PBA Regional Awards Announced

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has announced the season-ending awards for the 2008-09 PBA Regional Tour season. Each of the seven PBA Regions recognized a Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Pat Patterson Award winner.

In the PBA Central Region, Brian Waliczek of Birch Run, Mich., was named Player of the Year after leading the Central Region point rankings. Cashing in 14 of 15 events, Waliczek won three titles and earned $16,600. The Dan Ottman Rookie of the Year award went to Jeremy Delcamp of Elkhart, Ind., who cashed in five of seven events and made match play three times, posting a top finish of second. Senior Player of the Year honors was awarded to James Stanley of Cincinnati, who won two titles, while Bill Wammes of Bowling Green, Ohio, was named Pat Patterson Award winner.

The PBA East Region selected Brian LeClair of Athens, N.Y., as Player of the Year. LeClair won two titles and had two runner-up finishes. He cashed in 17 of 18 tournaments, made match play 10 times, averaged 216 and earned $14,575. Shawn Slocum of Ewing, N.J., earned Rookie of the Year honors, cashing in all six events he entered, making match play three times with a best finish of 10th twice. Bob Kavanaugh of Clifton Park, N.Y., won the Senior Player of the Year award after winning one title, while Dean Ryan of Annapolis, Md., was named the Pat Patterson Award recipient.

Derek Sapp of Keokuk, Iowa, earned PBA Midwest Region Player of the Year honors by capturing two titles and finished second twice. He also cashed in 16 of 19 tournaments, made match play 15 times, averaged 221 and earned $16,583. The Rookie of the Year award went to Corey Young of Steeleville, Ill., who cashed in six of 17 events and posted a high finish of 13th. The Senior Player of the Year was Dale Traber of Cedarburg, Wis., who won four titles and took home $7,000 in earnings while the Pat Patterson Award winner for the Midwest Region was Sam Rolph of Oak Forest, Ill.

In the PBA Northwest Region, P.J. Haggerty of Clovis, Calif., was named Player of the Year after winning one event, finishing in the top five seven times, cashing in 11 of 12 tournaments and making match play 10 times. Rookie of the Year honors was Noel Vasquez of Sacramento, Calif., who won one tournament, cashed in nine of 11 events and made match play five times. Kevin Croucher of Grants Pass, Ore., earned the Pat Patterson Award.

The PBA South Region named Lee Vanderhoef of Greenville, S.C., Player of the Year after winning four titles, cashing in 17 of 19 events and making match play 16 times. He also had three runner-up finishes and finished in the top five 12 times. He had a 219.27 average and earned $20,150. Mike Moore of Orlando, Fla., earned Rookie of the Year honors, capturing one title and cashing in 11 of 16 events. PBA Hall of Famer George Pappas of Charlotte, N.C., earned Senior Player of the Year with two victories and five top five finishes. Steve Taylor of Madison Heights, Va., earned the Pat Patterson Award.

David Anthony of Austin, Texas and Jesse Buss of Wichita, Kan., were named the PBA Southwest Region Player and Rookie of the Year, respectively. Anthony won three titles, cashed in 20 of 22 events, made match play 19 times and had 11 top-five finishes. He averaged 217 and earned $22,512. Buss won two titles while cashing in six of eight events and making match play five times. The Pat Patterson Award was given to PBA Hall of Famer Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas, for the second consecutive year.

In the PBA West Region, Jeff Frankos of San Francisco was Player of the Year winning two titles, finishing in the top five seven times, cashing in 15 of 18 events and making match play 13 times. Scott Norton of San Francisco won Rookie of the Year honors, winning two titles, cashing in 16 of 18 events and making match play 10 times while earning $12,450 – tops among all PBA regional rookies. Darryl Izumo of Lihue, Hawaii, won the West Region Pat Patterson Award.

The awards for Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year are voted on by the seven Regional Managers and John Weber, Director of the Senior and Regional Tours. The Pat Patterson Awards, recognizing individual contributions to the regional program, were selected by the respective Regional Managers. The Patterson Award program was originated in 1972 in honor of a man who worked diligently to advance the PBA in its early years.

In addition, four of the seven regions (Central, South, Midwest and East) select a Senior Player of the Year, based upon a minimum of six senior events within the region.