Friday, March 6, 2009

O'Neill Top Qualifier in Ohio

With a 3,204 14-game pinfall (228.8 average), Bill O’Neill of Southamption, Pa., led 33 players who advanced from Thursday’s Round of 64 in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator at Sequoia Pro Bowl.

With six television appearances this season and a best finish of second (twice), O’Neill is coming off a fourth place finish in last week’s Etonic Marathon Open in Indianapolis. He is still looking for his first career Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title.

“I have just been bowling better than I ever have over the last three years,” said the 27 year-old O’Neill who rolled a 299 in the final game of Thursday’s second seven-game block.

“I am being smarter with ball changes and moves--my equipment and the lane conditions just seem to be matching up for me right now.”

O’Neill leads Hall of Famer and 32-time PBA Tour titlist Parker Bohn III of Jackson, N.J., by 42 pins.

Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, who is the front-runner for 2008-09 PBA Player of the Year honors, went from 64th in the Thursday’s first seven-game block on the PBA’s Viper lane condition to 10th after rolling 1,744 (249.14 average) in Thursday’s second seven-game block on the Scorpion condition. Malott won his third title of the season in last week’s Etonic Marathon Open.

“When you were in the position I was in after three games, all you can do is laugh and have some fun with it,” Malott said. “I was 45 under (under 200 average) at one point, maybe coming off a big win and the media hype had something to do with that. The first few games, I just wasn’t into it.”

The 33 remaining players will bowl two additional rounds Friday to determine the top 16 who will compete in the eliminator rounds on Saturday.

For the eliminator rounds, bowlers will be grouped in foursomes based on 28-game pinfall. Each elimination round will consist of two games with the player with the lowest two-game pinfall in each group eliminated from the tournament.

For the ESPN finals, which will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, four players will bowl one game on the same pair with the low scorer eliminated and so on until the final two survivors bowl for the title.

In addition to the unique format, players have to navigate through the Tour’s demanding Scorpion (left lane) and Viper (right lane) conditions in the Eliminator Rounds, putting a premium on making accurate lane and ball adjustments.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator Sequoia Pro Bowl – Columbus, Ohio Round of 64 Results After 14 games
(Name, Hometown, Pinfall, Earnings for Non-Qualifiers)
Top 33 Advance

1, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,204
2, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,162
3, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,161
4, Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 3,157
5, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,154
6, Edward VanDaniker Jr, Essex, Md., 3,142
7, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 3,135
8, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,120
9, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 3,106
10, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,099
11, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,077
12, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 3,073
13, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,071
14, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 3,060
15, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 3,058
16, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 3,057
17, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 3,046
17, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 3,046
19, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,045
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 3,025
21, Jason Lundquist, Delaware Water Gap, Pa., 3,020
22, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 3,018
22, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 3,018
24, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 3,001
25, Terrance Reeves, Valrico, Fla., 2,996
26, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,988
27, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,976
28, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,973
29, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 2,967
30, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 2,966
31, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,959
32, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 2,955
33, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,954
34, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 2,952, $1,800
35, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,951, $1,800
35, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 2,951, $1,800
37, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 2,948, $1,900
38, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 2,941, $1,800
39, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 2,937, $1,800
40, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,931, $1,800
41, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 2,920, $1,800
42, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 2,918, $1,800
43, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 2,901, $1,800
44, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,899, $1,800
45, Andrew Cain, Scottsdale, Ariz., 2,885, $1,800
46, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,884, $1,800
47, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 2,879, $1,800
48, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 2,866, $1,800
49, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,857, $1,800
50, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,853, $1,800
51, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis., 2,838, $1,800
52, Billy Oatman, Chicago, 2,832, $1,800
53, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 2,814, $1,800
54, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,804, $1,800
55, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 2,790, $1,800
56, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 2,776, $1,800
57, Chester Rogers Jr, Milwaukie, Ore., 2,767, $1,800
58, David Traber, Hebron, Ill., 2,758, $1,800
59, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 2,753, $1,800
60, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,743, $1,800
61, Richard Jones Jr., Bedford, Ohio, 2,725, $1,800
62, Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Wash., 2,707, $1,800
63, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 2,700, $1,800
64, Jonathan Van Hees, Newport, R.I., 1,888, $1,800

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