USBC Masters Matchplay

The field of survivors in the United States Bowling Congress Masters is down to 32 heading into the final rounds of match play at the National Bowling Stadium today, and there are several great storylines heading into the battle for berths in Sunday’s ESPN finals.

The USBC Masters is the third of our major championship tournaments on the
2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour schedule. The four players who survive
today’s eliminations matches will battle for the $50,000 first prize and a
two-year PBA Tour exemption in the ESPN finals Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern (noon Pacific).

Three-game match play rounds will be conducted all day and into the evening
Friday to whittle the field to four survivors. Bowling fans can keep up with the
action by watching free video streaming on pba.com’s Xtra Frame. To access this week’s complimentary Xtra Frame coverage, fans must download free Silverlight
software which also is accessible on the pba.com home page.

Among the 16 undefeated players heading into Friday’s the three-game,
double-elimination match play finals are five past Masters champions: Rick
Steelsmith of Wichita, KS (1987); Doug Kent of Newark, NY (1991 and 2006);
Parker Bohn III of Jackson, NJ (2001); Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, FL
(Jan. 2004) and Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, TX (2005).

Also among the undefeated players were:

* Qualifying leader Chris Loschetter of Avon, OH, and No. 2 qualifier Jason
Belmonte, Australia’s two-handed practitioner.

* Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, MI, the “storybook” player of the season, who
lost his job at General Motors last year, but went on to win the PBA World
Championship in December.

* PBA Hall of Famer and 34-time PBA Tour titlist Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, who is still trying to win the first Masters title for the legendary Weber family.
Pete’s late father Dick Weber was a 26-time PBA Tour champion, but never won the Masters.

* PBA Players of the Year Chris Barnes of Double Oak, TX (2007-08) and Wes Malott of Pflugerville, TX (2008-09) are both trying for the first Masters Title.

* Loschetter is among the 10 surviving players – including nine who face uphill
battles through the “losers bracket” after sustaining one loss Thursday – who
are trying to become the fifth player to win his first PBA Tour singles title
this season.

Here’s a summary of Thursday’s early match play rounds:

2010 USBC MASTERS
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, NV, Feb. 11, 2010

THREE-GAME, DOUBLE-ELIMINATION MATCH PLAY
OPENING ROUND (with players’ qualifying positions in parenthesis)
(1) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. (61) Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 673-573.
(33) Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., def. (29) Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 697-636.
(45) Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., def. (17) Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 643-642.
(13) Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., def. (49) John Janawicz, Winter Haven, Fla., 695-684.
(41) Jonathan Van Hees, Charlestown, R.I., def. (21) Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 588-586.
(9) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. (53) Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 596-594.
(25) Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., def. (37) Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 614-595.
(5) Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., def. (57) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 729-695.
(3) Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. (63) Paul Bober, Morton Grove, Ill., 634-631.
(35) Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., def. (31) Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 684-501.
(19) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., def. (47) Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va., 717-661.
(15) Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., def. (51) John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 688-594.
(43) Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, def. (23) Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 662-619.
(11) Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, def. (55) Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, Hawaii, 702-652.
(27) Andrew Cain, Phoenix, def. (39) Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 703-639.
(59) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. (7) Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 679-654.
(2) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (62) Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 658-580.
(30) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, def. (34) Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 636-611.
(18) Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., def. (46) Bob Aleksinski, Hillsboro, Ore., 700-582.
(14) Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., def. (50) PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 695-575.
(42) Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. (22) Andres Gomez, Colombia, 617-532.
(54) Erik Vermilyea, Mansfield, Texas, def. (10) Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 648-575.
(26) Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., def. (38) Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 617-564.
(58) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., def. (6) Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 647-645.
(4) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. (64) Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif., 634-552.
(32) John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., def. (36) Derek Eoff, Arlington, Texas, 668-662.
(48) Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., def. (20) Andrew Frawley, Australia, 588-532.
(52) Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., def. (16) Andrew Loose, Chicago, 633-558.
(24) Mike DeVaney, San Diego, def. (44) David Langer, Brooklyn Park, Minn., 652-546.
(56) Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., def. (12) Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 678-670.
(28) Dave Wodka, Chatsworth, Calif., def. (40) Dan Bock, Albert Lea, Minn., 666-661.
(8) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, def. (60) Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 685-545.

ROUND 1 WINNERS BRACKET
Loschetter def. Reyes, 705-638.
Steelsmith def. Page, 716-688.
Weber def. Van Hees, 746-648.
O'Neill def. Shafer, 646-616.
Smallwood def. P. Allen, 609-591.
Williams Jr. def. McCune, 680-630.
Scroggins def. Lehtonen, 556-543.
Bohn III def. Cain, 699-622.
Belmonte def. Monacelli, 671-610.
Ciccone def. Jurek, 602-570.
Ciminelli def. Vermilyea, 696-672.
Carter def. Edwards, 683-608.
Barnes def. Nolen, 696-642.
Boresch Jr. def. Newell, 577-566.
Kent def. DeVaney, 625-578.
Malott def. Wodka, 708-593.

ROUND 1 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,600)
Bock def. Mack, 617-507.
R. Allen def. O'Grady, 682-633.
Haugen Jr. def. Langer, 644-643.
Koivuniemi def. Janawicz, 656-587.
Fagan def. Frawley, 701-592.
Abel def. Loose, 659-627.
Brandon def. LeClair, 652-604.
Angelo def. Eoff, 671-603.
Waliczek def. Bober, 594-586.
MacLelland def. D'Ambrosio III, 647-610.
Gomez def. Horton, 581-545.
May def. Castillo, 593-588.
Voss def. Aleksinski, 598-542.
Haggerty def. Miyamoto, 626-555.
Harman def. Warren, 604-580.
Jones def. VanDaniker Jr., 632-586.

ROUND 2 LOSERS BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Bock def. Cain, 601-593.
R. Allen def. McCune, 694-647.
Haugen Jr. def. Lehtonen, 667-666.
P. Allen def. Koivuniemi, 721-636.
Van Hees def. Fagan, 603-569.
Reyes def. Abel, 759-544.
Shafer def. Brandon, 595-572.
Angelo def. Page, 646-632.
Wodka def. Waliczek, 671-654.
Newell def. MacLelland, 588-561.
Gomez def. DeVaney, 733-729.
May def. Nolen, 699-595.
Vermilyea def. Voss, 621-597.
Haggerty def. Monacelli, 592-580.
Edwards def. Harman, 687-655.
Jurek def. Jones, 697-624.