CHINA HAS 10 IN WSOB

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII Notebook

CHINA’S BACK WITH RECORD GROUP OF 10 PLAYERS

For the third year, “graduates” of China’s Longmarch Pioneers League have returned to the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling. This year’s record group of 10 players includes three traditional right handers, two lefties and five players who use the “spinner” technique with very light bowling balls, a technique that is popular in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and a few other Asian Rim nations. It’s the largest group of “spinner” technicians ever to bowl in PBA competition.

After making its debut with six bowlers in 2014 and seven last year, China continues to pursue its first “casher.” But the players who have qualified through the “Pioneers” program created by Longmarch Bowling President Frank Zhao continue to make progress and Zhao is making sure Chinese bowling fans are constantly updated by feeding them video and audio reports on social media on a daily basis. As a demonstration of the progress China is making, Zhiyong Wang averaged 224.5 in the Cheetah round to finish in 26th place – missing the cut to the match play elimination rounds by finishing two pins behind PBA legend Walter Ray Williams Jr.

In order to earn trips to the WSOB, Chinese players have to earn their PBA memberships through Zhao’s Longmarch Pioneers League, establishing minimum 200 averages, and then they had to finish among the leaders in a national qualifying event.

Once again accompanying the delegation is Guotai Shi, who is Vice Chairman of the Chinese Bowling Association.

2016 WSOB “ANIMAL PATTERN” PRIMER

Since its inception in Detroit in 2009, the essence of the World Series has been a variety of “animal pattern” which not only offer PBA Tour titles, but serve as qualifying stages culminating with the PBA World Championship. In order to win the PBA World Championship, players must demonstrate a high level of consistency across the different challenges the “animal patterns” present.

While oiling patterns on bowling lanes are normally invisible, the PBA helped fans get a visual picture of the differences in playing conditions when it introduced blue dyed oil for televised WSOB events in 2013. The “blue oil” lanes have remained a part of PBA’s televised events ever since.

Another major advance in understanding the challenges of bowling came when the PBA gave those varying oiling patterns names. Thus the so-called animal patterns were born, and fans can now relate to the playing surface involved simply by referring to the animal pattern name and knowing peculiar features are involved with that particular oiling pattern. This year’s patterns are the Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark. The Shark, making its first WSOB appearance since 2011, replaces the Viper to give this year’s World Series a different challenge than they faced in 2015. Here’s a brief look at the 2016 animal patterns:

The Cheetah: PBA’s description says “A cheetah may look harmless, but this speedster has a dangerous side. So does this pattern - with a fast scoring pace and play near the gutter, there's no room for error.” The Cheetah involves applying oil on the lane to a distance of 35 feet. Past WSOB Cheetah champions include Norm Duke (2009), Eugene McCune (2010), Bill O’Neill (2012), Wes Malott (2013), Anthony Pepe (2014) and Parker Bohn III (2015). The Cheetah was not part of the 2011 WSOB.

The Chameleon: “Chameleons change color to outsmart their enemies. To excel on this pattern, bowlers must be versatile in many styles of play.” The Chameleon pattern involves oiling to a distance of 43 feet. Past WSOB Chameleon champions include Bill O’Neill (2009), Scott Norton (2010), Jason Belmonte (2011), Scott Norton (2012), Ryan Ciminelli (2013), Mika Koivuniemi (2014) and Jesper Svensson (2015).

The Scorpion: “A scorpion is dangerous and unpredictable, like this pattern. If you can't find the right groove on the lanes, you'll be stung!” The Scorpion pattern involves oiling to a distance of 47 feet. Past WSOB Scorpion champions include Mike DeVaney (2009), non-member Yong-Jin Gu (2010), Dom Barrett (2011), Tom Daugherty (2012), Tom Smallwood (2013), Michael Haugen Jr. (2014) and Jon Van Hees (2015).

The Shark: “The shark involves a heavy application of oil and is frequently preferred by players who can play the inside part of the lane because abundant oil on the outside part of the lane can lead mistakes into the abyss. Precise shot-making will be rewarded. Miss your target or make an errant release, and you may wind up in the jaws of the beast.” The Shark pattern involves a high-volume application of oil to distance of 43 feet. Past WSOB Shark champions include: Jack Jurek (2009), Osku Palermaa (2010) and Jason Belmonte (2011).

The PBA World Championship: A specific oiling pattern, to a distance of 41 feet, is used for PBA World Championship match play and television final competition. Past WSOB PBA World Champions include: Tom Smallwood (2009), Chris Barnes (2010), Osku Palermaa (2011), Parker Bohn III (2012), Dom Barrett (2013), Mike Fagan (2014) and Gary Faulkner Jr. (2015).

In addition to the distance oil is applied to the lane for each specific animal pattern, the distribution of oil across the lane varies from pattern to pattern, using sophisticated lane maintenance equipment for precise duplication of oil lane to lane. The oil application influences angles of attack, ball speed and numerous other decisions bowlers have to make. Instead of being able to see the oil on the lane – and how it is moved around as each round progresses – professional bowlers read the motion of their bowling balls as they travel down the lane in order to make adjustments.

The variety of playing surfaces challenges combined with the most talented bowlers in the world are reasons why the PBA World Series of Bowling is the greatest event in bowling.

NEXT UP ON XTRA FRAME: RANDY GOES “ONE ON ONE” WITH BARRETT, FAULKNER, RASH

As the PBA continues its extensive coverage of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII on Xtra Frame, subscribers are getting a chance to meet some of the Tour’s top stars who are featured in a new “One on One with Randy Pedersen” series of interviews.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, Pedersen will chat with Sean Rash, who tells some moose stories, talks about his favorite places to bowl, a growing affinity for wine with help from Johnny Petraglia and more.

Coming on Monday, Dec. 5: Anthony Simonsen talks his early start to bowling, his favorite PBA Tour roommates, dealing with success, miniature golf, why he’d rather eat with bowlers than anyone else and more. On Thursday, Dec. 8: Chris Barnes discusses quick wits and Tommy Jones, his favorite television opponents, bets with Mika Koivuniemi, what he does with any spare time he can find and more. Closing out the series on Monday, Dec. 12: Tom Daugherty chats about his standout 2016 season, his favorite restaurant in the world, his pro shops, one peculiar superstition and more.

If you missed them, the Xtra Frame archives includes conversations with Ryan Ciminelli, Jason Belmonte, Jesper Svensson, Dom Barrett and Gary Faulkner Jr.

Xtra Frame currently is providing exclusive coverage of the animal pattern qualifying rounds, leading into the start of PBA World Championship cashers round and match play coverage Dec. 4-5 when PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman will join the Xtra Frame announcing team. Holman will remain in the XF booth through the conclusion of World Series coverage, Dec. 6-8, and will then join ESPN announcers Dave LaMont and Randy Pedersen for the live ESPN telecast of the PBA World Championship on Dec. 11. For the Xtra Frame daily schedule, including air times, visit http://www.pba.com/Live. 

Xtra Frame subscriptions are available in a variety of packages: three-day ($3.99), 30-day ($7.99) and Xtra Frame Season Ticket (a full-year’s coverage at an average cost of $1.25 per week) subscriptions are available by visiting “xtraframe.tv” and clicking on the “subscribe now” link. As a reminder, new monthly or Season Ticket subscribers also are automatically entered into monthly sweepstakes where they have chances to win a new high-performance bowling ball from Brunswick, DV8 or MOTIV.

QUBICA AMF PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: FINDLING WINS IN BEAUMONT

Joe Findling from Mesquite, Texas defeated Mark Williams on Williams’ home lanes Sunday, winning the 15th annual PBA Beaumont Southwest Open at Crossroads Bowling Center with a 218-182 victory over the PBA Hall of Famer. The victory was Findling’s seventh career QubicaAMF PBA Regional title.

Findling led qualifying to claim the top berth for the stepladder finals. In the opening match, Williams defeated Andy Patterson of Tyler, Texas, 257-225. He then eliminated Dylan Macon from Lubbock, Texas, 233-214, to advance to the championship match. Then, holding a one-pin lead, Williams opened in the seventh frame and Findling pounced, striking in the ninth and 10th frames to secure the $3,000 first prize.

● The only QubicaAMF PBA Regional activity over the Dec. 2-3 weekend will be the MJK Pro Shop/Knob Hill Eastern Challenge presented by DV8 for non-champions at Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan, N.J.

● For complete QubicaAMF PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on QubicaAMF Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area. For more information about QubicaAMF, visit www.

RAILRIDERS ANNOUNCE CHANGES

RailRiders Announce Front Office Changes

Longtime Linchpin Ruby Departs, Olerud Elevated

Moosic, Pa. – The SWB RailRiders’ (Triple-A/New York Yankees) announce that Josh Olerud has been promoted to president.

“Josh has done an incredible job leading the team during the past year and has created an exciting atmosphere for the community and all of our fans to enjoy RailRiders baseball at PNC Field,” said David Abrams, co-managing owner of the RailRiders.

“I’m excited for Josh’s promotion and looking forward to the team’s continued success and growth in NEPA,” said owner Bob Mills. “I have full confidence that he’s completely prepared to lead us into 2017 and beyond.”

The SWB RailRiders also announce that Jeremy Ruby will be leaving the organization for the general manager position with The Pavilion at Montage Mountain. His new position will start on Monday, Dec. 12.

“The last two decades of my life have been intertwined with this team,” said Ruby, who began his baseball front office career as an SWB intern in 1998. “But I got an opportunity that I could not pass up at this time in my life. While it’s bittersweet to exit the baseball lifestyle, I’m supremely excited to join forces with the great folks at Live Nation Entertainment”.

“I can’t thank Jeremy enough for his leadership and friendship,” said Olerud. “He will be deeply missed, but we all certainly understand his decision granted his tremendous new opportunity. We will still be working hard as a team to get ready for the 2017 season and the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game over the coming months.”

The 2016 Gildan Triple-A National Champion RailRiders open their 2017 home schedule on Monday, April 10 against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies). For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

PBA CHALLENGE EVENTS WINNERS

O’Grady, Williams, Parkin Win PBA Challenge Events to Kick Off

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII

Eighth annual World Series officially gets underway with animal pattern stages on Tuesday

RENO, Nev. (Sunday, Nov. 27) – Matt O’Grady of Matawan, N.J.; Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Fla., and Missy Parkin of  Laguna Hills, Calif., kicked off the GEICO Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling VIII, presented by Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, with victories in the special PBA50 Tour, PBA Regional and PBA-PWBA Women’s Regional Challenge events Sunday at the National Bowling Stadium.

O’Grady, representing the PBA East Region, threw a clutch strike on his first shot in the 10th frame to nip South Region represent Dick Allen of Columbia, S.C., 225-217, handing Allen his first loss in the nine-game PBA Regional Challenge special event.

“I know it doesn’t count as a title, but it sure feels like one to me,” O’Grady said. “Being here on bowling’s biggest stage, live on Xtra Frame, against a stellar field of players who all have a lot more experience than I do feels pretty good. Maybe, at age 30, I’m just hitting my prime a little late.”

Williams, at age 57, survived another in a series of battles with veteran Ron Mohr of Las Vegas, throwing the only double of the match and clinching the 192-187 win with a strike on his first ball in the 10th frame after a pair of costly 10 pins thwarted Mohr again. For the ninth time in 2016, Mohr made a championship round without winning the title.

“It’s a great opportunity for the PBA50 Tour guys to have an event like this at the end of the season,” Williams said. “I was fortunate Ron didn’t double in the 10th, but I thought I threw some good shots that didn’t carry, too. That’s the challenge of this game. You have to figure out what to do to carry those shots.

“It’s a great confidence-builder to start the World Series,” he added, noting the win doesn’t end his ongoing duel with fellow PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber to become the first PBA player to win a combined 100 PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour, PBA Regional and PBA50 Regional titles. Both have 99.

“No, this wasn’t the 100th title,” Williams said. “It’s a special event. Never had been a PBA title, so it doesn’t count.”

Parkin, bowling with medical approval by her doctor after undergoing surgery nearly six weeks, saved her best game for last, defeating top qualifying and PBA South Region representative Ashly Galante of Palm Harbor, Fla., 267-188, for the PBA-PWBA Women’s Regional Challenge title. After a first-frame spare, Parkin reeled off eight strikes in a row to run away with the $8,000 first prize.

“I changed strategy based on what I was doing in qualifying,” Parkin said. “I overheard the guys say they were playing farther right on the pair of lanes we used for the finals, and I’m perfectly fine with that. I tried it in practice and it was amazing, so I stayed out there.

“I’m really grateful I got cleared to bowl this event,” the PBA West Region representative said. “I’m bummed I can’t bowl the rest of the World Series, but I’m really glad I got to do this one.”

Each of the three Challenge events culminated season-long competition points qualifiers to reach the World Series, and entitled each of the competitors to paid entries into the World Series as well. The Challenge events were covered live, exclusively on PBA’s online video streaming service, Xtra Frame.

The eighth annual WSOB officially gets underway Tuesday with the first of four animal pattern qualifying stages leading into the PBA World Championship that will conclude with live ESPN television coverage on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). All preliminary qualifying rounds of the Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark Championships also will be covered live on Xtra Frame between Tuesday and Thursday, Dec. 8.

PBA-PBA WOMEN’S REGIONAL CHALLENGE

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Nov. 27

            Championship: Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif. ($8,000) def. Ashly Galanta, Palm Harbor, Fla. ($4,000), 267-188.

            Final Match Play Standings (after 8 games, including match play bonus pins; top two advanced to championship match): 1, Galante, 7-1, 2,018. 2, Parkin, 4-4, 1,828. 3, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 6-2, 1,777, $1,000. 4, Clara Guerrero, Colombia, 5-3, 1,751, $700. 5, Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 4-4, 1,728, $600. 6, April Lord Wittig, Steilacoom, Wash., 4-4, 1,648, $500. 7, Summer Jasmin, Beckley, W.Va., 2-6, 1,538, $400.

PBA50 TOUR CHALLENGE

            Championship: Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla. ($8,000) def. Ron Mohr, Las Vegas ($4,000), 192-187.

            Final Match Play Standings (after 8 games, including match play bonus pins; top two advanced to championship match): 1, Mohr, 7-1, 2,031. 2, Williams, 6-2, 2,012. 3, Bob Learn Jr, Erie, Pa., 4-4, 1,968, $1,000. 4, Lennie Boresch Jr, Kenosha, Wis., 4-4, 1,963, $700. 5, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3-5, 1,820, $600. 6, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3-5, 1,797, $500. 7, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 5-3, 1,754, $400.

PBA REGIONAL CHALLENGE

            Championship: Matt O’Grady, Matawan, N.J. ($8,000) def. Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C. ($4,000), 225-217.

            Final Match Play Standings (after 8 games, including match play bonus pins; top two advanced to championship match): 1, Allen, 8-0, 2,202. 2, O'Grady, 4-4, 1,974. 3, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 4-4, 1,959, $1,000. 4, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 4-4, 1,944, $700. 5, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, Texas, 5-3, 1,847, $600. 6, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 4-4, 1,825, $500. 7, David Haynes, Las Vegas, 3-5, 1,776, $400.

About the PBA

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,200 of the best bowlers from 27 countries who compete in PBA Tour, PBA International Tour, QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour, PWBA/PBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Tour events. The PBA is in its 57th consecutive year of nationally-televised competition, reaching bowling fans around the world who follow PBA activities through the PBA Network which includes Xtra Frame, the PBA’s exclusive online bowling channel, ESPN and CBS Sports Network, and the PBA on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. PBA sponsors include Barbasol, Brunswick, Ebonite International, GEICO, Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, HotelPlanner.com, MOTIV, 900 Global, PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game, QubicaAMF, Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, South Point Hotel Casino and Spa, Storm Products and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.

PBA SPARE SHIOTS

PBA Spare Shots

WILL YOUTH MOVEMENT CONTINUE IN 2016 PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

There’s a youth movement going on in today’s PBA Tour and it’s being underscored by the immediate impact young players are making in not just winning PBA Tour events, but by winning majors.

You need to look no further back than last year’s GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VII presented by Silver Legacy Resort and Casino when 25-year-old Gary Faulkner Jr. of Memphis won the PBA World Championship at the National Bowling Stadium by defeating then-23-year-old EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., for his first PBA Tour title.

Faulkner’s win in the 2015 PBA World Championship started a string of the last five majors being won by players age 25 or younger for their first major titles: FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions, Jesper Svensson, 20; USBC Masters, Anthony Simonsen, 19; Barbasol PBA Players Championship, Graham Fach, 23; U.S. Open, Francois Lavoie, 23.

Another name to watch for is Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz., who heads into the WSOB after winning a PBA-record ninth QubicaAMF PBA West Region title Sunday (see details under “QubicaAMF Regional Update” below) and his first two PBA Tour titles earlier in the year.

Faulkner will begin his title defense Monday when the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII presented by Silver Legacy gets underway. It will culminate when the fifth and final major title of the 2016 season is settled when the PBA World Championship finals air live on ESPN on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT).

In addition to the crown jewel of the WSOB, ESPN will air the finals of five other PBA Tour events on Dec. 18, 24, 25 and Jan. 8 (plus a re-air of the PBA World Championship on New Year’s Day. The finals will be contested on Dec. 10-11 for delayed broadcast. For taping times and ticket information for the Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark Championships, plus the U.S. vs. The World finals at the National Bowling Stadium click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pba-geico-wsob-viii-tv-tickets-tickets-28534712092

For a complete listing of ESPN air dates for all WSOB events click on http://www.pba.com/Television.

Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online channel, will provide approximately 100 hours of live coverage of qualifying and match play rounds during the World Series, leading up to the ESPN finals. In addition to daily reports provided by the PBA, many of the competitors in the World Series will provide their personal fans with daily insights into the event. Beginning with PBA World Championship competition on Dec. 4, PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman will join the Xtra Frame announce team. For subscription and schedule information click on http://www.xtraframe.tv/#!home

NEXT UP ON XTRA FRAME: RANDY GOES “ONE ON ONE” WITH BARRETT, FAULKNER, RASH

As the PBA heads into its wall-to-wall coverage of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII on Xtra Frame, subscribers are invited to tune in for a glimpse into the lives of some of the PBA’s personalities who are featured in a new “One on One with Randy Pedersen” series of interviews.

On Thanksgiving day, Pedersen will visit with England’s Dom Barrett who discusses his early bowling obsession and idols, life on the road, a day at home, whether or not Randy is welcome in Dom’s hometown pub and more.

Coming on Monday will be Pedersen’s sit-down chat with 2015 PBA World Champion Gary Faulkner Jr. who talks about his two-handed start to bowling, an addiction to movies, karate, his workout regimen and more.

On Thursday, Dec. 1, Pedersen will chat with Sean Rash, who tells some moose stories, talks about his favorite places to bowl, a growing affinity for wine with help from Johnny Petraglia and more.

Already in the Xtra Frame archives are conversations with Ryan Ciminelli who talks about how he got started, how he revamped his game, his Corvette affinity, personal transformation and more.

Also in the archives, Jason Belmonte  discussed his daily routine, his crush on Jennifer Lawrence, family cuisine, shark cages and more; and 2015 PBA Rookie of the Year Jesper Svensson discusses his expansive hat collection, cuddleball, golf and his unique "scam step."

Coming soon to Pedersen’s “One on One” series will be visits with Anthony Simonsen, Chris Barnes and Tom Daugherty.

For fans who want to watch bowling action, Xtra Frame’s comprehensive coverage of the multi-event, two-week showcase of international bowling begins Sunday with the qualifying and championship rounds of the PBA Regional, PBA-PWBA Women’s Regional and PBA50 Challenge events.

Monday is practice day, but Tuesday through Friday, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, will feature exclusive coverage of qualifying rounds in the Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark Championships.

A new addition to the XF schedule will be the PBA League Pre-Season Showdown on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. in Reno). Fans will get a sneak-peek at the 2017 PBA League teams as all eight teams participate in a series of Baker format team matches. The opening two-game round will pair teams based on how they finished in 2016. A one-game round robin match play round will then determine the top teams for the one-game Baker finale.

PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman will join the Xtra Frame announcing team beginning with competition in the PBA World Championship, Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 4-5. Holman will remain in the XF booth through the conclusion of World Series coverage, Dec. 6-8, and will also join ESPN announcers Dave LaMont and Randy Pedersen for the live ESPN telecast of the PBA World Championship on Dec. 11. For the Xtra Frame daily schedule, including air times, visit http://www.pba.com/Live. 

Xtra Frame subscriptions are available in a variety of packages: three-day ($3.99), 30-day ($7.99) and Xtra Frame Season Ticket (a full-year’s coverage at an average cost of $1.25 per week) subscriptions are available by visiting “xtraframe.tv” and clicking on the “subscribe now” link.

PBA CHAMPION MIKE SHADY ELECTED TO USBC HALL OF FAME

PBA Tour title winner Mike Shady of Fairview, Pa., has been elected to the USBC Hall of Fame in the Outstanding USBC Performance category by the USBC Hall of Fame committee. Shady, 51, won the 1992 PBA Earl Anthony Open, but earned his USBC recognition for an unprecedented run at the USBC Open Championships which includes 2005 Team All-Events and 2011 Regular Team titles.

Shady, the lifetime USBC Open average leader with a mark of 222.28 in 21 appearances, has 13 additional top-10 finishes in addition to his two titles.

The USBC Hall of Fame committee also slated eight bowlers for the Superior Performance national ballot that will be voted on by a panel of USBC Hall of Fame members, USBC Board members and veteran bowling writers. The men’s ballot includes Dave Ferraro of Kingston, N.Y.; David Ozio and Mark Williams of Beaumont, Texas; Randy Pedersen of Clermont, Fla.; Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas; and Danny Wiseman of Baltimore.

The two competitors on the women’s ballot are Marianne DiRupo of Succasunna, N.J., and Tammy Turner of West Palm Beach, Fla.

USBC’s induction ceremony will take place April 26 at the 2017 USBC Convention in Las Vegas.

QUBICA AMF PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: BUTTURFF SETS SINGLE-SEASON REGIONAL RECORD

Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Ariz., continued his dominance in the QubicaAMF PBA West Region Sunday, winning a PBA-record ninth regional title of the year with a 174-pin victory over Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore. in the PBA West/Northwest Capital City Open hosted at Strikes Unlimited Lanes in Rocklin, Calif.

With his win, Butturff took sole possession of the PBA record for most regional titles in a single season, breaking his tie with Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, who won eight times in 1999.

Butturff, a 22-year-old left-hander, posted a 9-3 match play record and 4,842 pinfall total for 20 games to earn the $2,000 first prize. Warren, a six-time PBA Tour title winner, had 4,668 pins including match play bonus pins.

In his second year as a PBA member, Butturff also has won two PBA Tour titles in 2016 (PBA Xtra

Frame Lubbock Sports Open in Texas in June and PBA Xtra Frame South Point Las Vegas Open in October), and he has earned more than $22,000 in regional competition alone.

In the companion PBA50 event, presented by DV8, Genesis and Mongoose, Joe Petrovich of Tracy, Calif., went 10-0 and knocked down 4,269 total pins for his first PBA50 West Region title 24 years.

● Jimmy Jean of Kathleen, Ga., defeated Gary Morgan of Atlanta, Ga., 275-175, 236-213 in the best-of-three-game title match to win his second QubicaAMF PBA South Region title in the PBA50 Gastonia Southern Open presented by Brunswick at Liberty Lanes in Gastonia, N.C., Sunday. Jean also earned $2,000.

In the best-of-three semifinal round, Jean defeated Keith Lesko of Indian Land, S.C., 228-200, 178-220, 191-189, while Morgan eliminated Gary Shultis of Levittown, N.Y., 234-206, 181-224, 202-196.

● Amateur Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., defeated Matt Zasowski of Towanda, N.Y., 2-1, in the best-of-three-game title match to win the PBA La-Z-Boy Central Challenge at Monroe Sport Center in Monroe, Mich., Sunday. Anderson, who earned $2,000, won his first QubicaAMF PBA Regional event, but he was not awarded a PBA title since he is a non-member.

● The QubicaAMF PBA Regional Tour’s Thanksgiving weekend schedule begins with the Japan Region’s Phoenix Rays Wolf Open at PBA Fuji Bowl in Iruma, Japan. The only tournament in the U.S. will be the Beaumont Southwest Open at Crossroads Bowling Center in Beaumont, Texas, Nov. 25-27.

 

● Heading into the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII in Reno, the QubicaAMF PBA East Region will host the MJK Pro Shop/Knob Hill Eastern Challenge presented by DV8 for non-champions at Knob Hill Country Lanes in Manalapan, N.J., over the Dec. 2-3 weekend.

● For complete QubicaAMF PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on QubicaAMF Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area. For more information about QubicaAMF, visit www.qubicaamf.com or, for social media posts, visit http://bit.ly/QAMFSponsorship1.

QUICK NOTES:

● The entry of Isaac Russell of Malaysia brings the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII country count to record 23 different nations. More than 50 international players in the field will represent Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, The Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela and the United States.

FORMER COMMISSIONER TO HALL OF FAME

Former Commissioner Mark Gerberich Elected to PBA Hall of Fame

Voting panel to consider Goebel, Hoskins, Scroggins in Superior Performance category

CHICAGO (Nov. 23, 2016) – Mark Gerberich, who led the Professional Bowlers Association through its most turbulent years prior to the sale of the organization to ex-Microsoft executives Chris Peters, Mike Slade and Rob Glaser, has been elected to the PBA Hall of Fame for his service to the sport.

Gerberich, who joined the PBA staff after graduating from St. John’s University with a degree in sports management in 1983, started as PBA membership services director and rose through a variety of positions before being named PBA Commissioner in 1996. For the next four years, Gerberich tried to overcome issues of declining television and sponsorship revenues  with a series of innovative programs, but faced with nearly impossible odds, negotiated the sale of the organization to the Peters-led group in 2000.

“All of the clichés apply, but I was shocked,” Gerberich said in learning of his election from PBA CEO and Commissioner Tom Clark. “I never went to work for PBA dreaming of being in the hall of fame one day, but it’s really nice that people appreciate what you did. For me, it was a team thing. We had an awesome group.

“It’s exciting,” he added. “I’d been on the ballot before. It’s very difficult for these committees to vote, thinking about how many deserving people there are across generations. The question always is, how do you differentiate between people like that? I was kind of shocked. I didn’t even know the election was going on.”

Gerberich will be inducted during the PBA Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort in Shawnee, Okla., as part of FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions week. Three candidates in the Superior Performance category – Bryan Goebel, Steve Hoskins and Mike Scroggins – are also under consideration for induction. Voting by a panel of veteran bowling industry journalists and PBA Hall of Famers will be conducted in the weeks ahead. PBA’s 2016 Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and other award winners also will be recognized in Shawnee.

Gerberich, who was elected by the 12-member PBA Hall of Fame Committee, attended college for two years before quitting to try to decide what he wanted to do with his life. He decided he wanted to become an athletic director and searched for schools that offered such a program, ultimately settling on St. John’s “because they had a bowling team.”

In 1983, someone – Gerberich isn’t sure who – mentioned his name to the PBA. He was invited to interview and landed the membership services position under then-Commissioner Joe Antenora. “I was just an entry level guy, but I was the happiest guy in the world,” Gerberich said.

He succeeded Lyle Zikes as PBA Director of Operations in 1988 and became Deputy Commissioner under new Commissioner Mike Connor in 1992. When Connor retired in 1996, Gerberich took the top post.

“I was pretty naïve,” he said. “At that point the PBA was a shell of its former self. History is great because in hindsight, you can always say what went wrong. But the reality is, in 1991 the PBA got $200,000 per show (in rights’ fee revenue from ABC-TV), and in 1992, we got $50,000 a show. With 16 shows, we were short $2.4 million in revenue. Then you try to survive, which we did for about 10 years.”

During his tenure, Gerberich introduced the most extensive series of arena finals in PBA history, including staging the largest live-audience event in bowling history when 7,212 fans attended the 1996 U.S. Open at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. He orchestrated the first outdoor final in New York City’s Bryant Park in 1999, and he negotiated the PBA’s first umbrella sponsorship with Brunswick’s Jack Reichert in 1997 that provided invaluable funding for the organization.

Gerberich still lives in Akron where he currently is involved in sporting goods retail sales and marketing, covering the Midwest region.

He will be the 32nd inductee into the PBA Hall of Fame for meritorious service.

HERE & THERE COLUMN

Why Were Folks Surprised ?

  Comments made by so many following the large margin of victory that led to the election of Donald Trump included "surprised" and "I don't think anyone had an accurate feel on the pulse of the American voter."
  It is very apparent to this columnist that if folks were surprised with election results then they must have been living in the make-believe world or not facing reality.
  The pundits and the pollsters continue to express disbelief that they didn't see Donald Trump's victory coming. Well before Trump declared he was running...to the amusement of the liberal media and Washington establishment, who didn't stop laughing until Nov. 8...and long before Hillary Clinton dismissed half of Trump's supporters as "deplorables"....Trump supporters had gotten use to being looked down upon.
  The folks on Nov. 8 said they had enough of the smugness and the general attitude of the left which was saying...disagree with us?... you're probably racist, xenophobic, sexist, bigoted or all of the above

  Several weeks prior to election day we made our small telephone poll to folks we know in Florida, Ohio, South and North Carolina and while traveling trough the state of Pennsylvania we noticed Trump signs outnumbering Clinton signs by at least a two to one margin.

  What we heard in our small poll told me Trump would be a big winner and I expressed that fact to many prior to the elections....yes some local folks thought I was wrong.

  What our telephone poll revealed is that folks didn't like race and Trump's alleged racism being pushed by the Democrats and voters didn't support issues like social injustice, race and the environment.

  Those who supported Trump's campaign of  hope and making  America great again responded.
  A political campaign featuring fear mongering tactics was rejected by the folks and voters also rejected corruption and unfair federal policies thus delivering vast power to a maverick political novice who promised to treat working Americans with respect.
  Hillary Clinton's incredible record of ethical deficiencies were hard to overcome by those who felt she distorted and mislead at every turn.
  Trump's victory can also be credited to voters who saw that the establishment media was woefully out of touch with the folks it's supposed to represent and Trump's election exposed it.
  Yes, a lot of people saw it coming ....just not the people who allegedly covered the election. The election was a massive failure for the established media, broadcasters, pollsters, newspapers, consultants and know-nothing TV yakkers who largely live and breathe in New York and Washington.

  Simply said, the folks want repeal of ObamaCare, nullification of President Obama's executive orders and memorandum, they support a wall along the border with Mexico, they want deportation of illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, they want cuts in individual and corporate tax rates, they want a better Iran nuclear deal, they want to deregulate energy production and they support negotiations to rewrite trade treaties.

  The era of the negative ad died in this election and passion and enthusiasm proved more effective in generating the massive turnout in support of President Elect Trump.

HERE & THERE COLUMN

An  Automated Strike Zone? 

  The 2016 World Series was outstanding and game seven  will stand out as one of the best....a questionable pitching change by Chicago's manager has been the hot topic.
  The World Series showed baseball fans where the real strike zone is.
  Baseball fans got the true picture of the baseball strike zone with television showing the zone and where the ball is pitched.
  This entire discussion all comes down to today's baseball standards that balls and strikes are presently all judged by the eyes of the home plate umpire.
  The umpire......everyone's favorite punching bag and scapegoat where the deck has always been stacked against umpires and, to be fair, it is built into the very nature of the game of baseball.
  With today's baseball's telecasts we all get to see whether the pitched ball is a ball or strike with the little box to the left on your TV screen  showing the exact location of the pitch.
  Some Independent baseball leagues have been testing using a computer to call balls and strikes thus taking the human element out of baseball.
  This is of course the same technology used by Major League Baseball television broadcasts.
  There are many in the sport that have been pushing for a computerized strike zone for years....just like instant replay was.
  For better or worse, the role of the umpire is slowly diminishing, just look at the method now used by managers who dispute the call of any umpire and the call is reviewed by an umpire crew in New York who then make the call.
  The advancement of technology almost demands that, because we can, we should get every call on the field correct.......and that includes balls and strikes.
  With Pitch F/X in every ball park now, it's not only evaluating players but it's also evaluating the boys in blue.
  We've reached a point where every single pitch called behind the plate can instantly be determined to be right or wrong.
  This all is relatively new....it's scary, and it's also unfair. After all, umpires are human and to expect them to call a game perfectly every time is ludicrous but they are now being held to an impossible standard by players and fans alike and something has to give.
  Baseball will not be able to withstand the outside pressure of people demanding a perfectly officiated game and could very well see somewhere down the road an automated strike zone.

                                                              
 

BOWLING HIGHLIGHTS COLUMN

 Record International Participation In WSOB

  The eight annual edition of the  GEICO Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) World Series of Bowling (WSOB) will set another record for international participation, with 22 countries represented among the early entries.
  WSOB will be conducted Nov. 27-Dec. 11. The PBA championship finals will air live on ESPN Dec. 11 at 1 p.m.
  A first-time entry from South Africa....2015 QubicaAMF World Cup runner-up, Francois Louw, will join players from Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, China, Columbia, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Mexico, The Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela and the United States in the 2016 field.
  Boston Red Sox all-star right fielder Mookie Betts underwent successful surgery to remove"floating objects" in his right knee on Nov. 10, meaning he won't be able to return to the World Series of Bowling this year.
  Betts' public interest in bowling in this event led the PBA to contact him a year ago, resulting in his "professional bowling debut in WSOB VII last December in Reno.
  Another withdrawal from the WSOB is PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke, who advised the PBA he injured his hand doing yard work at his home in Clermont, Fla. and will be unable to compete.
  Duke, who was one of the eight PBA50 Tour Challenge qualifiers, will be replaced in the event by Mike Scroggins.  
  PBA's Xtra Frame coverage of the World Series continues through the qualifying and match play rounds of the four animal pattern championships.
  Xtra Frame subscription information can be obtained at pba.com and click on the Xtra Frame link.

   Ed's Outlook

  The path to the 2017 USA Bowling National Championships is underway with 16 regional events.
  The Youth Sports USA Bowling Regional events will be held throughout the country to determine the 32 regional champions.
  Sixteen teams in the 15-and-under division and 16  tams in the 12-and-under division....that will advance to the national championships tournament in Cleveland next July.
  "The inaugural USA Bowling Championships was a great experience for everyone involved and it was exciting to see youth teams compete for a national title on television," said International Bowling Campus Youth Development Managing Director Gary Brown.
  "Youth bowlers from throughout the country were able to see the excitement of this tournament and we encourage teams to take advantage of the opportunity to compete in a regional event and possibly earn a spot in the national championships," Brown noted.
  IBC Youth Development started USA Bowling as a team-based youth program to introduce youngsters to the sport. The program follows the structure of other youth sports by placing children on a team, providing a coach, and holding regular practices and weekly competitions.
  The USA Bowling Regional events were introduced three years ago to give teams additional opportunities for competition. The regional events led to the first USA Bowling National event in 2016 with the finals televised on CBS Sports Network.
  Teams do not have to be members of a USA Bowling League to participate in the regional events.
  Regional events for local youth to consider are Dec. 17-18, Atlantic East, Smyrna, Tenn. and March 18-19 New England, Westgate Lanes, Brockton, Mass.
  Go to Bowl.com/USABowling (/USABowling) for more information about the USA Bowling program and the USA Bowling Regional events.  

Bowling Tip
  By Mike Luongo

  Let's talk this week about making hard spares.
  Not every spare on the lanes will be easy as knocking over a single corner pin or going after the five pin.
  You'll want to use some strategy when going after hard spares to increase the odds of making them.
  The 1-2-4-10 known as the "wash out" can easily be left by missing the 1-3 pocket to the right. To convert this spare you'll want to knock the head pin (1 pin) over into the 10 pin while the ball takes out the 2 and the 4. Shoot this spare from the left side of the lane and aim for the center of the 2 pin.
  The 3-10 "baby split" is usually left standing because the ball misses the 1-3 pocket. This split is make-able, move to the left side of the approach and aim for a pin that's missing (6 pin). Aiming for the center of the 6 pin will put the ball between the 3 and 10.
  With the 6-7-10 split you've got your work cut out for you. The goal here is to slide the 6 pin (the one closest to the foul line) over into the 7 pin while the ball takes out the 10.
  Keep the ball on the lane and practice your aim, these spares look like no fun, until you've learned to  make one. Keep up the practice and soon you'll have a game plan to make hard spares look easy. 
  Mike Luongo is a certified IBPSIA Pro Shop Operator, Master Instructor, USBC Silver Level Coach and an Advisor-Special Events assistant with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. Have a question,  email at mikel@stormbowling.com

  Local Scores
                            
  Beechwood Lanes

  Mon. Villa Roma Ladies

  Diane Staves 164, 162, Lois Erdman 164, Lindsey Bauer 156, Julie YewChuck 150, 159, 173, Pam Wayne 157, 152, Tracy Puerschner 153, 179.

 Callicoon Kristal Bowl

Mon. Hortonville Ladies

  Maureen Schlott 187, Marty Bogdanowitz 152, Darlene Mantzourate 155, Kirsten Sherwood 179, Charlene Meola 178, Opal Hocker 165, Sue Naughton 158, 158, Kelly Gombita 156, Lillian Zieres 158, 205, 169, 532, Debbie Loughrey 202, Robin Luckey 166, Sill Boldiis 190, 163, Pat Peters 151, 151, Rebecca Rhodes 157, Judy Mohn 155, 169, Heidi Bauer 155, Dawn Roemer 165, Mardette Wilcox 180, 178, 506, Kristin Emmett 152.

  Wednesday Fun

  Brian Kitson 180, Rich Thony 193, 207, Tim Sykes 203, Mardette Wilcox 173, 179, 152, 504, Randy Fisher 195, Tom Gain 197, 214, Jack Diehl 181, Alby Thony 191, Craig Stewart 185, Bill Meyer 184, Troy Parucki 197, 192, Ed Leroy 202, 182, Mark Schriber 183, Mike Geiger 199.

Kiamesha Lanes

Monday Men's

  Jim Piontak 230, Josh Strang 626, Pedro Agapito III a 226, 258, 674, Rob Sze 237, 647, Dan Ricco 228, 225, 649, Charles Tuttle 234, 259, 673, Juan Lopez 231, 225, 677, Jon Wilhelm 236, 670, Larry Whipple 232, 246, 661, James VanAken 247, 644, Kyle Matthews 244, 612,  Jaryl Scott 256, 638, Vinny Collura 231, 605, Donny Durland 235, 280, 258, 773, Kevin Stackhouse 248, 674, Ronald Totten 247, 630, Keith Smith 247, 630, Eddie Lake 235, 279, 709, Rick Lake 225, 225, 655, Michael Scuderi 227, 631, Frank Scuderi 265, 614, John Hoffmann 237, 247, 689, Pete Meachum 232.

Tues. Mixed Firefighters

Pedro Agapito III crashed into the perfect game category continuing his outstanding bowling with a 300 game followed by a 224, 231 for a 755 series, Kevin Stackhouse 226, 235, 656, John Hoffmann 602, Trasey Barres 201, 180, 550, Larry Whipple hit a 206 triplicate for a 618 series, Carena Collura 181, 235, 584, Charles Tuttle 254, 226, 670, Karen Martin 204, 509, Kat Cronk 194, Liz Stubits 215, Keith Smith 269, 225, 715, Kyle Giordano 626, Jon Wilhelm 257, 225, 670, Dave Graham 247, 669.

 Thursday Ladies

  Sherri Laird 190, 199, 560, Lisa Cartwright 189, Trasey Barres 180, 184, 543, Loretta VanAken 183, 505, Pat Shuart 182, Shirley Bowens 187, 199, 555, Dottie Cox 200, Audrey Woolard 214, 538.

Friday Mixed

  Vic Decker 225, John Hoffmann 225, 606, Ryan Lepke 279, 256, 737, Pete Nastasi 608, Tito Santiago 235, 654, Bill Schubert 262, 656, Keith Smith 233, 671, Kevin Stackhouse 277, 667, James VanAken 237, 234, 680, Larry Whipple 642, Trasey Barres 512, Lauren Blume 203, 533, Doris Castro 236, 507, MaryAnn Drobysh-Berens 183, 181, 191, 555, Anne Kaplan 218, 530, Jennie Worden 195.
                             
  Ed Townsend is a Public Relations Consultant to the sport of bowling and brings over 60-years of sports journalism experience in writing and compiling the information for this column. If you have league or tournament information, bowl a 300 game or 800 series or even bowl your age, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

BOWLING HIGHLIGIHTS COLUMN

Ed Guthrie Scores 9th 300
                                

 
  Seventy-nine year-old Narrowsburg bowler Ed Guthrie recorded his ninth perfect 300 game November 8 in the Tuesday Mixed Firefighters league at Kiamesha Lanes.

  "It's been about 10 years since I scored my eighth 300 and I wasn't sure if I'd see another," Guthrie said.
  "All strikes were in the pocket with one hitting light and another a little heavy but they all carried," Ed added.

  Guthrie bowled the 300 game on lanes 7-8 using a Trimax Vortex bowling ball.
  Guthrie bowls for the Van Keuren's Lawn Care team with team mates Sandy Lazarowics, Larekso Niifa and John Hoffmann.

  He has two 800 series and presently maintains a 197 average in the Tuesday Mixed league which is the only league he bowls in.
  An active bowler for some 55 years he was inducted into the Mid-Hudson Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and previously served as a director for the Tri-County NY USBC.
  An active competitive golfer Ed is a long time member of the Community Traveling League in Sullivan County.
  Ed is divorced, has five children, four girls and one son and is a retired telephone company supervisor. 

  Ed's Outlook

  We all have our favorites when it comes to sports and our bonding years ago with Parker and Leslie Bohn at the Empire Open at the Bowler's Club in Latham, NY was just something that happened.
  When we first met Parker was bowling in the PBA Empire Open and he and Leslie were not married yet.
  Following their marriage and the birth of their son Justin, my wife  Shirley made a baby blanket for Justin and when they arrived at Latham I did a feature story about Justin being at his first PBA competition.
  Our friendship grew and while Parker was competing in another PBA event at Cheektowaga  (Thruway Lanes) near Buffalo we were invited back to their beautiful mobile home on wheels (the type that you actually drive) that was parked in back of the bowling lanes where we also had the pleasure of meeting Leslie's mother and members of the Beamish family.
  This led to us becoming friends with PBA Professional Doug Kent of Newark, NY since Leslie's sister, Chrissie Beamish Kent is married to Doug and Parker and Doug are of course brother-in-laws.....and you can see it's a small world here when you really start thinking about it.
  That led to us becoming friends of Doug's mom and dad who we frequently visited and shared good times with at PBA events.
  Now with their being no PBA events on the East Coast and Doug having officially retired from the PBA tour (he is very busy owning and running two bowling establishments in the area he lives in between Rochester and Buffalo) we just don't have the opportunities to see the Bohn's and Kent's.
  We did see and talk briefly last Fall and Shirley got a hug from Parker  as the Brunswick team put on a demonstration at Tarsio Lanes in Newburgh.
  Just some of the benefits of being a bowling columnist but we do greatly miss as do many other bowling fans the PBA events that use to take place in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
 
Bowling Tip
 By Mike Luongo

 Bowling several strikes is a row will improve your score.
 When trying to bowl several strikes in a row you must be dedicated to being the best bowler you can be and that involves lots of practice.
  Your ball and other equipment may have to change with your skills so be prepared to evolve in any way possible.
  Being able to assess your own ball and game is also very important to becoming a better bowler.
  Bowling three strikes in a row, or a turkey, is key to maximizing your score.
  If you are a right handed bowler who often gets a four pin for a strike, on that lane next time you bowl you should adjust your position and move some to the left or chances are you will only get nine pins.
  Learning to read a ball is very important to setting yourself up to bowl strikes.
  Your ball can tell you all sorts of things about your game and the mistakes that you may be making...like standing in the same spot expecting different results from the same shot on the same lane.
  After you have practiced enough to learn to read the ball you will change the pattern of standing in the same spot.
  Once you get the 4 pin and that gets that strike, you should move some to achieve the string of strikes that you are looking for.
  Mike Luongo is a certified IBPSIA Pro Shop Operator, Master Instructor, USBC Silver Level Coach and an Advisor-Special Events Assistant with the Storm and Roto Grip Bowling Ball Company. Have a question, email at mikel@stormbowling.com

                                                           Local Scores 

Beechwood Lanes

Mon. Villa Roma Ladies

Tracy Puerschner 158, Diane Staves 160, Lois Erdman 168, Nicole Hubert 163.

Callicoon Kristal Bowl

Mon. Hortonville Ladies

Pat Peters 192, 212, 542, Sue Naughton 162, Kelly Gombita 172, 166, 154, Lillian Zieres 165, 171, Eleanor Glassel 163, Debbie Loughrey 180, 151, Rebecca Rhodes 178, Judy Mohn 182, 159, Heidi Bauer 191, 175, 516, Dawn Roemer 159, Mardette Wilcox 159, 198.

Wednesday Fun

Brian Brustman 190, John Kline 206, 194, Rich Thony 185, Tim
Sykes 190, Mardette Wilcox 184, 167, 177, 528, Tom Gain 180, Hopper Hubert 200, Jack Diehl 191, 212, Alby Thony 199, John Diehl 217, Doug Kautz 206, Craig Stewart 184, Roger Widmann 186, John Fischer 215, Troy Parucki 180, 199, Mike Geiger 181, 201, Kory Keesler 186, Steve Mutter 182, Tom Bisig 193.

Kiamesha Lanes

Monday Men's

Vinnie Collura had a nice 814 series off single games of 268, 267 and 279, Donnie Durland missed another 300 game with a 299 in the second game of his team's match but added a 269 for a 790 series, Josh Strang 232, 627, Pedro Agapito III a 238, 651, Mike Weiner 225, 658, Gary North 225, Dave Graham 225, 644, Juan Lopez 226, 604, Gene Smith 232, Jon Wilhelm 257, 687, Larry Whipple 226, 235, 674, Chris Parken 234, 611, Justin Lopez 265, Kyle Matthews 625, Jaryl Scott 235, 237, 652, Paul Durland 226, 616, Laresko Niifa 253, Kevin Stackhouse 237, 239, 693, Chris Marler 232, Keith Smith 227, 664, Eddie Lake 254, 665, Rick Lake 239, 228, 257, 724, Michael Scuderi 640, Frank Scuderi 231, 267, 657, Robert Feeney Sr, 237, 248, 669, Bobby Cooper 236, Jody Farquhar 236, John Hoffmann 234, 624, Russell Bivins 227, 240, 257, 724, Pete Meachum 240, 642.

Tues. Mixed Firefighters

Pedro Agapito III a 226, 651, Bob Yakin Jr. 245, Trasey Barres 192, Heather Dobell 180, Larry Whipple 230, John Hoffmann 227, Eddie Walsh 233, 255, 269, 757, Charlie Tuttle 227, Kat Cronk 180, Tom Belgiovene 227, 629, Kyle Giordano 246, 226, 680, Jon Wilhelm 239, 232, 685, Charles Blackburn 230, Mary Lee Williams 206, 201, 579, Linda Schaefer 186, Andrea Grossman 189, 523, Liz Stubits 189, 515, Dave Graham 264, 640.

Thursday Ladies

Lisa Cartwright 189, Tricia Tuttle 189, 504, Marie Jeltsch 192, 523, Loretta Van Aken 210, 184, 191, 585, Pat Gibson 503, Liz Stubits 191, Joan Lake 193, 530, Tabatha Smith 180, 217, 547.

Friday Mixed

Mary Ann Drobysh-Berens 210, 557, Esther Barber 203, 215, 548, Trasey Barres 189, 183, 510, Sarah Durland 181, 198, 552, Katie Hacker 189, Joan Lake 197, 504, Paul Berens 600, Don Durland 279, 258, 227, 764, Glenn Fraser 243, 600, Dave Graham 234, 658, Eddie Lake 235, 266, 245, 746, Ryan Lepke 632, Pete Nastasi 235, 639, Dan Ricco 250, 627, Keith Smith 247, 236, 699, Kevin Stackhouse 256, 663, James Van Aken 231, 642.

  Ed Townsend is a Public Relations Consultant to the sport of bowling and brings over 60 years of sports journalism experience in writing and compiling the information for this column. If you have league or tournament information, bowl a 300 game of 800 series or even bowl your age, let Ed know at 845-439-8177, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com, fax at 845-205-4474. View this column and Ed's photos at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.

          

               

 

                                    



     

LIVE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ESPN

Live World Championship ESPN Telecast, Record International Field, POY and ROY Races Among GEICO PBA WSOB VIII Storylines

RENO, Nev.  (Nov. 18, 2016) – For the second consecutive year, Reno’s National Bowling Stadium will be home to the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VIII presented by the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, the premier professional international showcase for the sport.

Based on early entries, a record of at least 22 countries will be represented in the multi-event extravaganza that will be highlighted by a live ESPN telecast of the PBA World Championship, the fifth and final major of the 2016 PBA Tour season, along with five other ESPN telecasts.

The qualifying and match play portions of the WSOB leading up to the ESPN finals, plus the PBA Challenge Finals, will be streamed live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame.

Here’s a look at some of the major storylines for WSOB VIII which will be conducted Nov. 27-Dec. 11:

Live PBA World Championship Finals on ESPN – The crown jewel of the WSOB is the PBA World Championship finals which will air live on ESPN Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). The World Championship is the fifth and final major of the 2016 PBA Tour season.

In addition to the World Championship, ESPN will tape the finals of five other PBA Tour events on Dec. 10 and 11. For taping times and ticket information at the National Bowling Stadium click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pba-geico-wsob-viii-tv-tickets-tickets-28534712092

For a complete listing of ESPN air dates for all WSOB events click on http://www.pba.com/Television

Xtra Frame provides world-wide exposure for PBA – Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online channel, will provide approximately 100 hours of live coverage of qualifying and match play rounds during the World Series, leading up to the ESPN finals. The subscription-based webcasting service continues to show steady growth in Europe, Asia, Australia and other regions as one element of the PBA Network, which also includes international audiences on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In addition to daily reports provided by the PBA, many of the competitors in the World Series will provide their personal fans with daily insights into the event. Beginning with PBA World Championship competition on Dec. 4, PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman will join the Xtra Frame announce team. For subscription and schedule information click on http://www.xtraframe.tv/#!home

An international showcase  – The preliminary list of the record 22 countries represented includes: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Colombia, China, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela and the United States.

Canadians break through with PBA Tour titles after going winless for more than half century: For the first 57 years of PBA’s existence, no Canadian had won a PBA Tour title. Now, in the span of nine months in the 2016 season, Canada can not only boast of two PBA Tour champions, but also both are major winners and both are rookies.

Left-hander Graham Fach of Guelph, Ont., 24, became the first Canadian to win a PBA Tour title when he won the PBA Players Championship in February in only the third PBA tournament he had ever entered. In November, Quebec City native Francois Lavoie, 23, a former Wichita State University standout, became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Open and he became the first player to bowl a 300 game in a U.S. Open televised final.

Gary Faulkner Jr. to defend World Championship title: In 2015, 25-year-old Gary Faulkner Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., made history winning the PBA World Championship for his first Tour title by defeating EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., 216-178, in the title match and becoming only the second African American to win a PBA Tour title.

Other young players making their mark in PBA Tour history: In February, Jesper Svensson of Sweden became the youngest player to win PBA’s signature major, the FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions, eight days before his 21st birthday. Now with five career titles, he also is the first player to win five Tour titles by the age 21.

A week after Svensson’s historic win, Anthony Simonsen of Princeton, Texas, became the youngest player to win a major when he captured the United States Bowling Congress Masters title at the age of 19. Both young stars are two-handed players. Svensson bowls from the left side, Simonsen from the right.

Beginning with Faulkner’s win in the 2015 PBA World Championship, the last five majors have been won by players age 25 or younger and each of those players had never won a major previously.

Premier two-handed player, three-time reigning Player of the Year Jason Belmonte hopes to reach winners circle:  After several top-10 finishes in 2016, Australia’s Jason Belmonte hopes to visit the winner’s circle for the first time this season. The 12-time PBA Tour winner is recognized as the premier player who uses the unique two-hand delivery. His highly-successful technique led to three dominating seasons in PBA competition and if he can put together a strong WSOB performance he could return to the Player of the Year conversation. Two other two-handed players to watch, in addition to the aforementioned Svensson and Simonsen, are Shawn Maldonado of Houston and Finland’s Osku Palermaa.

World Series may also play deciding role in Player, Rookie of the Year  races – With five Tour titles up for grabs, the WSOB has the potential to play a significant role in determining Rookie of the Year as well has Player of the Year.

With three wins this season, Jesper Svensson is the early favorite for POY honors heading into the World Series, but two-time winners Anthony Simonsen, Ryan Ciminelli, EJ Tackett, Sean Rash and Jakob Butturff are ready to challenge. The Rookie of the Year race heading into the World Series is led by  Canadians Fach and Lavoie. Both have won major titles in 2016. A Canadian has never won Rookie or Player of the Year honors.

2015 champions return: In addition to 2015 World Championship winner Gary Faulkner Jr., other 2015 WSOB titlists ready to defend their titles are PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III (PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game), Jesper Svensson (PBA Chameleon Championship presented by Hotelplanner.com) and Jon Van Hees (PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno-Tahoe USA). Ryan Ciminelli won the 2015 Viper Championship but that event will be replaced by the Shark Championship for 2016.

PBA Hall of Famers entered: While young players have made their mark this season on the PBA Tour, several of PBA’s all-time greats will be ready to mount challenges. The field includes four PBA Hall of Famers – Parker Bohn III, Amleto Monacelli, Pete Weber and Walter Ray Williams Jr.

Weber is coming off a 2016 PBA50 (Senior) Tour season in which he won a record six PBA50 Tour titles, including four in a row, which helped him earn his second consecutive PBA50 Player of the Year honor.

Another player who has gained fame on both the PBA Tour and PBA50 Tour, Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, won the DHC PBA Japan Cup in January for his 20th PBA Tour title at age 54.

Race to 100 PBA titles: In their more than three decade careers in PBA competition, legends Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber have both won a combined total of 99 titles in PBA Tour, PBA50 Tour and PBA Regional competition. Unless one of them is successful in a PBA Regional tournament prior to the World Series, that landmark also may be up for grabs.

Past World Championship winners entered: Gary Faulkner Jr. (2015), Dom Barrett (Dec. 2013), Parker Bohn III (Jan. 2013), Osku Palermaa (2012), Chris Barnes (2011), Tom Smallwood (2009), Walter Ray Williams Jr. (2001, ’03, ’06), and Pete Weber (1989, ’98) are all past winners of the PBA World Championship.

Dave LaMont makes ESPN debut during WSOB VIII – Veteran announcer Dave LaMont will make his debut as the play-by-play announcer for PBA-ESPN telecasts during WSOB VIII. LaMont, who has covered a wide range of bowling competition during his career, will be joined in the announcing booth by PBA Hall of Famer and veteran ESPN color analyst Randy Pedersen, sideline reporter former Miss USA Kimberly Pressler, and, for the live PBA World Championship telecast, PBA Hall of Famer Marshall Holman.

PBA Challenge Finals highlight other aspects of PBA: The PBA created the “PBA Challenge Finals” three years ago to provide a national showcase for other divisions of PBA competition – PBA Regionals, PBA-PWBA Women’s Regionals, and the PBA50 Tour. The PBA Regional and renamed PBA-PWBA Women’s Regional program invites the top player based on season-long competition points from each of the PBA’s eight regions to bowl a qualifying event for two berths in the live Xtra Frame finals. The PBA50 Tour’s top eight players based on 2016 competition points also will bowl the same head-to-head round robin match play qualifier to determine the top two players for their Xtra Frame finals. The Challenge events will kick off at the National Bowling Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 27 and the entire competition, including the finals of each division, will be streamed live exclusively on Xtra Frame.

USA vs. The World Special Team Event: The top five U.S. players and the top five international players based on their combined qualifying pinfall totals for the four WSOB animal pattern events will compete in a special USA vs. The World team showdown that will be conducted after the World Championship finals on Dec. 11 and will also be aired on ESPN.

PBA Tour events include diverse lane conditions – Four of the World Series events – the Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark Championships – are names applied to specific PBA lane conditioning patterns. Each different lane condition requires players to be on top of their games in making the right lane and equipment adjustments to be successful. The ability to excel on all four lane conditioning challenges will ultimately determine the finalists who will compete for the PBA World Championship.

Each lane condition used during the World Series will be highly visible to ESPN viewers because the PBA will add blue dye to the lane conditioner for the telecasts, giving fans a unique visual reference of what players must navigate when competing in the finals. Fans will be able to watch how the so-called “blue oil” moves around under the traffic of bowling balls rolled during the competition.

Reno’s role in professional bowling history – Reno has hosted many topflight bowling competitions since 1977 when the Reno-Sparks Convention Center hosted the American Bowling Congress (USBC) Championships Tournament for the first time. Since then, Reno has hosted many PBA and USBC events which have been some of the biggest bowling events in history. The National Bowling Stadium is marking its 21st year of hosting topflight competition after opening its doors in 1995.