Yachio Kato captures the title in first JPBA Ladies event after the great earthquake

In the first tournament after the great earthquake, Yachio Kato (pictured left) of Tokyo captured her 13th career Japan Professional Bowlers Association women's title in the Miyazaki Pro-Am Open Tournament which was held in the Kyushu Region in South Japan from April 21-24, 2011.

The 59-year-old ended a five-year title draught with a 225-217 victory against Hiromi Matsunaga en route to earn the 1.200.000 Yen winner's check or approximately US$14,627.

Matsunaga (right), who was targeting for back-to-back JPBA titles after winning the season-opening Kansai Open Ladies Bowling Tournament, received 620.000 Yen ($7,557) for second place.

Matsunaga started the game with an open frame after failing to convert the 4-6-7 split followed by a spare before she reeled off a four-bagger to take a 30-pin lead. Kato alternated strikes and spares in the first four frames, spare a 10-pin in the fifth and countered with a four-bagger to regain the lead.

Working on a strike, Matsunaga was unable to connect for a double in the ninth frame, then struck in the tenth but left a 7-pin standing on her next shot failing to force Kato to strike on her first ball in the tenth frame. Needing to mar, Kato spared a 7-pin for the win before the left the 4-6-10 split on her fill ball.

The top 16 players were seeded into two pools (A and B) of eight players each to determine the finalist in single-elimination head-to-head matches. In the final of Pool A, Kato eliminated Tomoe Yoshikawa (left), 235-212, while Matsunaga topped Masami Abe (right) in the B Pool final, 203-195. Yoshikawa and Abe tied for third place worth 370.000 Yen ($4,510) apiece.

Junia Yoshida of Japan Bowling Promotion reports that the third stop of the 2011 JPBA Ladies Tour, the 2011 Pro Test originally scheduled for March/April, was postponed and is now scheduled for the beginning of May.

Troy captures its first bowling championship

It wasn’t quick or easy but the Trojans did what they set out to do – win a state championship.
It took five games for Troy to top Wapakoneta and claim its first title at the boys state bowling championship at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl on Saturday. Troy took the first game, 206-201, and won every other game in the best-of-five final match.
In their first round Troy went five games against Perry Massillon including a roll-off.
Troy got off to a good start Saturday. Sparked by strong individual performances by sophomore A.J. Bigelow and junior Jared Sierra, who were fifth and seventh, respectively, in the individual standings, the Trojans were third after qualifying rounds. Wapakoneta and Fairmont were first and second.
Troy placed fourth in the girls state tourney Friday.
Solo success: His 674 was the second highest series among all of the bowlers in the competitive tournament field but it was little consolation to Fairmont bowler Ryan Wolfe.
“Yea, it’s an accomplishment for me but this is a team sport and I wanted us to do well as a team,” the Firebirds junior said.
Fairmont was second after the Baker qualifying rounds, but quickly bowed out in match play, losing in three straight games to Struthers and placing fifth.
“We beat ourselves,” Ryan said. “We averaged 214 in Baker qualifying and we couldn’t do better than the 170s in match play.”
While the sting of the Firebirds state performance is still fresh, head coach Rex Wolfe thinks it will be a learning experience for the Fairmont team that will lose only one bowler to graduation.
“I tell the boys, ‘Let this one burn and then learn and move on,’ ” Wolfe said.
Air time: SportsTime Ohio will broadcast the OHSAA Bowling Championships on tape delay on Monday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m.