Ryan Shafer Earns PBA Steve
Nagy Sportsmanship Award
Chris Barnes wins Harry Smith
Point Leader Award, Wes Malott
wins George Young High Average Award

Ryan Shafer of Horseheads, N.Y., has been selected as the Professional Bowlers Association’s Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner for the 2008-09 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season by his fellow Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour competitors.

Shafer, a four-time PBA Tour titlist who won Rookie of the Year honors in 1987, earned the sportsmanship award for the first time.

“It’s an honor just to be considered for the award. To be a part of a group of not only great players, but great individuals who have won it over the years is wonderful,” Ryan said. “Earning the respect of your peers for not only how well you bowl but how you conduct yourself is a great honor.

“Throughout the course of the Tour season, I always try to relieve the tension in the locker room by having a sense of humor,” he added. “And for someone who also admits to be a little opinionated, it shows you can express your opinions and still have the respect of your peers.”

From a performance standpoint this season, the 42-year-old Shafer was 12th in the national point standings, had the most match play appearances (19) including a best finish of fourth in the Denny’s Dick Weber Open, was 18th in average with 218.69, and earned $60,320.

Established in 1966, the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award is named after the late PBA Hall of Famer who was one of 33 founding members of the PBA. A colorful and talented performer, Nagy made such an impact on his fellow pros that the award was established shortly after his death. Hall of Famer Johnny Guenther won the first “Nagy”.

The PBA also announced Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, as winner of the Harry Smith Point Leader Award, presented to the player who exemplified the most consistent performance throughout the year, and Wes Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, as winner of the George Young High Average Award.

Barnes, the 2007-08 PBA Player of the Year and a two-time title winner in 2008-09, accumulated 257,018 points to finish nearly 25,000 points ahead of runner-up Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa. Malott, the 2008-09 Player of the Year, finished with a 222.98 average for 597 games, just edging out O’Neill who finished at 222.96 for 611 games.

Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., who won three titles including the PBA World Championship, led the Tour in earnings with $199,630. Rhino Page of Topeka, Kan., was runner-up with $197,760, thanks in part to a $100,000 prize for rolling a televised 300 game in the Dydo Japan Cup.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
EXEMPT TOUR POINTS FOR 2009-10
(Top 41 including current season title winners
and those with exemptions from previous seasons)
1, x-Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 257,018
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 232,722
3, x-Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 228,486
4, x-Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 212,265
5, x-Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 204,664
6, x-Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 201,725
7, x-Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 195,155
8, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 183,468
9, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 182,930
10, x-Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 177635
11, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 177,035
12, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 166,661
13, Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 165,048
14, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 164,156
15, x-Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 160,052
16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 153,931
17, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 142,331
18, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 139,024
19, Steve Harman, Indianapolis, 133,994
20, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 131,404
21, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 130,078
22, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 118,805
23, x-Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., 118,772
24, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore, 116,323
25, Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, 114,767
26, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 112,666
27, Edward VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 111,867
28, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 110,725
29, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 108,519
30, x-Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 106,997
31, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 103,027
32, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 100,829
33, x-Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 99,452
34, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 98,350
35, x-Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 98,142
36, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 97,807
37, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 97,072
38, a-Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 96,132
41, b-John Nolen, Waterford, Mich., 91,264
44, x-Jason Belmonte, Australia, 88,429
87, c-Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz.,
x-2008-09 title winner
a-2007 Denny’s PBA World Championship winner
b-2009 USBC Masters title
c-2007 PBA Tournament of Champions winner

2008-09 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR AVERAGE LEADERS
1, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 222.98
2, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 222.96
3, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 222.75
4, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 222.20
5, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 221.27
6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 220.54
7, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 220.17
8, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 219.98
9, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 219.44
10, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 218.89

2008-09 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR EARNINGS LEADERS
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., $199,630
2, Rhino Page, Topeka, Kan., $197,760
3, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, $179,920
4, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., $175,800
5, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, $174,680
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, $156,790
7, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., $99,780
8, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., $91,680
9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., $85,850
10, Michael Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., $81,850