Top Area Stars Set to Invade Reno
For PBA Regional Players Invitational
Berth in PBA Tournament of Champions

Top players from the Professional Bowlers Association’s seven regions are preparing to invade Reno for the 40th anniversary PBA Regional Players Invitational Dec. 15-17 in pursuit of the next level in their professional bowling careers.

At stake in the three-day, 30-game tournament are a $7,500 first prize, a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas and exemptions to bowl full-time on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour during the 2010-11 season for the top seven finishers.

The tournament, which was first held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1969 – and won by former Budweisers of St. Louis star Tom Hennessey, is open to the top 25 competition points leaders in each of the PBA’s seven regions. This will be the 11th consecutive year Reno’s National Bowling Stadium has hosted the Sands Regency Hotel Casino-sponsored event.

The outcome of the RPI will be based upon total pinfall for six games on each of five Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour “animal” lane conditioning patterns – the Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark. Competition begins on Tuesday, Dec. 15, with the Cheetah round. The Viper and Chameleon rounds are scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 16, and the Scorpion and Shark rounds will complete the 30-game competition on Thursday, Dec. 17.

John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., won the 2008 RPI and went on to win the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Masters to earn a two-year exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour. Other players who earned 2009-10 exemptions during the 2008 RPI were: P.J. Haggerty, Clovis, Calif.;
Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan.; Dave Arnold, Reno; John May, Lincolnton, N.C.; Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich.; Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, and Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif.

Eligible players for the 2009 RPI, in qualifying points order, include:

East Region: 1, Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa.; 2, Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y.; 3, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa.; 4, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y.; 5, Terry Wiley, Vienna, Va.; 6, Sam Maccarone, Glassboro, N.J.; 7, Tim Beaver, Kingston, N.Y.; 8, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md.; 9, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa.; 10, David Kneas, Annapolis, Md.; 11, Greg Stahora, W. Hazelton, Pa.; 12, P.J. Sonday, Avoca, Pa.; 13, Jeff Voght, Canojahaire, N.Y.; 14, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.; 15, Mark Heller Jr., Allentown, Pa.; 16, Rick Graham, Lancaster, Pa.; 17, Ken Yokobosky, Fredon, N.J.; 18, Michael Markis, Hawley, Pa.; 19, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa.; 20, Nick Miseno, Amsterdam, N.Y.; 21, Noel Vega, Fredon, N.J.; 22, Rusty Thomsen, Morgan, N.J.; 23, John Furey, Freehold, N.J.; 24, Chris Blackmore, Alexandria, Va.; 25, Tim Criss, Bel Air, Md.
South Region: 1, Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga.; 2, Thomas Wall III, Fayetteville, N.C.; 3, Mike Moore, Orlando, Fla.; 4, Roger Kossert, Brandon, Fla.; 5, Shawn McKee, Concord, N.C.; 6, Richard Langton, Alpharetta, Ga.; 7, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C.; 8, Tom Baker, King, N.C.; 9, Kip Roberts, Glen Allen, Va.; 10, Ronnie Horton, Christiansburg, Va.; 11, Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga.; 12, Tim Banks, Spartanburg, S.C.; 13, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C.; 14, Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C.; 15, Chris McSwain, Kings Mountain, N.C.; 16, Steve Taylor, Madison Heights, Va.; 17, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla.; 18, Josh Chambliss, Charleston, S.C.; 19, Jonathan Nask, Jupiter, Fla.; 20, Brian Osteen, Boiling Springs, S.C.; 21, Jason Mahr, Spring Hill, Fla.; 22, Jeff Mersch, Orlando, Fla.; 23, David O'Sullivan, Orlando, Fla.; 24, Michael Wall, Fayetteville, N.C.; 25, Matt Burdin, Anderson, S.C.
Central Region: 1, Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky.; 2, Pat Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio; 3, Ed Carter, Akron, Ohio; 4, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa.; 5, Dan Higgins Jr., Westerville, Ohio; 6, Richie Brown, Marion, Ohio; 7, Jeff Roche, Dearborn, Mich.; 8, Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio; 9, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio; 10, Tyler Wilds, Mendon, Mich.; 11, Jason Wunderlich, Homestead, Pa.; 12, Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y.; 13, Ken Kolberg Jr., Cleveland, Ohio; 14, Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich.; 15, Paul Gibson, Brunswick, Ohio; 16, Brett Spangler, New Castle, Ind.; 17, Chris Kliczinski, Pinckney, Mich.; 18, Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich.; 19, Mason Brantley, Detroit; 20, Emilio Mora Jr., Defiance, Ohio; 21, Dan Patterson, Utica, N.Y.; 22, Joe Bailey, Pittsburgh, Pa.; 23, Dustin Baker, Melbourne, Ky.; 24, Billy Oatman, Chicago; 25, Jodi Woessner, Oregon, Ohio.
Midwest Region: 1, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa; 2, Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo.; 3, Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis.; 4, David Traber, Hebron, Ill.; 5, Dave Beres, Waukesha, Wis.; 6, Jason Wojnar, Chicago; 7, Richard Kidd, El Paso, Ill.; 8, Chad Maas, Brookfield, Wis.; 9, Jason Poli, West Des Moines, Iowa; 10, Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis.; 11, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan.; 12, Jason Queen, Oreana, Ill.; 13, Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan.; 14, Mark Johnson, Normal, Ill.; 15. John Slavich IV, Schaumburg, Ill.; 16, Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis.; 17, Andrew Loose, Chicago; 18, Jeff Richgels, Madison, Wis.; 19, Brian Burkhardt, Wildwood, Mo.; 20, Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb.; 21, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill.; 22, Thomas Patton Jr., Olathe, Kan.; 23, Brandon Balsis, Tinley Park, Ill.; 24, Nathan Michalowski, Oak Creek, Wis.; 25, Craig LeMond, Jasper, Ind.
Southwest Region: 1, Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas; 2, David Anthony, Austin, Texas; 3, Kevin Mitchell, Tulsa, Okla.; 4, Rick Lawrence, Waxahachie, Texas; 5, Ryan Boroff, Mansfield, Texas; 6, Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas; 7, Tyler Jensen, Fort Worth, Texas; 8, Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas; 9, Blaine Weninger, Abilene, Texas; 10, Brett Cooper, Aurora, Colo.; 11, Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas; 12, John Kay, Derby, Kan.; 13, Ron Boroff, Mansfield, Texas; 14, Mark Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas; 15, Cole Copeland, Austin, Texas; 16, Tim Dooley, Van Buren, Ark.; 17, Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas; 18, Dean Jones, Austin, Texas; 19, James Watson, Austin, Texas; 20, Chris Wimpey, Aurora, Colo.; 21, Michael Gaither, Corpus Christi, Texas; 22, Josh Kubiak, Austin, Texas; 23, Trey Field, Metairie, La.; 24, Richie Rylant, Dallas, Texas; 25, Curt Dupree IV, Destrehan, La.
Northwest Region: 1, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore.; 2, Don Allen III, Vancouver, Wash.; 3, Corey Husted, Milwaukie, Ore.; 4, Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash.; 5, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore.; 6, Bob Davidson, Seattle; 7, Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash.; 8, Scot Archabal, Boise, Idaho; 9, Matt Kemper, Hillsboro, Ore.; 10, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore.; 11, Jason Williams, Seattle; 12, Barry Tate, Wenatchee, Wash.; 13, Bob Aleksinski, Hillsboro, Ore.; 14, Adam Ahmad, Shoreline, Wash.; 15, Dean Buchanan Jr., Snohomish, Wash.; 16, John Arnell, Redmond, Wash.; 17, Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash.; 18, Craig Tuholski, Washougal, Wash.; 19, Erik Hohlbein, Renton, Wash.; 20, Kelly O'Driscoll, Herriman, Utah; 21, Richard Brown, S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.; 22, Duane Benn, Lynnwood, Wash.; 23, Will Smith, Albany, Ore.; 24, Curtiss Bergheim, Vancouver, Wash.; 25, Darryl Izumo, Lihue, Hawaii.
West Region: 1, Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif.; 2, Jeff Frankos, San Francisco; 3, Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif.; 4, Greg Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio; 5, Ben Laughlin, Phoenix, Ariz.; 6, Rod Garrick, San Francisco; 7, Dave Wodka, Fontana, Calif.; 8, Mason Sherman, Moorpark, Calif.; 9, Scott Norton, Cypress, Calif.; 10, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif.; 11, Joe Goldstein Sr., Hayward, Calif.; 12, Tim Porritt, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; 13, Aaron Pawloski, Volcano, Calif.; 14, Chad Uyehara, Fresno, Calif.; 15, John Gould, Orangevale, Calif.; 16, John Oliva, Simi Valley, Calif.; 17, Gary Duran, Commerce, Calif.; 18, Eddie Kunkle, Daly City, Calif.; 19, Eric Forkel, Las Vegas; 20, Norm Wolff Jr., Modesto, Calif.; 21, Ty Dawson, Sunnyvale, Calif.; 22. Joe Goldstein Jr., S. San Francisco, Calif.; 23. Ross Packard, San Jose, Calif.; 24, Tony Rodriguez Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; 25, William Wilson, Anaheim, Calif.