PBA ’s Viper Championship

Sporting a shaved head in support of a friend undergoing cancer treatment, and playing a style of
game outside his normal comfort zone, Rhino Page of Wesley Chapel, FL, out-struck Ryan Ciminelli
of Buffalo, NY, to win the Professional Bowlers Association’s Viper Championship at
Thunderbowl Lanes.

As part of the PBA World Series of Bowling finals that aired Sunday on ESPN, Liz Johnson of
Cheektowaga, NY, won her first PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM singles title,
defeating Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, TX, 211-196, for the women’s Viper Championship.

Page, the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s 2007-08 Rookie of the Year, defeated Ciminelli, 268-
246, for his third career title, a $25,000 prize and a berth in the end-of-season PBA Experience
Showdown presented by BOWL.COM.

“It feels great to be able to get off to a great start in the World Series, and to make a show in my
third event,” Page said. “To get my third title this early in the season feels amazing.”

Page said he turned the corner in the Viper Championship early in the event when he was
struggling with his equipment and decided to switch from “reactive” bowling balls to more stable
urethane equipment. Ciminelli, a non-exempt player who advanced out of the Tour Qualifying Round
(TQR) to earn a spot in the 72-man tournament field, was bowling next to Page – and made the same
equipment move with similar results. Ironically, the two left-handers eventually met for the title.

“I threw the ball much differently than the way I usually bowl,” Page said. “I was literally trying to
loft the ball over the dots and as I was doing so, I was hitting it as hard as I could with as many
revolutions as I could to try to get that urethane ball to do the right thing. In a sense, I was trying
to make it behave like a reactive (ball), but a controlled reactive. For Ciminelli, that’s his A game. His
rotation and revs match up perfectly. For me, lacking the revolutions, I had to do something.”

Page's technique worked. Ciminelli struck on seven of his first eight shots before leaving three
consecutive 7 pins that ultimately made the difference because Page struck on nine of his first 10
attempts.

While Page’s modified bowling style wasn’t readily apparent to most bowling fans, his hair style
certainly was.

“One of my best friends is going through cancer treatment and he’s lost all of his hair,” Page said in
reference to his shaved head. “I told him when he started treatment that I’d do this for him. I wanted
to show him my support, even though I’m not there with him.”

With an early title in hand, Page said he is “stoked” for the rest of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators 
PBA Tour season.

“My ultimate goal is Player of the Year,” he said. “I’ve got a title under my belt. I had a really good
World Series, and I qualified for the TV final coming up in the PBA World Championship (on Dec.
13 in Wichita, KS). I’m really happy. I think I’m in the position I want to be in.”

Page advanced to the Viper title match with a 221-180 victory over Steve Jaros of Yorkville, IL, in
the semifinal round while Ciminelli threw two strikes in the 10th frame to nip Michael Haugen Jr. of
Carefree, AZ, 238-236, in the other semifinal contest.

In the women’s title match, Johnson followed an open frame with three strikes and added a late
double to hold off Barnes, who was plagued by single-pin leaves. Barnes left three 10 pins, two 7
pins and a pair of 4 pins in bowling an otherwise error-free game without a double.

“It’s been an amazing year,” said Johnson, who won the United States Bowling Congress (USBC)
Queens title earlier in the year after earning a PBA Women’s Series exemption for 2009-10 by
teaming with Norm Duke to win the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles title in January.

Regardless of her success in 2009, which included top-four finishes in all PBA World Series of
Bowling events for women, Johnson has maintained an almost shy demeanor. Her humility, in part, is
due to the fact that her dream of a full-time career as a professional woman bowler almost ended in
2003 when the Professional Women’s Bowling Association ceased operation. The creation of the 
PBA Women’s Series, in cooperation with the USBC, has given women bowlers renewed hope.

“It makes no sense to get a big ego after winning a title,” she explained. “You do the best you can.
You’re thankful for your life, your family, your parents. You’re thankful for having the Women’s Series
after the women’s tour folded (in 2003). You kinda feel like you took things for granted, having the
opportunity to bowl 10-20 events a year, and then the tour’s gone. I would never do that again. I’m
very thankful for the opportunities I still have to bowl.”

Johnson has had significant success bowling against the PBA’s male stars as well, and plans to
continue to bowl in selected PBA Tour events. “I’m going to bowl in the (Pepsi) Red, White and
Blue Open (presented by the USBC) in Wichita (Dec. 7-13) and in the Dick Weber Open in
Fountain Valley (Calif., Jan. 26-31). And hopefully in the U.S. Open (Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis),”
Johnson said. “I plan to bowl as much as I can.”

In addition to her $10,000 first prize, Johnson earned a berth in the PBA Women’s Showdown 
presented by BOWL.COM which will take place in April at the new International Training Center in
Arlington, Texas.