Bowling

The display at the USBC Open Championships in Las Vegas recognizing Joe Mortellaro as a 50-year tournament participant. Mortellaro will be honored when he competes next week.

The year was 1956 and Joe Mortellaro, a 19-year-old Batavian with loads of bowling potential, competed in his first American Bowling Congress Tournament, a national showcase of keglers from throughout the United States.

That tournament was held in Rochester and, since then, “Joe Mort” has traveled all over the country to be a part of the tournament, which usually runs from early March through early July.

The tournament is now called the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships due to the merger of the ABC, Women’s International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling in 2005.

Fast forward to 2019 and Mortellaro, a Corfu resident for several decades, is about to reach a milestone he never really thought too much about until recent years – participating in his 50^th USBC Open Championships.

 “I never had that in mind (making it to 50 years),” said Mortellaro, now 82 and battling through some serious health issues. “I have to give credit to the guys (his teammates) who keep pushing me.”

Mortellaro, nine other Batavia-area bowlers and several of his family members will converge upon South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas next week to celebrate the achievement.

Joe, owner of Joe's Pro Shop for many years prior to his retirement, is the leadoff man on a squad with nephew Mark McVay, nephew Todd Mortellaro, Gregg Wolff and Paul Spiotta, team captain. The companion team consists of Jim Pursel, Geoff Harloff, Brian Green, nephew Rich Mortellaro and Nathan Cordes.

The group bowls its Team event at 7 p.m. Friday, April 26, and its Doubles & Singles events at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27. In between the two events, Mortellaro will spend three hours at a Henderson, Nev., dialysis center as part of his three-times-per-week therapy.

“I haven’t bowled much in league lately (due to fatigue), but I bowled a couple games on Sunday and Tuesday of this week at Mancuso’s, and it felt pretty good,” he said.

Family members that will be there cheering him on include his sister, Millie McVay, and her daughter, Jeannie; nephew, Fred McVay, and his wife, Donna; and sister-in-law, Charlene Tiede.

Additionally, Joe Trigilio, Mortellaro’s teammate for many years, is planning to travel to Vegas with his wife, Kathy, to witness the accomplishment. Trigilio is unable to bowl this year due to his fight against brain cancer.

Everyone is rooting for Joe to complete the nine games, and add to his 49-year pinfall of 79,911 for 429 games, which is good for a 186.2 average on extremely difficult lane conditions. He said his best performance was 1,800-plus for All-Events (nine games) but he wasn’t sure of the year.

According to Spiotta, who has 26 USBC Open Championships under his belt, Mortellaro only has to bowl the Team event to qualify for the 50^th year award.

Spiotta said being able to hang with Mortellaro for the past 25 years is one of his greatest thrills as a bowler.

“I have the utmost respect for Joe Mortellaro, not only as one of the greatest bowlers I’ve ever seen but also one of the finest people I have ever known,” Spiotta said.

Spiotta recalled that he “accepted without hesitation” an invitation from Mortellaro to join his USBC Open Championships’ traveling team in 1995, and is excited to be a part of the 50^th year festivities.

“If Joe hadn’t been ill or injured on two occasions over the past 25 years, he would have already reached this milestone,” Spiotta said. “However, I am extremely proud that I will be there to witness this honored moment for him on April 26^th in Las Vegas.”

FOUR TO ENTER GENESEE REGION USBC HALL OF FAME

Genesee Region USBC directors are meeting this Saturday to review the annual Association Tournament and finalize plans for the Annual Banquet on May 11 at Batavia Downs Gaming.

Prize checks from the Association Tournament that took place the last two weeks in March at Oak Orchard Bowl and Medina Lanes are expected to go out the beginning of next week.

To see the complete unofficial results, go to the Genesee Region USBC website – www.bowlgr.com.

The Annual Banquet will include the induction of four people into the GRUSBC Hall of Fame -- James Foss of Medina in the Achievement Regular category, Robert Hodgson of Medina and Al Vlietstra of Geneseo in the Achievement Veteran category, and Eunice Englert of Nunda in the Meritorious Service category.

Foss, 56, has been a standout bowler for the past 20 years, compiling more than 15 300 games and six 800 series and averaging over 200 for most of those year – with a high of 235.

In 2007-08, he earned national recognition for have the high trio series of 2,295 (two men and one woman).

The head mechanic at Medina Lanes and league officer for several leagues, he has cashed in numerous local tournaments in the Medina, Lockport and Genesee Region associations.

He finished second to Rich Wagner in the GRUSBC Masters in 2017, averaging 206 while winning six of eight matches in the final en route to a $325 prize. He also has been a finalist on multiple occasions in the GRUSBC Senior Masters.

Hodgson, 71, a retired school teacher, has 13 perfect game and seven 800 series while averaging in the 215-plus range for the past several years.

His tournament success includes victories in the GRUSBC Doubles event with his son and the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over scratch singles tour.

A certified bowling coach, he assists with the Saturday morning youth program at Medina and consistently competes in GRUSBC tournaments.

Vlietstra, 70, has done well in tournaments at the local and state level.

He is a two-time Singles champion, with 762 in the Perry Association in 1997 and 860 (752 scratch) in the GRUSBC in 2017. He placed first in the 2009 GRUSBC Senior Masters at Letchworth Pines and rolled his high game of 299 in an Amateur Bowlers Tour event.

Vlietstra, who owns a masonry business, is a four-time NYS USBC tournament champion:

-- As a member of the Turnbull Heating team in the 2010 NYS Open Championships in Niagara Falls (he rolled 661);
-- Handicap Singles (843) in the 2014 NYS Open Championships in Rochester;
-- Six-Game Combine (1,483) in the 2014 NYS Open Senior Championships in Cortland;
-- Handicap Doubles (801 with handicap) in the 2015 NYS Open Championships in Buffalo.

His personal best series of 788 came in the New York State Firemen’s Tournament in Newburgh in the mid-2000’s.  A league bowler since 1987, he posted his high league average of 203 in 2004-05 at Perry Bowling Center.

Englert has been bowling for more than 50 years and has served the sport as a league secretary, Genesee Valley Women’s Bowling Association director and tournament coordinator for almost as long.

Her induction comes on the heels of her husband’s (Dennis) enshrinement last year. The couple was a fixture at Letchworth Pines, running the bowling center and taking care of the leagues for 30 years.

SPARE SHOTS FROM AROUND THE GENESEE REGION

-- Albion’s Paige Snook (photo at right) continued her fine season last weekend when she captured the Youth Bowlers Tour handicap division crown at AMF Empire Lanes.

Paige, who will be competing in the Junior Gold Championships in July in Detroit, qualified in 11^th place before winning all four of her matches for her first title.

Previously, Paige rolled her first USBC-certified 700 series in the youth bowling program at Oak Orchard Bowl. Her games were 255-212-233 for 700 right on the mark.

-- The GRUSBC West team defeated the GRUSBC East squad, 69.5-18.5 at Scopano’s Lanes last Saturday to even their annual series at two wins apiece.

The West won all but two Doubles and Singles matches – posting a 13-2 record – and then went on two win both Baker-style team matches.

Scott Gibson led the way with a 3-0 record and 224 average while Bruce Kraus, Paul Spiotta, Bob Hodgson, Jackie Jurinich, Mike Johnson and Gregg Wolff also won all three of their matches.

Rounding out the West team were Roger Stone, Jerry Currier and Scott Shields.

For the East team, Jerry Davis and Al Vlietstra combined for a Doubles victory and Dana Freeman posted a Singles win.

Other members of the East team were Kevin Gray Sr., Augie Dale, Tim Fonte, Eric Galton, John LaGeorge, Dan Santini and John Wood.

-- Batavia’s Rich Wagner, who set a GRUSBC record with a 246 league average this season, put his stamp on the USBC Open Championships in Las Vegas earlier this week with a sparkling 1,859 All-Events score.

The national tournament is bowled on a Sport condition, which makes Wagner’s total even more impressive. The left-hander had 587 in the Team event, 608 in Doubles and 664 in Singles. He should get back a decent prize check for the 664.

He bowled for the Toyota of Batavia team along with Josh Elliott, Jeremy Vallance, Leon Hurd and Jason Gallo.

Two familiar names on the local bowling scene put their stamp on the 13^th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament that concluded last Sunday at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion (Team event) and Medina Lanes (Doubles & Singles events).

Rich Wagner of Batavia placed first in Open Singles with a 741 total while Curtis Foss of Medina placed first in Open All-Events with a 2,209 nine-game total and teamed with Robbie Hanks of Albion to win the Open Doubles event with a 1,484 score.

Both Wagner and Foss sported league averages north of 240 this season, with Wagner setting a GRUSBC-record of 246 in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

In the Open Team event, Team Johnson of Batavia took top honors with 2,668 (2,620 scratch) as captain Mike Johnson rolled 694, Matt Balduf 678, Gregg Wolff 642 and Mike Lambert 606.

Game On, also a Batavia-based team, placed second with 2,652 while Oak Orchard Bowl finished in third place with 2,647.

In the Women’s Division, only three teams competed with PinNaction, out of Albion, placing first with 2,379. Team members are Rebecca Hughson, Kay Ecker, Estelle Webb and Laurie Cole, 

Roxanne Clar and Dawn Johnson of Geneseo won the Women’s Doubles with 1,268; Terri Loessl of Albion won the Women’s Singles with 752 and Rachel Van Duser of Perry won the Women’s All-Events with 1,845.

Nathan Cordes of Batavia had the tournament's high game of 299, while Foss shot 288 and six bowlers -- Foss, Steve Krna, Wagner, Reid Cole, Randy Hanks and Scott Allis -- each posted a 279 game.

Thirty-five teams competed in the two divisions (Open and Women), the same number as last year, but Doubles went up from 39 to 58 and Singles increased from 85 to 115.

Complete unofficial results can be found on the Genesee Region USBC website – www.bowlgr.com.

CANADIAN ROCKER TO SPEAK AT GRUSBC BANQUET

Legendary Canadian rock musician Carl Dixon will share the inspirational story of his miraculous recovery from a horrific car accident as the keynote speaker at the Genesee Region USBC's Annual Banquet on May 11 at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road. The event will begin at 6 p.m. sharp.

Tickets for the banquet are $30 and can be obtained by calling 585-343-3736 or sending an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

For more information about tickets for the event go to the Genesee Region USBC website.

Four new members to the Genesee Region USBC Hall of Fame will be enshrined at the May 11 banquet.

They are James Foss of Medina in the Achievement Regular category, Robert Hodgson of Medina and Al Vlietstra of Geneseo in the Achievement Veteran category, and Eunice Englert of Nunda in the Meritorious Service category.

Watch for more about the inductees in a future Pin Points column.

Dixon, a Sault Sainte Marie, Northern Ontario native, was signed to his first international record deal at just 22-years old with his break through band, Coney Hatch

He toured North America -- opening for Iron Maiden for 40 shows and Judas Priest for 27 shows, and went on to tour with some of the biggest names in North American music. He became lead singer of The Guess Who after Burton Cummings left the iconic Canadian band. Carl held that position for eight years until his head-on car accident in Australia.

According to his press release:

It was 2008 when Carl took leave from The Guess Who to sort out family issues in Australia but the stress took its toll. Distracted and worried while driving at night Carl was involved in a horrific head on car collision in rural Victoria. He sustained 52 injuries including traumatic brain injury, crushed legs and crushed internal organs. Trapped in the mangled car for one hour and forty-five minutes there seemed little hope.

Remarkably, ten years on, Carl Dixon is walking tall. His rescue by dedicated volunteers and emergency surgeons and staff in Australia is the stuff of legends. His unlikely survival was followed by family and business difficulty. When the dust settled his business was in tatters and he was left with a mountain of debt.

Doggedly Carl returned to doing what he loves: music. His injuries caused him to rethink his approach and Carl became an author and inspirational speaker sharing his survival story.

Ten years on from his accident Carl sings better than ever, he's re-branded his business to six figure success; he’s a published author, had a triumphant return to The Guess Who as a special guest and returned to touring with Coney Hatch.

JAKOB BUTTURFF WINS 2019 USBC MASTERS

Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Ariz., has finally made it to the winner’s circle of a PBA major championship.

The double-jointed lefty captured his first career major championship by winning the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Masters on Monday in Las Vegas.

He beat fellow southpaw Mykel Holliman of Collierville, Tennessee, 228-196, for his sixth PBA title and the $30,000 first prize. Holliman earned $25,000.

Butturff had finished second in his three previous appearances on television in major championships – losing as the top seed at both the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open and to Australia’s Jason Belmonte, 236-227, in the title match of the 2019 PBA World Championship in March.

Belmonte’s victory was his record 11^th PBA major title, breaking a tie with PBA Hall of Famers Earl Anthony and Pete Weber for most major titles. He now has 21 PBA tour titles.

Fox Sports (FS1) will be airing the PBA Playoffs from Portland, Maine, beginning this Monday (April 8) with a live telecast, and then on a tape-delayed basis on Monday nights through the end of May.

The semifinal and final rounds will be televised live on FOX on June 1-2.  The winner will earn $100,000.

Update March 21, 12:45 p.m. -- In the section about the potential sale of Scopano's Lanes, the content has been corrected to reflect that Cory Paris' auto business will remain open.

----------------

Chris Bardol had one heck of a bowling season over the past two weeks.

On March 9^th, the 31-year-old right-hander teamed with his girlfriend, Caycee Landers, to win the annual King & Queen Mixed Doubles Handicap Tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center and, a day later, he placed second in the prestigious Super Bud Bowl at Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego

At Mancuso’s, Bardol and Landers each came through with strikes in the 10^th frame of the championship match against the father-daughter team of Mario and Kara Mangiola of Rochester to win, 466-451, and claim the $500 first prize.

Landers rolled 237 and Bardol 229 to offset a 224 by Mario and 227 by Kara, who was stopped by a solid 8-pin in the 10^th frame.

The victory was especially sweet for Landers, a former touring pro.

“He’s (Chris) is used to winning all the time, so for me it’s a little bit better,” she said.

The Mangiolas earned $300 for placing second.

Two other Rochester teams -- Traci Spanitz/Rob Gustke and Sara Germano/Steve Meyer -- made it to the semifinals and won $200 apiece.

Quarterfinalists ($150 each) were Naomi Hyde/Shayne Herold, Le Roy; Selina and Tom McJury, Batavia; Sarah Cassidy, Albion/Rob Stefani, Batavia; and Kelsey Ayers, Leicester/Brady Weber, Perry.

Other local cashers ($100 each) were Karisa Schuster/Brian Weber, Perry; Dawn Johnston, Livonia/John LaGeorge, Retsof; and Christine Thompson, Mumford/Dean Cadieux Sr., Byron.

Jeremy Vallance of Warsaw had the tournament’s high game – 298.

The next day, March 10^th, Bardol traveled to Oswego for the Super Bud Bowl and – 11 games later – he drove back home with the runner-up check of $2,750.

Finishing second in the Bud Bowl is quite an accomplishment – considering that the weeklong tournament attracts more than 1,000 entries.

The 31-year-old right-hander rolled 846 for four games of qualifying on a challenging oil pattern and then went on to win five matches to reach the three-person step-ladder finals. In four of the matches he needed at least the first strike in the 10th frame to advance. Now that’s coming through in the clutch.

In the stepladder finals, he bowled 247 to win his first match before dropping a 247-192 decision to Zach Wilkins of Canada in the championship match.

Honorable mention goes out to Matt Slocum of Perry for placing in the top six and to Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw who also made it to the 96-bowler finals.

POTENTIAL BUYER OF SCOPANO’S LANES IN OAKFIELD SURFACES  

After a year and a half of speculation over the future of Scopano’s Paradise Lanes and the Oakfield Hotel, it looks as though Cory Paris, a lifelong Genesee County resident, is on track to become the next owner of the South Pearl Street establishment.

“We’re moving in a positive direction … we have a closing date next month,” Paris said on Tuesday.

Paris, 53, said his Batavia-area car repair shop/dealership will continue to operate as he also focuses his attention to the restaurant, bar and bowling business.

Acknowledging that the lanes currently are underutilized, Paris said that he – along with son, Robert, and daughter, Taylor – are determined to do what needs to be done to attract bowlers back to the 12-lane center.

“I grew up at Scopano’s Lanes, having lived in Oakfield until about age 12 or 13,” he said. “We know that it has great potential.”

He said he already has contacted the Village of Oakfield zoning department to see what upgrades are required (making it handicapped accessible, for example) and is close to getting his liquor license.

“We’re going to update the bathrooms and kitchen as we go,” he said, “and I don’t think I’ll have any problems (maintaining the pinsetters).”

Paris did not say how much he paid for the business, citing a confidentiality agreement with the Scopano family.

John “Jonesy” Scopano said the deal is “99.9 percent” certain and that his family – wife, Lois, and sister, Judy -- are looking forward to retirement after a more than 50-year career.

Jonesy’s father, John, bought the Oakfield Hotel from the Monachino family in the early 1960s, and they built the lanes in 1972.

Jonesy, Lois and Judy primarily handled the bar/restaurant side of the operation while brother, Sam, who passed away in January 2016, ran the bowling business.

Scopano’s Lanes has been a fixture in the Batavia Bowling Association and, now, Genesee Region USBC, and the site of countless memorable achievements.

A well-deserved “thank you” to the Scopano family and best wishes upon retirement.

‘SUPER’ MARIO CAPTURES T.F. BROWN’S TOURNEY TITLE

Rochester’s Mario Mangiola has found a home away from home at Mancuso Bowling Center.

After placing second with his daughter, Kara, in the King & Queen tournament, the 47-year-old righty returned to Batavia the following week (March 16) and captured the $1,500 top prize at the T.F. Brown’s Eliminator scratch singles event.

Mangiola (pictured at right with Mark Brown, tournament director, recorded a pair of 279 in the finals, including a front nine-strike gem in the title match to defeat Brian Hall of Canandaigua, who shot 240; George Szczublewski of West Seneca (191) and Carl Kinyon of Lockport (158).

“I had to dig deep for that,” said Mangiola, who usually travels to watch Kara compete in scratch events. “I was trying to get a lot of loft on the ball and play the track area … kept it high and tight.”

He displayed much emotion -- running out several shots -- as he progressed through the eliminator finals (where half the field on each pair advances) with games of 192, 215, 279, 214 and 279.

Hall earned $750 for placing second while Szczublewski won $500 and Kinyon $400.

Three Genesee Region bowlers cashed – Chris Huntz of Perry ($130), Nathan Cordes of Batavia ($160) and Scott Allis of Medina ($190). The tournament drew 90 entrants.

GRUSBC ASSOCIATION TOURNEY STARTS ON SATURDAY

Plenty of spots remain for the 13^th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament that gets under way this weekend at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion (Team event) and Medina Lanes (Doubles & Singles events).

Team squads are at noon and 3 p.m. on March 23 and March 31 and at 3 p.m. on March 24 and March 30. Doubles & Singles squads are set for 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on all four days.

Competition will take place in Open and Women’s divisions, with handicap based on 90 percent of the difference in the bowler’s highest average from the past three seasons and 215.

The entry fee is $30 per person per event, with optional All-Events priced at $10.

The tournament is open to current GRUSBC members who have bowled at least 21 games in at least one league during the 2017-18 or 2018-19 season.

For more information or to sign up for a squad, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the GRUSBC website – www.bowlgr.com.

ROSE GARDEN II TEAM WINS GR YOUTH TRAVEL LEAGUE

The Rose Garden II team of Evan Phillips, Sawyer Zinter, Megan Jarkiewicz and Brendan Pimm placed first in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League that concluded its regular season on March 10 at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

The winning team posted a 149-67 record to outdistance second-place Perry Bowling Center by 16 points. Oak Orchard I placed third another 4.5 points back.

In final week action, Aaron Leone of Le Roy Legion Lanes led the way with a 245 game and 614 series while Devon Zinter of Rose Garden I had 237—543 and Dallas Ecker of Oak Orchard I had 213—526.

Individually, Dennis Van Duser of Perry had the high average for boys with 196 and also had the high scratch game of 257 and high scratch series of 706.

Samantha Hyde of Le Roy led the girls with a 174 average, 223 scratch game and 594 scratch series.

Van Duser also had the high series with handicap (781) while Pimm had the high game with handicap (289).  Jarkiewicz had high game with handicap for girls (274) and Paige Snook of Oak Orchard II had the high series with handicap for girls (731).

The league wraps up with a no-tap tournament and banquet at 1 p.m. this Sunday at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

For complete standings and statistics, go to www.bowlgr.com and click on the Jr. Travel League tab at the top of the home page.

MEDINA UNIFIED BOWLING SQUAD REPEATS AS CHAMPION

The Medina Central School Mustangs team in the Unified Bowling league went undefeated for the second straight year and won the sectional division championship for the second year in a row.

Coached by Rob Dennis, the program consists of special education students bowling with general education students. The league consisted of 15 schools.

Members of the Medina team this year were Juliana Allis, Gracelin Mahnke, Gracie Cogovan, Zachary Fike, Morgan Crossett, Emma Carson, Bobby Vidovich, Arian Cayea, Steven Secore, Jackson Touhey, Joe Biaselli and Tom Biaselli.

Dennis said that each of the students were able to get their own bowling ball with the support of Eric Greenlief, Tom Allis and Jim Foss of Medina Lanes.

“A special thanks to Athletic Director Eric Valley his help in starting this program in our school district,” Dennis said. “This enables these kids to grow together and feel the sense of working together as a team -- and seeing the results of hard work and dedication.”

My heart is heavy as I write about the medical condition of Batavia native Joe Trigilio, a dear friend, bowling teammate and competitor for 50 years.

“Trigger” is a Genesee Region USBC Hall of Famer – one of the best league and tournament bowlers the Batavia area has ever produced.

Right up to this season, at the age of 65, he continued to roll high scores and cash in tournament play – even winning a couple of senior events in Rochester.

Unexpectedly, his bowling took a bit of a dive this season. When he found out in mid-January that two cancerous tumors had formed in his brain, the reason for his slump became clear. The news also made it clear that he was in for a fight for his life.

When I heard about his illness, it was like getting punched in the gut. I and his many, many friends across a variety of business, recreation and social circles are sharing in his pain.

Over the past two months, Joe has been in and out of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, receiving chemo and radiation treatments and dealing with their aftereffects.

Yesterday, I was prepared to visit Joe and his wife, Kathy, and enjoy a lunch of pepper-and-egg sandwiches from the Pok-A-Dot with them, but he was back in the intensive care unit at Roswell.

As of last night, he was in a regular room and, hopefully, will be going back to his Attica home this weekend.

We all can pray for Joe – there is power in prayer in the name of Jesus.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”— Isaiah 41:10.

And we all can support Joe and Kathy by purchasing a ticket to attend a “Cancer Benefit for Joe Trigilio” from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 24 at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

The event – set up to help cover some of the Trigilios’ growing medical expenses -- will feature live music, food, draft beer and $20 free play to the casino for a $30 donation. Basket raffles, silent auction and other fundraisers are planned.

Tickets can be purchased by calling Joe’s sister, Tammy, at 585-813-4455.

GRUSBC ASSOCIATION TOURNEY IS MARCH 23-24, 30-31

Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion and Medina Lanes will be hosting the 13^th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament on March 23-24, 30-31.

The team event will take place in Albion with squad times at noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 31 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 24 and Saturday, March 30.

Doubles and singles events will be held at Medina Lanes with squad times at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

Squads have been set up so that bowlers driving from the southern part of the association (Wyoming and Livingston counties) will be able to bowl the Team, Doubles and Singles on the same day if they so choose.

Competition will consist of four-person Teams in two divisions – Open or Women – and Doubles and Singles in the same two divisions. Handicap is based on 90 percent of the difference in the bowler’s average and 215, using a bowler’s highest USBC league average for the past three seasons (at least 21 games per league).

The entry fee is $30 per person per event, with optional All-Events priced at $10.

The tournament is open to current GRUSBC members who have bowled at least 21 games in at least one league during the 2017-18 or 2018-19 season.

For more information or to sign up for a squad, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the GRUSBC website – www.bowlgr.com.

PITTSFORD’S VICK ROLLS 300 EN ROUTE TO NYS MASTERS TITLE

Pittsford’s Dan Vick (Rochester NY USBC) solidified his place as one of the state’s finest scratch singles tournament bowlers Saturday by capturing the 29th New York State Masters Championship – and bowling a 300 game in the process – at Dixie Lanes in Elmira.

The 32-year-old left-hander added another title to his impressive resume as well as $2,000 to his bank account with a 485-388 victory over hometown favorite Jordan D’Angelo (Elmira USBC)

Vick, who also will receive a paid entry to the 2020 USBC Masters, rolled 254 and 231, while D’Angelo, who earned $1,000 for placing second, posted games of 195-193.

Vick reached the final match with a 422-403 win over Adam Chase of North Babylon (Long Island USBC) while D’Angelo made it to the last round by defeating high-qualifier Chris Bardol of Brockport (Genesee Region USBC), 396-361.

Chase and Bardol each won $400 from the $8,340 prize fund.

Vick's 300 game came in the second round of match play.

Along with Bardol, three other GRUSBC bowlers competed with Brian Green of Batavia placing 55^th out of the 110 competitors.

ROCHESTER SQUAD WINS RIGGI MEMORIAL EVENT

The Rochester foursome of Steve Meyer, Geoff Nichols, Ricky Zinone and Josh Curtiss posted 3,701 (a 231 per bowler per game average) to capture the $900 first prize at the 17^th annual Ron Riggi Memorial tournament at Le Roy Legion Lanes on Feb. 22-24.

Meyer also placed first in the optional singles event with 1,049, good for $150, and was a member of the second-place team with Jeanette Sease, Traci Spanitz and Rob Gustke that shot 3,656, and won $450.

Third place went to the Rochester team of Rob Sease, Dave Emler, Norm Bialuski and Ryan Kretchmer, 3,573, $240, and fourth-place went to the Batavia-area team Geoff Harloff, Rick Underhill, Merry Harding and Jeremy Vallance, 3,552, $230.

The top seven teams out of 36 entries cashed.

ROSE GARDEN II TEAM HOLDS 10-POINT LEAD

Heading into the final regular week of the season, the Rose Garden II team holds a 10-point advantage over Perry Bowling Center in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.

The team of Evan Phillips, Sawyer Zinter, Megan Jarkiewicz and Brendan Pimm captured 22 out of a possible 24 points in recent action at Mount Morris Lanes to raise its record to 127-65.

Perry, a 20.5-3.5 winner over Oak Orchard II, is at 117-75 going into this Sunday afternoon’s competition at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

Individually, Perry’s Dennis Van Duser took top honors with a 242 game and 689 series, while Aaron Leone of Legion Lanes posted 220—606 and his teammate Samantha Hyde added 223—594.

High series: Ben Lennox 531, Austin Hawker 524, Mason Santini 520, Trent Willis 510.

High games: Santini 208, Lennox 204, Pimm 204, Hawker 202, Zinter 201, Willis 200.

The league bowls again this Sunday afternoon at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

A no-tap tournament, followed by the season-ending banquet, is set for 1 p.m. March 24 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

For complete standings and statistics, go to www.bowlgr.com and click on the Jr. Travel League tab at the top of the home page.

54-YEAR-OLD DUKE WINS TWO IN A ROW ON PBA TOUR

Professional Bowlers Association legend Norm Duke, three weeks shy of his 55^th birthday, is showing he still has plenty left in the tank.

The slightly built right-hander has won the last two PBA events, both televised live on FOX, defeating 22-year-old Anthony Simonson, 212-164, in the title match of the Go Bowling! PBA Jonesboro Open last Sunday, a week after upending Jason Belmonte of Australia in the championship match of the PBA Indianapolis Open.

With 40 career PBA victories, Duke joins Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43) with 40 or more titles. He also becomes the oldest player to win two consecutive PBA Tour titles.

This PBA Tour heads to Allen Park, Mich., this week for the 10^th World Series of Bowling (March 11-21).  Four titles will be up for grabs, including the PBA World Championship, and FS1 will televised five straight nights of prime-time bowling from March 18-22.

At 10 p.m. this Sunday, the World Bowling Tour Men’s and Women’s Finals will be telecast on FS1.

Thinking about twice leaving the split known as “bedposts” undoubtedly made the Professional Bowlers Association’s brightest star lose some sleep Sunday night.

Australian Jason Belmonte, seeking his record 11^th career PBA major tournament crown, was derailed in the championship match of the PBA Players Championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in heartbreaking fashion – leaving pocket 7-10 splits in both the fourth and 10^th frames – in a 232-212 loss to fellow two-hander Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas.

The finals were televised live on FS1 (Fox Sports).

So, instead of Belmonte breaking a tie with Pete Weber and Earl Anthony for the most major championships in PBA Tour history, it was the 22-year-old Simonsen who became the youngest player to win two PBA majors.

The top-seeded Belmonte never missed the 1-3 pocket during the match but, uncharacteristically, he was victimized by poor carry.

Simonsen, following Belmonte’s 7-10 split in the 10^th frame, rolled a strike on his first ball in the 10^th for his fifth consecutive strike to lock up the match and take home the $50,000 first prize.

The week before, it was Belmonte who captured his 10^th major, also as the No. 1 seed, by defeating E.J. Tackett, 225-196, to earn $50,000 at the PBA Tournament of Champions.

Simonsen broke the “youngest ever” mark set by PBA Hall of Famer Billy Hardwick, who was 23 years and 259 days old when he won the 1965 T of C for his second major title.

PBA Players Championship stepladder finals:

Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, S.C, def. Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 255-245; Troup def. D.J. Archer, Spring, Texas, 194-193; Simonsen def. Troup, 259-202; Simonsen def. Belmonte, 232-212. Prize money: $50,000, 1^st; $25,000, 2^nd; $13,000, 3^rd; $11,000, 4^th; $10,000, 5^th.

The finals of the PBA Indianapolis Open will be televised live on FS1 at 3 p.m. this Sunday.

ROCHESTER’S GUSTKE POCKETS $1,500 TOP PRIZE

Rob Gustke of Rochester, a 48-year-old right-hander, captured the $1,500 first prize at the 41^st annual Mount Morris Pepsi Open on Feb. 10 at Mount Morris Lanes.

Gustke, a 220-plus average bowler, defeated Ken Ball of Avon, a PBA Regional senior tour player, by a score of 202-192 in the title match of the tournament, which was contested on a difficult “Sport” oil pattern.

Previously, Gustke downed high qualifier Brian Hall of Macedon, 189-171, and two-hander Mark Scuderi of Rochester, 169-138, to reach the finals.

Ball took home $750 for his efforts, while Scuderi and Kevin Donovan of Painted Post each earned $250.

Perry’s Brady Weber was the lone Genesee Region USBC bowler to cash, winning $120.

PLENTY OF EVENTS SCHEDULED OVER NEXT MONTH

Genesee Region bowling centers are hosting several tournaments in February and March.

Feb. 22-24, Le Roy Legion Lanes – The 17^th annual Ron Riggi Memorial 4-person handicap tournament offers a $1,000 first prize, based on 40 entries. Squad times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, noon and 3:30 p.m. Saturday and noon and 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

The entry fee is $100 per team and one in six teams will cash. Handicap is based on 80 percent of the bowler’s average and 210, using last year’s highest average. If a bowler’s average is 10 pins or more higher this season, he or she will have to use this season’s average.

An optional singles tournament will available, with the entry fee set at $5.

To reserve a spot, contact Mark Brown at 716-474-7960.

March 2, Oak Orchard Bowl, Albion – The 4^th annual NY Gamerz/Smash It Sports 3-person handicap no-tap event lists squads at 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., and one in six teams will cash. The entry fee is $60 per team.

Handicap is based on 90 percent of 225. The fundraising event will feature prize drawings and 300 game jackpots.

To sign up, call or text Bill Hickman at 585-590-6717 or call the bowling center at 585-589-6900.

March 8-10, 15-17, Mount Morris Lanes – The 20^th annual Bob Bertram Memorial 5-person handicap no-tap tournament once again is offering a $1,000 first prize – guaranteed – with an entry fee of $125 per team.

Squad times are 9 p.m. on Fridays, 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. A light buffer will be served on all full squads.

Handicap is based on 100 percent of 210, using the highest USBC average from 2017-18 season for a minimum of 21 games. If a bowler does not have a 2017-18 average, he or she will use the highest current average for at least 21 games. The 10-pin rule will apply.

The tournament also features an optional singles event with a $10 entry fee.

To enter, call the bowling center at 585-658-2540 or send an email to bobsantini@frontiernet.net.

March 9, Mancuso Bowling Center, Batavia – T.F. Brown’s Restaurant and Budweiser once again will be sponsoring the King & Queen mixed doubles handicap tournament that offers a guaranteed top prize of $500. The entry fee is $50 per team.

Squad times are noon and 2 p.m. The top three teams from each squad along with six more teams (based on their totals) will advance to the head-to-head finals. Handicap is based on 80 percent of a team average of 420.

For more information or to enter, call Brown at 716-474-7960 or the bowling center at 585-343-1319.

March 9-10, Le Roy Legion Lanes – The 13^th annual GRUSBC Youth Doubles tournament lists squads at 12:30 and 3 p.m. on March 9 and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. (during the GR Travel League).

Entry fee is $36 per team, with competition in three divisions based on team average. Handicap will be 90 percent of 200 for all divisions, using GRUSBC youth members’ highest current averages for this season.

Trophies will be awarded to the first three spots in each division and first place team bowlers will win $100 scholarships.

Entry forms can be downloaded from the GRUSBC website – www.bowlgr.com. To enter, contact Tom Fluker at 585-284-2637.

March 15-16, Mancuso Bowling Center – Some of the best scratch bowlers in Western New York will be in Batavia for the T.F. Brown’s Scratch Eliminator, which offers a $1,500 first prize (based on entries).

Squad times (four games) are 6:30 p.m. Friday and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, with a last chance round and finals to follow. One in five from each squad will advance.

The top senior (50-and-over) and woman not making the cut will advance to the finals.

The entry fee is $65 and re-entry is allowed.

To enter, call the bowling center at 585-343-1319.

March 16, Medina Lanes – The 10^th annual KIWA Memorial 3-person handicap no-tap tournament lists a $500 first prize (based on entries) and an entry fee of $75 per team.

Squad times are 1 and 3 p.m.  Proceeds will go to benefit the Medina High School Scholarship Fund.

To enter, call the bowling center at 585-318-4474.

ROSE GARDEN TEAM MOVES INTO FIRST PLACE

Brendan Pimm’s 222 game and 612 series sparked Rose Garden II to a 17-7 victory over Oak Orchard Bowl II and into first place in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.

The win raised Rose Garden II’s record to 105-63, a point better than Oak Orchard I, which topped Mount Morris, 19-5. Oak Orchard II is in third place, five points back.

High scores for the week:

Dennis Van Duser, Perry, 199 game, 574 series; Trent Willis, Mount Morris, 203 game, 569 series; Devon Zinter, Rose Garden I, 211 game, 514 series; Ben Lennox, Oak Orchard II, 195 game, 505 series; Samantha Hyde, Le Roy, 181 game, 498 series.

The league bowls again on March 3 at Mount Morris Lanes, and wraps up the regular season on March 10 at Le Roy Legion Lanes.

For complete standings and statistics, go to www.bowlgr.com and click on the Jr. Travel League tab at the top of the home page.

60-AND-OVER IS THIS WEEKEND, NYS MASTERS ON MARCH 2

Scratch bowlers have a couple of choices over the next two weeks – the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour stop this Sunday and the New York State Masters Championship on Saturday, March 2.

AMF Gates Bowl is hosting the 60-and-over tournament, which is being sponsored by A Better Choice Pro Shop. First place is $1,000 for this “special” event and the entry fee is $70.

Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m., with the bowling to start at noon.

Some of the state’s best bowlers will be at Dixie Lanes in Elmira on March 2 for the 29^th NYS Masters, which offers a $2,500 first prize and paid entry to the 2020 USBC Masters.

Two Genesee Region USBC members, Brian Green and James Townsend of Batavia, are among those signed up for the 12:30 p.m. squad, and more local bowlers are expected to compete.

For more information or to enter, call 585-343-3736 or send an email to bowlny300@yahoo.com.

REMEMBERING ROGER MUEHLIG – A TRUE PROFESSIONAL

I first met Roger Muehlig in November 1971, when he was assigned to write a story about the 300 game I rolled as a 16-year-old 11^th grader in the Batavia High afterschool league at Mancuso Lanes.

Less than six years later, I found myself sitting at a desk near him as a fledgling sports/general news reporter for The Daily News, and we remained colleagues for the next 15 years.

Even after I left full-time employment there, I continued to see Roger frequently in my role as a free-lance reporter and columnist, and I am glad to have been able to spend a few minutes with him around Christmas time last year.

A soft-spoken gentleman, Roger passed away last Friday at the age of 73.

He spent 42 years as a staff (and senior) reporter at The Daily News, retiring in 2012, and served the company and the community as a true professional – inquisitive, dedicated, compassionate and accurate in his reporting.

He also was a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan, and we would talk about their futility, not having won a World Series since 1907 and 1908.  When the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016, my thoughts immediately went to Roger – his lifetime dream had become a reality.

My thoughts today are with his wife, Donna; children, Mitchell, Brittany and Drew, and family. May God keep you and strengthen you.

Rich Wagner, center, is congratulated by tournament director Mark Brown and runner-up John Wolff after his victory in the "Super Sunday" handicap singles tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center.

“Odds-on favorite” Batavian Rich Wagner won the first Super Sunday handicap singles tournament this past weekend at Mancuso Bowling Center. But it wasn’t easy.

Wagner, the 36-year-old left-hander dubbed the “house pro” by Beat the Champ commentator Paul Peck when he competed on the Buffalo-based TV show last in 2017, captured the $280 first prize by turning back 78-year-old John Wolff (also of Batavia and also a lefty), 247-217, in the title match. Wagner spotted Wolff 40 pins due to the difference in their averages.

Prior to that match, Wagner upended high qualifier Geoff Harloff of Batavia, 246-238 (all scratch), in the semifinals, and ousted Josh Elliott of Attica, 247-198, in the opening round of match play.

The top six out of the 24 entrants made it to match play and, for a while, it didn’t look as though Wagner was going to advance.

He opened with games of 234 and 207 – much less than his 248 average at Mancuso’s – before firing a 279 to get back in contention. In the fourth and final qualifying game, he struck out in the 10^th frame for a 226 and a 946 total.

As it turned out, he needed those three strikes in the last frame to move past three bowlers for the fifth spot.

Harloff spun 267-233-279-215 for a 991 total and Rodney Jopson of Belfast took the second seed with a 986 score. Mike Hackett of Pavilion was third at 971, Elliott fourth at 967 and Wolff sixth at 940.

Wolff, who beat Hackett and Jopson in the finals, earned $160 while Harloff and Jopson won $110 each and Elliott and Hackett pocketed $90 apiece.

MASTERS, MOUNT MORRIS TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEKEND

The 58^th annual Genesee Region USBC Masters Tournament is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield.

Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw is expected to defend his title in the scratch singles event, which lists four-game qualifying rounds at 10 a.m. and 1p.m. Saturday.

The top 16 bowlers will advance to the semifinals at 4 p.m. and, from there, the top eight will return at 1 p.m. Sunday for an eight-game head-to-head Peterson Points final round.

First place, based on 80 entries, is $525 plus a champion’s ring. One in five will cash. The entry fee is $50.

To enter, contact Paul Spiotta at 585-202-6458.

The weather-delayed 41^st annual Mount Morris Pepsi Open is set to conclude this Sunday with a pair of four-game qualifying squads (10 a.m. and 1 p.m.), followed by a last chance one-game squad for bowlers not making the cut and the eliminator finals.

First place is guaranteed at $1,500 and one in five is guaranteed to cash. The entry fee is $70.

To enter, call Mount Morris Lanes at 585-658-2540.

Medina Lanes is hosting the Valentines Luv’em or Hate’em handicap mixed doubles tournament on Saturday, Feb. 16, with three-game qualifying squads at 4 and 6:30 p.m.

First place is a guaranteed $500 and the entry fee is $55 per team.

Handicap is based on 80 percent of 440 using a bowler’s highest average for the 2017-18 season (unless this season’s average is 10 or more pins higher).

Twelve teams will advance to the match play finals – the top three from each squad and the next six high scores.

To enter, call Medina Lanes at 318-4474.

The 23^rd annual Betty Ellison Memorial “Strike Out” for Crossroads House fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 15-17 at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Squad times are 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15; 3 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16, and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17.

The entry fee is $110 through Friday and increases to $125 after that. Teams are comprised of five persons, any combination, and bowl three games on the same pair of lanes. Online registration can be completed at www.crossroadshouse.com.

For more information, call 585-993-0584 or 585-409-0136.

OAK ORCHARD BOWL TEAM LEADS YOUTH TRAVEL LEAGUE

A 219 game and 578 series by Paige Snook and a 211 game and 546 series by Tyler Brett sparked the Oak Orchard Bowl II team to a 14-10 win over Oak Orchard Bowl I in recent Genesee Region Youth Travel League action at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

Ben Lennox added a 539 series for Oak Orchard II, which maintained its 3.5 point lead over Rose Garden Bowl II, which also won, 14-10, over Mount Morris.

Cameron Ecker had a 508 series for Oak Orchard I, which is in third place.

The league bowls again on Feb. 17 at Mount Morris Lanes. For complete standings and statistics, go to www.bowlgr.com and click on the Jr. Travel League tab at the top of the home page.

BISIG TEAM TAKES TOP HONORS AT HELP-R-HERO’S EVENT

The team of Ian Elliott of Le Roy, Joe Durzewski of Batavia, Mike Hackett of Pavilion and Mark Bisig of Le Roy rolled 3,247 with handicap for three games – a 270 average per man – to place first in the Help-R-Hero’s no-tap tournament at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

The fundraiser to benefit wounded soldiers returning home took place on Jan. 25-27.

The Bisig team won $800.

The Rochester-based team of Freddie Blair, Rob Carles, Amanda Schwartz and Kenny Maurer finished in second place, winning $540, while the Le Roy team of Scott O’Neill, Jeff Freeman, Dave Elliott and Bill Van Alst was third, good for $420. The top six teams cashed.

PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS IS UNDER WAY

AMF Riviera Lanes in Fairlawn, Ohio, is hosting the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tournament of Champions this week, and the finals of this PBA major event will be televised live at 4:30 p.m. Sunday on FOX.

Sixty-five former PBA National, Regional and International champions are competing in the tournament, which enters round robin match play (top 24) tonight. Participants include Brad Angelo of Lockport, Ryan Ciminelli of Clarence, Ryan Shafer of Horseheads and Anthony Pepe of Long Island.

After two qualifying rounds Wednesday, Australian Jason Belmonte holds the lead with a 2,824 total (235 average) for 12 games while Matt Ogle of Louisville, Ky., is next at 2,727, and Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., is third at 2,698.

The TOC will be followed by the PBA Players Championship, Feb. 12-17, at Wayne Webb’s Columbus (Ohio) Bowl. The finals of the Players Championship, also a major, will be telecast live on FS1 at 1 p.m. Feb. 17.

Preliminary rounds of both events will be live streamed by FloBowling (www.flobowling.com).

Reports from the 2019 Bowling Proprietors Association of America Summit in New Orleans, La., last week – a three-day event that I had the good fortune to attend -- painted an optimistic and evolving picture of the sport’s current and future state of affairs.

Executives from the BPAA, United States Bowling Congress, Professional Bowlers Association, Go Bowling!, Strike Ten Entertainment and the International Bowling Campus in Arlington, Texas, presented an industry update to the 250 or so proprietors/managers and representatives of affiliate organizations who gathered at the New Orleans Marriott on Canal Street.

Recent developments, such as a new PBA contract with FOX Sports that features more live telecasts and an increase in collegiate and high school bowling, give the powers-that-be reasons to feel encouraged about “the future for the sport.”

Chad Murphy, USBC executive director, reported the completion of a nationwide initiative for local associations to become “merged associations” – bringing men, women and youth together under one local umbrella. The result is that there are now 1,100 merged associations and another 500 affiliate (limited) associations in the U.S.

Beyond that, Murphy said, 343 local and state association directors and managers have attended USBC Leadership Training classes in Arlington and at other selected sites (paid for by the USBC) and that these classes will continue in 2019.

Genesee Region USBC board members Tom Fluker, Gary Kuchler and John Wood are among those who have taken the course and all said the information provided has helped them in their local roles.

The USBC has been conducting extensive research into bowling balls, lane conditions and lane surfaces in recent years, and are taking steps to even the playing field, so to speak.

Murphy said changes to bowling ball specifications (the cleaning of a ball, pending elimination of balance or weight holes and the rate of oil absorption) and to lane certification requirements are planned.

As of Aug. 1, 2019, bowlers will not be able to clean balls with any liquid substance during competition (unless there are marks from the pinsetter), and as of Aug. 1, 2020, balance holes will be eliminated.

This means that any holes in the ball (up to five will be allowed) must be used for gripping purposes on every delivery. Additionally, no-thumb bowlers will have to mark the intended grip center of the ball.

The USBC also is implementing a new standard for the rate that balls absorb oil, with the baseline set at a maximum of 2 minutes, 15 seconds.

“We have tested more than 1,200 bowling balls,” Murphy said, “and found that bowlers are starting deeper inside on the lane and moving more often, which deteriorates the lane condition quicker.”

He said that the amount of oil being put on lanes has increased dramatically over the years (in response to balls that hook more and more), which warrants a “universal system to measure oil absorption.”

On the subject of lane certification, Murphy said that data collection continues and will result in the USBC certifying all centers for 2018-19 regardless of whether they are 100 percent compliant. For 2019-20, USBC is extending the study but all centers must have proper inspections and three signatures will be required for certification.

Other highlights from the New Orleans summit:

-- Bowlers across the nation in 2018 donated more than $1.4 million to the sport’s primary charity -- Bowlers to Veterans Link.

-- BPAA membership gained 193 new members this year and saw 300 proprietors and managers graduate from the BPAA “Bowling University” course.

-- The Professional Women’s Bowling Association had 150 members in 2018 and tournament entries were up by 10 percent over 2017. Nearly $1 million in prize money is being offered this year and seven tournament finals will be televised live.

-- Tom Clark, CEO and commissioner of the Go Bowling! Professional Bowlers Association, reported that the PBA has signed a multi-year contract with FOX Sports, including a provision to add the USBC Masters and U.S Open to the network’s sports schedule.

FOX Sports will televise the U.S. Open live on FOX from 2020 through 2022 and the USBC Masters live on FS1 from 2019 through 2022.

-- Gary Brown, IBC Youth managing director, reported that there are now 221 colleges (with 3,825 members) with bowling programs and that high school bowling saw a 6 percent increase in bowlers last year.

Brown noted that IBC Youth offers coaching seminars, USA leagues and tournaments, Pepsi Youth Championships, the bowling.com youth open and Junior Gold – resulting in opportunities for thousands of youth bowlers and more than $800,000 in scholarships.

SLOCUM FAMILY SHINES AT GRUSBC ADULT-JUNIOR

Perry's Matt Slocum bowled with his daughter and son at the 2019 Genesee Region USBC Adult-Junior Tournament at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen and both of them went home smiling.

Slocum and Allie Faryna posted 1,390 to take first place and he and Gavin Slocum registered 1,342 for second place in the 12-and-Under Division. As a result, Allie's scholarship account is $220 richer and Gavin's increased by $180.

Two other duos cashed in that division of the Jan. 11-13 tournament -- Albion's Reid Cole (adult) and Kyle Brett, 1,341, for $140, and Mount Morris' Chad (adult) and Dominic LaPiana, 1,301, $100.

In the 13-and-Over Division, Jerry Menzie Jr. teamed with his little sister, Jillian, for a remarkable 1,575 score to take the $240 first place prize.

Other cashers were Dave DiSalvo (adult) and Trent Willis of Mount Morris, 1,493, $210; Paul Baney (adult) and Gavin Baney of Holley, 1,416, $180; Dan Santini (adult) and Alexis Patterson of Mount Morris, 1,394, $150, and Tom Fluker (adult) and Tony Sprague of Batavia, 1,361, $120.

Adults were entitled to their prize money unless they opted to have it placed in the youth's scholarship account through USBC SMART.

The tournament drew 44 teams.

NEWS  & NOTES FROM THE GENESEE REGION

-- With help from her bowling friends, Byron-Bergen High School junior Jillian Menzie spearheaded yet another tremendous fund drive in support of the Arc of Genesee Orleans.

Menzie, along with Megan Jarkiewicz, collected more than $3,900 in donations (cash and gift certificates) from the Bergen-area community through the Arc Bowl-A-Thon at Rose Garden Bowl.

It is a tradition started over 40 years ago by her grandmother, the late Ellen Menzie, a longtime youth bowling coach and director.

All told, the Bergen youth bowlers raised $4,266.40, with John Gabalski, Evan Phillips and Landon Kent also contributing by getting pledges. Without a doubt, a superb effort by all!

-- The team of Amanda Swartz, Rob Carter and Kenny Maurer combined for a 2,611 no-tap score with handicap to take the top prize of $600 at the 7^th annual Scott Whittier Memorial Tournament at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

More than $1,100 was raised for the Albion Alumni Association to support graduating seniors and youth scholarships. Sixty-five teams competed.

Batavia teams placed second and third – John Wolff, Ron Lawrence and Marshall Merle, 2,522, $300; and Josh Elliott, Mike Lambert and Matt Balduf, 2,513, $240. Martin Beadle, Rob Brown and Jim Stymus of Albion were fourth with 2,495, good for $195.

-- Bowlers, friends and businesses donated $2,800 as a result of the Jim Pursel Benefit Tournament at Mancuso Bowling Center.

Forty-three teams entered the event, which was held to assist Pursel with expenses incurred after he suffered serious injuries in a fall at work.

The Batavia-based team of Jeremy Vallance, Eric Kraus, Jerry Harding, Tom Baker placed first with a 3,398 no-tap with handicap score.

-- The final two qualifying squads of the 41^st annual Mount Morris Pepsi Open scratch singles tournament will take place on Feb. 10 since they were cancelled last Sunday due to a winter storm.

Squad times are 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with the entry fee at $70. A last chance one-game squad for bowlers who didn’t make a squad cut is set for 4 p.m., prior to the eliminator finals.

To enter, call Mount Morris Lanes at 585-658-2540.

-- The next 60-and-Over scratch singles tour event is scheduled for this Sunday at Parkview Bowl in Rochester with squads at 10 a.m. (sold out) and 12:30 p.m.

To see if openings remain on the second squad, contact Kevin Martin at 355-7590.

The ability to come through in the clutch is the mark of a champion. Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw has that ability.

Gray, 37, once again showed that he is among the elite Western New York tournament bowlers by rallying past fellow left-hander Rich Wagner of Batavia, 226-187, on Sunday to capture the 65^th annual Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo.

The two-day tournament was held in Geneseo due to a fire that has temporarily closed Perry Bowling Center (see below).

The Scratch Memorial championship game was a rematch of last February’s decisive battle at the GRUSBC Masters, which saw Gray defeat Wagner, 213-204, also at Livingston Lanes.

This time around, Gray trailed by 16 pins in the sixth frame but came up with four strikes in frames seven through 10 to close out Wagner.

The win was worth $650 for the University of Rochester medical access center employee, while the 36-year-old Wagner, a corrections officer, took home $350.

“This feels good,” Gray said. “The field was strong, and you had to stay focused at all times if you wanted to advance.”

Gray earned the No. 1 seed in the five-person stepladder finals with a 1,750 eight-game total (four qualifying round games and four semifinal round games) – one pin more than Wagner’s 1,749.

Bowling on the same pair with Wagner in the semifinals, Gray prevailed by rolling a strike on his fill ball in the 10^th frame.

“That was a tough match where we both struggled on that pair (lanes 15-16),” Gray said, referring to the fact that he shot 174 and Wagner 179.

By grabbing the top seed, Gray was able to wait in the wings to see who would emerge in the stepladder finals.

In the first match, Batavia lefty and pro shop owner Brian Green edged right-hander Nathan Tackentien of Arcade, 216-215, and in the second match, Green ousted two-time defending champion and high-revving righty Scott Culp of Honeoye Falls, 218-216.

Green then faced Wagner and held a lead into the 10^th frame before dropping a 192-181 decision.

For his third-place finish, Green won $260, while Culp pocketed $215 and Tackentien earned $160. The 21-year-old Tackentien, another emerging "power player," rolled a 300 game in the last game of the semifinals to reach the stepladder round.

Other cashers were Brian Weber of Perry ($130), Bob Santini of Mount Morris ($120), Matt Slocum of Perry ($110), Matt Balduf of Batavia ($100), Brett Van Duser of Perry ($100), Ryan Smith of Perry ($100), Mike Pettinella of Batavia ($85), Brady Weber of Perry ($85) and Jeff Wolinski of Perry ($85).

Gray now has won two GRUSBC Scratch Memorials (the first came in 2016) as well as the GRUSBC Masters, and scratch tournaments in Bradford, Pa.; Medina, and Erie, Pa.

Wagner was the high qualifier with a 919 four-game total and Gray was second at 898. Both averaged 218 for the tournament, which was contested on two challenge oil patterns – a 40-foot pattern in the qualifying round and a 45-foot pattern in the semifinals and finals.

Fifty-six bowlers entered.

The next Genesee Region USBC scratch tournament is set for Feb. 9-10 – the Masters at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield.

GRUSBC Scratch Memorial finalists -- Kevin Gray Jr., left; Rich Wagner, Brian Green, Scott Culp and Nathan Tackentien.

THREE LEAGUES RELOCATE FOLLOWING PERRY FIRE

A trio of Perry Bowling Center leagues have found new homes for the remainder of the 2018-19 season in wake of a New Year’s Eve fire at the Covington Street two-story building that houses the eight-lane establishment.

The Monday and Thursday night leagues have relocated to Letchworth Pines in Portageville and Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, respectively, while the Wednesday afternoon ladies league has switched to Mount Morris Lanes.

Unfortunately, the Friday night league and the youth program are being cut short by the electrical fire that started in a wall of one of the two upstairs apartments. Fortunately, flames did not spread to the bowling lanes and pinsetters, and owner Brett Van Duser hopes to be up and running sometime this spring.

Damage – the apartments were destroyed -- is estimated at $200,000-plus.

The Van Dusers have owned and operated the business for 16 years, and bowling has been part of the Perry community since 1940.

PBA HALL OF FAME INDUCTS FOUR NEW MEMBERS

Tour standouts Mika Koivuniemi of Finland and Patrick Allen of South Salem, N.Y. have made it to the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame.

Koivuniemi and Allen were inducted on Jan. 5 at the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas, along with Jim Doty, respected bowling center general manager, and Bob Johnson, longtime bowling writer and editor.

“Major Mika,” as he is known, won 14 PBA tournaments, including the 2000 USBC Masters, the 2001 U.S. Open and the 2011 PBA Tournament of Champions. The latter featured a first prize of $250,000.

He now lives in the United Arab Emirates where he coaches the UAE national bowling team.

Allen is a 13-time PBA Tour title winner and 2004-05 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year. During that season, he finished in the top five in all four PBA majors – placing second in the USBC Masters and U.S. Open, fifth in the PBA Tournament of Champions and winning the PBA World Championship.

At the ceremony, he thanked PBA Hall of Famer Doug Kent of Newark, who served as Allen’s presenter.

 “Doug was responsible for two careers: his own and mine,” Allen said. “He told me I had to learn the technical side of the sport, and then he taught me.”

Doty is general manager of Royal Pin Leisure centers, the Indianapolis chain that includes long-time PBA host Woodland Bowl. Under his leadership, Woodland Bowl has hosted PBA events over a span of 20 years, including the U.S. Open, PBA Touring Players Championship, USBC Masters, PBA World Championship, PBA Tournament of Champions and PBA League Elias Cup finals among other events.

Woodland Bowl is the only center to host all five PBA major Championships.

Johnson is an award-winning writer and has served as editor of four national bowling magazines, including Bowlers Journal International.  He is a recipient of both the International Bowling Media Association’s Luby Hall of Fame Award and the Mid-America Bowling Writers Golden Quill Award.

He and his wife, Michelle, exhibited their love of the game and generosity by purchasing a commemorative brick for the sidewalk outside the IGM/HF, wrote a check to a breast cancer charity and donated the cost of his Hall of Fame ring to the Bowlers to Veterans Link.

SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS SCHEDULED IN JANUARY

-- Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen is the setting for the fifth annual GRUSBC Adult-Junior Doubles Tournament this Friday through Sunday.

Squad times for the handicap tournament are set for 7 p.m. Friday, noon and 3 p.m. Saturday and noon and 3 p.m. Sunday (the last squad on Sunday is full).

Genesee Region youth bowlers will be paired with adults in two divisions – 12 & under and 13 & over.  Entry fee is $45 per team and at least one in five teams will cash.

To enter, contact Tom Fluker at 585-284-2637.

-- Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion is hosting its seventh annual Scott Whittier Memorial three-person handicap no-tap tournament this Saturday, with squads at 1, 3, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. The entry fee is $60 per team and one in six teams will cash.

Proceeds from the event, which includes squad drawings, will go to the Scott Whittier Scholarship Foundation.

To enter, call Oak Orchard Bowl at 585-589-6900 after 6 p.m.

-- Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia is hosting a four-person handicap no-tap tournament on Sunday to benefit Batavia bowler Jim Pursel Jr. Squad times are 1:30 and 4 p.m.

One in eight teams will cash, with the winning team receiving $700 (as long as 48 teams are entered). Entry fee is $120 per team.

Part of the entry fee will go to help pay medical expenses for Pursel, who was seriously injured in a work accident on Dec. 7.

To enter, contact Mike Johnson at 585-297-6040 or Mark Brown at 716-474-7960.

-- The 41^st annual Mount Morris Pepsi Open scratch singles tournament will take place Jan. 18-20 at Mount Morris Lanes.

First place is guaranteed at $1,500, and one in five is guaranteed to cash. The entry fee is $70 (with a $50 re-entry fee).

Squad times are 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18; 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20. A last chance one-game squad for bowlers who didn’t make a squad cut is set for 4 p.m. on Sunday, prior to the eliminator finals.

The tourney has a 55-and-over incentive and is open to youth bowlers with any money winnings going to their SMART scholarship account.

To enter, call Mount Morris Lanes at 585-658-2540.

-- Legion Lanes in Le Roy is hosting the Help-R-Heroes four-person handicap no-tap tournament on Jan. 25-27, with squad times at 7 p.m. on Friday, and noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

First place, based on 40 entries, is $1,000, and the entry fee is $100 per team.  One in six teams will cash.

A chicken BBQ will be offered on Saturday night and an all-you-can-eat breakfast will be featured on Sunday (both at $10 per person).

To enter, call Scott O’Neill at 585-409-0459.

Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good.

While four-time Professional Bowlers Association Tour champion Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash., is very “good,” he also was more than a bit “lucky” en route to capturing the PBA Clash -- a made-for-TV, winner-take-all event that aired on FOX Sports over the Christmas holiday.

Kent left the Kegel Training Center in Lake Wales, Fla., with $25,000 more in his bank account after surviving two elimination roll-offs and catching a huge break late in the title match, a 218-215 win over Dom Barrett of England.

The PBA Clash featured eight of the world’s best players – Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich.; Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas; Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz.; Jason Belmonte, Australia; Stuart Williams, England; EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., Barrett, and Kent -- in a unique format that included an opening 10^th frame round, five one-ball, low-man-out rounds, and a full-game final match.

Kent began in fine style with three strikes in the first round and struck in the first one-ball round to advance to round three. In that round, the 2014 PBA Rookie of the Year crossed over to carry a strike and advance.

In round four, the right-hander’s delivery sailed wide right, leaving the 1-2-4. He managed to survive, however, when Simonson left the 2-8-10 on his shot to set up a roll-off between the two. In the roll-off, Kent struck, and then Simonson broke for six pins.

In the fifth round, Kent went to the “Brooklyn” side again, leaving the 9-pin, but advanced as Butturff left the 4-7.

Barrett, Williams and Kent all struck in round six and in the ensuing roll-off, Kent and Barrett struck while Williams left a pocket 7-10.

So, it was Barrett versus Kent for the title.

Trailing by 19 pins heading into the ninth frame, Kent tripped the 9-pin for a strike and then got the biggest break of all by taking out the 4-6-7 split on a shot that went right to the nose. He finished with two more strikes, which meant that Barrett needed the first strike in the 10^th to win.

When Barrett left a weak 10-pin, it was Kent who wound up hoisting the trophy.

FOX is broadcasting the PBA Tour in 2019, with most of the telecasts on FS1.  Go to pba.com for the complete schedule.

BATAVIAN LEADS QUALIFYING AT 60-AND-OVER

Batavia right-hander Paul Spiotta has found a “home away from home” in Bowl-A-Roll Lanes.

For the second straight 60-and-Over Tour event at the 32-lane center on Jefferson Road in Rochester, Spiotta led the qualifying round – topping the field of 57 bowlers with a 761 three-game series – in a tournament on Sunday (Dec. 23).

Spiotta rolled an 802 series last November in taking high qualifier honors at Bowl-A-Roll.

This year, after the 761, he rolled a 225 game to advance to the second round of the finals, before bowing out in the third round with a 202 game. He earned $110 for his effort.

Kevin Gray Sr. of Honeoye Falls also qualified with a 700 series, before being eliminated in the first round of the finals.

The next 60-and-Over Tour event is set for Jan. 27 at Parkview Bowl in Rochester.

PERRY TO HOST SCRATCH MEMORIAL SINGLES JAN. 5-6

Scott Culp of Lima is prepared to defend his title at the 65^th Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament on Jan. 5-6 at Perry Bowling Center.

Culp, a high-revving righty, actually has won the tournament, which features two different oil patterns, the past two years.

Qualifying squads (four games) are set for noon, 3 and 6 p.m. on Jan. 5 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 6, and will be contested on a 40-foot oil pattern. The semifinals and finals will start following the 10 a.m. squad on Jan. 6 and will be bowled on a 45-foot oil pattern.

The winner will receive $1,000 (based on 80 entries) and one in five will cash. The Genesee Region USBC is adding $400 to the prize fund.

The entry fee is $55 and re-entry is permitted.

To sign up in advance, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

OAK ORCHARD BOWL TEAMS CLIMB TO THE TOP

The two Oak Orchard Bowl teams in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League stand atop the standings at the mid-season break, with Oak Orchard II in first at 78.5-41.5 and Oak Orchard I close behind at 75-42.

Rose Garden II (Bergen), which has led for much of the season, is in third place at 74-46.

In action from Dec. 16 at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo, Ben Lennox (178 average) rolled a 545 series Tyler Brett (143 average) rolled a 524 series to lead Oak Orchard II to a 19-5 win over Mount Morris.

Individually, Dennis Van Duser of Perry Bowling Center took top honors for the week with a 602 series, while Trent Willis of Mount Morris had 558, Samantha Hyde of Le Roy Legion Lanes 540 and Madelynn Pimm of Rose Garden I 518.

The league bowls again on Jan. 20 at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE GENESEE REGION

-- Chris Haigh of Canandaigua, a former Turnbull Heating Junior League member and Batavia native, recorded his first USBC-certified 300 game on Nov. 21 while competing in the Canandaigua Merchants League at Roseland Bowl.

Haigh, 27, cut his teeth at Mancuso Bowling Center under the guidance of his father, Gary, an avid bowler, and participated in the youth program there for many years. He and his dad also bowled in the adult-child league in Batavia.

Now a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual, Chris averaged 197 in league play last season.

A call to him had not been returned by the time this column was posted.  

-- The Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes resumes with its second 10-week season on Jan. 6, with those interested having to sign up by Jan. 4.

Bowlers roll three games against others from the same average group and advance to a semifinal and final round each week. For more information, call Medina Lanes at 318-4474.

-- Entries are filling fast for the fifth annual GRUSBC Adult-Junior Doubles Tournament on Jan. 11-13 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

The Jan. 13 squad at 3 p.m. is already full. Other squad times are 7 p.m. Jan. 11, noon and 3 p.m. Jan. 12 and noon Jan. 13. The entry fee is $45 per team and at least one in five teams will cash.

Competition will take place in two divisions – 12 & under and 13 & over. To enter, send an email to tfstrikeforce@smn.com.

-- Mancuso Bowling Center is hosting a four-person handicap no-tap benefit tournament for Jim Pursel Jr. on Jan. 13, with squads at 1:30 and 4 p.m. First place, based on 48 teams, is $700 and one in eight spots will cash.

The entry fee is $120 per team with a third of that going to support Pursel, who is recovering from injuries suffered in a work accident on Dec. 7.

To enter, contact Mike Johnson at 585-297-6040 or Mark Brown at 716-474-7960.

-- Word out of Caledonia is that Raider Lanes (formerly Cal Bowl) is open for business and actively recruiting league bowlers.

Owner John Kabrovsky said that efforts are being made to start a Wednesday women's league and weekend mixed leagues over the next couple weeks. Currently, the 12-lane center is being managed by Devin Doolittle of Rochester and is open from Wednesday through Sunday.

-- Rob Stefani of Batavia put forth a better effort with a 202 game but went down to defeat during his Beat the Champ TV show appearance that was aired on Dec. 22-23 on WBBZ-TV (MeTV).

Stefani lost to Pat Brick of Buffalo, who rolled 247 and, by the way, will be inducted into the New York State Hall of Fame on June 1, 2019 in Syracuse.

North Stars -- Members of the North team, which continues to domilnate the Karl Marth Cup challenge match, are from left, Mike Allis, Jake Rosenbeck, Rob Sease, captain Tom Allis, Alex Allis, Hayden Allis, Scott Gibson, Jason Mahnke, Rich Culver, Aaron Verheyn, Mike Lavender and Roger Allis. Scott Shields also is on the squad.

The North’s blowout of the South on Saturday, Dec. 1 at Medina Lanes has brought the Karl Marth Cup series to a crossroads.

With its seventh win in the past eight years, Captain Tom Allis’ squad held onto its grip of the annual competition between bowlers from the Medina-Albion and bowlers from the Batavia area and points south and east of the city.

Sparked by 22-year-old Hayden Allis -- who averaged 240 and won all four of his matches -- the North rolled to a 76.5-46.5 victory. For his efforts, Allis was named the Scott Wright Memorial Outstanding Bowler.

The North’s dominance (it won five of six doubles matches and eight of 12 singles matches) left Paul Spiotta of the South team, the only bowler to participate in all 25 tournaments, wondering where to go from here.

The North leads the series, 15-10.

“I was watching some of their rev rates, especially the younger kids, and they we’re throwing pins all over the place,” said Spiotta, the only bowler to participate in all 25 tournaments. “Some of our guys just don’t have the rev rate and were leaving weak 10-pin after weak 10-pin.”

Tom Allis concurred with Spiotta’s assessment, adding that ball speed is a major factor in today’s game.

“Speed, even more than rev rate, is the key factor when bowling on lanes with a lot of backend,” said Allis, a bowling ball driller for many years.

Spiotta also noted that the North has infused its lineup with younger, stronger players, such as Hayden Allis, 19-year-old Alex Allis, and “thirty-somethings” Jake Rosenbeck and Mike Allis (who subbed for Scott Allis).

In fact, the average age of the North squad this year was 41, compared to the South’s average age of 51 ½.  The only South bowler under the age of 40 was Matt Slocum.

“We’re at a point where we have to decide whether this is a serious thing for bowlers who want to represent Batavia and points south or a casual thing where the losers buy dinner (for the winners),” Spiotta said. “The initial concept was that it was a competitive thing, and personally, I would like to keep it that way.”

For the latter to happen, the South may have to look to some of the up-and-coming younger bowlers in Batavia, Bergen, Le Roy and even to the Wyoming and/or Livingston county bowlers (as in the case of recent additions Slocum and Brett Van Duser, both of Perry).

With the competition set for Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, which has become a left-hander’s paradise in recent years, the South would be wise to recruit Rich Wagner (245 average) and some of his southpaw mates such as Jason Gallo (233) and Tom Baker (224).

Mike Johnson, another lefty who is averaging 215 at Mancuso’s, was on the South team this year.

Other Mancuso bowlers deserving of consideration include Mike Sputore (214), Nate Cordes (213), Matt Balduf (213), Steve Krna (213), Rob Stefani (211) and Alex Morris (211) and lefty Brian Green (208).

Chris Bardol has been tearing it up in Bergen for the past few years – and has fared well in tournament play at Mancuso’s – while Frank Jarkiewicz, Jerry Menzie Jr., Jason Heimlich and Rob Husted are among others who could be considered.

Just how to weave in some fresh faces into the mix is something that Ed Doody, the current South captain, and Spiotta will have to figure out.

Summarizing this year’s event, Alex, Roger and Hayden Allis won all four of their matches (two doubles and two singles), averaging 221, 216 and 240, respectively, for the North. Rob Sease, Mike Lavender and Mike Allis each went 3-1, with Sease averaging 231 and Lavender 223.

Other members of the winning team were Rich Culver, Scott Gibson, Aaron Verheyn, Scott Shields and Jason Mahnke.

Johnson led the South with a 227 average while Spiotta averaged 220, Slocum 218 and Gregg Wolff 216. Slocum had the high game of the day – 289.

Other members of the South team were Todd Mortellaro, Rick Saunders, Geoff Harloff, Steve O’Dell, Joe Trigilio and Jim Pursel.

On a sad note, Pursel, a self-employed contractor, suffered broken ribs, neck fractures and bruises last Friday when he fell from a ladder while working.  The 51-year-old Batavian returned home yesterday after several days at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Speaking (writing) for the bowling community, we all wish “Jimbo” a speedy and full recovery and hope to see him back on the lanes before the end of the season.

YOUTH ROUNDUP: YBT AT MANCUSO’S, GR TRAVEL LEAGUE

Some of the best young bowlers from upstate New York converged upon Mancuso Bowling Center on Sunday, Dec. 2 for a Youth Bowlers Tour event and five of them traveled home knowing they had qualified for Junior Gold competition.

Earning spots for the national Junior Gold tournament in Detroit next July were Anella Tillman of Keuka Park (U12 Girls), Kenny Haslip of Hilton (U15 Boys), Nicholas Santacroce of Utica (U17 Boys), Kaylee Hodson of Auburn (U20 Girls) and Zack Day of Victor (U20 Boys).

YBT champions for the day were Kenny Muhleisen of Arkport, handicap division; Edward Pietrasz of Dryden, scratch division, and Connor Brink of Penfield, classic division.

In Genesee Region Youth Travel League action on Dec. 2 at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Oak Orchard I moved into first place with a 20-4 win over Rose Garden Bowl I as Dallas Ecker notched a 507 series – well above his 136 average.

Perry Bowling Center went into second place with a 16-8 win over Rose Garden Bowl II behind Dennis Van Duser’s 227 game and 565 series.

High series: Trent Willis, Mount Morris, 621; Ben Lennox, Oak Orchard II, 619.

The league bowls again on Dec. 16 at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo.

GRUSBC LISTS TWO TOURNAMENTS IN JANUARY

The 65^th Genesee Region USBC Scratch Memorial Tournament is scheduled for Jan. 5-6 at Perry Bowling Center.

The singles tournament features qualifying squads (four games) at noon, 3 and 6 p.m. on Jan. 5 and 10 a.m. on Jan. 6. Semifinals and finals will follow.

First prize, based on 80 entries, is $1,000, and one in five bowlers will cash. Re-entry is allowed. The entry fee is $55.

Two oil patterns will be used – a 40-foot pattern during qualifying and a 45-foot pattern during the semifinals and finals.

Scott Culp of Lima won the tournament in 2017 and 2018.

To enter, send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com.

The fifth annual GRUSBC Adult-Junior Doubles Tournament is set for Jan. 11-13 at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.

Squad times (three games) are 7 p.m. Jan. 11, noon and 3 p.m. Jan. 12 and noon and 3 p.m. Jan. 13. The entry fee is $45 per team and at least one in five teams will cash.

Competition will take place in two divisions – 12 & under and 13 & over.

To enter, send an email to tfstrikeforce@smn.com.

Entry forms for both tournaments can be downloaded from www.bowlgr.com.

TONAWANDA BOWLERS CAPTURE LE ROY SCRATCH EVENT

Pete Maduri of North Tonawanda and Kevin Volker of Tonawanda posted a wire-to-wire victory Saturday in the Le Roy Scratch Doubles tournament at Legion Lanes.

Maduri and Volker shot 980 in the two-game qualifying round to lead the field of 30 entries, and went on to win three single-game matches for the $800 first prize.

Rob Sease of Brockport and Ryan Kretchmer of Rochester placed second, good for $400, while Rochester’s Sarah Germano and Dan Vick, and Sam Capizzi and Shannon Chapelsky took the third-fourth spots for $200 each.

In the Brian Morasco Memorial tournament last month at Mancuso Bowling Center, the trio of James Townsend, Matt Temple and John Wolff took the $640 top prize with a 2,351 no-tap score.

They won by a single pin over Dennis Maid, Tim Maid and Chase Cone ($320), and 16-pins over third-place Leon Hurd, Recco Jewell and Tony Gallo ($210).

The event drew 43 entries and raised more than $2,000 for Genesee Cancer Assistance.

MORE THAN THEIR ‘FAIR’ SHARE OF GREAT BOWLING

To say that bowlers in the Fairview Juniors and Fairport High varsity bowling programs have a bright future wouldn’t do them justice because for these talented individuals, the future is now.

A quartet of teen bowlers from the Rochester suburb had been nothing short of amazing thus far this season.

-- Alex Linnenbrink, 16, has games of 298, 299 and 300 with high series of 834 and 829 since the start of the high school campaign just a few weeks ago.

-- Bentley Hilbert, 15, and Stefano Cittadino, 17, notched their first perfect games during high school competition.

-- And Michael Eichner, 16, rolled a 300 last Friday in the junior league.

The success of these boys – and of boys and girls in our area as well – gives me hope that there truly is a “future for our sport.”

Batavia’s Rob Stefani has made it back to the Beat the Champ TV show, and will be on the small screen almost a year to the day after appearing on the WBBZ-TV (MeTV) broadcast that emanated from Mancuso Bowling Center.

This year, the scene of the action is Brad Angelo Lanes in Lockport and that’s where Stefani, a 34-year-old right-hander, edged fellow Batavian Brian Green on Sunday for the ninth and final berth, which qualifies him to be on the last of three shows in December. Taping is set for Dec. 3 at the Lockport bowling center.

“I was able to grind it out,” said Stefani, who rolled the last five strikes in his third game to post a 683 score – one pin more than lefty Green’s 682.

Stefani started with a 269 in the 24-bowler finals but fell to 199 in the second game.

“It didn’t look good but fortunately I was able to finish strong,” Stefani said, as his 215 third game barely held off Green, who posted 224-211-247.

Stefani, who earned $150, is the only bowler outside of the Buffalo area to reach this month’s show – where he will have an opportunity for more prize winnings.

He will appear in the third show -- which airs on Dec. 23 -- and will go up against Tyler Molina of Buffalo, Pat Brick of Buffalo and whoever the “champ” is.  Currently, Chuck Jagodzinski of Lancaster rules the roost.

Tim Frenz of Depew, Tony Dolan of West Seneca and Ryan Kress of Cheektowaga will battle against Jagodzinski on the first show (Dec. 9), and Tom Sorce of Blasdell, Tim Finken of Depew and Gary Kinyon of Lockport, who rolled a 300 game in the finals, will compete on the Dec. 16 telecast.

Mancuso Bowling Center opted not to participate in the program this year due to a decrease in the number of entries.

KARL MARTH CUP RIVALRY RENEWS ON SATURDAY

The North squad, led by non-playing captain Tom Allis, has the “home court” advantage as it looks to extend its dominance in the Karl Marth Cup series at 1:30 p.m. this Saturday at Medina Lanes.

In 2017, the North defeated the South, 64.5-58.5, at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield for its sixth victory in the past seven years. Overall, the North holds a 14-10 edge.

The teams compete in Doubles, Singles, Baker-style Doubles and Baker-style Team.

Rosters are as follows:

North – Alex Allis, Hayden Allis, Roger Allis, Scott Allis, Richard Culver, Scott Gibson, Mike Lavender, Jason Mahnke, Jake Rosenbeck, Rob Sease, Scott Shields and Aaron Verheyn.

South – Ed Doody (captain), Geoff Harloff, Mike Johnson, Todd Mortellaro, Steve O’Dell, Jim Pursel, Rick Saunders, Matt Slocum, Paul Spiotta, Joe Trigilio, Brett Van Duser and Gregg Wolff.

SPIOTTA, LOGAN CASH AT 60-AND-OVER TOURNEY

Make it six out of eight “cashes” for Batavian Paul Spiotta in Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour competition.

The 61-year-old right-hander led the qualifying round with 727 before bowing out in the second round of the finals Sunday at Brad Angelo Lanes in Lockport. He took home $95 for his efforts.

Bill Logan of Albion also cashed, posting a 584 to qualifying in the 65-69 age group, before being eliminated in the first round.

Ed Mousseau of East Amherst made a successful debut on the Tour by defeating Fred Back of Clarence Center, 196-182, in the title match. Mousseau, former director of the Amateur Bowlers Tour, earned $300.

The tournament attracted 47 entrants.

The next event is set for 12:30 p.m. (check-in starts at 11L30 a.m.) on Dec. 23 at Bowl A Roll Lanes in Rochester.

ANDERSON CAPTURES PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The Professional Bowlers Association last week announced that second-year member Andrew Anderson of Holly, Mich., has been selected as the 2018 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, while 20-year-old Kamron Doyle of Brentwood, Tenn., has been selected as the 2018 Harry Golden PBA Rookie of the Year.

Other honorees were Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., who captured the 2018 Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award, and 2018 PBA Hall of Fame inductee Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, who earned the PBA Tony Reyes Memorial Community Service Award.

Anderson, 23, and Doyle will be recognized on national television during the PBA Clash telecast that on FOX on Sunday, Dec. 23. Smallwood and Barnes will receive their awards during the PBA Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Saturday, Jan. 5, from the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in Arlington, Texas.

Anderson won two titles in 2018 -- the United States Bowling Congress Masters (his first major) and the Xtra Frame Greater Jonesboro Open on his way to winning the 2018 Harry Smith PBA Points Leader award. He cashed in 16 of the 19 events he entered and had five top-five finishes, including a third-place finish in the PBA Tournament of Champions.

ALBION’S SNOOK QUALIFIES FOR JUNIOR GOLD

Sixteen-year-old Paige Snook of Albion will be heading to Detroit this summer to compete against some of the best youth bowlers in the nation.

Paige, daughter of Paul and Kelly Snook, placed second at a Youth Bowling Tour event on Nov. 18 at Doug Kent’s Rose Bowl Lanes in Newark to earn a spot in the Girls U17 Division at Junior Gold.

The national tournament, sponsored by the Brands of Ebonite International, is scheduled for July 13-20, 2019 at several bowling centers in the Detroit area. Competition is in eight divisions -- U12 Boys, U12 Girls, U15 Boys, U15 Girls, U17 Boys, U17 Girls, U20 Boys and U20 Girls.

Snook, a 160-plus average bowler, rolled games of 167, 178, 169 and 155 in the four-game qualifier on a Sport (difficult) oil pattern to advance to match play. She won her first match with 183 before losing in the final match with a 133.

She is a member of the youth bowling program at Oak Orchard Lanes in Albion and the Genesee Region Youth Travel League.

HATS OFF TO CHRIS HUNTZ FOR 247 TRIPLICATE

We previously reported – in the weekly league high scores roundup – that Perry’s Chris Huntz spun a 247-247-247 triplicate in the Monday Nite 5 League at Perry Bowling Center on Nov. 12.

It wasn’t until last week that I found out what the 35-year-old right-hander needed in the 10^th frame of the third game to roll another 247.

Huntz said he had to have a strike on the first ball and nine more pins on the final two rolls to do it. He got the strike then left the 6-7-10 split. He then knocked down the 6 and the 10 for the 247.

Rose Garden Bowl proprietor Tom Sardou, left, congratulates Jeff Dewar and Kevin Donaghue following Sunday's 11th annual Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament. Dewey, center, defeated Donaghue in a title match decided in the 10th frame.

Rochester’s Jeff Dewar has been knocking on the door for the past two years, but in this year’s Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen he decided to kick it in.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who turned 49 earlier this month, had reason to celebrate again on Sunday when he fired two strikes in the 10^th frame to defeat Kevin Donaghue of Depew, 245-238, in the title match.

The victory was worth $500 for Dewar, a sales rep for Wright Beverage, while Donaghue pocketed $250 for placing second. Donaghue struck out in the 10^th frame to force Dewar to get two strikes in his 10^th frame to win.

Donaghue, a wealth management advisor for TIAA-Cref in Buffalo, is the son of former Batavian Pat Donaghue, who also cashed in the tournament.

“I finally broke through,” said Dewar, who qualified with 730 in 2016 and 736 in 2017, losing in first round and second round of the eliminator finals, respectively.

This year, he tied Frank Fitzmaurice of Rochester as the high qualifier with a three-game score of 769, all scratch since he averages higher than 220. From there, he posted 229, 279 and 248 to reach the final match.

A once-a-week league bowler, he said this is his first tournament win, and he did it using a Storm Intense on the Rose Garden Bowl house shot.

Kevin Donaghue qualified in the fourth position – 16 bowlers advanced – with 748 and proceeded to roll games of 259, 248 and 278 in the eliminator rounds. 

Fitzmaurice of Rochester and Bob Wiley of Fairport were ousted in the third round and took home $125 apiece. Fitzmaurice’s day was highlighted by his first 300 game, coming in the middle of a 769 series, which included 12 pins handicap.

Other cashers:

Rochester residents Steve Meyer, who also had a 300 game during qualifying; Scott Dingman, 83-year-old Charlie Gfeller, and defending champion John Martorella Sr., $90 apiece;

Kevin Gray Sr. of Honeoye Falls, A.J. Allenbrandt of Le Roy, Pat Donaghue of Honeoye Falls, Gary Kinyon of Lockport, James McCormick of Churchville, Frank Jarkiewicz of Byron, Geoff Harloff of Batavia and Kara Mangiola of Rochester, $65 each.

Two-hander Mark Scuderi of Rochester picked the 7-10 split.

The tournament drew 70 entrants, two short of a full field. It took a score of 725 to make the top 14, with Mangiola taking the women’s spot with 713 and Kinyon earning the Super Senior spot with 709.

WARSAW’S RON BACON CAPTURES GR SENIOR MASTERS

Ron Bacon, left, Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters champion and Jim Pursel, runner-up.

Ron Bacon of Warsaw defeated Batavian Jim Pursel in the title match to claim the Genesee Region USBC Senior Masters crown on Saturday at Livingston Lanes in Geneseo.

The victory – Bacon’s first singles tournament win -- was worth $230 plus a free entry into the GRUSBC Masters and a plaque from Joe's Awards & Trophies.

Bacon, a 54-year-old right-hander, defeated Pursel 204-132, to cap a day that saw him post 673 in the three-game qualifying round, 455 in the two-game second round and 214 in the one-game third round prior to the three-person step-ladder finals.

“I had a really good look from the start,” said Bacon, noting that his seven games ranged from 204 to 244. “Normally I play up the boards, but here I moved left a bit to the 12^th board and had a great line to the pocket.”

He said he used a Track Alias to conquer the Livingston Lanes house shot.

A mill operator at Markin Tubing in Pearl Creek, Bacon bowls in a Monday night league at Perry Bowling Center and in a Friday night league with his sons, Kyle and Jeff, at Letchworth Pines in Portageville (where he averaged 216 last season).

Pursel made it to the title match by rolling two strikes in the 10^th frame to edge Roger Allis of Medina, 189-185.

Scott Kern of Basom was the high qualifier with 717, followed by Batavians Scott Shields and Paul Spiotta, who posted 710 and 701, respectively.

Other qualifiers were Allis, 697; Al Vlietstra of Geneseo, 683; Bacon, 673; Mike Kime of Honeoye Falls, 671; Matt Balduf of South Byron, 668; Don Parrott of Warsaw, 666; Pursel, 649; Doug Johnston of Livonia, 636, and Joe Trigilio of Attica, 627.

Six of the 12 bowlers advanced from the second round – Balduf, 491; Kern, 469; Pursel, 458; Bacon, 455; Allis, 414, and Shields, 404. In the one-game third round, advancing were Pursel, 222; Bacon, 214, and Allis, 183.

Pursel earned $150 for his runner-up finish, while Allis won $100. Kern, Balduf and Shields made $60 apiece, while the other qualifiers pocketed $45 each.

The tournament drew 38 entries.

GLADYS FORD SENIOR WOMEN TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Bowlers from Mount Morris Lanes, Letchworth Pines and Perry Bowling Center claimed age group titles Saturday at the Gladys Ford Senior Women’s Tournament conducted by the Genesee Region USBC.

Winners of the various age classifications and their three-game scores with handicap are as follows:

Class AA -- Bonnie Wass, Perry 674.

Class A -- Jeanne Rosa, Perry 674.

Class B -- Nancy Freelove, Mt Morris 616.

Class C -- Diana Bucknam, Mt Morris 658.

Class D -- Cathi Fournier, Mt Morris 651.

Class E -- Christy Hume, Letchworth 607.

BRIAN MORASCO MEMORIAL TOURNEY IS SATURDAY

Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia is hosting the 3rd annual Brian Morasco three-person handicap no-tap tournament this Saturday, with proceeds from the event and basket raffles going to Genesee Cancer Assistance and the Arthritis Foundation.

Squad times are 1 and 3 p.m. To sign up, call Mark Brown at 716-474-7900 or Mancuso Bowling Center at 585-343-1319.

First place, based on 48 teams, is $750. The entry fee is $75 per team.

VAN DUSER, SNOOK MAKE YOUTH BOWLING HEADLINES

Dennis Van Duser of Perry and Paige Snook of Albion, a pair of 16-year-olds, fared well in youth bowling action recently.

Van Duser, a two-hander, rolled his first USBC-certified 700 series – 706 – in the Genesee Region Youth Travel League at Legion Lanes in Le Roy.

His big series helped his Perry Bowling Center team defeat Mount Morris, 19-5, and move into third place in the seven-team league.

Rose Garden Bowl II continues to lead with a 52-20 record, while Oak Orchard Bowl I is in second at 45-24.

The league bowls again on Dec. 2 at Oak Orchard Bowl.

Snook competed in the Youth Bowlers Tour at Bowl-A-Roll Lanes in Rochester and finished in the 3^rd-4^th spot in the handicap division.

She bowled games of 200 and 202 in match play.

The U.S. Open wasn’t kind to PBA legend Pete Weber, who was forced to withdraw on Friday due to a hip injury and, in an interview with Lucas Wiseman of FloBowling (flobowling.com) afterwards, added some insult to the situation by blasting the United States Bowling Congress.

----------------
Dom Barrett of England triumphs as No. 1 seed Butturff falters again
See story below
-----------------

Weber was upset about the USBC’s practice time format, which allocates 14 lanes not being used during the tournament and gives each squad (48 bowlers) about 20 minutes of practice time. After that, the bowlers get one practice ball on each of their starting lanes.

During the interview, Weber made his feelings very clear. This is what he said:

“One ball on each lane when you start, I’m sorry but I don’t know what the USBC is trying to do to us, but to me it’s kind of stupid. I’m sorry, I’ve always been straight forward, but I think what they’re doing to us right now is very stupid.”

He said it wasn’t a matter of him not being physically able to compete.

“No, I went down to the practice, and we’ve got 20 minutes of practice on the pairs down there. But when there are five, six guys on a lane, you only get three, four or five shots, maybe. I’m sorry, I’m 56 years old and I need more than five or six shots. And then when they make us move to our pair and I only get one shot on each lane, I think that’s just totally wrong, I think that’s just totally wrong.”

He acknowledged his disappointment with having to withdraw for the second straight year.

“My hip hurt. The conditions were stupid. And even this year … I know we’re bowling on fresh (oil) every squad, but they’re not giving us anything to work with. And I am up to here with the USBC. I’m almost ready to quit.”

He said he is thinking about retiring from the regular tour but sticking with the senior tour (PBA50).

“Now I got two months off. I’ve got my new doctor here. He made me feel really good. But when I have to go and stand straight up when I throw a shot, that doesn’t help me. And when you can’t get the ball to go 30 feet down the lane before it hooks, it’s – like I said – stupid, it’s really stupid.”

He said his dissatisfaction is directed at the USBC.

“I’m not frustrated with bowling -- I’m frustrated with the USBC and what they’re trying to do to bowling right now. I don’t mean any disrespect to the USBC, but I think that what they’re doing is not right – and I think they’re just hurting bowling right now, especially professional bowling.”

Wiseman, a former USBC staffer, wrote a column related to Weber’s rant, properly noting that the USBC is trying to retain the integrity of the oil pattern by limiting practice on tournament pairs.

He also wrote that 48 bowlers on 14 lanes for 20 minutes means there are “too many players practicing on too few lanes.”

BATAVIA YOUTHS OFF TO GOOD START IN ROCHESTER LEAGUE

Mancuso Bowling Center’s entry in the Rochester NY USBC Youth Travel League Handicap Division is off to a flying start, winning 20 of its first 30 points over three weeks of competition.

Coached by Tom Fluker, the team is tied for second place with AMF Dewey Gardens II and AMF Gates Bowl III – six points behind AMF Fairview Lanes I. Gates has four teams in the league while Fairview and Dewey Gardens each have two teams.

Other teams represent Bowl-A-Roll, Brockport Bowl, AMF Empire Lanes, Radio Social and Miller Lanes (Honeoye Falls).

Individually, Tony Sprague rolled 247—659 and Emma Miller 187—513 last week to lead the way. Sprague leads the league with a 195 average while Miller is second among the girls with a 164 average.

Other Batavia team members are Corinne Saluste, Ben Sputore, Zach Wester and Haylee Thornley. Four of the six are selected to compete in the weekly league, which ends in late March.

Mancuso’s is hosting the league at 2 p.m. this Saturday.

ROSE GARDEN TEAM RED-HOT IN GR TRAVEL LEAGUE

The Rose Garden II team defeated the Rose Garden I team, 20-4, in recent Genesee Region Youth Travel League action at Mount Morris Lanes and now has a 13-point lead over second-place Perry Bowling Center.

Evan Phillips set the pace with a 667 series with handicap, while teammates Sawyer Zinter, Megan Jarkiewicz and Brendan Pimm each topped the 600 mark with handicap.

On the scratch side, Samantha Hyde (Le Roy Legion Lanes) had the high series for the week with 207—578, followed by Dennis Van Duser (Perry Bowling Center) with 193—533.

The league bowls again this Sunday afternoon at Legion Lanes.

NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE GENESEE REGION

-- Several Genesee Region USBC members have signed up to compete in the 2^nd NYS Senior Masters this Saturday at Cort Lanes in Cortland. Qualifying squad times (four games) are 9 and 11:30 a.m., with the top 16 advancing to head-to-head match play.

To enter, call 585-343-3736 or send an email to bowlny300@yahoo.com. A list of bowlers and more information can be found at www.bowlny.com.

In Tommy Kress’ 60-and-Over Tour action last Sunday, John Masiello of Kenmore won his second straight tournament, rolling 265 to defeat Keith Garceau of Rochester (263) and Don Perrault of Rochester (243) in a high-scoring final match. No Genesee Region bowlers cashed. The next tournament is set for Nov. 25 at Brad Angelo Lanes in Lockport.

-- Employees at Scopano’s Lanes in Oakfield were informed last week that the sale of the Oakfield Hotel and bowling center to a couple from New Jersey is nearly complete. According to co-owner “Jonesy” Scopano, the establishment will change hands once the state approves a new liquor license.

USBC Press Release

WICHITA, Kan. – England’s Dom Barrett won four matches Wednesday on his way to claiming the 2018 U.S. Open, including a thrilling one-pin victory over top-seed Jakob Butturff of Chandler, Arizona, in the title match, 207-206.

The 33-year-old right-hander became the third foreign-born player to win the U.S. Open, joining Finland’s Mika Koivuniemi (2001) and Canada’s Francois Lavoie (2016). He earned the $30,000 top prize and coveted green jacket presented to the champion.

Wednesday’s stepladder finals at Northrock Lanes were televised live on CBS Sports Network.

The title match swung back and forth as both players tried to figure out the 43-foot oil pattern. An open in the fifth frame from Barrett gave Butturff a slight advantage, as both competitors headed into the final frame working on doubles.

Butturff, finishing the match first, nearly left a 7-10 split on his first shot before the 7 pin tumbled late. He converted the spare and struck on his fill ball, forcing Barrett to strike on his first shot for a chance at the title.

Barrett rolled the strike he needed to start the 10th frame, but a 4-6 split on his second shot left him needing to convert just one pin for the victory. His spare attempt was left of target, but it was enough to push over the 6 pin to give him his seventh Professional Bowlers Association Tour title and second major championship.

“For me, it’s about slowing everything down as much as I can in those situations,” said Barrett, who won the 2013 PBA World Championship. “I threw the one in the 10th really well, and I thought the 11th shot was OK, but I must have grabbed a lot of that one. On the spare attempt, I told myself that I didn’t want to miss it right, and I certainly didn’t do that.”

Barrett credited his run through the stepladder to his aggressiveness. He made a big move to the left to start the third game and made multiple ball changes over the course of his final two wins. In all, he averaged more than 238 on his way to the title.

As exciting as the win is for Barrett, he looks forward to everything awaiting him across the Atlantic Ocean. Barrett and his wife, Cassie, recently welcomed son, Colby.

“This means so much,” said Barrett, the runner-up at the 2015 U.S. Open. “Especially for my family at home, too. My wife has hardly had any sleep for the last 10 weeks with a newborn baby, so I think it’s now time for me to take care of my dad duties and take care of my family.”

Butturff led the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year by a sizeable margin to earn the No. 1 seed for the TV show. The 24-year-old left-hander led this year’s field by 552 pins after leading by 617 pins in Liverpool, New York, in 2017.

He joined PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer Earl Anthony as the only bowlers to earn the top seed in consecutive years at the U.S. Open since 1971. Anthony also was defeated in each title match, dropping the final game in 1979 and 1980.

“It definitely hurts, especially losing by one, but at least I can say I led this tournament two years in a row, by a lot,” said Butturff, a four-time PBA Tour champion. “It’s about the only thing I can take out of it, but it’s definitely an amazing feeling.

“I threw a couple of bad shots but threw one good when I needed to and (left a) 10 pin. At least I forced him to show up. You know, Dom bowled phenomenal this week, too; we all did on the TV show. It’s rough, but at the same time, I always think of it as another learning experience.”

Barrett also delivered in the 10th frame to advance to the championship match, beating Kristopher Prather of Plainfield, Illinois, 226-222.

Prather had built an early lead, striking on six of his first seven shots but missed a 6 pin in the eighth frame to allow Barrett, who had been struggling with carry, to tighten the match.

Prather missed the opportunity to shut out Barrett in the 10th. Given the chance to fill 26 pins in the 10th to advance, Barrett rolled a double and got nine pins on his fill ball to secure his spot in the championship match.

Barrett defeated EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Indiana, 264-248, to advance to the semifinals. Barrett finished the game first and delivered a double to force Tackett to do the same, but the 12-time PBA Tour champion was unable to get the 10 pin out on his first shot.

Tackett was hoping to become the seventh player to complete the PBA’s Triple Crown. He had claimed the 2016 PBA World Championship and 2017 PBA Tournament of Champions.

In the opening match of the stepladder, Barrett bested Marshall Kent of Yakima, Washington, 258-203. Barrett delivered 10 strikes on his way to the win, while Kent was unable to recover from opens in the third and fifth frames.

All competitors at the 2018 event bowled 24 qualifying games over three days to determine the 36 players advancing to a cashers’ round. After eight additional games, the field was cut to the top 24 players for round-robin match play.

The five finalists were determined by total pinfall, including bonus pins, for 56 games.

The U.S. Open is the fourth and final major championship on the 2018 PBA Tour schedule and is conducted jointly by the United States Bowling Congress and Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America.

Each round of the 2018 U.S. Open leading up to the stepladder finals was broadcast live on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame on FloBowling.

2018 U.S. OPEN
At Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.
Wednesday’s results

FINAL STANDINGS
1, Dom Barrett, England, 955 (four games), $30,000
2, Jakob Butturff, Chandler, Ariz., 206 (one game), $15,000
3, Kris Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 222 (one game), $12,000
4, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 248 (one game), $10,000
5, Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 203 (one game), $8,000

STEPLADDER RESULTS
Match No. 1 – Barrett def. Kent, 258-203
Match No. 2 – Barrett def. Tackett, 264-248
Semifinal – Barrett def. Prather, 226-222
Championship – Barrett def. Butturff, 207-206