Collins Leads Qualifier, Field Set for the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship

Chris Collins of Savannah, GA, Averaged 235.43 to lead a field of 10 players who advanced
out of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour Qualifying Round Wednesday completing 
the field of 64  for the Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship which gets underway with the first 
round Thursday at AMF Thruway Lanes.

 
Collins, a former exempt player who won the 2006 Pepsi Championship for his lone PBA Tour title,
completed the seven-game qualifying round with a 1,648 pinfall total with games of 179, 237,
257, 259, 191, 246, and 279 finishing 77 pins ahead of Mitch Beasley of Puyallup, WA,
in second with 1,571. All 49 players in the qualifier were required to use PBA-approved plastic balls.

 
“The key today was to play straight with a little speed—kind of like I would on a broke down Cheetah
pattern,” Collins said. “I got off to a slow start with a lot splits but I made a slight adjustment with
my feet and increased the speed.  These are examples of the types of adjustments we’re all 
going to have to make because we’re not going to have our usual (bowling) equipment to go to.”
 

Also advancing were Johnny Petraglia Jr., Jackson, NJ, 1,535; Scott Newell, Deland, FL, 1,522; 
Mike Rose Jr., West Henrietta, NY, 1,518; Matt O’Grady, South Amboy, NJ, 1,515; Tommy Gollick,
Oberlin, PA, 1,512; Jesse Buss, Wichita, KS, 1,496; Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,480, and Johnathan Bower, 
Middletown, PA, 1,473.

 
Beginning with Thursday’s first Round of 64, all players will be required to use identical Mark Roth
Plastic Ball Championship competition plastic balls manufactured by OntheBallBowling.com.
Each player will be given two balls and these will be the only balls they will be able to use 
throughout the tournament.

With all players having to rely on 1970s-era technology, the playing field is equalized as there is
less reliance on today’s high-powered equipment.

After Thursday’s second Round of 64, the field will be cut to 32 players who will advance to a match
play round Friday morning which cuts the field to the top 16. Friday evening’s match play round
will determine the top four who will advance to Sunday’s finals to be telecast live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern.

 
LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR MARK ROTH PLASTIC BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
AMF Thruway Lanes, Cheektowaga, N.Y.,  March 2

PBA TOUR QUALIFYING ROUND
(After 7 games, top 10 advance to Round of 64)

1, Christopher Collins, Savannah, Ga., 1,648.
2, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 1,571.
3, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Jackson, N.J., 1,535.
4, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,522.
5, Mike Rose Jr, West Henrietta, N.Y., 1,518.
6, Matthew O'Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 1,515.
7, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,512.
8, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,496.
9, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,480.
10, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,473.
11, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,462, $800.
12, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,458, $500.
13, Gregory Thompson Jr., Dublin, Calif., 1,449.
14, PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif., 1,448.
15, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 1,444.
16, Michael Markis, Hawley, Pa, 1,443.
17, Peter Maduri, Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,436.
18, Jonathan Kroll, Lackawana, N.Y., 1,430.
19, Dan MacLelland, Saginaw, Mich., 1,428.
20, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,420.
21, Mike Zarcone, Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,411.
22, Tim Bell, Garden City, Mich., 1,409.
23, Alex Aguiar, Dartmouth, Mass., 1,407.
24, Frank Bellavia Jr., Niagara Falls, N.Y., 1,400.
25, Kevin Donovan, Painted Post, N.Y., 1,370.
26, Matthew Zasowski, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,368.
27, (tie) William Stoddard, Rochester, N.Y., and Joseph Hostetler, Minerva, Ohio, 1,367.
29, Matt Freiberg, Simpsonville, S.C., 1,361.
30, Andrew Mortensen, Tulsa, Okla., 1,352.
31, Jimmy Plessinger, York, Pa., 1,350.
32, (tie) Joe Stillman, Staten Island, N.Y., and Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,342.
34, Christopher Racey, Ontario, Canada, 1,325.
35, Nick Kokenos, St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1,317.
36, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 1,303.
37, Chris Biamonte Jr., Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada, 1,288.
38, Ron Evans, Atlanta, 1,284.
39, Robert Pretty, Canada, 1,283.
40, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 1,273.
41, Larry Klick, Erie, Pa., 1,261.
42, Ben Curry, Depew, N.Y., 1,257.
43, Sam Capizzi Jr, Rochester, N.Y., 1,234.
44, Howard Ridgeway, Cleveland, 1,210.
45, Jack Perry, Canada, 1,209.
46, Curtis Foss, Medina, N.Y., 1,202.
47, Andrew Cramer, Getzville, N.Y., 1,195.
48, Scott Heubusch, Buffalo, N.Y., 1,136.
49, David Aichinger, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,130.