PBA RETURNS TO PORTLAND

PBA League Returns to Portland, Maine in April 2018 for Season Six

Four telecasts including Elias Cup finals to conclude Go Bowling! PBA Tour’s ESPN schedule

 The Professional Bowlers Association’s PBA League will return to Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, in April where the most fun-loving, raucous fans in bowling will help celebrate PBAL season six, closing out the ESPN portion of the inaugural Go Bowling! PBA Tour schedule with four consecutive Sunday telecasts, including the PBA League Elias Cup finals on Sunday, May 13, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Leading the eight-team pack into the fast-paced sixth season of PBA League competition will be player-manager Norm Duke’s Dallas Strikers, in search of their third consecutive Elias Cup. Chasing the Strikers again will be the hometown Portland Lumberjacks, managed by Tim Mack; the Silver Lake Atom Splitters, managed by Mark Baker; the Philadelphia Hitmen, managed by Jason Couch; L.A. X, managed by Andrew Cain; the New York City WTT KingPins, managed by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard; the Motown Muscle, managed by Del Ballard, and the Brooklyn Styles, managed by Johnny Petraglia.

In keeping with tradition, the PBA League will officially get underway with team managers announcing the names of three players from their 2017 rosters who they want to protect when the annual player draft is held. On January 7 Duke and Mack (Dallas and Portland) will name three players from their 2017 rosters they want to retain for the new season. On January 14, Baker and Couch (Silver Lake and Philadelphia) will announced their three protected players. Cain and Dorin-Ballard (L.A. and New York City) will select their three protected players by no later than January 21, and Ballard and Petraglia (Motown and Brooklyn) will have until January 28 to name their three protected players.

All eight teams will then round out their five-player rosters in the PBA League Draft which will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Indianapolis, site of the Go Bowling! PBA 60th Anniversary Classic, at Woodland Bowl. The draft will be live streamed on PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame, with teams picking in reverse order of how they finished in 2017. That means Brooklyn will select first – in both rounds – followed by Motown, New York City, L.A., Philadelphia, Silver Lake, Portland and Dallas. Of note, the 2018 draft will not use the serpentine order used in previous years.

There also will be a change in eligibility rules for players wanting to enter the 2018 draft pool. Players who will be eligible for the draft must finish in the top 75 on the 2017-18 PBA Tour-World Bowling Tour earnings money list for 2017 through the 2018 PBA Tournament of Champions which ends February 11. Players from 2017 teams who are not protected by their team managers will not be automatically eligible for the draft. The eligibility list will be published on Feb. 11; eligible players must then declare their intention to participate in the draft by Feb. 12.

The PBA League’s return to Portland will get underway with the PBA Xtra Frame Maine Shootout April 17-19, with a PBA Tour title at stake in an open entry event that will be covered from start to finish on Xtra Frame.

On Friday, April 20, all PBA League teams will bowl an eight-game Baker format “seeding tournament” to determine seeding positions for the Baker format single-elimination match play bracket.

The PBAL quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, April 21, with the No. 1 seeded team vs. No. 8 and No. 4 vs. No. 5 on the first ESPN telecast that will air on Sunday, April 22. Immediately following on Saturday will be the second round of quarterfinal round matches between team No. 2 vs. No. 7, and No. 3 vs. No. 6. Those matches will air on ESPN on Sunday, April 29. All quarterfinal matches will be “best of two-game” Baker format team contests with a one-ball roll-off to break any ties.

Saturday’s winning teams will advance to the semifinal round on Sunday, April 22, at noon. The semifinal round winners will then bowl for the Elias Cup later on Sunday. The semifinal matches will air on ESPN on Sunday, May 6, with the Elias Cup finals airing on May 13.

All PBA League matches will be live streamed as they happen on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.

At the conclusion of the competition, the PBA will announce the Mark Roth PBA League Most Valuable Player.

2018 PBA LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Jan. 7 – Deadline for Dallas Strikers & Portland Lumberjacks to protect three rostered players

Jan. 14 – Deadline for Silver Lake Atom Splitters & Philadelphia Hitmen to protect three rostered players

Jan. 21 – Deadline for L.A. X and NYC WTT KingPins to protect three rostered players

Jan. 28 – Deadline for Motown Muscle & Brooklyn Styles to protect three rostered players

Feb. 12 – Deadline for eligible players to declare for the 2018 PBA League Draft

Feb. 13 – 2018 PBA League Draft, Indianapolis

April 17-20 – PBA Xtra Frame Maine Shootout, Bayside Bowl, Portland, Maine (companion event open to all players)

April 20 – PBA League eight-game Baker format seeding tournament, Bayside Bowl

April 21 – PBA League quarterfinal matches one (#1 seed vs. #8 seed) and two (#4 seed vs. #5 seed), and matches three (#2 seed vs. #7 seed) and four (#3 seed vs. #6 seed), Bayside Bowl

April 22 – ESPN telecast of quarterfinal matches one and two, 1 p.m. EDT

April 22 – Semifinal matches one (winners of quarterfinal matches one and two) and two (winners of quarterfinal matches three and four); Elias Cup finals (semifinal round winners), Bayside Bowl

April 29 – ESPN telecast of quarterfinal matches three and four, 1 p.m.

May 6 – ESPN telecast of semifinal matches, 1 p.m.

May 13 – ESPN telecast of Elias Cup championship match, 1 p.m.

HISTORY OF PBA LEAGUE ELIAS CUP CHAMPIONS

2013    NYC WTT KingPins presented by GEICO (Tommy Jones/Jack Jurek/John Szczerbinski/Scott Norton/Pete Weber/Kelly Kulick).

2014    Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Bryon Smith/Chris Barnes/Dom Barrett/Wes Malott/Tommy Jones).

2015    Bass Pro Shops Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Mika Koivuniemi/Chris Barnes/Craig Nidiffer/Tom Daugherty/Dick Allen)

2016    GoBowling.com Dallas Strikers (Norm Duke/Bill O’Neill/Shawn Maldonado/BJ Moore/Tommy Jones)

2017    Shipyard Brewing Dallas Strikers (Bill O’Neill/Norm Duke/Rhino Page/BJ Moore/Tommy Jones)

HISTORY OF MARK ROTH PBA LEAGUE MVP AWARD WINNERS

2014    Chris Barnes

2015    Dick Allen

2016    Tommy Jones

2017    Norm Duke

LaBauve Receives Rolex Award

Sandy LaBauve receives Ellen Griffin Rolex Award and Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award

LPGA*USGA Girls Golf founder wins both LPGA T&CP national awards,
marking the first time one individual has received both honors in the same year

  For the first time in history, the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP) Membership announces one winner of both the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award and the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award in the same year – LPGA*USGA Girls Golf founder and national ambassador Sandy LaBauve.

“Sandy’s dedication to the LPGA and her accomplishments speak for themselves, but it is nice to see her contributions acknowledged through these awards,” said Nancy Henderson, the LPGA’s Chief Teaching Officer. “Sandy had the vision for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf and is still a driver for the unquestionable success it is today, and for that I am thankful. If anyone deserves to win both awards, it is Sandy.”

The Ellen Griffin Rolex Award, instituted by the LPGA T&CP Membership in 1989 to honor the late teaching professional Ellen Griffin, recognizes an individual, male or female, who made a major contribution to the teaching of golf and who emulates Griffin’s spirit, love and dedication to students, teachers, teaching skills and the game of golf.

"Winning the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award and the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award is surreal,” LaBauve said. “Like Ellen was, I am passionate about growing the game by empowering others. I am especially grateful to the LPGA Foundation and our members that have grown my initiatives like LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. I celebrate this award in their honor.”

The Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award was created in 2007 and is given to an LPGA professional who emulates qualities valued by Lopez: leadership, passion, giving and approachability. Lopez is a 48-time LPGA Tour winner and four-time Rolex Player of the Year. She was inducted into the LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame in 1987 and captained the victorious 2005 U.S. Solheim Cup Team.

“Nancy has been a role model for me since I was a teenager,” LaBauve said. “She shines personally, professionally and is a true testament of what the LPGA is all about. I am proud to associated with her legacy.”

LaBauve, a passionate LPGA Teaching Professional and mother of two daughters, founded LPGA*USGA Girls Golf in Phoenix, Ariz., in 1989. She was first introduced to the game of golf by her parents, Jack and Sherry Lumpkin, who taught LaBauve the game by infusing fun drills and games into her golf lessons as a child. She used these childhood experiences to create the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program.

Beginning with just 10 programs, Girls Golf is now in more than 400 communities in the United States and expanding every day. Thanks to LaBauve’s vision, more than 500,000 girls have been introduced to the game of golf since the program’s inception.

LaBauve is a Class A member of the LPGA and the PGA, as well as an AWGA and EWGA member. She was inducted into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame in 2010 and earlier this year was named to the LPGA Top 50 Best Teachers list presented by Women’s Golf Journal.

LaBauve’s passion for growing the game of golf is never-ending, with her new mission to connect women’s golf with Girls Golf through Women’s Golf EXPOS. The inaugural EXPO was held in Scottsdale in 2017, and the second will be in February 2018, with the intent to showcase what’s new in golf for women.

Past recipients of the Ellen Griffin Rolex Award are: Peggy Kirk Bell, 1989; Linda Craft, 1990; Shirley Englehorn, 1991; Harvey Penick, 1992; Goldie Bateson, 1993; Carol Clark Johnson, 1994; Joanne Winter, 1995; Ann Casey Johnstone, 1996; Dr. DeDe Owens, 1997; Shirley Spork, 1998; Betty Hicks, 1999; Gary Wiren, 2000; Penny Zavichas, 2001; Annette Thompson, 2002; Dr. Barbara B. Smith, 2003; Marjorie Burns, 2004; Pat Lange, 2005; Donna White, 2006; Betsy Cullen, 2007; Lynn Marriott, 2008; Kay McMahon, 2009; Mary Beth McGirr, 2010; Dr. Debbie Crews, 2011; Dr. Betsy Clark, 2012; Kathy Murphy, 2013; Kerry Graham, 2014; Dana Rader, 2015; and Pia Nilsson, 2016.

Past recipients of the Nancy Lopez Golf Achievement Award are: Debbie O'Connell, 2007; Troy Beck, 2008; Patti Benson, 2009; Lynn Stellman, 2010; Malia Folquet, 2011; Suzy Whaley, 2012; Marvol Barnard, 2013; Angela Aulenti, 2014; Teresa Zamboni, 2015; and Donna White, 2016.

PICKLEBALL HAS FIRST TOURNAMENT IN SULL CO.

                 

  GRAHAMSVILLE--Pickleball, the fastest growing sport in the United States, continues to gain new members in Sullivan County and just recently the 60-member Grahamsville Pickleball Club organized by Sherri Steinhauer held the 2017 Grahamsville Pickelball Slam, the first open tournament ever held here.

  Steinhauer, a strong advocate of the sport is a former  Ladies Professional Golf Association golfer, a two-time major champion and three time winner of the British Open.

  She is a major factor in helping pickleball  grow in Sullivan County.

   Sherri and Tami Shaver helped get the sport organized in Grahamsville with a  pickleball orientation last year at the  Grahamsville  Fairgrounds Tennis courts where interested players learned quickly why pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the USA. The club meets and plays on Saturday mornings.
  Sherri had help from a number of experienced players who live in Orange County who showed new players how the game is played.

  Pickleball has also shown growth both in Liberty and Bethel where the sport is actively played on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and last winter the sport switched indoors to the BOCES gym in Liberty and plans are being formulated for indoor pickelball to continue this winter.

  The 2017 Grahamsville Pickleball Slam and BBQ attracted 10 competing teams (20 players) plus they had 11 players playing socially on seven pickleball courts.

  The tournament players competed in nine rounds of five games for a total of 45 games plus a total of four playoff championship games.

  Championship  match winners John Clark/Stephen Komar defeated Joe Pilny/David Luczyski 11-3 for the tournament championship. In the third/fourth place game third place went to Jeff Conklin/George Realmuto over Kaith Humphrey/Maureen Plainfield 11-8.

  Some history on this sport  is that pickleball was first started in the summer of 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington at the home of then State Representative Joel Pritchard.
  The pickleball court is similar to a doubles bad-mitten court and is 20 x 44 feet for both doubles and singles. The net is hung at 36 inches on the ends and 34 inches at center.
  The court is striped like a tennis court, with no alleys, but the outer courts. The inner courts are divided by service lines and the inner courts are non-volley zones and extend 7 feet from the net on either side.
  The outer courts, and not the inner courts are divided in half by service lines. The inner court are non-volley zones and extend 7 feet from the net on either side.
  To play the game the ball is served with an underhand stroke so that contact with the ball is made below the waist level.
  Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent fails to return the ball, hits ball out of bounds or steps into the non-volley zone.
  The first side scoring 11 points wins but must be leading by at least two points.
  The return of service must be allowed to bounce but after that the ball can be volleyed (hit in the air) and this is where the fun of the game begins and its referred to as the "rally."
  An important part of the game is that the server must tell the score and what number server they are....example 4-2 server one. If you don't do this you lose a point.

  Following competition the BBQ , eats and fellowship were enjoyed by all.

                                                                    
                                                 

Champions of the first annual 2017 Grahamsville Pickleball Slam tournament are, left to right, second place Joe Pilny of Bethel and David Luczyski of Claryville, first place Stephen Komar of Milford, Pa. and John Clark of Goshen and third place Jeff Conklin of Pine Bush and George Realmuto of Middletown

                                                        

 In this tournament action shot Stephen Komar, left, waits at the net while John Clark , right, returns a volley.

The two went on to win the 2017 Grahamsville Pickleball Slam tournament.

 

 

OLERUD EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Olerud Named IL Executive of the Year

Signature Honor Bestowed for Immensely Successful Season

Moosic, Pa. – SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) president/general manager Josh Olerud has been named the 2017 Dave Rosenfield International League Executive of the Year. His selection was made in a vote by his league peers at the International League Fall meeting in NEPA prior to the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game.

The 2017 RailRiders opened the season with the biggest crowd PNC Field has seen since its 2012 reconstruction, an overflow gathering of 11,515 against the rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies) on April 10. On the season, the 2017 RailRiders drew 439,412 fans over 68 openings for an average of 6,462. This year’s attendance figures represented a jump of over 6% in per-game attendance from the 2016 national championship-winning season (6,071) and a more than 12% leap from 2015’s per-game average (5,753).

The team capped off the season with the immense success of hosting this season’s Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game. The event brought national attention and television exposure to the team, PNC Field and NEPA. Despite the hometown RailRiders falling just short of the biggest game in minor league baseball, the crowd still made for a more-than fixed-seat sellout at 9,383.

Olerud joined the RailRiders staff in November of 2015 as the COO. He came to the RailRiders from the Advanced-A Potomac Nationals (Washington Nationals), where he spent the prior five years as their executive vice president and general manager.

“On behalf of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders ownership group, we are proud to announce that our team president Josh Olerud has been named the International League Executive of the Year”, said David Abrams, co-managing owner of the RailRiders. “It is a great honor for Josh to receive this recognition, as it is determined by a vote of his peers. We are proud of what Josh and his staff have accomplished in the past year and are very excited to have Josh lead this franchise to continued success going forward.”

No stranger to the hardware, Olerud received the 2013 Calvin Falwell Executive of the Year Award in the Advanced-A Carolina League. That season, he helped the Potomac Nationals break a franchise attendance record with creative marketing and a fully-loaded promotional schedule. Olerud was also honored with the Minor League Executive of the Year Award by the Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago for his work in 2012.

“To be named the recipient of the Dave Rosenfield International League Executive of the Year Award is an extraordinary honor and I am extremely humbled,” said Olerud. “The IL has some of the brightest and most-decorated executives in professional sports, to receive this award is a testament to the unbelievably passionate staff I am blessed to work with. I want to take this time to thank the fans and sponsors for all of their support, but most importantly the RailRiders staff for their dedication and perseverance in making RailRiders baseball a special place in the community and Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

Olerud got his start in professional baseball with the Rockford RiverHawks of the Frontier League. His highlights with the RiverHawks included a Frontier League Championship in 2004, opening the new RiverHawks Stadium in 2006, hosting the circuit's All-Star game in 2009, and leading the RiverHawks in their transition from the Frontier League to the Northern League in 2010.

Originally hailing from Bloomington, Minn., Olerud graduated with a degree in sports management with an emphasis in marketing from Minnesota State University at Mankato.

“To me, the greatest aspect of being recognized as the league's Executive of the Year is the fact that it comes from one's peers,” said IL president Randy Mobley. “Josh receiving this award, now named after our dear friend and colleague Dave Rosenfield, is a statement that his fellow directors recognize what he is doing and what is being accomplished by this franchise under his leadership. Josh has been a welcome addition to the International League within the past few years and I look forward to all that he has to offer the RailRiders and the International League in the years to come.”

When the namesake of the IL’s top executive honor, Dave Rosenfield, passed away on February 28, 2017, the IL lost what is believed to be the longest-serving executive in its 134-year history. Of Dave’s 61 seasons in minor league baseball, 48 were spent in the IL. Among the many honors he received in his lifetime, he was named the industry’s 2004 “King of Baseball” and elected to the IL Hall of Fame in 2008.

Rosenfield was one of a handful of leaders in the IL that navigated the business challenges within minor league baseball in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, positioning the league and industry for the success and accomplishments of more recent times. He is a four-time recipient of the award the league voted to name in his honor (1975, 1982, 1987, 1993). At the time of his passing, Rosenfield was serving as the IL’s vice president and finance committee chairman, positions he’d held for over four decades as the Tides’ long-standing member of the IL’s board of directors. Rosenfield also manually developed the International League playing schedule from 1969 through 2016.

The three-time defending IL North champion RailRiders open their 2018 season at home on Friday, April 6 against the Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals). For more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

RAILRIDERS SEASON ENDS, 6-4

RailRiders Come Up Short in Repeat Bid

RailRiders’ Season Ends with Loss to Durham

Moosic, Pa. – As they did all season, the SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/ New York Yankees) fought to the bitter end on Friday night at PNC Field, but fell short, 6-4, against the Durham Bulls in Game Four of the International League Governors’ Cup Championship Series. The Bulls (3-1) claim their second title in five seasons. The RailRiders (1-3) closed out another memorable campaign.

Starter Brady Lail (0-1) hurled three scoreless frames before running into trouble in the fourth. Trailing 1-0, Durham’s Daniel Robertson drove in two with a bases-loaded single to right and a third run came home on an error. The Bulls added on another run with consecutive doubles in by Kean Wong and Willy Adames.

 

The Bulls used five relievers behind starter Burch Smith. Hunter Wood (1-0) took home the victory, retiring the only batter he faced. Diego Castillo notched the final five outs for the save.

 

Jonathan Diaz reached bases four times for SWB. He singled to left in the third and scored on a hit to right by Miguel Andujar for a 1-0 lead.

 

The Bulls scored six in a row, including a two-run homer by Robertson, before the RailRiders mounted one last charge. Mike Ford doubled for the second time in the game and scored on a grounder by Jake Cave in the sixth. Kyle Higashioka worked a bases-loaded walk to force in a run in the seventh. Diaz walked and crossed home as the game’s final run in the eighth thanks to a throwing error by Robertson.

 

Durham’s Jake Bauers was named Most Valuable Player after hitting .412 (7-for-17) with two doubles, two RBIs, and three runs scored.

 

The RailRiders host the 2017 Gildan Triple-A National Championship on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:07 p.m. The Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) will face either the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals) or El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres) out of the Pacific Coast League. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

RAILRIDERS FALL TO DURHAM IN GAME 3

RailRiders Fall to Durham in Game Three

Cooper, Solano Tally Multi-Hit Efforts

Moosic, Pa. – The SWB RailRiders (Triple-A/ New York Yankees) could not overcome an early deficit and dropped Game Three of the International League Governors’ Cup Championship Series to the Durham Bulls 6-2 on Thursday night at PNC Field. The RailRiders (1-2) must win the next two games against the Bulls (2-1) to capture their second straight Cup.

Chance Adams (0-1) allowed three runs on three hits across four innings. He issued three walks and struck out six. Brent Honeywell (1-0) struck out 10 over six scoreless frames, yielding five hits and a walk.

 

The Bulls grabbed a 2-0 lead on a home run to center field by Shane Peterson in the second inning. From there, they plated another run in the fourth and built a 6-0 lead with three in the seventh.

 

SWB came back with two runs in the home half of the seventh thanks to a double by Mason Williams and a productive groundout by Donovan Solano.

 

Solano finished with two hits. Garrett Cooper and Jonathan Diaz also came away with two hits.

 

Game Four of the GCSS at PNC Field is set for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch on Friday, September 15. The RailRiders are expected to start right-hander Brady Lail (6-5, 5.17). Right-hander Burch Smith (2-1, 1.65) will throw for the Bulls. SWB will host the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, Sept. 19. For tickets or more information, please call 570-969-BALL (2255) or visit swbrailriders.com.

PBA SPARE SHOTS

PBA Spare Shots

GEICO PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING IX CLOSING IN ON INTERNATIONAL RECORD

With the GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling IX, presented by Eldorado Reno Properties, less than two months away, the early entry list is closing in on the WSOB record for international representation with PBA members from 19 countries already on the roster, just four shy of the record set last year in Reno.

More than 120 entries are already on file from bowlers representing Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and Venezuela as well as the United States.

Ramon Hilferink will be the first bowler from The Netherlands to bowl in the World Series.

WSOB IX will begin on Nov. 7 and conclude with a series of finals Nov. 18-19 for delayed telecast on ESPN (all of the finals will be live-streamed on ESPN3 and the Watch ESPN app). The World Series, open exclusively to PBA members, will include the PBA Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark animal pattern events, all leading into the PBA World Championship. The multi-event program also will include a USA vs. The World team match featuring the five top U.S. and five top international qualifiers based on composite scores from the four animal pattern events, and the 2017 World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals, presented by the PBA, which will feature the three leaders in competition points from a global series of tournaments in each gender division.

PBA Regional Challenge and PBA50 Tour Challenge events will kick off the World Series on Nov. 7, and will be covered exclusively by Xtra Frame, PBA’s online video streaming channel, which also will provide live coverage of all preliminary rounds of WSOB competition.

All PBA members are reminded that a lodging confirmation from one of Eldorado Reno Properties (Silver Legacy, Eldorado or Circus Circus) is required at the time of entry. Special World Series room rates also are available to fans, and news media and bowling industry representatives. To make room reservations, use one of the following links:

Silver Legacy: Room rates: $50 Sunday–Thursday, $70 Friday & Saturday. Silver Legacy code ISPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-687-8733. Online reservations:  https://silverlegacyreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1080&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242404&vr=3&accessCode=ISPBA17

Eldorado: Room rates $50 Sunday–Thursday; $80 Friday & Saturday. Eldorado code IEPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-879-8879. Online reservations: https://eldoradoreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1079&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242406&vr=3&accessCode=IEPBA17

Circus Circus: Room rates: $38 Sunday–Thursday; $60 Friday & Saturday. Circus Circus code ICPBA17. Reservations phone number: 800-648-5010. Online reservations: https://circusreno.reztrip.com/ext/promoRate?property=1081&mode=b&pm=true&sr=242416&vr=3&accessCode=ICPBA17

Once a room reservation is made, PBA members can enter the World Series online (https://secure.pba.com/Store/catalog/world-series-of-bowling,25.htm). 

XTRA FRAME’S NEWEST “PBA PLAYER PERSPECTIVE” FEATURES ANTHONY SIMONSEN

Anthony Simonsen’s historic victory in the 2016 USBC Masters at age 19 is the newest “PBA Player Perspective” feature on PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming channel. In the exclusive Xtra Frame feature that debuted on Wednesday, Simonsen shares his insight on becoming the youngest player in history to win a PBA Tour major title in his victory over Canada’s Dan MacLelland in the 2016 Masters from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.

A new PBA Player Perspective is being unveiled every other week, exclusively available to Xtra Frame subscribers along with hundreds of hours of additional content, including PBA tournament archives, interviews, bowling instruction, discussions about bowling equipment and more. To sign up for an Xtra Frame subscription, visit xtraframe.tv.

PBA REGIONAL UPDATE: RAY EDWARDS WINS A THRILLER IN SCHENECTADY

Ray Edwards of Middle Island, N.Y. rolled three clutch strikes in the 10th frame to achieve a 279 tie in the final match against Rick Graham of Lancaster, Pa., preserving his 12-pin lead and earning his 23rd PBA Regional title in the PBA50 Towne Bowling Academy Open in Schenectady, N.Y., Sunday. 

Edwards entered the position round finale with a 12-pin lead over Graham. With the 30 bonus pins awarded to the match winner, whoever won the match won the title. Both players started with six strikes before Graham left a 10 pin. Edwards posted a seventh strike before leaving a 4 pin.

Graham, who finished first, struck out to force Edwards to match his effort and split the 30 bonus pins, which he did to finish with an eight-game total of 2,054 pins. The reigning East Region PBA50 Player of the Year won his second title of the season, making him the leading candidate to retain his PBA50 POY title and earn his fifth overall East Region POY award. He also took home the $1,500 first prize.

Graham, who turned 50 in August, won $850 as the runner-up. Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, Mich., who rolled the only 300 game of the event, trailed Edwards by only 30 pins going into the position round game, but could not overcome the 279-279 match between the two leaders. He finished third and earned $800.

● Former University of Kansas star Dylan Burns from Lawrence, Kan., defeated 17-year old Trey Ford III of Bartlesville, Okla., 205-167, to win the fourth annual PBA Grand Casino Resort & Hotel Southwest Invitational at FireLake Bowling Center in Shawnee, Okla., Sunday.

Burns, who won the 2014 PBA Lakewood Southwest Open as an amateur, earned his first PBA Regional title by avoiding open frames to topple the Oklahoma teenager to claim the $4,000 winner’s check.

After 12 games of qualifying, both Burns and Ford had long roads to the final match. Neither earned any byes in the elimination finals as Burns qualified 11th and Ford slipped into the finals with a 257 in his final game to grab the last spot in the 16-man finals. Burns started his road to victory by edging Brett Cooper of Fort Worth, Texas, 2-1 in the best-of-three-game Round of 16. He then defeated Anthony Lavery-Spahr of Pasadena, Texas; Sean Lavery-Spahr, also of Pasadena, and Mike Bailey from Irving, Texas, in his ensuing single-elimination matches.

       

Ford, who began bowling in PBA competition as a 13-year-old amateur, advanced to the finals with elimination match wins over Andy Patterson of Tyler, Texas; Beau Peterson from Newton, Kan.; fellow two-hander Shawn Maldonado of Houston, and Devin Bidwell of Wichita, Kan., before Burns ended his bid for his first PBA title. Ford, who joined the PBA in 2016 at age 16, earned $2,500 for second place.

As part of the tournament weekend, Dallas native Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., and South Plains Lanes general manager/proprietor Jimmy (Jimbo) Evans of Lubbock, Texas, were inducted into the PBA Southwest Region Hall of Fame.

● Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio defeated Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y. by 130 pins to win the PBA Autism Awareness Central Open presented by K&R Mower Derby at Astro Lanes in Wapakoneta, Ohio, Sunday.

Loschetter finished with a 10-2 match play record and a total of 5,120 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins, to win the $3,300 first place prize and his 14th PBA Regional title.

● Amateur Russ Oviatt defeated Jakob Butturff, 250-239, in a battle of Tempe, Ariz., bowlers to win the PBA West Aquimo Open presented by Columbia 300 at Mesa East Bowl in Mesa, Ariz., Sunday.

Oviatt, who earned $2,500 for his win, does not receive credit as a regional champion because he isn’t a PBA member. He defeated Josh Blanchard of Mesa, 212-187, to set up the title match after Blanchard eliminated Ronnie Russell of Marion, Ind., 184-156, in the opening match of the stepladder finals.

● Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Ill., defeated Mitch Beasley of Clarksville, Tenn., 245-147, to win the PBA Diamond Jo Midwest Open at Cherry Lanes Sunday in Dubuque, Iowa. Kruml, a PBA rookie, won his first PBA title along with the $1,800 first prize.

Beasley defeated amateur Collin Smith of Huron, S.D., 210-204, to advance to the championship match. In the first stepladder match, Beasley edged another amateur, Bryan Hahlen of Greenwood, S.C., 235-171.

In the PBA-PWBA segment of the tournament, Jodi Gawlik of Schaumburg posted an eight-game total of 1,697 pins to defeat Nichole DePaul-Miller of Plano, Ill., by 98 pins for the $1,200 first prize.

 

● September 15-17 PBA Regional events will include the PBA Rex & Griffin Bigelow Memorial/M&D Blacktop/BW3’s Central Open presented by Hammer at Troy Bowl in Troy, Ohio; the PBA Century Lanes Hampton South Open in Hampton, Va., and the PBA and PBA50 Ken & Kathy Fowler Auto Centers West/Northwest Opens doubleheader at Yokayo Bowling Center in Ukiah, Calif.

 

● The PBA Regional calendar for the Sept. 22-24 weekend includes the PBA/PBA50 Millsboro Lanes Doubles in Millsboro, Del.; the Florence Bowling Center Central Open in Florence, Ky.; the PBA50 Rocky Mount South Open at Rocky Mount (Va.) Bowling Center; the Liberal Kansas Southwest Open at Ayr Lanes; the PBA and PBA50 Mockingbird Lanes doubleheader in Omaha, Neb., and the PBA West/Northwest TSI Inc. Open presented by Onsite Express at Paradise Lanes in Tacoma, Wash.

● The PBA Regional schedule for the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 weekend includes the PBA50 Mel Westrich Memorial Central/Midwest Open at Delphos Recreation in Delphos, Ohio; the PBA50 Spartanburg South Open at Paradise Lanes in Spartanburg, S.C., and the Killeen Southwest Open at Hallmark Lanes in Killeen, Texas.

● For complete PBA Regional schedules, rules and entry information, visit pba.com, open the “schedules” tab and click on PBA Regional Tours to find the event(s) in your area…and remember, you can follow “live scoring” for all PBA Regional events on pba. com (easily accessible for Apple device users using the new PBA app).

QUICK NOTES

● Ebonite International has named PBA Tour titlist Dave Wodka as the company's new Global Marketing Manager. Wodka, who owns one PBA Tour and 21 PBA Regional titles, will work closely with the EBI team to drive the company’s brands worldwide.

● As a tribute to his grandfather, PBA member Andy Varipapa II of Brookeville, Md., has created a comprehensive  website (www.andyvaripapa.com) that chronicles the life of the legendary showman and trick shot artist from the 1930s until his death in 1984 at age 93. Although Varipapa was 68 when the PBA was founded, his passion for the organization and the sport is clearly outlined in his grandson’s extensive collection of articles, photos, testimonials and more. A lengthy interview with Varipapa II, conducted during the 2016 PBA Xtra Frame Gene Carter’s Pro Shop Classic is included in PBA’s Xtra Frame archives.