 3-0. 

Honeycutt def. George Lord, Lakeland, Fla., 3-0. 

Blankenship def. Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 3-2.

Intercollegiate Team Tourney Begins Thursday

The Wichita State University men will look for a record fourth consecutive national title, while second-year program Webber International will try to defend its women's championship when the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships kicks off Thursday in Columbus, Ga.
The defending champions in each division are among the 16 men's and 16 women's teams that advanced to the nationals, which will be conducted at AMF Peach Lanes.
 Wichita State is coming off victories in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 Intercollegiate Team Championships, which tied the record for the most consecutive wins. The Shockers also accomplished the feat in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

This time around, Wichita State enters the event as the No. 3-ranked team in the Team Ranking System and will face challenges from No. 1 Webber International and No. 2 Robert Morris (Illinois) in its quest for a fourth consecutive title.


On the women's side, Webber International won the title last year in the program's first season and enters the 2011 Intercollegiate Team Championships as the No. 7-ranked team.


Standing in the Warriors’ way of repeating as champions is No. 1 Wichita State, which is looking for its 10th national title. The Shockers have won the national title every other year since 2005 and will look to continue that trend.


The 32 teams that advanced to this year's national finals did so by surviving the largest regular-season field in the history of college bowling. The USBC Collegiate program grew at a rate of nearly 10 percent during the 2010-11 season. In all, 192 schools with 3,390 student-athletes competed this season, up from 177 schools and 3,112 student-athletes last season.


Competition in Columbus begins with all teams bowling two 16-game sessions of Baker-style play to establish match-play seeds. At the end of those 32 games, teams in both divisions (men's and women's) will be seeded by total pinfall into double-elimination brackets.


Best-of-seven match play will progress until only two teams remain in each division. Those teams will advance to the best-of-three championship round, which will be taped for airing on Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.


Bowling fans will be able to watch live streaming coverage of qualifying all the way through the semifinals the morning of Saturday, April 23 on Bowl.com. Coverage will begin at 8 a.m. Eastern each day of the event.

Koivuniemi Continues Torrid Season With Back-To-Back Wins In Europe

After completing his brilliant 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour campaign, 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions winner Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, MI, has returned to Europe where he continues his dominant season.


The native Finlander defeated fellow Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt player Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, 279-225, in the title match of the QubicaAMF Open at Gladiator Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for a €6,000 payday on April 10. Finland’s two-handed star, Osku Palermaa, finished third and Mike Fagan of Patchogue, NY, was fifth.


Two days later in the same center in Slovenia, Koivuniemi capped his winning 25-game European Bowling Tour Masters performance with a 300 game to win another €4,000. Sweden’s Martin Larsen finished second followed by Parker Bohn III in third place and Fagan in fifth.

Heath Ends 21-Year Title Dry Spell With Back-To-Back Wins In Hawaii

Sean Heath of Spokane, WA, defeated J.T. Jackson of Tarzana, CA, 222-193, to win the PBA West/Northwest Region Hickam Air Force Base Open at Hickam Lanes in Hawaii Sunday for his second regional title in four days and third overall, ending a 21-year dry spell between titles.


Heath, who earned $2,000 for Sunday’s title, also earned $2,000 on Thursday when he won the West/Northwest Region’s Hawaii Open at Pali Lanes in Kailua. In that event, he defeated Vayle Floria of Cerritos, CA, 248-225, in the title match.


In the weekend’s only other PBA Regional event, Rick Graham of Lancaster, PA, defeated Charles Anderson of Sloatsburg, NY, 214-189, to win the PBA East Region Rockaway Lanes Open at Rockaway Lanes in Rockaway, NJ, Sunday. It was Graham’s second career regional title and netted him a $2,700 prize.


Easter weekend’s limited schedule includes only a PBA West Region non-champions tournament Friday at South Point Bowling Center in Las Vegas followed by a PBA West member/non-member doubles event Friday through Sunday, also at South Point.


Four regional events are on the calendar for the April 29-May 1 weekend: the South Region Rocky Mountain Open at The Bowling Center in Rocky Mountain, NC; the East Region King Pin Lanes Open in Rome, NY; a joint Southwest/Midwest Region Junction City Bowl Open in Junction City, KS, and the Northwest Lithia C-J-D of Tri Cities Open Doubles event at Go Bowl in Pasco, WA. For complete tournament entry and schedule information, visit pba.com and click on the “Regional Tour” link on the “Schedules” drop down menu.