Shafer fourth in Open bowling, trying for finals berth

Professional Bowlers Association player Ryan Shafer of Horseheads advanced to Saturday night's TV round of the Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open at Brunswick Zone-Carolier.

Shafer had a pinfall total of 10,982 after 50 games, fourth highest in the field.

The top three players -- Norm Duke, Tommy Jones and Mika Koivuniemi -- earned spots in Sunday's TV finals, which start at 3 p.m. and will be televised live by ESPN.

Players in positions four, five and six advanced to Saturday's first round of the TV finals (10 p.m. on ESPN2). Bill McNeill, the sixth-place bowler, bowled Dan MacLelland for the right to face Shafer.

The winner of Saturday's second match was to join the top three in Sunday's stepladder finals.

Ovid-Elsie wins Tri-Valley Conference championships in girls bowling; Alma's Hannah Chase takes individual honors

Hannah Chase got rolling early at Saturday's Tri-Valley Conference Championships at Crooked Creek Bowling Lanes, finishing the first game of her series with a tournament-high 255 game.

Chase added a 172 and 213 and her 640 series was good enough to win top individual honors at the 15-team tournament. Ovid-Elsie won the team title with 2,802 pins, beating runner-up Ithaca by 99 pins. Alma finished third with a 2,667 score for the three games.

Chase edged Hemlock's Tori Ludu by five pins. Ludu rolled a series-best 237 in her first game and finished with 635. Ludu's Huskies teammate, Shauna Treib, finished third with a 630 while Ithaca's Farrand Schenider was fourth with a 615.

Birch Run captures Tri-Valley Conference Championship in boys bowling

The Birch Run boys bowling team won the Tri-Valley Conference championship on Saturday at Crooked Creek Bowling Lanes, scoring 3,231 in the three-game series to easily beat runner-up Ovid-Elsie by 113 pins.

Birch Run junior Andy Williams captured the individual title in the boys tournament, rolling a 731. Eric Kniebbe (664) and Matt Hogan (645) each finished in the top 15 for the Panthers, who landed four of their bowlers on the All-Tri-Valley East first team.

"This was Andy's first year of any organized bowling," Birch Run coach Bob McKinnon said. "He put a lot of work in, went to camps and was in the bowling ally two or three times a week.

"He deserved it."

Bowling challenge raises money, fosters awareness for Big Brothers, Big Sisters

Brandan Adams serves as an assistant bowling coach at Birch Run High School, and has been bowling since his own high school days.

Adams currently works at the Birch Run Arby’s, and when he was approached to be on a team for the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Flint’s Bowling Challenge, it seemed like a no-brainer.

“I enjoy bowling a lot,” Adams said. “I figured if I could raise some doing it, why not?”

Adams’ team was one of about 520 who participated in the 32nd annual challenge, donating money to Big Brothers, Big Sisters in the process.

The organization’s biggest fundraiser began Thursday and ran through Sunday at Galaxy Lanes in Grand Blanc, 2226 E. Hill Road.

The goal was for around 600 teams to sign up and raise about $160,000, but the organization is still happy with the results, said Reta Stanley, president of Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The fundraiser provides the organization with about 20 percent of its operating budget, which goes toward helping at-risk youth find mentors.

“We've had a steady flow of people throughout the weekend,” Stanley said. “That's why we're here, for the kids in the community.”

Each team member was responsible for raising $45 in pledged donations.

The team from the Birch Run Arby’s was one of 27 from Arby’s around the Genesee County area. Shelly McKinnon organized the Birch Run team after she was approached to put one together for the first time from her store.

“You have to love it,” McKinnon said. “It’s going to a good cause.”

While they may have fallen a bit short of the goal of 600 teams, Stanley said the turnout was still excellent.

She said the diversity of the teams is greater than in years past, when organizations like General Motors and the United Auto Workers would bring very large groups to the challenge. Many bowlers also raised more than the required $45, Stanley said.

The event can serve as a recruiting tool for the organization, an event for members to attend or just a community event, Stanley said.

“It connects people stronger to the agency,” she said. “It gives them a better understanding of what we’re doing.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters officials were still hopeful they’d reach their goal through the challenge, but donations will be accepted through March 31, Stanley said.

“We want people to know even though the event at Galaxy Lanes ends, the campaign doesn’t,” Stanley said.

Alabama State Hornet's Bowling Makes SWAC Championship Field

The Alabama State University bowling team has qualified for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 2011 Bowling Championship Field.

The top three teams from each division made the field and the Lady Hornets were one of the three teams from the Eastern Division.

The Lady Hornets have shown tremendous improvement during the course of the season. After only winning four matches last season, the Lady Hornets pushed their record into double digits this season with 10 overall wins, and that includes winning four SWAC matches.

Alabama A&M and Jackson State are the other two teams from the Eastern Division to make the field while Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern and Southern University made the field from the Western Division.

The SWAC Tournament will begin Friday, March 4, with qualifying rounds to determine seeding. Teams will then be placed in a double-elimination bracket in Baker play.

Play will continue on Saturday with teams competing in a best-of-seven Baker series. The 2011 SWAC Bowling Championship will conclude on Sunday, March 6 which will begin at 1 p.m. and will broadcast tape-delayed on ESPNU.

Girls Bowling: Zopf Leads Andrew to State Tourney

The Southwest Prairie Conference will get its chance to prove once and for all its the toughest conference in Illinois at the girls bowling state tournament Friday and Saturday at Cherry Lanes in Rockford.

The eight-team conference is sending three participants into the fray in sectional champions Minooka and Oswego and Bolingbrook sectional runner-up Plainfield Central.

Andrew of the Southwest Suburban Conference is making its first state appearance since 2007.

“It’s going to be great,” Oswego coach Dan Okoren said. “I feel very confident. We’re going to prepare this week and have some fun along the way.”

Courtney Petosky, Oswego’s top bowler all year and the Bolingbrook individual sectional champion, is making a return trip to Rockford after qualifying as an individual in 2010.

“There’s nothing to lose because we made it to state,” said Petosky, a junior. “You have to bowl the best you can, stay confident and leave everything out there.”

 “Courtney (Petosky) went last year individually, and she really wanted the team around her,” Okoren said. “She’s got that now.”

Plainfield Central, which is making its fifth trip to Rockford, took third in 2006.

“We’re going to have fun in Rockford,” Plainfield Central coach Connie McGrath said. “I want to give these kids the full experience. We’re going to soak up every minute of it. This is our Super Bowl. We are going to enjoy our last tournament together as a team.”

“It’s my senior year and I want to go out with a big bang,” Plainfield Central senior Sam Burchart said. “It’s going to be so exciting.”

Plainfield Central's Tricia Zimmerman (an Ashford University recruit) and Chelsea Oshita (McKendree University signee) will be making their third state appearances. Both are seniors.

“I’ve never really been to state as a player,” Burchart said. “I went with Tricia (Zimmerman) when she went as an individual and it was amazing. I’m thrilled. I love all my teammates, and I think it’s going to be the best experience I’ll ever have, especially since it’s my senior year. You can’t get much more exciting than that.”

Minooka is making its sixth trip to the state tournament, but only has one state trophy to show for it (third in 2005).

“We’re getting hot at the right time of the year,” Minooka coach Frank Yudzentis said. “We feel pretty confident about what we’re doing.”

Also brimming with confidence are junior Courtney Johnston and freshman Emily Koulis, who each won medals last weekend at the Andrew Sectional. Senior Alyssa Poole is making her third trip to the state tourney.

“You don’t want to be at the sectional or state tournament and beat yourself,” Yudzentis said. “That’s our approach. If a team beats us, kudos to them. We are going to make shots, spares and know that the tournament isn’t a one-game affair. It’s 12 games. That’s a long tournament.”

Among the teams expected to challenge for the state title are Rockford Jefferson and Machesney Park Harlem.

Although Andrew is making just its second state appearance, something could be brewing as the Thunderbolts’ state lineup is void of seniors.

Sophomore Nicole Zopf shot a 1,273 at the Andrew Sectional and is primed for a run at an individual medal if the Thunderbolts fail to advance to the second day.

Speaking of individuals, Lincoln-Way North sisters, sophomore Kayla and senior Kelsey O'Brien, are making their state tournament debuts after qualifying out of the Andrew Sectional.

Oswego East senior Kelsey Johnson is hoping her third trip to the state tourney is a charm. She was an individual qualifier out of the Bolingbrook Sectional.

“She’ll do just fine downstate,” Oswego East coach Jeremy Hillman said. “This is her third time downstate, so she has some experience. This is the first time she’ll be there individually so it will be interesting to see how she does.”

“I’m going to work on the things I’ve been working on all year,” Johnson said. “I’m going to focus on what I have to do and not worry about everybody else around me.”

Klahowya’s Bailey wins 2nd bowling title

Klahowya’s Carys Bailey defended her Class 3A/2A individual bowling title on Friday at Narrows Plaza, Tacoma.

Abby King of Bremerton finished second.

In 4A, Central Kitsap’s Myrenda Stout finished fourth.

The team championships begin Saturday with 14 baker games beginning at 8 a.m. Bremerton, Klahowya and Central Kitsap will be competing.

Kennewick's Blackketter heads to state bowling

Kennewick senior Brittany Blackketter will be among 144 individual bowlers vying for a piece of the state pie as the 4A and 3A/2A girls bowling championships begin at 10 a.m. today at Narrows Plaza Bowl in University Place.
Blackketter rolled a 552 series (173-167-212) to finish second overall among 3A/2A contenders Jan. 26 in the District 5/6 regional tournament at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick.
Blackketter earned the first of two individual allocations, and West Valley junior Miki Campbell rolled a 548 series (145-169-234) to place third among the 3A individuals and take the region's other 3A individual entry.
Meanwhile, the Moses Lake squad, which qualified for state with a first-place regional finish of 3,468 pins, will arrive with seven seniors -- Crystal Balderas, Shanice Brice, Brittney Ledbetter, Bianca Martinez, Andrea Moreno, Ashlann Starkweather and Brittany Simpson.
The Chiefs will compete against eight other 4A teams as they mark their first state bowling appearance since 2007, when they finished fourth overall with a 7,080 pin count.
According to the WIAA website, all bowlers will roll against a middle road oil pattern.
Moses Lake coach Billy Brice said the pattern will pose challenges.
"It's more of something you'd see at a higher level, professional or college-type level," Brice said of the surface design, which he sees as an equalizer.
"Everybody has the same condition. It's not like they're unfair, (but) it's a lot more pressure on the girls to bowl on something they haven't bowled on all year."

World Bowling Tour Finals to be Televised as Part of World Series of Bowling

The first World Bowling Tour schedule will culminate with a special made for television event featuring the top three men and top three women in the season-ending points list.

The World Tenpin Bowling Association World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the Professional Bowlers Association will be taped for broadcast during the PBA’s World Series of Bowling. The one-hour long event will feature a total prize fund of $40,000 and be broadcast on national television in the United States.

“Holding this special season-ending event to the World Bowling Tour adds even more value to those tournaments who are on board with the Tour,” WTBA President Kevin Dornberger said. “It also presents incentive to all of the world’s top bowlers to compete in all of the World Bowling Tour events for a chance to compete in this special event.”

The World Bowling Tour is made up of various events around the world throughout the course of 2011. Players earn points based on how they finish in the event and those points will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the players eligible for the World Bowling Tour Finals.

“The PBA is proud to present the World Bowling Tour Finals as the culminating event for the top points getters on the WBT, both male and female,” said Tom Clark, PBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. “The PBA is a strong supporter of the growth of international bowling and hosted one of the greatest collections of international talent at the PBA World Series of Bowling this season. It is a great sign of unity among the leading bowling organizations in the world that the WTBA World Bowling Tour Finals presented by the PBA will be an ESPN telecast emanating from next season’s PBA World Series of Bowling.”

Mika Koivuniemi of Finland leads the World Bowling Tour men’s points list after one event. Koivuniemi won the Brunswick Ballmaster Open at Tali Bowling in Helsinki, Finland last month to earn 50 points.

Koivuniemi defeated fellow Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour exempt player Sean Rash, 236-191, to win the title and the 12,000 Euro (approximately $16,500 USD). Two weeks later, Koivuniemi won $250,000 at the PBA’s Tournament of Champions.

In the women’s rankings, Krista Pollanen of Finland was the high female finisher at the Ballmaster Open. Pollanen finished in ninth place overall in the event.
The World Tenpin Bowling Association, which is made up of more than 100 bowling federations, governs the sport throughout the world. For more information on WTBA, visit WorldTenpinBowling.com.
WORLD BOWLING TOUR POINTS
Top 25 after one event
(Pos., Name, Country, Points)
MEN
1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 50.
2, Sean Rash, USA, 40.
3, Paul Moor, England, 35.
4, Kimmo Lehtonen, Finland, 30.
5, Chris Barnes, USA, 25.
6, Martin Paulsson, Sweden, 24.
7, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 23.
8, Ronnie Russell, USA, 22.
9, Karl Wahlgren, Finland, 21.
10, Peter Hellstrom, Sweden, 20.
11, Rasmus Hagelberg, Sweden, 15.
12, Frederik Ohrgaar, Denmark, 15.
13, Kristoffer Hagelberg, Sweden, 14.
14, Matias Arup, Sweden, 14.
15, Ville Holmstrom, Finland, 13.
16, Jussi Lindgren, Finland, 13.
17, Mika Heino, Finland, 12.
18, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 12.
19, Jesse Lindholm, Finland, 11.
20, Jouni Helminen, Finland, 11.
21, Toni Palermaa, Finland, 8.
22, Tore Torgersen, Sweden, 8.
23, Tomas Leandersson, Sweden, 8.
24, Raymond Teece, England, 8.
25, Petri Lehtonen, Finland, 8.
WOMEN
1, Krista Pollanen, Finland, 50.
2, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, USA, 40.
3, Nina Flack, Sweden, 35.
4, Nicki Ainge, England, 30.
5, Heidi Manninen, Finland, 25.
6, Marija Tkachenko, Latvia, 24.
7, Rebecka Jr. Larsen, Sweden, 23.
8, Joline Persson Planefors, Sweden, 22.
9, Jazreel Tan, Singapore, 21.
10, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 20.
11, Patricia Luoto, Germany, 15.
12, Marjo Pontine, Finland, 15.
13, Laura Beuhtner, Germany , 14.
14, Nina Manninen, Finland, 14.
15, Darya Kovalova, Russia, 13.
16, Jenni Keranen, Finland, 13.
17, Jenni Makela, Finland, 12.
18, Elin Adolfsson, Sweden, 12.
19, Reija Lunden, Finland, 11.
20, Laura Tuomisalo, Finland, 11.
21, Helvi Makipaa, Finland, 8.
22, Hannele Impola, Finland, 8.
23, Roosa Lunden, Finland, 8.
24, Mari Nurmilo, Finland, 8.
25, Anja Hilpinen, Finland, 8.