BELMONTE WINS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Australia’s Jason Belmonte Wins Historic PBA World Championship

“Instant classic” includes two sudden-death roll-offs, unprecedented third major title in a single season

RENO, Nev. – Australia’s Jason Belmonte re-wrote the Professional Bowlers Association record book again, winning his ninth career major championship with a thrilling 238-225 victory over top qualifier Jesper Svensson of Sweden in the PBA World Championship at the National Bowling Stadium. With the win, Belmonte became the first player in PBA’s 60-year history to win three major championships in a single season.

The PBA World Championship, the final tournament of the 2017 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, aired Sunday on ESPN as part of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties. Belmonte’s 16th career PBA Tour title was worth $60,000, and it moved him into sole possession of third place on PBA’s list of all-time major titlists behind PBA legends Earl Anthony and Pete Weber who both won 10 majors.

In addition to his historic victory, Belmonte was part of the first nationally-televised PBA Tour event that included two sudden-death roll-offs, one of which gave the two-handed Australian star his shot at the title.

“That’s going to go down as one of the most exciting shows in a long time,” said Belmonte, who added the PBA World Championship to his collection of major titles that includes two PBA Tournament of Champions, two PBA Players Championship and an unprecedented four United States Bowling Congress Masters titles. At age 34, he is a U.S. Open title away from the PBA Triple Crown (U.S. Open, TOC and PBA World Championship, Grand Slam (Triple Crown plus Masters) and the “Super Slam” (Grand Slam plus Players Championship).

Since winning his first major in the 2011 PBA Players Championship at age 27, Belmonte has won his nine titles over a span of seven seasons. It took Anthony 11 seasons to win his first nine majors; it took Weber 26 seasons to accomplish the same feat. Both won their 10th majors in the next season.

“It feels bloody amazing,” Belmonte said. “I wasn’t aware of being the first to win three majors in a year until Kimberly Presser mentioned it after the show.  It’s been a really, really great year. I don’t know what else to say.

“I’m honored to be one win away from arguably the two best bowlers who ever lived on the all-time majors list,” he added. “I don’t know how I’ll feel if I get to 10 majors, but I’ll tell you that no. 9 is a pretty good feeling.”

The opening match of the World Championship set the stage for the rest of the day when 2017 PBA Rookie of the Year contender Matt Sanders of Evansville, Ind., and two-time PBA Tour winner Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C., finished in a 248-248 tie.  After missing a 10 pin spare attempt on his final shot, Troup struck on his first shot in the one-ball sudden-death roll-off and moved on when Sanders left a 7 pin on his roll-off shot.

In the second match, Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., survived a 193-180 battle with Troup, who missed a pair of three-pin spare conversion attempts.

In the semifinal match, Ciminelli appeared to have Belmonte on the ropes after striking on seven of his first eight shots while Belmonte began with four spares. But Belmonte got lined up and threw the final eight strikes, forcing the finals’ second sudden-death roll-off when Ciminelli left the 2-4 on his fill ball for a 257-257 tie. In the roll-off, Belmonte went first and left a 7 pin. Needing a strike to win, Ciminelli left the 2-5-6 on his first shot.

“I was fortunate Ryan didn’t bowl one pin higher than me,” Belmonte admitted. “If you watch Ryan enough, you know he’s one of the  best players out here in the clutch.”

In the championship match, Belmonte started with three strikes, converted a 10 pin spare and then got a fortunate strike in the fifth frame when a finger grip came out of his ball.

“I thought I was in real trouble when the grip came out and I still struck,” he said. “But then I was wondering if the glue (on the new grip) would set, or if I’d start thinking about it coming out again.

“I also know that just when you think Jesper’s having a bad game, he’ll strike out on you.”

It appeared that was exactly what was about to happen. After leaving the 4-6-10 in the first frame for an open, Svensson threw the next five strikes to take the lead. Svensson was nursing a nine-pin lead after six frames when the changing lane conditions impacted both players.

“The traffic of urethane balls Jesper and Kyle were using laid down an oil track that made reading the progression difficult,” Belmonte said. “You can usually see early tell-tale signs, but not this time. It got to the point I didn’t know what to do.”

Four consecutive single-pin spares, including a 7 pin on Svensson’s first shot in the 10th frame, gave Belmonte an opening.

“In the last frame, needing two strikes to win after not striking on that lane the three previous attempts, I made two of the best shots I’ve ever thrown in my life,” Belmonte said. “It was a good guess and even better execution.

“After Jesper left that 7 pin, I knew all I had to do was throw one more great shot,” Belmonte said. “I never think I’ve won until I look up and see, mathematically, I’ve won.”

Working on a strike in the ninth frame, Belmonte struck on his first shot in the 10th and needing only a high count on his second to lock up the title, Belmonte struck again and then he looked up at the scoreboard, confirming he had won.

With his fourth title of the 2017 season – including three majors – Belmonte became the odds-on favorite to win his fourth GEICO Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year title in the past five years. Voting will take place early in January.

The PBA Tour will return to action Jan. 23-27 when a field of 15 PBA Tour stars, led by Belmonte and defending champion EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., head to Tokyo to compete in the 2018 DHC PBA Japan Invitational.

ESPN’s coverage of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX concludes next Sunday with the World Bowling Tour Women’s and Men’s Finals presented by the PBA at 1 p.m. EST. Competing in the women’s finals will be Malaysia’s Shalin Zulkifli, Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, N.Y., and top qualifier Diana Zavjalova of Latvia. Men’s finalists will be Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash.; Svensson and Belmonte.

PBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

National Bowling Stadium, Reno (aired on ESPN on Dec. 31)

Final Standings: 1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, $60,000. 2, Jesper Svensson, Sweden, $30,000. 3, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., $25,000. 4, Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C., $20,000. 5, Matt Sanders, Evansville, Ind., $15,000.

Stepladder Results: Match One – Troup def. Sanders, 248-248, 10-7 in one-ball roll-off. Match Two – Ciminelli def. Troup, 193-180. Semifinal – Belmonte def. Ciminelli, 257-257, 9-7 in one-ball roll-off. Championship – Belmonte def. Svensson, 238-225.

FINAL MAJOR SUNDAY AT 1

Sunday on ESPN: PBA World Championship Features Established, Rising Stars in Final Major to Conclude the 2017 PBA Tour Season

RENO, Nev. - In the final major championship of the Professional Bowlers Association’s 2017 season, one of the PBA’s most talented young stars and one of its most decorated established stars will join a trio of rising stars in the finals of the PBA World Championship. ESPN’s coverage begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

At the top of Sunday’s field is a budding young star on the brink of making PBA history: 22-year-old top qualifier Jesper Svensson of Sweden who averaged 241 over six days of competition and 60 games on four different lane conditions. Svensson, a left-handed, two-handed player, needs to win one more major (in addition to his seven conventional PBA Tour titles) to become the youngest player in PBA history to become title-eligible for the PBA Hall of Fame.

In the final major of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties and the 2017 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, 34-year-old Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte will be trying for the ninth major of his career to move into sole possession of third place on PBA’s list of all-time major title winners behind PBA legends Pete Weber and Earl Anthony, both of whom have won 10 majors. So far this year, Belmonte has won the 2017 Barbasol PBA Players Championship and he became the first four-time USBC Masters champion in the history of that event.

Hoping to spoil a victory party by Svensson or Belmonte are PBA champions Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y.; Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C. and rookie Matt Sanders of Evansville, Ind. Troup, the third two-handed player in the finals, will meet Sanders in the first match of Sunday’s stepladder finals. The winner of that match will bowl Ciminelli for the opportunity to meet Belmonte in the semifinal match. Sanders and Ciminelli are both left-handers.

The five finalists earned their berths in the PBA World Championship finals after competing in qualifying and cashers’ rounds which were conducted on the 39-foot Chameleon, 45-foot Shark, 33-foot Cheetah and 42-foot Scorpion PBA lane conditioning patterns.

Svensson, who won the 2016 PBA Tournament of Champions at age 20, topped Belmonte by 366 pins to earn the top berth in the finals. Ciminelli, the 2015 U.S. Open champion, posted a 14,031 pinfall total to earn the no. 3 position in the stepladder. Troup, a two-time PBA Tour titlist, qualified fourth with a 13,931 pinfall and Sanders, a leading Rookie of the Year contender, bowled a 268 in his final qualifying game to secure the fifth qualifying position. Sanders won his first and only PBA Tour title earlier in the year in the Xtra Frame PBA Billy Hardwick Memorial Open.

World Series IX coverage on ESPN concludes with the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by PBA on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m.

SVENSSON AND TACKETT WIN WSOB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jesper Svensson Wins PBA Cheetah Championship; EJ Tackett Tames the Scorpion

Former Rookies of the Year continue to set the pace for PBA’s youth movement

RENO, Nev. – Two former Professional Bowlers Association Rookies of the Year, Jesper Svensson of Sweden and EJ Tackett of Huntington, Ind., continued to set a high standard for the PBA’s youth movement with victories in the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties at the National Bowling Stadium.

Svensson, the 22-year-old 2015 PBA Rookie of the Year, defeated Denmark’s Thomas Larsen, 245-194, to win the PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game for his seventh career PBA Tour title while Tackett, the 25-year-old 2013 Rookie of the Year, picked up his ninth title with a 245-207 victory over Australia’s Jason Belmonte in the Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by GoBowling.com.

The Cheetah and Scorpion Championships were the final two PBA animal pattern championships conducted during the WSOB IX and aired back-to-back Sunday on ESPN as part of the 2017-18 Go Bowling! PBA Tour package.

Svensson, a hard-throwing left-handed two-handed player, struck on eight of his first nine shots, overpowering Larsen despite missing a 7 pin spare attempt in the fourth frame for his only flaw.

“By the end of the first match, I got lined up so I thought if I threw good shots, I’d have a good chance to win,” said Svensson, who finished the preliminary round game with a string of eight strikes. “I screwed up a little when I missed that single pin, but I got right back in it.”

If there was anything unusual about the match, it was an extraordinary level of intensity by the normally sedate, emotionless Swede.

“It was by far the most emotional title I’ve ever won,” Svensson admitted. “Things have happened at home while I was here that…” He stumbled and added, “This title means more to other people than just me. I’m just really, really happy I could finish it off. I had a friend who passed away a week ago and I really believe he was watching me today. This one is for him, 100 percent. There’s nothing I can do but continue doing what I love to do. It makes me appreciate that even more.” 

To reach the Cheetah Championship telecast Svensson edged Larsen in the four-player shootout preliminary, 259-256, but both advanced to the title match while Australia’s Sam Cooley (236) and Jason Belmonte (222) were eliminated with the lowest scores.

In the second match of the ESPN doubleheader, Tackett made his only WSOB IX television appearance count, striking on five of his first six shots and adding another string of three strikes late in his match against Belmonte, the two-handed Australian star who is the leading challenger to displace Tackett as PBA Player of the Year in 2017. The win was Tackett’s fourth of the year, one ahead of Belmonte, but two of Belmonte’s titles are majors and he’ll have a shot at another one in next Sunday’s PBA World Championship finals.

Tackett not only realized where he stood compared to Belmonte in the competitive ranks, but he knew Belmonte was bowling at less than his physical best after an acute attack of food poisoning the night before.

“I found out Jason wasn’t feeling well, but before the first game, I told him to dig deep…and after the first match, I told him to just keep on going, and he did,” Tackett said. “I told him that we should finish the year on a high note, and we did. It could have gone either way.

“I knew the only chance I had (for Player of the Year) after the first few days here was to make this show and win,” Tackett added. “In my eyes, (Belmonte) wins by a landslide, but if he doesn’t win the (PBA World Championship), I think it’ll be a pretty close vote. It’s out of my hands.”

Belmonte’s 269 topped the preliminary shootout. Tackett was second with a 258 while Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio (242) and Shawn Maldonado of Houston, Texas (225) were eliminated.

ESPN’s coverage of the Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s WSOB IX package continues on Sunday, Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. EST with the PBA World Championship finals that will feature Svensson, Belmonte, and three other PBA Tour titlists – Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C.; Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and rookie Matt Sanders of Evansville, Ind.

PBA CHEETAH CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY PBA BOWLING CHALLENGE MOBILE GAME

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Nov. 18 (finals aired on ESPN on Dec. 24)

Championship: Jesper Svensson, Sweden ($20,000) def. Thomas Larsen, Denmark ($10,000), 245-194.

Shootout Match (top two scorers advance to championship match): Svensson 259; Larsen 256; Sam Cooley, Australia, 236 ($5,000); Jason Belmonte, Australia, 222 ($4,000).

PEPSI PBA SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY GOBOWLING.COM

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Nov. 18 (finals aired on ESPN on Dec. 24)

Championship: EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind. ($20,000) def. Jason Belmonte, Australia ($10,000), 245-207.

Shootout Match (top two scorers advance to championship match): Belmonte 269; Tackett 258; Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 242 ($5,000); Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 225 ($4,000).

PONIES TAB TWO CHARITIES

Ponies & Tylicki Tab Two Charities for Donation

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies will present Mirabito Philanthropy and The Mercy House of the Southern Tier with $2,500 thanks to contributions from Minor League Baseball Charities and its connection to the Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award. Richard Tylicki, the team’s Director of Stadium Operations and a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, was honored with the award this year and is entitled to direct $2,500 towards any charity of his choice.
Tylicki and Rumble Ponies Managing Director John “JB” Bayne will present Mirabito President & CEO Joe Mirabito and The Mercy House Executive Director Linda Cerra with checks for $1,250 on Thursday, December 21 at 2:30 PM at Mirabito’s headquarters in The Metrocenter in downtown Binghamton.
The Charles K. Murphy Patriot Award is presented annually to a team or individual in Minor League Baseball for outstanding support of the United States Armed Forces and veterans, both at the ballpark and in the community. The award was created in 2016 in honor of the longtime Florida State League president and U.S. Army veteran who passed away February 21, 2015, at the age of 83.
Tylicki will begin his fifth deployment in January when he departs for Kuwait. He will miss the Rumble Ponies’ 2018 season.
Media inquiries related to the press event may be directed to Deana Ranucci (Deana.Ranucci@mirabito.com).

RAILRIDERS CLINIC JAN. 13

RailRiders University Coaches Clinic set for January 13

Free coaches clinic at PNC Field is open to area baseball and softball coaches

MOOSIC, PA (December 19, 2017) – RailRiders University is offering a free coaches clinic on January 13, 2018.  The clinic will run from 10:00 A.M. until 2:00 P.M. at PNC Field.  Seven different guest speakers will discuss a wide array of topics during the four-hour session.  

RailRiders University, presented by Geisinger Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, is pleased to have Russ Canzler, Doug Davis, Max Kranick, Joe McCarthy, Eddy Rodriguez, Phil Rossi and Gary Ruby as featured speakers during the clinic.  Topics covered during the free coaches clinic include conducting effective practices, drills to improve fundamentals, techniques to improve a player’s mental edge and a discussion on protecting pitcher’s arm during the season and throughout the year.  

Canzler was a four-time Minor League Baseball All-Star during his playing career and the 2011 International League Most Valuable Player.  Davis has coached for the last 22 years, including 2017 on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre staff.  Kranick is a graduate of Valley View High School and an 11th round choice by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017.  McCarthy was a fifth round selection of Tampa Bay in 2015 out of the University of Virginia.  Rodriguez was drafted by Cincinnati in 2006 and played for the RailRiders during each of the last three seasons, including the Triple-A National Championship run in 2016.  Rossi was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 36th round of the 1977 draft.  Ruby spent three decades in baseball as a pitching coach or coordinator for several Major League clubs.  

A special meet-and-greet session is available prior to the clinic beginning at 9:00 A.M. on January 13.  Space is limited for this free coaches clinic, so please contact Robby Judge via email at rjudge@swbrailriders.com or by phone at 570-558-4612.

TWO FINALS SUNDAY ON ESPN

Two GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX PBA Tour Finals Back-to-Back

This Sunday on ESPN Beginning at 1 p.m. ET

RENO, Nev. (Dec. 13, 2017) – The Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule for 2017 continues with doubleheader action Sunday on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. ET featuring the PBA Chameleon Championship presented by Reno Tahoe followed by the PBA Shark Championship presented by Xtra Frame. The finals are the first two animal pattern events of the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties.

USBC Hall of Famer and three-time reigning PWBA Player of the Year Liz Johnson, and PBA Tour champions Wes Malott, Anthony Pepe and Tom Smallwood swept their respective best-of-three-game Round of 8 matches to advance to Sunday’s Chameleon final at the National Bowling Stadium.

The finals will use a format where the four finalists simultaneously bowl one game on the same pair of lanes with the top two scorers advancing to a head-to-head final match.

Johnson, a native of western New York who now lives in Palatine, Ill., is a PBA regional champion, who will make her third PBA Tour television appearance. Her best finish was second in the 2005 Banquet Open when she became the first woman to qualify for a PBA Tour national television final. She also owns a record 10 PWBA Tour major titles. She will be trying to join Kelly Kulick, the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions winner, as the only women to win a PBA Tour title.

Malott, a 10-time Tour winner from Pflugerville, Texas, will be trying for his first win of the season. Pepe, of Elmhurst, N.Y., won his only PBA Tour title in the 2014 Cheetah Championship, and Smallwood, of Saginaw, Mich., will be trying for his third Tour title.

For the Shark Championship, two PBA Tour champions and two players making their first telecast appearances will face off at 2 p.m.

Four-time PBA Tour winner Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., and two-time winner Tom Daugherty of Riverview, Fla., both swept their best-of-three matches to advance to the finals. Kent will be trying for his third win of the 2017 season and Daugherty his first.

Charlie Brown Jr. of Grandville, Mich., a 36-year-old rookie bowling in his first PBA Tour event, swept Shota Kawazoe of Japan, 2-0 in the Round of 8, to make his first PBA Tour telecast.

Bowling in his fourth World Series of Bowling, England’s Richie Teece finally broke through to make his first Tour telecast by beating Smallwood, 2-1 in the Round of 8.

WSOB IX continues with back-to-back telecasts on ESPN of the PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Bowling Challenge Mobile Game and the Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by GoBowling.com on Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. EST and the PBA World Championship Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. WSOB IX coverage concludes with World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by PBA on Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.

LADY BEARS WIN HOME OPENER 48-27

Lady Bears Win Home Opener 48-27



  GRAHAMSVILLE--Down by only one point at halftime the Tri-Valley Lady Bears tightened their defense with a full-court press and outscored the Ellenville Blue Devils 21-7 in the third quarter as  they coasted to a 48-27 home opener win.

  The first two quarters of play for the Bears saw turnovers, poor passing and little offense as Tri-Valley outscored Ellenville 7-5 in the first quarter.
  The Blue Devils took a one-point 14-13 halftime lead outscoring the Bears 9-6 in the second quarter.

  Scoring didn't come easy for either team in the first  eight minutes of play with Tri-Valley's Morgan Shamro breaking the scoreless trend notching a foul shot at 6:44.

  Shamro added a three pointer at 4:13 to push the Bears lead to 4-0. It wasn't until the clock reached 3:33 that Ellenville scored their first two points on foul shots by Talyanna King.
  Angie DiToro opened the scoring for Tri-Valley at the start of the third quarter with a two-pointer and the Bears were off and running with 21 points that saw Jaclyn Musa adding a two pointer and three foul shots, Jill Mungeer with a deuce and a trey and Shamro with a three-pointer, two two-pointers and two foul shots.

  The pressure full-court press defense by Tri-Valley created turnovers by Ellenville who popped the nets for only seven points.

  Defense and good scoring by the Bears continued in the fourth quarter with Tri-Valley outscoring the Blue Devils 14-6.
  Fourth quarter scoring for Tri-Valley  was led by Morgan McHugh and Anna Hendrickson with four points each, and two pointers by Taylor Cox, DiToro and Shauna Bellacicco. Ellenville scored six points in the final eight minutes of play.

  Turnovers played a key role in this game with the Blue Devils committing 29 to Tri-Valley's 18.
  Tri-Valley was strong both on the offensive and defensive boards.
  Shamro saw limited action in the second quarter after obtaining her second foul.

  Double figure scoring for Tri-Valley was led by Shamro with 13 points and Mungeer with 10.
  Ellenville was led by Azela Rivera and Talyanna KIng each with 11 points.

  Tri-Valley with the win evens its record at 1-1 while Ellenville is now 3-1.
  The Bears lost their first non-league away game Dec. 6 against B league rival Burke Catholic and gained Friday night's victory against B league Ellenville who plays in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL)

  Bears coach John Tenbus in post game remarks noted "the first half was very sloppy and I think that this being our first home game we had a lot of emotion coming in and we played with too much emotion."
  Tenbus added that "Morgan Shamro on the bench with two fouls early didn't help and when we settled down we ran our sets and they looked good and our defense was there throughout this game."
  "The press and our ability to pick off Ellenville's passes and then score some quick points got us into our rhythm, Tenbus said.

  Ellenville coach Samantha Ellis gave full credit to Tri-Valley calling them "a good team who worked the press very well the second half."
  Ellis noted that one of her players "received a head injury and couldn't play and this took my best scorer out of the game and really hurt our scoring ability."
  Tri-Valley continues non-league play at Roscoe Thursday night at 5 p.m.


                                                   

Tri-Valley's Jill Mungeer (32) goes up for a three-pointer shooting over Ellenville's Daina Frasca (20) in the Bears 48-27 win Friday night at Grahamsville. 
                                                              

Lady Bears guard Jaclyn Musa (10) attempts to dribble past Ellenville's Naiya Briscoe (15) in Tri-Valley's 48-27 win Friday night at Grahamsville.





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WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING SUNDAY

GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX’s ESPN Coverage Kicks Off Sunday

with USA vs. The World Team Challenge

The top U.S. qualifiers take on top international qualifiers from WSOB IX in best-of-two-game showdown

RENO, Nev. - The five leading American players and the five top international players in PBA World Championship qualifying during the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX presented by Eldorado Resorts Reno Properties will face off in the second USA vs. The World team competition on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, kicking off ESPN’s coverage of the 2017-18 Go Bowling! PBA Tour.

The USA team, captained by PBA Hall of Famer and 22-time Tour champion Marshall Holman, includes PBA Tour champions Kyle Troup, Bill O’Neill, Ryan Ciminelli, Tom Smallwood and PBA regional winner Matt McNiel. Making up The World team, captained by England’s Stuart Williams, are PBA Tour international standouts Jason Belmonte of Australia, Jesper Svensson of Sweden, Dom Barrett of England, Thomas Larsen of Denmark and newcomer Rafiq Ismail of Malaysia.

In what could be considered the all-star event of WSOB IX, players earned their spots on their respective teams based on their finishing positions after a combined 40 games of qualifying in the PBA Chameleon Championship presented by Reno Tahoe, PBA Shark Championship presented by Xtra Frame, PBA Cheetah Championship presented by PBA Challenge Mobile Game and Pepsi PBA Scorpion Championship presented by GoBowling.com.

The teams will compete in a best-of-two-game Baker format final with a sudden-death roll-off should the teams tie after two games. 

The U.S. team will try to defend its title from WSOB VIII when the USA (Mitch Beasley, BJ Moore, Matt O’Grady, Dick Allen, EJ Tackett) beat The World (Sam Cooley, Barrett, Arturo Quintero, Francois Lavoie, Martin Larsen) in a one-frame roll-off after each team won one game.

WSOB IX continues with back-to-back telecasts on ESPN of the Chameleon and Shark Championships Sunday, Dec. 17 beginning at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the Cheetah and Scorpion Championships Dec. 24 at 1 p.m., PBA World Championship Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. and wrapping up with World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals presented by PBA Jan. 7 at 1 p.m.

RAILRIDERS CAMPS & TRAINING

RailRiders University offering upcoming camps and training sessions

Holiday Camp begins on December 26 with several training options starting in January of 2018

MOOSIC, PA (December 6, 2017) – RailRiders University, presented by Geisinger Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, is offering several upcoming camps and training clinics.  Camps and sessions are led by several former and current players, including Russ Canzler and Joe McCarthy, providing a focus on fundamentals in hitting and pitching depending on the desired clinic.

The RailRiders University Holiday Camp is scheduled for December 26 through 29.  The camp will begin at 9:00 A.M. each day and will conclude at noon, providing a total of 12 hours of training at PNC Field.  The Holiday Camp will focus on hitting, fielding and agility.  Canzler and McCarthy will be joined by former RailRider Eddy Rodriguez to lead instruction during the Holiday Camp.  Attendees will also receive one 2018 RailRiders five game plan and a hat.

Beginning in January, RailRiders University will offer a Pitching and Hitting Training Session.  This session spans seven dates: January 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 as well as February 6 and 13.  During each date, attendees will spend one half hour working on pitching and one half hour on hitting.  Canzler and McCarthy will be joined by Matt Wotherspoon, a Mountain Top native selected by the New York Yankees in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, and Max Kranick, a Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 draftee.  Pitching and Hitting Session participants also receive a RailRiders five-game plan, a hat and will be invited to throw out a first pitch during the 2018 season.

RailRiders University is also offering an additional training session in January and early February.  Canzler, McCarthy and Doug Davis, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders hitting coach in 2017, will serve as the trainers.  This session is age specific, ranging between ages 8-17, and features 12 sessions beginning on January 3 and concluding on February 7.  Attendees will focus on hitting, but will also cover additional fundamentals as time permits.  All participants will receive two five-game plans for the 2018 season and one free hat.  

Space is limited and the deadline to register for the Holiday Camp and the Pitching and Hitting Session is December 22.  The Holiday Camp is $200.00 per participant.  The Pitching and Hitting Session is $200.00 per person as well, while the 12 session training program is $300.00 per person.

For more information on these camps and training sessions, please contact Robby Judge via email at rjudge@swbrailriders.com, call at 570-969-2255 or visit www.swbrailriders.com.

CANADA, KOREA WIN MASTERS TITLES

CANADA, KOREA WIN MASTERS TITLES AT 2017 WORLD BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
LAS VEGAS - If there was one pair of lanes in the world Francois Lavoie of Canada would want in his basement, it would be lanes 23 and 24 from the South Point Bowling Plaza.
The 24-year-old right-hander conquered those lanes again Monday, this time winning the Masters gold medal at the 2017 World Bowling Championships.
That is the same set of lanes where he became the first bowler in history to roll a perfect game during the televised finals of a U.S. Open (2016), and he went on to win the coveted title and green jacket.
His most recent win at the Bowling Plaza was a 2-0 victory against Xu Zhe-Jia of Chinese Taipei by scores of 247-206 and 216-199.
The deciding game came down to the 10th frame, with the two players separated by a single pin.
Lavoie left a 5 pin on his first delivery, converted the spare and struck on the fill ball to force Xu to strike for the win. Xu also could've gone nine-spare and struck on his own fill ball to force a tie, but he left the 4-6-7-10 split on his initial offering.
"I found out right before the match that I had some history on that pair, but I didn't think about the U.S. Open at all because that was an entirely different event and different pattern," said Lavoie, who owns three Professional Bowlers Association Tour titles. "I was feeling pretty good from the matches before, and I wanted to continue doing what I'd been doing throughout the day today."
The win Monday was a special way for Lavoie and his teammates to end a tournament in which they bowled well, but came up just short of the medal rounds a couple of times.
Lavoie had top-10 finishes in singles (10th), trios (fifth), team (eighth) and all-events (sixth). In the trios performance, with Mitch Hupe and Zachary Wilkins, they missed the medal round by eight pins.
"This is big for Canada," Lavoie said. "We've been close the entire week, it feels like. We've been close, but never quite got the medal. Obviously, this is a team effort. My teammates were here with me since 11 this morning, and they're very supportive. It's nice to have them behind me, and it helps to not feel alone out there."
Of course, it's hard to compare the various levels of success Lavoie has experienced, from college bowling to the professional ranks to internationally while wearing the Canadian colors.
"This is different, and definitely up there," Lavoie said. "It's special to win for your country. We don't do it for the money, we do it for the pride. It's a special feeling. Hearing the national anthem is something I want to do at least once more in my life, and I'm sure every time it happens, I'm going to want to do it once more."
Lavoie defeated Colombia's Andres Gomez, 2-0 (214-203, 221-200), to earn his spot in the final, and Xu topped Thomas Larsen of Denmark, 2-0 (203-180, 224-199), to advance.
Chinese Taipei found continued success this week on the challenging 39-foot Beijing oil pattern using the "spinner" release, which makes the lane condition less of a factor and uses deflection as the primary means of pin carry.
The Chinese Taipei players advanced to the medal round in every event but doubles, earning silver medals in singles, trios, team and Masters, along with the all-events gold medal for Wu Hao-Ming, who rolled the only perfect game of the tournament. The 300 came in his first game on the tournament lanes.
There was a bit of familiarity on the women's side Monday as well, with Jung Dawun of Korea being the defending Masters champion.
She earned the Masters gold medal at the 2015 World Women's Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and she successfully defended her title with a 2-0 win against Professional Women's Bowling Association titlist Sin Li Jane of Malaysia.
In wins of 256-225 and 236-221, in the best-of-three format, Jung struck 16 times and was in control the entire match.
Jung, who won doubles earlier in the week with Kim Moon Jeong, advanced to the gold-medal match with a 2-0 (220-166, 233-214) win over Singapore's Shayna Ng, while Sin earned her chance to bowl for the gold by defeating Sharon Limansantoso of Indonesia, 2-1 (216-169, 178-218, 223-163).
The 2017 World Championships officially came to a close with the conclusion of the Masters event, which included the top 24 men and top 24 women from the all-events standings.
After 24 games of qualifying this week at the Bowling Plaza, six games in singles, doubles, trios and team, total pinfall determined the all-events medalists (gold, silver and bronze), and the top 24 in each division advanced to Monday's match play.
The top eight players from the all-events standings received a one-round bye, while the best-of-three match play got underway for the other 16 competitors.
Each round, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed, and the final four bowlers in each division advanced to the semifinals. All four semifinal losers earned bronze medals.

Although none of the Team USA players made a run in the Masters event, head coach Rod Ross was very satisfied with the team's performance during the World Championships, which included gold medals in men's doubles, women's trios, men's team and women's all-events, along with a pair of bronze medals in women's doubles and bronze in men's all-events.
"I'm very proud of all our players and the coaching staff," Ross said. "Everyone came in very prepared. They never quit fighting, and I'm proud of how they endured on a tough condition. To leave with a team world championship is huge. To also win the trios, doubles and all-events is incredibly special, too."
The final two days of the tournament were broadcast live on the Olympic Channel to a worldwide audience.
This year's World Championships was a combined men's and women's event, which happens every four years. The 2013 event was held at nearby Sunset Station in Henderson, Nevada.
The field this week at the South Point Bowling Plaza included 213 men from 36 countries and 176 women from 30 countries.
The United States and Chinese Taipei topped the medal table with seven medals each.
Countries participating this year in Las Vegas include: Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, Ukraine, Venezuela and Wales.
For more information on the 2017 World Championships, visit 2017wc.worldbowling.org.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 WORLD BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Point Bowling Plaza
Las Vegas
Monday's results
MEN'S MASTERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Francois Lavoie, Canada def. Xu Zhe-Jia, Chinese Taipei, 2-0 (247-206, 216-199)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Lavoie def. Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2-0 (214-203, 221-200)
Xu def. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 2-0 (203-180, 224-199)
WOMEN'S MASTERS
CHAMPIONSHIP
(Winner earns gold, loser gets silver)
Jung Dawun, Korea def. Sin Li Jane, Malaysia, 2-0 (256-225, 236-221)
SEMIFINALS
(Winners advance, losers tie for bronze)
Jung def. Shayna Ng, Singapore, 2-0 (220-166, 233-214)
Sin def. Sharon Limansantoso, Indonesia, 2-1 (216-169, 178-218, 223-163)