Columbia Discloses Disruption, Antics and Smack Down, New Balls Coming in July

 The new Columbia 300 Antics is covered in vibrant hues of Forest/Royal/ Cherry/Yellow, the cover is called AR 300, as in Awesome Reaction 300. The Columbiadescribes the veneer as: “AR 300 cover is cleaner through the front of the lane than previous high performance releases and unleashes some awesome backend motion.” ARS is finished 500 Abranet™, 3000 Abralon™, and Powerhouse™ Factory Finish Polish. The “engine” of the new Antics is the Hi-Dynamix core, one of the most dynamic cores Columbia has ever produced. With a medium RG, High Differential and High Mass bias, the Antics core helps the ball produce awesome mid lane and backend motion.

The Columbia 300 Smack Down utilizes Bring-It Hybrid Purple/ Silver/Purple Pearl coverstock prepped 500, 500 Abranet™, 2000, 2000 Abralon™. Columbiadescribes it: “This hybrid cover will run over any medium to heavy condition with a strong mid-lane motion and great continuation.” The Smack Down core (SD Medium Rg Core) has a medium Radius of Gyration and a high differential. Columbia also reports, “The medium RG helps the Smack Down get further down the lane before the high differential kicks in for some awesome continuation!”

Columbia 300 Disruption is wrapped in New Era Yellow / Indigo solid coverstock. New Era solid has never been used before as the sole ingredient in a Columbia cover. The cover is finished 800 Abranet™, 1000, 2000 Abralon®, Powerhouse™ Factory Finish. The Resurgence Core is the guts of the Disruption. Columbia said “The low RG and Medium Differential make this a great choice for all styles.”

Columbia 300 adds two Freeze balls. The Columbia Freeze for 2014 with a modified version of the Messenger core as has been used in the line since it's inception - which could arguable be the most successful core in Columbia 300 history. The Freeze is wrapped in the Ne2 shell. Two new cover colors: Navy/Purple/Yellow and Blue/Orange/Green finished with 4000 and Polished.

 

Belmonte Tops The Stepladder for Lucas PBA Oil Bear Open

Australia’s Jason Belmonte won six of his final eight matches and tied another to charge out of 10th place and capture the top stepladder finals berth for the Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open Tuesday night at AMF Bowlero.

Belmonte, who is trying for his seventh PBA Tour title, averaged a modest 215.65 for a 26-game total of 5,952 pins, including match play bonus, to complete a move that began when he dropped to 24th place after the first two games of match play Tuesday. Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, finished second with 5,891 pins followed by Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, with a 5,855 total; Canada’s Dan MacLelland with 5,819 pins and Tom Hess of Urbandale, Iowa, with a 5,811 total.

“I bowled really, really well tonight,” the Aussie two-handed star said. “After sitting in 24th place two games into match play, I was just hoping to maybe break into the top 10. Then I got closer, and I drilled a new ball that gave me a lot better look down the lane. It carried so much better, and that was the difference.”

Belmonte finished seventh in the Badger Open last week at AMF Waukesha, the first of the fourth GEICO PBA Summer Swing tournaments, but then finished 69th in the Wolf Open at AMF West – a performance that knocked him out of the Milwaukee Open field.

“My goal when I came over here was to do well on all of the patterns,” Belmonte said. “I just missed on the first one (Badger). The second one (Wolf) was – what’s a good word – disaster? But I never give up, even in the Wolf.

“It was just like today,” he continued. “I needed to dig a little deeper and I’m a whole lot happier now than I was last week. Hopefully I can cap it off with one more good game on TV and add another “W”.

Barnes will be trying for his 15th title in the Bear Open finals. Loschetter, who led the tournament heading into the final eight games, is trying for his first title after nine years on Tour. He also is top qualifier for the Wolf Open finals. MacLelland, also a non-titlist, hopes to become the first Canadian ever to win a PBA Tour title. Hess, who won his only title in the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Masters, made a huge move when he bowled the tournament’s only 300 game in the sixth game of the final round, and then jumped from eighth to fifth with a 268-210 victory over collegiate star Aaron Lorincz of Belleville, MI, in the final position round match.

The Bear Open was conducted on a flat 40-foot oiling pattern – similar to the demanding scoring environment used for the U.S. Open. It is the third of four events that compose the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil. The Bear Open stepladder finals will be conducted at 6 p.m. Saturday at AMF Bowlero and will air on CBS Sports Network on June 25 at 7 p.m. ET.

The PBA Summer Swing continues Wednesday when the top 28 qualifiers from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events compete in the five-game Lucas Oil PBA Milwaukee Open cashers round on the Bear pattern at 11 a.m. at Bowlero. Based on 35-game pinfall totals, the top 24 will advance to three eight-game match play rounds Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. (Bear pattern), Thursday at 11 a.m. (Wolf pattern) and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. (Badger pattern). The top five after 59 games will advance to the Milwaukee Open finals at 11 a.m. Sunday at Bowlero. There will be no competition on Friday.

The Milwaukee Open cashers round and match play rounds Wednesday and Thursday will be covered live, exclusively on PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

The stepladder finals for the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Opens will be contested Saturday at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively. The GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event will follow the Milwaukee Open finals Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Summer Swing finals will air on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

LUCAS OIL PBA BEAR OPEN

AMF Bowlero, Wauwatosa Wis., May 28

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Bear Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 6 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 11-4-1, 5,952.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 9-7, 5,891.
3, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 10-6, 5,855.
4, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 10-6, 5,819.
5, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 10-6, 5,811.
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 9-7, 5,764, $1,800.
7, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 8-8, 5,741, $1,700.
8, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 9-6-1, 5,724, $1,600.
9, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 10-6, 5,708, $1,550.
10, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 8-8, 5,691, $1,500.
11, Dom Barrett, England, 10-5-1, 5,676, $1,450.
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 7-9, 5,662, $1,400.
13, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 9-7, 5,627, $1,350.
14, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-9, 5,607, $1,300.
15, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 9-7, 5,606, $1,250.
16, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 8-8, 5,600, $1,200.
17, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 5,589, $1,150.
18, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 6-10, 5,467, $1,100.
19, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6-9-1, 5,429, $1,050.
20, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 6-10, 5,349, $1,000.
21, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 5-11, 5,306, $950.
22, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 6-10, 5,256, $900.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4-12, 5,217, $850.
24, Patrick Girard, Canada, 5-11, 5,071, $800.

300 Game: Tom Hess.

 

Columbia Introducing New Balls July 9th

 

Roto Grip Reveals Their Summer Introductions

Rich in Defiant™ heritage, the Totally Defiant™ produces the strength and power of the time tested Paragon™ Core, resulting in heavy roll through the midlane and the pin deck.

The 74MH™ Yellow/Smoke/Ruby pearl reactive coverstock is a pure resin material that will provide more length (skid) and change of direction down lane (snap) than any of the Defiant balls before it.

The Totally Defiant comes out of the box at 1500-grit polished and will be the most angular Defiant to date, even on medium/longer or medium/heavy oil conditions. The shiny pearl cover can easily be sanded if earlier motion is desired, however the idea behind this ball was to produce skid and snap in an asymmetric design that will compare to no other.

Roto Grip Deranged

After the outstanding performance of the previously released Disturbed™, it was an easy decision to complement the early revving symmetrical solid by adding the 61MH™ pearl reactive coverstock, giving Roto Grip a great 1-2 punch in the HP3™ Line of balls. So when the Disturbed starts to roll too early, the Deranged™ will give you more length and more backend.

The proven Middle Roll 70™ core provides superior midlane roll and continuous motion through the pin deck unmatched by any other 2.50 RG core on the market today.

The 61MH™ Green Pearl/White Pearl reactive coverstock (1500-grit Polished) will provide great length and a great change of direction down lane due to the retention of energy that comes in a pearlized material.

Roto Grip Rumble

The brand spanking new Late Roll 51™ core was designed to create the same amount of length as the previously used Neutron™ core in this line. However, this new shape yields a little less differential which means more control at the breakpointfor the new Roto Grip Rumble.

The newly formulated 55M™ Orange/Black solid reactive coverstock (2000-grit Abralon) was created to combat medium oil conditions. This coverstock will easily clear the front part of the lane yet still provide the needed traction to be competitive on those in-between conditions.

The combination of the brand new Late Roll 51™ core and the brand new 55M™ solid reactive coverstock will give you a ball that bridges the gap between the Wrecker™ & Shatter™ reactions and the Scream™ & Shout™ reactions.

Roto Grip Scream

The Late Roll 46™ core was designed to provide maximum length with stable control down lane. This core produces a minimal amount of flare and strong hitting power through the pocket.

The 42L™ Gold Pearl/Deep Teal Pearl reactive coverstock was created to combat lighter oil conditions (1500-grit Polished). The Scream™ was designed for those lighter oil conditions where you need a ball that provides you with great length and control at the breakpoint. In comparison, it will react later than the Shout™.

 

Roto Grip Shout
The Late Roll 46™ core was designed to provide maximum length with stable control down lane. This core will produce a minimal amount of flare and strong hitting power through the pocket.

The 45L™ Lite Green/Dark Green solid reactive coverstock was created to combat lighter oil conditions (3000-grit Abralon). This coverstock will react sooner than the 42L™ pearl reactive coverstock and create more separation between itself and the Scream™.

The Shout™ was designed for those lighter oil conditions where you need a ball that provides you with good length and control at the breakpoint. In comparison, it will react sooner than the Scream.

Storm Adds to The Marvel series with The Marvel - S and to the Road series with the Hy-Road Pearl

The new Storm Marvel-S has several powerful features. When considering a ball for heavier oil, you need to consider the new Marvel-S. Nanotechnology has proven itself in the Storm  Premier™ Line as the very best coverstock material when it comes to creating friction in oil. Science has proven that the texture of the NRG™ coverstock has higher surface roughness due to its expanded peaks and deep valleys. If you want an aggressive shell, this is it.

Prepped with a textured 3000-grit finishing pad, the Marvel-S’ Aqua/Green/Black NRG coverstock handles heavy oil like a beast, yet allows you the versatility to adjust the finish as you see fit. For the slickest conditions, grab a 500-grit pad or 1000-grit pad and you’ll be amazed with the performance. But maybe the laydown area in your center is a less than smooth. Just a few dabs of Xtra-Shine™ and you’ll be able to skid the Marvel-S through the heads, but you will still see ample midlane and backend reaction as well. Fragrance: Spearmint

The new Hy-Road Pearl is wrapped in the R2S™ pearl reactive, helping the new Hy-Road shell to float easily through the front, maintaining ball speed as much as possible, waiting to really cut loose on the backends.

The popular Hy-Road shares it's Inverted Fe²™ Technology weight block with the new Hy-Road Pearl. Pairing the R2S Pearl reactive coverstock with the dynamic Fe² weight block ensures that your favorite layouts in your previous Road series balls will be just as effective in the new Hy-Road Pearl.

Don’t forget that the thicker shell of the Hy-Road series makes a difference, too. The amount of energy transferred to the pins at impact is greater, translating to unmatched power at the pocket. It’s part of what makes the Hy-Road one of the most special balls in the history of bowling. Fragrance: Grape Punch.

The new Storm balls will be available in mid July, introduction has been pushed back to July 16th.

Columbia Adds Two Freeze Color Combinations

Columbia 300 adds two Freeze balls. These Columbia Freeze balls for the 2013-14 bowling season have the modified version of the Messenger core - like the previously very successful Freeze balls before them, wrapped in the Ne2 shell. Two new cover colors: Navy/Purple/ Yellow and Blue/Orange/Green finished with 4000 and Polished.

Track to Introduce Two Balls

The Track 706T is ideal for medium to heavy oil lane conditions. The lower intermediate differential allows it to store more energy through the front part of the lane compared to its predecessor, therefore having a stronger impact with the pins resulting in higher scores. Available 6.18.13

Track 300C Solid with DNA Core started from scratch. This new core maintains the same high RG value of the original 300C but Track kicked up the differential to offer a much wider variety of drilling options and ball motions. The Gen MC (Moderate Continuation) purple cover (finished 800 Abranet ®,1000,2000, 4000 Abralon ®, Powerhouse™ Factory Finish Polish) is a touch stronger in the oil compared to the one used on the original 300C. Plus, having changed from a pearl to a solid enhances the overall ball motion as well.

Dave Wodka Leads Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open in Milwaukee Going Into Matchplay

Dave Wodka of Henderson, NV, emerged at the top of the qualifying pile after six lead changes in the final six games in the Lucas Oil PBA Bear Open Monday at AMF Bowlero, averaging 223.5 to lead the field of 24 players who advanced to Tuesday’s match play rounds.

Wodka, 42, is trying for his first title since he won the 1999 Greater Detroit Open for his only PBA Tour win. He finished qualifying in front of a packed house at AMF Bowlero with a 10-game total of 2,235 pins on a demanding lane condition, rolling games of 229, 210, 216, 206 and 246 Monday night to take a 27–pin lead over Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas.

Qualifying third was PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, with 2,000 pins followed by 2013 Intercollegiate Singles Champion Aaron Lorincz of Belleville, MI, with a 2,195 total and Mike Fagan of Dallas with 2,184 pins.

“I really had only one bad game,” Wodka said. “I finished the first round with a 176. After that, I came in with a game plan of doing nothing other than making one good shot at a time. I know you’re always supposed to do that, but I really focused on that, and I only had two opens in the second block. Both of those were in the same game, but I still bailed out a 205 and that’s just as important when scores are like they were as anything.”

Wodka would love to end his 14-year winless drought, but isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“It’s been a lot of years (since I won), but there are a lot of games left,” he said. “It’s going to be a long day (Tuesday) and winning matches is going to be of utmost importance. Getting those 30 bonus pins for winning matches when the scores are as low as they are will be huge.”

The Bear Open is being contested on a flat 40-foot oiling pattern which is similar to the U.S. Open lane condition, considered the most challenging scoring environment on the PBA Tour schedule. The Bear Open is the third of four events that compose the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil, and it was the final qualifying event for the Milwaukee Open which begins Wednesday at AMF Bowlero.

The top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events advance to the five-game Milwaukee Open cashers which will be contested on the Bear pattern at 11 a.m. Wednesday. Based on 35 games, the top 24 will then advance to three eight-game match play rounds at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Bear pattern), and 11 a.m. (Wolf pattern) and 5:30 p.m. (Badger pattern) on Thursday. There will be no competition on Friday.

Leading the Milwaukee Open qualifiers was Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., who averaged 229.1 for a 30-game total of 6,873 pins. Surviving the cut in 28th place was reigning PBA Player of the Year Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who qualified 27th. The 28th and final berth in the Milwaukee Open went to Andrew Graff of Las Vegas by seven pins over Brett Cunningham of Clay, N.Y.

Five-player stepladder finals for the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Opens, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network Saturday and Sunday at AMF Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA BEAR OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 27

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 10 games, top 24 advance to round robin match play Tuesday at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. CT)

LUCAS OIL PBA MILWAUKEE OPEN STANDINGS

1, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,235.
2, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,208.
3, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,200.
4, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 2,195.
5, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,184.
6, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,169.
7, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,167.
8, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,165.
9, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 2,155.
10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,149.
11, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,148.
12, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,146.
13, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,129.
14, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,117.
15, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,109.
16, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,100.
17, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 2,099.
18, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,098.
19, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 2,095.
20, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2,090.
21, Patrick Girard, Canada, 2,086.
22, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,085.
23, Dom Barrett, England, 2,082.
24, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 2,075.

Failed to advance:
25, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,068, $600.
26, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 2,059.
27, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 2,056.
28, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2,052.
29, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2,040.
30, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,037.
31, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 2,032.
32, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,031.
33, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,024.
34, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 2,022.
35, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,017.
36, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,016.
37, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 2,014.
38 (tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,013.
40, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,010.
41, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,005.
42, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,000.
43, Bill Monce, Waukesha, Wis., 1,997.
44, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 1,991.
45, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill., 1,989.
46, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 1,985.
47, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,983.
48, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,980.
49, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 1,979.
50 (tie), Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga.; Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., and Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 1,978.
53, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,972.
54, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,970.
55, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,968.
56, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 1,959.
57, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,954.
58, Shannon Buchan, Waterloo, Iowa, 1,953.
59, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 1,951.
60, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 1,947.
61, Joseph Tomassoni, Iron Mountain, Mich., 1,939.
62, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 1,935.
63, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 1,934.
64, Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., 1,931.
65, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 1,902.
66, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 1,899.
67, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,891.
68, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,889.
69, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 1,879.

70, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 1,875.
71, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 1,874.
72, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 1,863.
73, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,858.
74, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,857.
75, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,854.
76, Paul Moor, England, 1,849.
77, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,836.
78, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 1,822.
79, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 1,808.
80, Scott Radtke, Milwaukee, 1,808.
81, Jacob Rubach, West Bend, Wis., 1,788.
82, Michael Zylius, Highland Park, Ill., 1,786.
83, Riley Smith, Kenosha, Wis., 1,784.
84, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 1,766.
85, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 1,759.
86, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 1,740.
87, Andrew Glass, Racine, Wis., 1,738.
88, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,737.
89, Sam Figarino, Sussex, Wis., 1,726.
90, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 1,711.
91, Zack Carter, Chicago, 1,710.
92, Scott Weber, La Salle, Ill., 1,704.
93, Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 1,699.
94, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 1,683.
95, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 1,647.
96, Ron Williams, Austin, Texas, 1,635.
97, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 1,614.
98, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland Hts., Mo., 1,524.

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 30 games in Badger, Wolf and Bear Opens; top 28 advance to cashers round on Wednesday, May 28, at AMF Bowlero)

1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 6,873.
2, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 6,829.
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 6,812.
4, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 6,752.
5, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 6,738.
6, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 6,710.
7, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 6,709.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 6,705.
9, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6,693.
10, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 6,626.
11, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 6,612.
12, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 6,608.
13, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 6,604.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6,602.
15 (tie), Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 6,583.
17, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 6,578.
18, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 6,544.
19, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 6,537.
20, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 6,534.
21, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 6,531.
22, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 6,528.
23 (tie), Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., and Patrick Girard, Canada, 6,513.
25, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 6,509.
26, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 6,472.
27, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 6,452.
28, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 6,428.

Failed to advance:29, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 6,421.
30, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 6,412.
31, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 6,407.
32 (tie), Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., and Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 6,400.
34, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 6,398.
35, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 6,389.
36, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 6,364.
37, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 6,353.
38, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 6,351.
39, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 6,331.
40, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 6,328.
41, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 6,327.
42, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 6,320.
43, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 6,316.
44, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 6,302.
45, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6,297.
46, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 6,286.
47, Dom Barrett, England, 6,267.
48, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 6,246.
49, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 6,232.
50, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 6,231.
51, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 6,202.
52, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 6,173.
53, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 6,167.
54, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 6,164.
55, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 6,125.
56, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 6,070.
57 (tie), Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., and Paul Moor, England, 6,057.
59, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 6,030.
60, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 6,019.
61, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 5,989.
62, David Beres, Waukesha, Wis., 988.
63, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 5,982.
64, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill, 5,947.
65, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 5,936.
66, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 5,901.
67, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 5,876.
68, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 5,837.
69, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 5,798.
70, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 5,767.
71, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 5,764.
72, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 5,756.
73, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 5,678.
74, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 5,674.
75, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 5,639.
76, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 5,614.
77, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 5,563.
78, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 5,481.
79, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 5,467.
80, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 5,397.
81, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 5,222.
82, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 5,062.
83, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland, Hts., Mo., 4,995.
84, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 4,898.

Chris Loschetter Top Seed in Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open, NIps Norm Duke by Two Pins

Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour (PBA) title after nine years, held off PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke by two pins to earn the top stepladder berth for the June 1 Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open finals at AMF West Friday night.

Loschetter, who has finished second four times in his career, led the tournament from the second game, fighting off challenges all day Friday and clinging to the No. 1 position when Duke left a solid 8 pin in the 10th frame of his final game.

Loschetter celebrated his 33rd birthday by finishing the Wolf Open, the second of four tournaments in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil with a 26-game total of 6,617 pins, including match play bonus pins, and a feeling that it’s finally time to win his first PBA Tour title.

“I’m definitely due,” he said. “I feel like I deserve a title more than anybody out here. I’ve worked hard. I deserve it. I hope this time it happens. I’ve had some horrible breaks on TV, but I think the time has come.”

Loschetter will meet the winner of a stepladder field that includes Duke in second place; 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, IN, in third place with 6,554 pins; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, MO, in fourth place with a 6,477 total, and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, PA, in fifth with 6,436 pins.

As relieved as Loschetter was to hold onto the lead, Duke was stunned over his bad break.

“That ball could have struck,” he said of the 8 pin that stood on a solid pocket hit. “Unbelievable. That was the third solid 8 pin I left in the last three games. They cost me 70 pins.

“Mentally I’m exhausted,” he continued. “Physically I’m fine except my right thumb wants to fall off. I’m a little frustrated, but I’ll tell you what, a lot of other guys are frustrated, too.”

Missing the top position for the Wolf Open stepladder finals means there can’t be a showdown match for the title between Duke and Weber, each of whom owns 37 PBA Tour titles, tied for third best in PBA history behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43). But the two hall of famers could meet in the semifinal match.

“We haven’t bowled each other on TV in a long time,” Duke said, “but Pete and I have had some barn burners over the years. Pete’s one of the best that ever lived. We’re dear friends. We’re both aware of where we are in our careers, and to be mentioned in the same breath with him is really special.”

Tackett, a two-time member of Junior Team USA, will be making his first television appearance in the Wolf Open finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT. O’Neill is trying for his fifth PBA Tour title.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing now moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open. Following a day off on Saturday, players will bowl practice and pro-am events Sunday followed by two five-game qualifying rounds on Monday. The top 24 will then advance to two eight-game match play rounds on Tuesday.
 

The Bear Open is the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events. O’Neill leads the Milwaukee Open qualifying field after 20 games.

Stepladder finals for all four PBA Tour events, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 24

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Wolf Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8-7-1, 6,617.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-4, 6,615.
3, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 11-5, 6,554.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 11-5, 6,477.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8-8, 6,436.
6, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 9-7, 6,391, $1,800.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 11-5, 6,345, $1,700.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 11-4-1, 6,319, $1,600.
9, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 9-7, 6,314, $1,550.
10, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-7-1, 6,301, $1,500.
11, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 8-8, 6,264, $1,450.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5-10-1, 6,216, $1,400.
13, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-6, 6,175, $1,350.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-9-1, 6,170, $1,300.
15, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 6,145, $1,250.
16, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7-8-1, 6,112, $1,200.
17, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7-9, 6,068, $1,150.
18, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7-9, 6,013, $1,100.
19, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 5-11, 6,001, $1,050.
20, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 7-9, 5,988, $1,000.
21, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 8-8, 5,940, $950.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7-9-0, 5,761, $900.
23, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4-12, 5,736, $850.
24, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2-14, 5,384, $800.

Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year Race

SEATTLE (May 14, 2013) – The Professional Bowlers Association’s 2012-13 Player of the Year race may take a decisive turn during the final two weeks of May when four PBA Tour titles are decided during the GEICO PBA Summer Swing in the Milwaukee.

 

With the Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Open titles at stake in the Milwaukee series, a hotly-contested six-man race for PBA Player of the Year honors could quickly change in favor of one of the leading contenders. Or it could move a couple of dark horse candidates into position to challenge for the end-of-season honor.

 

The Player of the Year will be selected in balloting by the PBA membership and members of the bowling news media at the close of the season. Key criteria most voters use are titles won, competition points, earnings, averages and television finals. Major titles won, or championship round appearances, are commonly factors that will tip the scales if voting is close.

 

The 2012-13 Player of the Year competition will be based upon overall performance over an expanded 14-month campaign which began with the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling IV and will conclude on Dec. 31, 2013, as the PBA heads toward a return to a traditional calendar year schedule beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

 

Heading into the GEICO PBA Summer Swing, the Player of the Year leaders, in alphabetical order, are:

 

● Jason Belmonte, Australia: won the 2013 USBC Masters for his only 2012-13 title, leads the PBA Tour in competition points and average (234.97), and ranks third in earnings ($131,586). Finished second in the PBA World Championship and PBA Tournament of Champions, and has three other TV appearances.

 

● Parker Bohn III, Jackson, NJ: won the 2012 PBA World Championship for his only 2012-13 title, ranks fifth in competition points, and seventh in earnings ($77,688) and average (228.91). He also finished fourth in the USBC Masters.

 

● Mika Koivuniemi, Finland/Hartland, MI: has won two 2012-13 titles, both on the PBA International Tour (Round1 Japan Cup and Qatar Open), ranks seventh in points, first in earnings ($158,412) and sixth in average (228.99). Koivuniemi also finished fifth in the USBC Masters.

 

● Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, CA: has won two 2012-13 titles (Chameleon Open and Earl Anthony PBA Players Championship), and ranks fourth in points, fifth in earnings ($87,970) and eighth in average (228.85).

 

● Sean Rash, Montgomery, IL: reigning PBA Player of the Year’s only title this season is Kuwait Open. He ranks third in points, second in earnings ($145,472) and third in average (232.58), and is tied with Belmonte with five TV appearances, including finishing third in PBA World Championship and PBA Tournament of Champions.

 

● Pete Weber, St. Ann, MO: won a PBA-record 10th major title in the PBA Tournament of Champions at age 50. Ranks 13th in points, sixth in earnings ($82,306) and fourth in average (229.97).

 

Heading the “dark horse” list includes Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, SC, a one-time title winner in 2012-13 who ranks sixth in points and fourth in earnings, and non-winner Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, who is second in points and average and eighth in earnings. Other players who have won one title during the 2012-13 season are Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, PA; Brad Angelo, Lockport, NY; Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, FL; Andres Gomez, Colombia; Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, AZ; Jason Sterner, McDonough, GA, and Ronnie Russell, Marion, IN.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing begins with the Badger Open May 19-21 at AMF Waukesha, followed by the Wolf Open May 22-24 at AMF West, Bear Open May 26-28 at AMF Bowlero, Milwaukee Open May 29-30 at Bowlero, and two days of CBS Sports Network stepladder finals June 1-2 at Bowlero.

 

Thus far in 2012-13, the PBA Tour has conducted 16 individual tournaments in the United States and around the world and the extended 14-month season will include 14 more PBA Tour and International Tour events – including the four Milwaukee title events – before it ends.

 

REMAINING 2013 PBA TOUR EVENTS

 

May 20-June 2 – GEICO PBA Summer Swing (Badger, Wolf, Bear and Milwaukee Open), AMF Waukesha, AMF West and AMF Bowlero, Milwaukee, Wis.

 

July 7-13 - It's Daejeon International Open Bowling Tournament, Daejeon, Korea

 

July 21-27 – U.S. Open, Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, Columbus Western Bowl, and Holiday Lanes, Columbus, Ohio

 

Oct. 1-6 – 11th annual Columbia 300 Vienna Open, Plus Bowling Center, Vienna, Austria

 

Oct. 14-21 – 2013 World Bowling Tour Thailand, Bul-O Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

 

Oct. 25-Nov. 3 – PBA World Series of Bowling V (Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships plus PBA World Championship), South Point Bowling Center, Las Vegas

 

Nov. 28-30 – Round1 Japan Cup, Tokyo Port Bowl, Tokyo, Japan

Three New Oil Patterns to Debut in Milwaukee for the GEICO PBA Summer Swing

The Professional Bowlers Association has unveiled three distinct new lane conditioning patterns that will debut during the GEICO PBA Summer Swing in the Milwaukee area May 20-June 2, expanding the PBA’s current library of “animal pattern” lane conditions.

 

The new lane conditioning patterns, named the Badger, Wolf and Bear, are a continuation of the animal pattern theme the PBA introduced in 2005 to not only test the versatility of the players and demonstrate the variety of scoring challenges PBA players face, but to give PBA members, grassroots league bowlers and fans an easier way to identify specific types of conditions.

 

The Badger will be the longest animal pattern ever (52 feet). Conversely, the Wolf will be the shortest animal pattern ever (32 feet). The Bear will be a flat pattern of medium length (40 feet), similar to what has been used at the U.S. Open in recent years and characterized as the most difficult test in professional bowling.

 

The way lane oil is applied (in shape and volume) to the 60-foot playing surface of a lane is a strong factor in the scoring pace of a professional bowling tournament, testing the skills necessary for success and the strategic approach the players must take.

 

"We listened to players and fans looking for more diversity in our lane maintenance program and have developed patterns that will give everyone fresh looks," said PBA Commissioner Tom Clark. "These new animal patterns have dramatically different, uniquely challenging characteristics."

 

The original animal pattern system, featuring the Chameleon, Cheetah, Scorpion, Shark and Viper patterns, eventually became the foundation for the PBA Experience League program which allows grassroots United States Bowling Congress league bowlers across America a chance to bowl on the same lane conditions PBA players compete on in national and regional tournaments. The original animal patterns will be used again at this fall's PBA World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas.

 

All eight animal patterns, in addition to PBA major tournament patterns, will be used and available for future PBA national, PBA50 and PBA regional tournaments plus PBA Experience league play. All of the new patterns are USBC Sport Bowling-compliant, which generally means flatter ratios of oil across the lane and demanding more precision by players than on more typical "house" conditions found in bowling.

 

Clark said there was a lot of synergy in debuting the new PBA patterns at the upcoming GEICO Summer Swing in Milwaukee. The Swing features four events in three different bowling centers and will be the first time the PBA airs on the CBS Sports Network.

 

"The best players in the world will develop fresh strategies to attack the lanes and fans will be entertained by the results," Clark said.

The Badger condition will be applied on the wood-based lane surfaces at AMF Waukesha in Waukesha for the qualifying and match play rounds for the PBA Badger Open, May 20-21. The Wolf condition will be applied to the synthetic lanes at AMF West in Milwaukee for the PBA Wolf Open, May 23-24. The Bear condition will be used on synthetic lanes at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa for the PBA Bear Open May 27-28.

 

A combination of the three patterns will be used for the culminating PBA Milwaukee Open. The “cashers” round, featuring the top qualifiers based on total pins from the three previous events, will employ the Bear pattern. The three subsequent match play rounds will feature the Bear, Wolf and Badger patterns, respectively. Whoever is high qualifier for the PBA Milwaukee Open stepladder finals will select the pattern for the TV finals. Five TV shows (including the special GEICO King of The Swing event) will be taped June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11 on the CBS Sports Network.

 

The PBA's online bowling channel Xtra Frame will have live coverage of every GEICO Summer Swing event's qualifying and match play portions.

 

A complete description of the new animal patterns, along with graphs illustrating how oil is applied for each pattern for PBA members, is available here (from pba.com under the “resources” tab). Along with the new patterns, the PBA has created a new series of animal pattern logos which will be used in conjunction with each pattern.

 

More information about the GEICO PBA Summer Swing, including entry and ticket information, is available at pba.com.

 

Baker Wins PBA50 Greater Birmingham Open

Four-time PBA50 Player of the Year Tom Baker 
converted a spare and then bowled a nine-count on his fill ball in the 10th 
frame of the championship match to win the PBA50 Greater Birmingham Open 
presented by Ebonite by one pin Wednesday at Lightning Strikes Lanes.

The PBA Hall of Famer defeated 10-time PBA Tour titlist Bryan Goebel of Shawnee, 
KS, 227-226, in the title match for his 10th career PBA50 Tour title and his 
first since winning the PBA Senior Pepsi Open in Decatur, IL. in August of 
2010. His 10 PBA50 titles now matches his 10 PBA Tour titles.

“I knew it was just a matter of time before I’d win again, I just didn’t think 
it would take this much time,” said the 58-year-old Baker. “Over the past few 
years I was always qualifying well, but couldn’t seal the deal in match play. I 
finally got it done today.”

Goebel, trying for his first PBA50 Tour win, finished the match first with three 
strikes in the 10th frame forcing Baker to at least get a spare and nine-count 
in the 10th for the win which is just what he did.  It would have been slightly 
easier for Baker had he struck on his first ball in the 10th but he left a solid 
nine-pin.

“That took the wind out of my sails a little,” said Baker, who is the only 
player to win four consecutive PBA50 Player of the Year crowns, “but I was 
confident that if I made the spare I could make the shot I needed on the last 
ball to win.”

Both Baker and Goebel advanced to the title match by being the top two scorers 
in the fifth eliminator round. Baker had a 525 two-game total and Goebel, 504, 
eliminating three-time PBA50 Tour titlist Hugh Miller (488) and PBA50 Player of 
the Year Walter Ray Williams Jr. (427) who won last week’s Sun Bowl In the 
Villages.

“This is the first time we’ve used this eliminator format and I enjoyed it,” 
Baker said. “Your mindset is a little different because you’re bowling for score 
more than you are an opponent.”

The next stop for the PBA50 Tour will be Mooresville, N.C., for the PBA50 Miller 
High Life Classic presented by Columbia 300 May 5-8. PBA’s online bowling 
channel Xtra Frame will provide start-to-finish coverage of the tournament 
beginning with qualifying on May 6. For subscription and schedule information 
visit the pba.com homepage and click on the Xtra Frame logo.

Throughout the 2013 PBA50 Tour season, players will be competing for the 
opportunity to advance to the nationally-televised PBA50 Tour Finals which will 
be conducted as part of the World Series of Bowling V in Las Vegas in November. 
The top three players in points at the conclusion of the season will advance to 
the PBA50 Tour Finals.