Illinois' LeCaze Tops Three Events In Las Vegas

Former collegiate bowling standout Anthony LaCaze of Glen Ellyn, Ill., enjoyed a whirlwind of success while in Las Vegas for the 2009 USBC Open Championships this week and now tops the leaderboards at three different tournaments.

The 26-year-old right-hander led Junior Team USA Support of Orlando, Fla., into the lead in Regular Team at the Open Championships on Wednesday (3,236) and returned to the lanes at Cashman Center on Thursday to help the group into the top spot in Team All-Events with a 9,846 total.

LaCaze also found individual success at the Open Championships as he moved into fourth place in Regular All-Events with 2,110 and 10th place in Regular Singles with 740.

His good fortune carried over to the nearby USBC/Storm Bowlers Journal Championships, where he is leading Open Singles with 942 and teamed up with Steve Novak of Bay City, Mich., to grab the Open Doubles lead with 1,785.

"I've been throwing the ball really well all week long," said LaCaze, who made his eighth Open Championships appearance and also grabbed the Regular Singles lead at the BTM Tournament, another side event being held in Las Vegas. "This is by far the best I've shot here at the Open."

LaCaze had 725 in team and 645 in doubles and topped his previous high all-events total by 227 pins. Former Team USA member Erik Vermilyea added 2,008 for Junior Team USA Support and was followed by Novak (1,980), former Junior Team USA member Jeffrey Mersch (1,944) and first-time participant Amanda Vermilyea (1,804), who also is a former member of Team USA and Junior Team USA.

"Leaving here in first place feels good," said LaCaze, who recently became the first amateur to make a Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour telecast after advancing out of the weekly Tour Qualifying Round (TQR). "There are still a lot of good bowlers to come out here, but we bowled well, and we're hoping to stay close to the top."

Illinois Bowler Rolls First 800 At Open Championships

With one eagle already to his credit, George Kontos of Joliet, Ill., knows what it takes to reach the highest pinnacle at the USBC Open Championships.

On Friday, the 55-year-old right-hander applied that knowledge and celebrated his recent birthday with the first 800 series of the 2009 event in Las Vegas' Cashman Center.

Kontos, a member of the 2001 Regular Team co-champions, rolled games of 256, 268 and 277 for an 801 series and teamed up with his son, a tournament first-timer, for a 1,343 doubles effort, which is just short of the top 10. John Kontos contributed 211, 150 and 181 for 542. The previous high individual series of the year was 795 by Regular All-Events leader Ron Nelson Jr. of Bridgeview, Ill.

"It was very thrilling and emotional, and having my wife and son here meant a lot," said Kontos, a proprietor of Joliet's Strike N Spare Lanes who made his 36th consecutive Open Championships appearance. "The ball I was throwing was working perfectly. It was one of those magical match ups where the ball, the pair and the timing all worked out for me." Read MORE

USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships

Sectional qualifying for the 2009 USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships took place Friday in Allentown, Pa., Chattanooga, Tenn., Fairview Heights, Ill., and Las Vegas.

When the day began, 750 bowlers had their sights set on the national finals, which will take place May 17-19 at AMF Euless Lanes in Euless, Texas. Now, only 32 bowlers (16 men, 16 women) remain.

Those competitors punched their tickets to Texas and kept their national title hopes alive by finishing in the top four after six games of qualifying action at their respective sectional sites. Click for a list of the 2009 USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships national finalists.

Brackets Set for PBA Go RVing Championship

The seeding position for the top 36 points leaders on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Tour have been set for the Go RVing Match Play Championship.

The top seeds are No. 1 Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas; No. 2 Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa.; No. 3 Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, and No. 4 Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla.

The Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s version of March Madness gets underway Wednesday at Norwich Bowling and Entertainment Center in Norwich, Conn., when the rest of the field of 64 competitors for the Go RVing Match Play Championship will be determined. Like the NCAA basketball playoffs, the Go RVing Match Play Championship will pit 64 of the world’s top bowlers in a win-or-go-home bracket elimination competition.Already seeded into the field for the “best of seven games” eliminations are the 36 players who have earned their rankings based upon the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour points standings. Seven additional players will be determined on Wednesday during the PBA Tour Qualifying Round (TQR).

The top amateur player among that group will be seeded 64th and face the No. 1 seed, Wes Malott.The remaining 27 competitors, including the six top TQR finishers, will be seeded based upon their ranking on the season points standings list.The Malott bracket includes Patrick Allen, Brad Angelo and defending Norwich champion Rhino Page. O’Neill’s road to the “Final Four” will include obstacles such as Mike Scroggins, Michael Fagan and Mika Koivuniemi. Barnes’ bracket includes Pete Weber and Ryan Shafer. Duke’s 16-player bracket includes Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tommy Jones and Parker Bohn III.

The final leg of the PBA Tour’s five-event “Extreme Swing” also will involve the pressure of earning points to qualify for the GEICO PBA Team Shootout hosted by Six Flags, scheduled for June in Jackson, N.J. The top eight in Extreme Swing points will earn spots in that special event. The Go RVing Match Play Championship is part of the PBA’s 50th Anniversary season “Extreme Swing,” which also includes the Ultimate Scoring Championship, GEICO Plastic Ball Championship, Etonic Marathon Open, and the Don Johnson Buckeye State Eliminator.

The creative format events are meant to test the greatest bowlers in the world in different areas of the game, provide television audiences with a fresh look while providing education on pertinent aspects of the game. The semifinals of the Go RVing Match Play Championship will take place on Saturday March 21 beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern with coverage on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online video service.
The live ESPN-final match for the Go RVing Match Play Championship will be conducted Sunday March 22 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Both the semifinals and the live ESPN finals will feature three-game total pins matches.

GO RVING MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Norwich Bowling and Entertainment Center, Norwich, Conn.
Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour 2008-09 Season Points List
1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 199,856.5
2, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 198,345
3, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 192, 240
4, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 166,751
5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 164,324
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 160,920.5
7, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 156,043.5
8, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 155,440
9, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 152,705
10, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 152,239
11, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 148,565.5
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 142,539.5
13, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 141,231
14, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 138,196
15, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 135,350
16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 128,969.5
17, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 125,797
18, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 123,613
19, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 117,552
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 107,094.5
21, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 105,438.5
22, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 103,711.5
23, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 101,488
24, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 99,648.25
25, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 98,166
26, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 95,372
27, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 93,110.5
28, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 91,729
29, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 90,294
30, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 89,954
31, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 88,050
32, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 84,838.5
33, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 84,457.5
34, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 84,371
35, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 80,733.5
36, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 80,666.5

USBC National Tournament

Roto Grip Staff Member Leads All Events and Doubles at United States Bowling Congress (USBC) National Championships. Ron Nelson Jr., a Roto Grip staff member had his best showing ever at the USBC tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nelson put together sets of 669 in team, 674 in singles, and 795 in doubles which included a 300 game. Nelson, and partner Bryan O'Keefe took the lead in the doubles portion of the tournament by 49 pins. "We have led the doubles before," commented Nelson, "but the best we have ever finished is 8th."

Along with leading the doubles Nelson leads the all events with a 2138, 15 pins better than the previous leader. "I started the team event using the Rogue Cell." he commented, "It was just a little too flippy on the back. I switched to an original Cell that was drilled by Ernest Goedicke, Storm's Technical Director, and it was a striking machine." I started playing about 15 and then just chased it in." he commented when asked what part of the lane he was playing.

This was Nelson's best showing at bowling's premier event. His previous best was 2030 All Events.

USBC College Championships On CBS

CBS College Sports Network has announced plans to broadcast the tape-delayed finals of the 2009 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Intercollegiate Team Championships. The women’s final will air June 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern, and the men’s final will follow June 3, also at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The Team Championships will be contested April 15-18 at The Cherry Bowl in Rockford, Ill., featuring 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams from across the country. Those teams will have qualified by virtue of finishing in the top four at their assigned sectional competitions, which will be held in Allentown, Pa.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and Las Vegas, Nev., this weekend.

This year’s broadcast will feature Mike Jakubowski (a.k.a. “Mike Laneside” on the PBA Tour) on play-by-play and “Bowlers Journal International” magazine Columnist and veteran Team USA member Diandra Asbaty on color. The CBS College Sport Network currently is seen in 26 million homes, according to the network.

The Battle For Exemption on The PBA Tour

With three regular-season tournaments remaining on the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators
Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour, the battle for 40 exempt spots for the
2009-10 season is becoming intense.

As the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour heads for Norwich Bowling and Entertainment Center in
Norwich, CT for next week’s Go RVing Match Play Championship, the points “cut” to earn an
exemption for 2009-10 was 38th place on the points list because there are three players below
the cut line who also have earned exemptions. Mike Wolfe, who ranks 43rd, won the Ultimate 
Scoring Championship in November. Doug Kent and Michael Haugen Jr. are exempt based upon
their victories in the 2007 Denny’s PBA World Championship and PBA Tournament of
Champions, respectively.

Eight additional players earned exemptions based upon their finishes in the PBA Regional Players
Invitational (RPI) in Reno, NV in January. Because John Nolen of Waterford, MI won both the RPI 
and the Masters, the spot he earned in the RPI will be returned to the pool of spots to be awarded
in the PBA Tour Trials later this spring.

One additional spot will be awarded to the non-exempt player earning the most points for the season,
in the mini tournament Tour Qualifying Rounds (TQR's) prior to each event. The player leading that
competition with three events to go – the Go RVing Match Play Championship;  the Long Island
Classic, March 25-29 in West Babylon, NY; and the 66th Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open, March
29-April 5, in North Brunswick, NJ – is Troy Wollenbecker of Miami, Fla.

2008-09 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR POINTS LIST
As of Sunday, March 8
1, x-Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 199,856
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 198,345
3, x-Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 192,240
4, x-Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 166,741
5, x-Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 164,324
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 160,920
7, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 156,043
8, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 155,440
9, x-Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 152,705
10, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 152,239
11, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 148,565
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 142,539
13, x-Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 141,231
14, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 138,196
15, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 135,350
16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 128,969
17, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 125,797
18, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 123,613
19, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 117,552
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 107,094
21, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 105,438
22, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 103,711
23, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 101,488
24, x-Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 99,648
25, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 98,166
26, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 95,372
27, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 93,110
28, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 91,729
29, x-Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 90,294
30, x-Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 89,954
31, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 88,050
32, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 84,838
33, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 84,457
34, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 84,371
35, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 80,733
36, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C., 80,666
37, x-John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 80,638

Other Contenders
38, Ken Abner, Cincinnati, 80,519
39, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 79,981
40, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 79,581
41, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 79,391
42, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, 76,753
43, x-Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 75,315
44, a-Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 73,930
45, Tom Baker, King, N.C., 72,328
46, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 70,539
47, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 66,738
48, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 66,527
49, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis, 65,117
50, Tommy Delutz Jr., Flushing, N.Y., 64,380
82, b-Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 15,054
   x–Exempt based on 2008-09 PBA tour title
   a–Exempt for 2009-10 based on 2007 Denny’s PBA World Championship title
   b–Exempt for 2009-10 based on 2007 Tournament of Champions title

2009 PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL EXEMPTIONS
1, John Nolen, Waterford, Mich.
2, P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif.
3, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.
4, Dave Arnold, Reno, Nev.
5, John May, Lincolnton, N.C.
6, Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich.
7, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa
8, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif.