PBA Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic

Australian two-handed bowling sensation Jason Belmonte is getting a lot of attention, but Long Island bowling purists are hoping one of their own will finally break through and win his first Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour title when the Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic officially gets underway Thursday at AMF West Babylon Lanes.

Belmonte, whose unusual two-handed delivery has led to a high level of success
in the international arena, qualified for the Round of 64 field by a single pin
during Wednesday’s Tour Qualifying Round (TQR), but long-time Long Islanders were cheering loudest for Rudy Kasimakis, who grew up honing his skills on the island. Kasimakis, a PBA touring player off-and-on throughout much of his adult life, now resides in Baldwyn, Miss., but he turned on his fabled “Rudy Revs” power game and bowled like a hometown favorite in posting a 1,560-pin total to easily make the Round of 64 cut.

Jim Tomek Jr. of Camp Hill, Pa., led the TQR field of 96 non-exempt players,
posting a 1,572 total for his seven games. Kasimakis was 12 pins behind. Also
advancing were PBA members: P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,537; Jason Wojnar,
Chicago, 1,523; 2009 USBC Masters winner John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,520;
Norm Ginsberg Jr., East Meadow, N.Y., 1,512, Belmonte and Brian Ziesig of
Levittown, N.Y., 1,509, who tied for the seventh and eighth PBA berths in the
Round of 64. The TQR qualifiers will advance along with PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., who is bowling in the tournament at the PBA’s
invitation (commissioner's exemption), and Dale Aivaz Jr. of Yonkers, N.Y., who rolled a 1,492 total to top the amateur bowlers in the TQR.

The 64-player Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic field will bowl two
seven-game qualifying rounds Thursday on the PBA’s Viper and Shark lane
conditioning patterns, respectively, before the field is cut to 32 for match
play competition on Friday. After nine match games Friday morning, the top 16
will bowl another nine games Friday evening to determine the top four who will
compete for the title in the ESPN-televised finals on Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour
2009 Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic
AMF West Babylon Lanes, West Babylon, N.Y.
Wednesday, March 25

PBA TOUR QUALIFYING ROUND
Top eight PBA members and one amateur advance to the Round of 64.
a-indicates amateur
1, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa., 1,573
2, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 1,560
3, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 1,537
4, Jason Wojnar, Chicago, 1,523
5, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 1,520
6, Norm Ginsberg Jr., East Meadow, N.Y., 1,512
7, Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 1,509
Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,509
9, Alex Cavagnaro, N. Massapequa, N.Y., 1,508, $1,000
10, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,505, $800
11, James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 1,498, $700
12, a-Dale Aivaz Jr., Yonkers, N.Y., 1,492
13, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,488, $600
14, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,480, $475
14, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 1,480, $475
16, Kevin Bandrowski, Speonk, N.Y., 1,473, $400
17, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 1,465, $380
18, Adam Chase, Seaford, N.Y., 1,463, $360
19, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,458, $350
20, Amanda Fagan, Oakdale, N.Y., 1,456, $340
21, Michael Dioguardo, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,452, $330
22, Matthew Brockett, Clinton, Conn, 1,446, $320
23, Justin Warhol, Sound Beach, N.Y, 1,445, $310
24, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,443, $300
25, Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y., 1,435
Damon Brown, Amityville, N.Y., 1,435
27, Darryl McDuffie, Floral Park, N.Y., 1,418
28, Bill Beck, Ronkonkoma, N.Y., 1,417
29, Chun Bae, Cedarhurst, N.Y., 1,413
30, Thomas Bragg, Baiting Hollow, N.Y., 1,411
31, Stephen Gregg, Yaphank, N.Y., 1,408
32, Alex Medveditskov, Russia, 1,406
33, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 1,405
34, Paul Molnar, Commack, N.Y., 1,398
35, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,393
36, Steven Silverman, W. Babylon, N.Y., 1,385
Robert Jette, Lisbon, Conn., 1,385
38, George Lambert IV, Canada, 1,382
39, Joseph Giampapa, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,381
Anthony Phillips, Elmont, N.Y., 1,381
41, Bill Holota, Bolton, Conn., 1,378
42, Sean McAuliffe, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,374
43, Timothy West, Easton, Conn., 1,373
44, Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 1,370
45, Eric Porter, Traverse City, Mich., 1,369
46, Frank Villardi, East Yaphank, N.Y., 1,367
47, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,349
48, Robert Volk, Ridge, N.Y., 1,344
49, Chris Paroly, Plainview, N.Y., 1,341
50, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,338
Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,338
52, Jay Marine, Selden, N.Y., 1,337
53, Brandon Robertson, Clinton, Conn., 1,336
54, David Sulzer, Holbrook, N.Y., 1,329
55, Chris Liotta, Dix Hills, N.Y., 1,323
56, Christopher Lucchese, Fresh Meadow, N.Y., 1,319
57, Robert Romeo, Amherst, N.Y., 1,306
58, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,303
59, Douglas Sass, Nottingham, Md., 1,301
60, Chris Forry, Bridgeport, Conn., 1,300
61, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,291
62, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,287
63, Frank Gallo Jr., Cape Carteret, N.C., 1,284
64, Jack Nealon, Bowie, Md., 1,282
65, Octavius Manning, Central Islip, N.Y., 1,270
66, Matt Traina, Farmingdale, N.Y., 1,268
67, Peter Bruss, Farmingville, N.Y., 1,264
68, Shawn Harris, Queens, N.Y., 1,260
69, Joe Biscardi, Wantagh, N.Y., 1,256
70, Andrew Mangiapahella, East Islip, N.Y., 1,255
71, Steve Bova, Massapequa, N.Y., 1,250
72, Joseph Costanzo, Plainview, N.Y., 1,248
73, Walt Taormina, Oak Ridge, N.J., 1,245
74, Mark Cise, Summit, N.J., 1,232
75, Joseph Truchan Jr., Ringwood, N.J., 1,228
76, Derek James, Wyandanch, N.Y., 1,227
77, Anthony Lupo, Bethpage, N.Y., 1,221
78, Joey Serrapica, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,217
79, Paul Smith, Clinton, Conn., 1,199
80, Ralph Ehrlich, N. Massapequa, N.Y., 1,196
81, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,179
82, Brian DiCicco, Agawam, Mass, 1,165
83, Mark Fordin, Oceanside, N.Y., 1,162
84, Joseph Parrinello, Syosset, N.Y., 1,160
85, Bob Andretta Jr, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,157
86, Joseph Giammarino, Deer Park, N.Y., 1,151
87, Noel Rivera, Pt. Jefferson Station, N.Y., 1,145
88, Jim Rogers, Brick, N.J., 1,141
89, Matthew Denmark, Deer Park, N.Y., 1,128
90, John Catapane, North Babylon, N.Y., 1,111
91, Hal Murray, North Babylon, N.Y., 1,098
92, Roy Cadoo Jr, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,095
93, Michael Benzinger, Flushing, N.Y., 1,053
94, Christopher Illescas, South Richmond Hills, N.Y., 1,010
95, Bobby Alescio, Schenectady, N.Y., 967
96, Razor Chisolm, Brooklyn, N.Y., 963