Australia’s Jason Belmonte Wins Record Fourth USBC Masters Title, Eighth Career PBA Major
The 33-year-old entered the event’s stepladder finals Sunday as the No. 1 seed and started the championship match at The Orleans Bowling Center with seven consecutive strikes, before a 7 pin ended his run at the first perfect game in a USBC Masters final.
The 279-212 win over amateur Michael Tang of San Francisco gave Belmonte his eighth major title, and second in three events, tying him with USBC and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famers Mike Aulby and Walter Ray Williams Jr. for second all-time behind fellow hall of famers Earl Anthony and Pete Weber, who have 10 apiece.
“Honestly, it hasn’t sunken in yet, and I’m really speechless,” Belmonte said. “I love this tournament and think it really brings out the best in me. To have my name etched on this trophy four times and be the only person to do that is unbelievable. It doesn’t seem real.”
Belmonte, who won the recent Barbasol PBA Players Championship, now has 14 PBA Tour titles in nine seasons. He won the Masters three-consecutive times in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Heading into Sunday, Belmonte knew his game plan would be dependent on who else made the show and how they attacked the lanes in the games leading up to the final. Even as practice ended before the title match, Belmonte was uncertain about his look and made an educated guess.
“I struck once in practice and nothing looked like I was going to have that kind of game,” said Belmonte, a three-time PBA Player of the Year. “With two shots left, Tim Mack hit the surface with 1,000 grit, and it looked OK. I hadn’t thrown it on the other lane, so I had to make a guess on that lane. I told myself just to hit that spot. With urethane, the game Michael bowled easily could have been the game I had. He bowled a great game and didn’t give anything away. He’s an amazing talent.”
Tang, the No. 4 seed for Sunday’s championship round, was looking to become the first amateur since 2002 to win the Masters. The 21-year-old San Jose State University collegiate bowler also would’ve been the first bowler to win from the fourth spot. Only two times since the Masters went to a stepladder format in 1980 has anyone lower than the second seed won the event.
Tang’s ticket to the final came with a 227-217 win over amateur Alex Hoskins of Brigham City, Utah.
The two were even through five frames, with neither player throwing a double, but both rallying with late strings of three strikes.
Tang finished first, giving Hoskins the opportunity to win the game with a strike and nine-spare in his final frame, but Hoskins went light and left a 2 pin on his first offering. Hoskins, who made his first appearance at the Masters, finished third.
“The right lane got a little tight down lane,” said Tang, the 2015 Intercollegiate Singles champion. “In the match against Hoskins, I rang a couple of 10s, which were worrisome, but I thought I had something figured out. The lanes kind of transitioned differently than through the week, so I had to make some different moves. Belmo is Belmo. It’s hard to beat him when he has that kind of look. I feel like I bowled well, so there’s nothing to be mad about.”
In two wins on the way to the semifinal matchup with Hoskins, Tang tossed 18 strikes to get past his 23-year-old brother, Darren, and Sweden’s Martin Larsen.
Tang’s nine-strike performance against Darren ended in a 248-212 victory. The two were separated by just two pins after four frames, but four consecutive strikes from Michael in frames five through eight allowed him to pull away for good. Darren Tang finished fourth.
It was the first TV meeting between brothers since the 1994 PBA National Championship, when David Traber defeated his brother Dale in the title match.
The only time brothers met in the stepladder in the Masters was 1980 when Neil Burton defeated his brother, Nelson (Bo), in the semifinal, before topping hall of famer Mark Roth for the title.
“It was fun,” Michael Tang said. “I think he was trying to keep things a little looser, while I tried to stay in my zone and treat it like any other match. But it will be fun to watch back home.”
In the opening match Sunday, Michael Tang also struck nine times, including the first five frames, to defeat Larsen, 264-229. Larsen, who’s still searching for his first PBA Tour title, finished fifth.
Competitors in the 395-player field this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
BELMONTE TOP SEED FOR TV AT 2017 USBC MASTERS
LAS VEGAS – Australia’s Jason Belmonte averaged nearly 240 in three matches Saturday to remain undefeated at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Masters and now is one win away from becoming the first player to win the event four times.
The 33-year-old entered the day as one of eight players remaining in the winners bracket and rolled sets of 722, 711 and 722 at The Orleans Bowling Center, defeating England’s Dom Barrett, close friend Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Alex Hoskins of Brigham City, Utah.
The victory over Hoskins earned Belmonte the top seed at the USBC Masters for the second time in his career. He has a perfect record on Masters telecasts, winning the tournament in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from the No. 1, No. 5 and No. 2 seeds, respectively.
The 2017 event features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and is a major event on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, with $30,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner.
“Right now, I’m not even thinking about winning again,” said Belmonte, who owns 13 PBA Tour titles, including seven majors. “I’m just really happy with today because I was able to execute really well and was able to put up three solid sets. I’ll probably start strategizing a little tonight, but most of the decisions will come tomorrow based on who’s on the show and where they’re playing.”
Hoskins, a 24-year-old right-hander competing in his first Masters, earned the No. 2 spot in the stepladder after notching wins against Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, reigning Professional Bowlers Association Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana, Argentina’s Lucas Legnani, USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber and Sweden’s Martin Larsen, before falling to Belmonte in the match to determine the top seed.
“It’s a dream come true to even have the opportunity to bowl for a spot on the show,” said Hoskins, who is looking to become the first amateur to win the Masters since Arizona’s Brett Wolfe in 2002. “I grew up around bowling and bowling centers, always trying to learn and get better as a bowler. My goal was to make the first cut and then apply everything I’ve learned to get through each round. Then, I was able to stay in the process this week and not let any emotions get in the way.”
Belmonte and Hoskins will be joined on the show by brothers Darren and Michael Tang of San Francisco and Larsen, who survived the four-player final elimination match that determined the last three seeds.
Darren Tang won the shootout, flirting with perfection on the way to a 289 game and 742 series, and he will be the No. 3 seed for the show. Michael Tang’s 716 set was enough to take the No. 4 spot, and he’ll face Larsen, last year’s sixth-place finisher (652), in the show’s opening match. O’Neill shot 559 in the shootout and was eliminated, finishing sixth.
Both Darren Tang and Larsen have runner-up finishes in PBA Tour events, while Michael Tang won the 2015 Intercollegiate Singles Championships under the TV lights. Sunday will mark the first national TV appearance for Hoskins.
The last time brothers met on a PBA Tour telecast was at the 1994 PBA National Championship, when David Traber defeated his brother Dale in the title match. The last time two brothers met in the stepladder finals at the Masters was 1980 when Neil Burton defeated his brother, Nelson (Bo), in the semifinal, before topping hall of famer Mark Roth for the title.
Defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, fell to Mike Dole of Loves Park, Illinois, in the final set of matches in the elimination bracket Friday to end his reign as Masters champion.
Competitors in the 395-player field this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Simonsen in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
All rounds of the Masters were covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com.
For more information about the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC MASTERS
At The Orleans Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Saturday’s Results
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
ROUND 4 – WINNERS BRACKET
(Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to elimination bracket).
(25) Alex Hoskins, Brigham City, Utah, def. (17) Pete Weber, St. Ann., Mo., 708-670
(12) Martin Larsen, Sweden, def. (20) Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 713-629
(30) Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. (27) Darren Tang, San Francisco, 669-587
(2) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (7) Dom Barrett, United Kingdom, 722-603
ROUND 6 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,750)
(36) Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., def. (22) Ronnie Sparks, Redford, Mich., 682-599
(24) Lucas Legnani, Argentina, def. (33) Cotie Holbek, Burlington, Wis., 627-549
(8) EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. (6) Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 676-616
(4) Michael Tang, San Francisco, def. (54) Jalen Mosely, Indianapolis, 650-596
ROUND 5 – WINNERS BRACKET
Hoskins def. Larsen, 718-608
Belmonte def. O’Neill, 711-638
ROUND 7 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $4,300)
Barrett def. Dole, 741-657
D. Tang def. Legnani, 643-618
Nidiffer def. Tackett, 661-589
M. Tang def. Weber, 625-605
ROUND 6 – WINNERS BRACKET
(Winner earns No. 1 seed for Sunday’s ESPN finals; loser is No. 2 seed)
Belmonte def. Hoskins, 722-672
ROUND 8 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $5,200)
D. Tang def. Barrett, 761-731
M. Tang def. Nidiffer, 748-628
ROUND 9 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Three highest scores advance to ESPN finals, high score is No. 3 seed, second high is No. 4, third high is No. 5, lowest score is eliminated, earns $6,700).
D. Tang 742, M. Tang 716, Larsen 652, O’Neill 559
INJURED WEBER AMONG UNDEFEATED AT 2017 USBC MASTERS
LAS VEGAS – United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Pete Weber said that on a scale of one to 10, the pain he was feeling in his hip Friday at the USBC Masters was closer to a 12, but nothing is going to slow his momentum at the one major that has eluded him.
The 54-year-old right-hander aggravated a nagging hip injury during the second round of match play at The Orleans Bowling Center but was able win that match and one more to remain undefeated. He is one of eight players left in the winners bracket at the 2017 Masters.
The event features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and is a major event on the PBA Tour. The finals will be broadcast live on ESPN on Sunday at 1 p.m. Eastern, with $30,000 and the coveted Masters trophy going to the winner.
On the way to a 3-0 record Friday, Weber topped Greg Ostrander of Freehold, New Jersey, Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, and Cotie Holbek of Burlington, Wisconsin.
“As of right now, I don’t care about the pain,” said Weber, who has 37 PBA Tour titles, including a record-tying 10 majors. “I am here to win. Period.”
Weber will face off against Alex Hoskins of Brigham City, Utah, when match play resumes Saturday morning at noon Eastern.
Other winners bracket matches scheduled for Saturday are Sweden’s Martin Larsen against Craig Nidiffer of Trenton, Michigan, Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, against Darren Tang of San Francisco and England’s Dom Barrett taking on three-time Masters winner Jason Belmonte of Australia.
Belmonte is looking for his unprecedented fourth Masters title, having won the event three consecutive times in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The 33-year-old closed Friday with an exciting win against Mike Machuga of Erie, Pennsylvania, who has been publicly outspoken against two-handed bowling.
The match came down to the final frame after a missed 7 pin from Belmonte in the sixth frame helped Machuga close a 51-pin gap. A strike on the first shot of his final frame would’ve given Machuga the win, but he left a 10 pin on his first offering, eventually falling 729-722.
“I feel like Mike has a gleam in his eye when he has to bowl me, but that makes me step things up, too,” said Belmonte, who joins USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Mike Aulby as the only bowlers to win three Masters titles. “He’s one of the most versatile players around, so there’s really no way to shut him out. Instead, I just tried to bowl my own game and do what I could to help myself score. I did make a careless mistake on that spare, and I have to work on composing myself better in those moments.”
Eight bowlers remain in the elimination bracket as well, and they also will return to the lanes at The Orleans on Saturday at noon Eastern.
The list of competitors in the elimination bracket includes Ronnie Sparks of Redford, Michigan, Mike Dole of Loves Park, Illinois, Holbek, Argentina’s Lucas Legnani, Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Michigan, EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana, 16-year-old Jalen Mosley of Indianapolis, and Michael Tang of San Francisco.
Defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, fell to Dole in the final set of matches in the elimination bracket Friday to end his reign as Masters champion.
All competitors this week bowled 15 games of qualifying, before a cut was made to the top 63, who joined Simonsen in the double-elimination match-play bracket.
All rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit pba.com.
For more information about the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC MASTERS
At The Orleans Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Friday’s Results
MATCH PLAY
Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall
ROUND 1
(Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to elimination bracket).
(64) Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, def. (1) Nick Kruml, Downers Grove, Ill., 661-640
(33) Cotie Holbek, Burlington, Wis., def. (32) Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 635-633
(17) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. (48) Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 695-661
(16) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, def. (49) DeeRonn Booker, Anaheim, Calif., 680-662
(9) Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., def. (56) Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 712-692
(24) Lucas Legnani, Argentina, def. (41) Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 684-663
(25) Alex Hoskins, Brigham City, Utah, def. (40) Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 672-661
(8) EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. (57) Jim Pratt, Avondale, Ariz., 721-573
(60) Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, def. (5) Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 644-606
(28) Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., def. (37) Eryk Jensen, Gresham, Ore., 666-655
(44) Mike Wolfe, Floyd Knobs, Ind., def. (21) Manuel Otalora, Cooper City, Fla., 683-612
(12) Martin Larsen, Sweden, def. (53) Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 717-706
(52) Matt O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., def. (13) Brennan Haugh, Faribault, Minn., 599-594
(20) Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., def. (45) Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 689-685
(36) Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., def. (29) Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 678-585
(4) Michael Tang, San Francisco, def. (61) Arturo Quintero, Mexico, 761-692
(3) Sam Cooley, Australia, def. (62) Kyle Sherman, O’Fallon, Mo., 593-556
(30) Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., def. (35) John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 719-697
(19) BJ Moore, Apex, N.C., def. (46) Shuichi Heki, Japan, 756-624
(51) Matthew Sanders, Evansville, Ind., def. (14) Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 642-585
(54) Jalen Mosley, Indianapolis, def. (11) Nick Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 628-581
(22) Ronnie Sparks, Redford, Mich., def. (43) Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 801-714
(27) Darren Tang, San Francisco, def. (38) Chris Via, Springfield, Ohio, 591-584
(59) Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, def. (6) Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 706-623
(7) Dom Barrett, United Kingdom, def. (58) Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 720-203 (WD)
(26) Dallas Leong, Las Vegas, def. (39) Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, 605-563
(42) Connor Pickford, Plano, Texas, def. (23) Steve Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 750-556
(10) Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., def. (55) Gary Faulkner Jr., Sanford, Fla., 757-614
(50) Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., def. (15) Stuart Williams, England, 662-623
(47) Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., def. (18) Dan Bock, Albert Lea, Minn., 629-589
(34) Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., def. (31) Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 640-591
(2) Jason Belmonte, Australia, def. (63) Vernon Peterson, Las Vegas, 648-546
ROUND 2 – WINNERS BRACKET
Holbek def. Novak, 596-561
Weber def. Loschetter, 705-670
Legnani def. Angelo, 670-668
Hoskins def. Tackett, 638-632
Prather def. Bohr, 742-707
Larsen def. Wolfe, 744-670
Nidiffer def. O’Grady, 641-633
Dole def. M. Tang, 719-691
O’Neill def. Cooley, 656-614
Sanders def. Moore, 649-614
Mosley def. Sparks, 676-640
D. Tang def. Simonsen, 759-652
Barrett def. Leong, 743-602
Blanchard def. Pickford, 693-638
Machuga def. Daugherty, 685-578
Belmonte def. Lorincz, 769-670
ROUND 2 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $1,900)
Fransson def. Kruml, 754-685
Barnes def. Pratt, 650-635
Ostrander def. Booker, 635-569
Malott def. Svensson, 705-635
Buss def. Jensen, 737-703
Quintero def. Ruiz, 674-607
Otalora def. Page, 752-696
Lavoie def. Haugh, 700-618
Sherman def. Szczerbinski, 661-597
Smallwood def. Via, 799-583
Allen def. Heki, 722-687
Duke def. Pate, 740-716
Lavery-Spahr def. Edwards, 530-0
Butturff def. Peterson, 708-595
Faulkner def. Pavlinko, 645-632
Williams def. Bock, 605-521
ROUND 3 – WINNERS BRACKET
Weber def. Holbek, 651-637
Hoskins def. Legnani, 646-537
Larsen def. Prather, 672-666
Nidiffer def. Dole, 672-599
O’Neill def. Sanders, 699-601
D. Tang def. Mosley, 729-681
Barrett def. Blanchard, 729-644
Belmonte def. Machuga, 729-722
ROUND 3 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,300)
Fransson def. Moore, 662-583
Sparks def. Barnes, 643-588
Cooley def. Ostrander, 714-566
Simonsen def. Malott, 709-573
Buss def. Pickford, 600-494
Daugherty def. Quintero, 693-611
Leong def. Otalora, 672-592
Lavoie def. Lorincz, 754-644
Sherman def. Loschetter, 648-599
Smallwood def. Angelo, 622-565
Novak def. Allen, 705-640
Tackett def. Duke, 699-668
Wolfe def. Lavery-Spahr, 649-619
O’Grady def. Butturff, 653-607
Bohr def. Faulkner, 651-602
M. Tang def. Williams, 691-638
ROUND 4 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $2,700)
Sparks def. Fransson, 738-541
Simonsen def. Cooley, 737-637
Daugherty def. Buss, 683-639
Leong def. Lavoie, 730-717
Smallwood def. Sherman, 770-688
Tackett def. Novak, 637-607
Wolfe def. O’Grady, 633-589
M. Tang def. Bohr, 635-618
ROUND 5 – ELIMINATION BRACKET
(Losers eliminated, earn $3,200)
Sparks def. Prather, 743-633
Dole def. Simonsen, 668-539
Holbek def. Daugherty, 668-605
Legnani def. Leong, 651-615
Smallwood def. Machuga, 657-580
Tackett def. Blanchard, 677-649
Mosley def. Wolfe, 629-609
M. Tang def. Sanders, 703-587
TOP 64 DETERMINED AT 2017 USBC MASTERS
LAS VEGAS – Saying Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte has been dominant at the United States Bowling Congress Masters would be an understatement, and he is on a tear again this week at The Orleans Bowling Center.
The 33-year-old has been around the top of the leaderboard all week, leaving the lanes with the lead in two of the three qualifying rounds, but he’ll enter the double-elimination match-play bracket as the No. 2 seed behind Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Illinois, who ended qualifying Thursday with games of 288 and 266 to secure the top seed.
The two are among the 64 bowlers who advanced to match play, which includes defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, who qualified 59th.
Kruml, a 23-year-old right-hander, finished the 15 games of qualifying with a 3,594 total, a 239.6 average, and now has made match play in all three of his USBC Masters appearances. He exited with 1-2 records in both 2015 and 2016, and he has been focused on using those experiences to improve in 2017.
Belmonte posted a 3,578 total and was followed by fellow Australian Sam Cooley (3,540), Michael Tang of San Francisco (3,517) and Jesse Buss of Belvidere, Illinois (3,470).
Belmonte’s career at the Masters has been beyond remarkable. In 10 previous visits, he has finished in the top 10 six times, including three consecutive wins in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He now has advanced to match play for the 10th time in his 11 appearances, and he’s looking to become the event’s first four-time winner.
“Now, it’s a new tournament, and it becomes a lot more strategic,” Belmonte said. “We’ll be following our own transition, so there will be some discussion about how I want to play the lanes and how my opponent is thinking about playing them. I just need to be smart, watch the lanes and bowl the best match I can. If I get beat, I’ll know my opponent bowled better and earned it.”
The final two spots in the bracket were decided by a roll-off after Chad Kloss of Cudahy, Wisconsin, Brandon Novak of Chillicothe, Ohio, and Vernon Peterson of Las Vegas tied for 63rd place at 3,223, a 214.87 average.
The three bowled one game to determine which two would advance and who would go home.
Peterson led the way with a 201 game and was followed by Novak (200) and Kloss (188). Peterson will enter the bracket at No. 63, while Novak goes in at No. 64, earning him an opening-round match with Kruml.
All competitors at The Orleans this week bowled 15 games of qualifying over three days to determine the match-play field. Three-game total pinfall will determine who advances in the bracket.
Match play gets underway Friday at noon Eastern and will continue throughout the day Friday and Saturday to determine the five players for the championship round.
Those five bowlers will compete in the stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The 2017 Masters features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and again is a major event on the PBA Tour. The winner will take home the coveted Masters trophy and $30,000 top prize.
All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit PBA.com.
For more information about the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC MASTERS
At The Orleans Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Thursday’s Results
QUALIFYING – ROUND 3
(15 games – all cashers)
1, Nick Kruml (a), Downers Grove, Ill., 3,594. 2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,578. 3, Sam Cooley, Australia, 3,540. 4, Michael Tang (a), San Francisco, 3,517. 5, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 3,470. 6, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3,462.
7, Dominic Barrett, United Kingdom, 3,440. 8, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 3,435. 9, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,410. 10, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 3,405. 11, Nicholas Pate (a), Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 3,404. 12, Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3,403.
13, Brennan Haugh (a), Faribault, Minn., 3,380. 14, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,377. 15, Stuart Williams, England, 3,374. 16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 3,359. 17, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 3,355. 18, Dan Bock (a), Albert Lea, Minn., 3,352.
19, William ‘BJ’ Moore, Apex, N.C., 3,349. 20, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 3,338. 21(tie), Manuel Otalora, Cooper City, Fla., and Ronnie Sparks, Redford, Mich., 3,337. 23, Steve Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 3,336. 24, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 3,332.
25, Alexander Hoskins (a), Brigham City, Utah, 3,328. 26, Dallas Leong (a), Las Vegas, 3,317. 27, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 3,315. 28, Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., 3,309. 29(tie), Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, and Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 3,308.
31, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 3,307. 32, Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 3,306. 33(tie), Cotie Holbek (a), Burlington, Wis., and Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 3,305. 35, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 3,295. 36, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 3,288.
37, Eryk Jensen (a), Gresham, Ore., 3,285. 38, Chris Via (a), Springfield, Ohio, 3,284. 39(tie), Sean Lavery-Spahr, Pasadena, Texas, and Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,273. 41, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 3,271. 42(tie), Connor Pickford, Plano, Texas, and Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 3,270.
44, Mike Wolfe, Floyd Knobs, Ind., 3,269. 45, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 3,263. 46, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 3,262. 47, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 3,259. 48, Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., 3,253.
49(tie), DeeRonn Booker (a), Anaheim, Calif., and Michael Machuga (a), Erie, Pa., 3,251. 51, Matthew Sanders (a), Evansville, Ind., 3,249. 52, Matt O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 3,247. 53, Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., 3,244. 54, Jalen Mosley (a), Indianapolis, 3,242.
55(tie), Gary Faulkner Jr., Sanford, Fla., and Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 3,234. 57, Jim Pratt, Avondale, Ariz., 3,233. 58, Michael Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,231. 59, Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 3,230. 60, Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 3,229.
61, Arturo Quintero (a), Mexico, 3,225. 62, Kyle Sherman (a), O’Fallon, Mo., 3,224. 63(tie), Vernon Peterson *(a), Las Vegas, and Brandon Novak*, Chillicothe, Ohio, 3,223.
*Peterson (201), Novak (200) advanced after a one-game roll-off with Kloss (188) after the three tied for 63rd place.
Did not advance:
65, Chad Kloss *(a), Cudahy, Wis., 3,223, $1,400. 66(tie), Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 3,221, $1,337. 68, Steve Smith (a), San Diego, 3,220, $1,300. 69(tie), Dwight Adams, Greensboro, N.C., Adam Martinez (a), San Antonio, and Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 3,216, $1,260.
72, Markus Jansson, Sweden, 3,214, $1,220. 73, Shota Kawazoe, Japan, 3,213, $1,200. 74, Paul Moor, England, 3,210, $1,190. 75, Michael Martell (a), Chicago, 3,208, $1,180. 76, Cody Vaughn (a), Arvada, Colo., 3,206, $1,170.
77(tie), Perry Crowell IV, Hoquiam, Wash., Graham Fach, Canada, and Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., 3,205, $1,150. 80, Timothy Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 3,203, $1,130. 81, Andres Gomez, Hollywood, Fla., 3,202, $1,120. 82, Hunter Kempton (a), Buzzards Bay, Mass., 3,195, $1,110. 83, Mitch Hupe (a), Wichita, Kan., 3,194, $1,100.
84, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 3,191, $1,075. 85, Greg Thompson Jr., San Jose, Calif., 3,188, $1,055. 86, Daria Pajak, Babson Park, Fla., 3,187, $1,040. 87, Casey Shephard (a), Kalamazoo, Mich., 3,186, $1,030. 88, Tyson Branagan (a), Fort Worth, Texas, 3,183, $1,025. 89, Brad Miller, Raytown, Mo., 3,181, $1,020.
90(tie), Osku Palermaa, Finland, and Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3,174, $1,012. 92, Walid Letayf (a), Mexico, 3,172, $1,005. 93, Carlos Tobon, Hollywood, Fla., 3,169, $1,000. 94(tie), Danielle McEwan, Stony Point, N.Y., Alejandro Prats, Dominican Republic, and Ryan Zagar (a), Kenosha, Wis., 3,168, $990.
97(tie), Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Chad Nelson (a), Owatonna, Minn., 3,167, $977. 99, John Conaway (a), El Mirage, Ariz., 3,166, $970.
Perfect games (4) – DeeRonn Booker, Anaheim, Calif. (Round 1); John Squire, Canada; Ryan Powers, Portage, Mich.; Dallas Leong, Las Vegas (Round 3).
KRUML CONSISTENT, TANG LEADS AT 2017 USBC MASTERS
LAS VEGAS – For the second consecutive day, Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Illinois, is among the leaders at the United States Bowling Congress Masters, and, as has been the case at various points of his bowling career, he’s on the cusp of a breakout performance.
The 23-year-old right-hander has averaged more than 237 through two days of qualifying at The Orleans Bowling Center, and his 10-game total of 2,378 is third among the 395 competitors at the USBC Masters this week.
Kruml also was third after Tuesday’s opening round, just two pins short of a share of the lead on this week’s 40-foot oil pattern.
Michael Tang of San Francisco holds the top spot after two rounds with a 2,479 total, a 247.9 average. He opened the event with a 296 game and found his stride again Wednesday for the highest block of the day, a 1,261 effort.
Three-time Masters champion Jason Belmonte of Australia is second with 2,416, England’s Stuart Williams is fourth with 2,362 and Steve Pavlinko Jr. of Sewell, New Jersey, rounds out the top five with 2,358.
Kruml is in familiar territory, having advanced to the double-elimination match-play portion of the event in 2015 and 2016, but he’s looking to improve on those performances, which ended with 1-2 records and early exits.
The two-time first-team All-American at Wisconsin-Whitewater keeps putting himself in position for something great to happen, as he did at the 2013 Junior Gold Championships and again at the 2017 USBC Team USA Trials, but he’s still waiting for a defining moment on the lanes.
In 2013, Kruml was the top qualifier at Junior Gold and earned a spot on Junior Team USA 2014, but he was unable to finish the job, ultimately finishing third in the bracket portion of the tournament.
At the Team USA Trials this year, he felt he bowled well, but one disappointing outing in the five-day event took him out of contention for a spot on Team USA.
Instead of accepting the close calls as defeats, Kruml is using them as motivation to work harder to get over the proverbial hump. But, now that his collegiate bowling career is over, preparing for competition is a little different.
“When you’re bowling in college, you’re bowling just about every weekend and practicing during the week,” said Kruml, who works in a pro shop and plans to spend the next year or two trying to make a career out of bowling. “Now that I’m on my own, I try to bowl as much as I can and then stay sharp by bowling in a lot of tournaments. I also practice on different patterns and focus on being able to play different angles and use a variety of releases.”
Kruml and the rest of the Masters competitors will have five additional games Thursday to secure their spots in match play, where they’ll join defending champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas. That’s where Kruml hopes the experience he gained at the last two Masters will pay off.
After two rounds, Simonsen is in a tie for 58th place with a 2,160 total, just inside the cut line. Should he finish outside the top 64, he’ll earn the final spot in the bracket, and the top 63 players overall will join him. He still can improve his seeding with a strong final qualifying day.
Through 10 games, there is a tie for 64th place with 2,155, a 215.5 average.
Tang’s rise to the top of the leaderboard Wednesday included games of 258, 258, 247, 267 and 231. His low game of the event is 220, and he attributes his consistency to being able to play to his strengths.
“I’ve been able to get into a spot with urethane that allows me to have a little bit of miss room right and left,” said Tang, a senior at San Jose State University and the 2015 Intercollegiate Singles Championships winner. “As they’ve developed, it has gotten better for me because I can parallel left and get more aggressive with my hand, which is my strong suit. The lanes have been really coming to me so far, so we’ll see how the burn squad goes tomorrow.”
All competitors at The Orleans this week will bowl 15 games of qualifying over three days to determine the match-play field. Three-game total pinfall will determine who advances in the bracket.
Qualifying concludes Thursday, and match play will take place Friday and Saturday to determine the five players for the championship round.
Those five bowlers will compete in the stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The 2017 Masters features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and again is a major event on the PBA Tour. The winner will take home the coveted Masters trophy and $30,000 top prize.
All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit PBA.com.
For more information about the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC MASTERS
At The Orleans Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Wednesday’s Results
QUALIFYING – ROUND 2
(10 games)
1, Michael Tang (a), San Francisco, 2,479. 2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,416. 3, Nick Kruml (a), Downers Grove, Ill., 2,378. 4, Stuart Williams, England, 2,362. 5, Steve Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 2,358. 6, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 2,345.
7, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,341. 8, Dan Bock (a), Albert Lea, Minn., 2,336. 9, Dominic Barrett, United Kingdom, 2,330. 10, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,326. 11, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 2,308. 12, William ‘BJ’ Moore, Apex, N.C., 2,300.
13, Eryk Jensen (a), Gresham, Ore., 2,294. 14, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,270. 15, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 2,269. 16, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,265. 17, Sam Cooley, Australia, 2,260. 18, Ronnie Sparks, Redford, Mich., 2,255.
19(tie), Manuel Otalora, Cooper City, Fla., and Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 2,251. 21, Nicholas Pate (a), Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 2,250. 22, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 2,249. 23, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,247. 24, Shuichi Heki, Japan, 2,244.
25, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,234. 26(tie), Ryan Zagar (a), Kenosha, Wis., and Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 2,225. 28, Steve Smith (a), San Diego, 2,221. 29, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 2,218. 30, Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 2,215.
31, Matthew Sanders (a), Evansville, Ind., 2,208. 32(tie), Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, and Daniel Fransson, Sweden, 2,203. 34(tie), Connor Pickford, Plano, Texas, Martin Larsen, Sweden, and Brennan Haugh (a), Faribault, Minn., 2,202.
37, Dallas Leong (a), Las Vegas, 2,196. 38, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 2,195. 39(tie), Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., and Matt Wischmann (a), Roy, Utah, 2,191. 41, Casey Shephard (a), Kalamazoo, Mich., 2,190. 42, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 2,189.
43, Darren Tang, San Francisco, 2,186. 44, Markus Jansson, Sweden, 2,183. 45, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 2,180. 46, Frank Guccione (a), Castle Rock, Colo., 2,179. 47(tie), Chris Via (a), Springfield, Ohio, and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2,178.
49, DeeRonn Booker (a), Anaheim, Calif., 2,172. 50, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,171. 51, Timothy Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 2,169. 52, Chad Nelson (a), Owatonna, Minn., 2,168. 53, Mike Wolfe, Floyd Knobs, Ind., 2,166. 54, Greg Thompson Jr., San Jose, Calif., 2,164.
55(tie), Marshall Kent, Yakima, Wash., Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., and Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 2,161. 58(tie), Kristopher Prather, Milton, Fla., and Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 2,160. 60, Cameron Foster (a), Eagle Mountain, Utah, 2,157.
61(tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Adam Martinez (a), San Antonio, 2,156. 64(tie), Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, and Michael Machuga (a), Erie, Pa., 2,155. 66, Tom Daugherty, Riverview, Fla., 2,154.
67(tie), Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., and Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 2,152. 69, Tyson Branagan (a), Fort Worth, Texas, 2,147. 70(tie), Tim Ursillo (a), Lakeside, Calif., Alexander Hoskins (a), Brigham City, Utah, and Adam (AJ) Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 2,146.
73(tie), Alejandro Prats, Dominican Republic, and Brad Miller, Raytown, Mo., 2,143. 75, Daria Pajak, Babson Park, Fla., 2,142. 76, Matt O’Grady, South Amboy, N.J., 2,140. 77(tie), Mark Myers (a), Phoenix, Patrick Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio, and Cotie Holbek (a), Burlington, Wis., 2,139.
80(tie), Chad Kloss (a), Cudahy, Wis., and Cody Vaughn (a), Arvada, Colo., 2,137. 82(tie), AJ Chapman (a), Wichita, Kan., and Andres Gomez, Hollywood, Fla., 2,136. 84(tie), Graham Fach, Canada, and Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 2,135.
86(tie), Michael Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., and Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 2,134. 88, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,130. 89(tie), Carlos Tobon, Hollywood, Fla., and Tyler Cortez Schenck (a), Phoenix, 2,128.
91, Rolando Sebelen (a), Dominican Republic, 2,127. 92(tie), Mitch Hupe (a), Wichita, Kan., and DJ Archer, Kingwood, Texas, 2,125. 94(tie), Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., and Nobuhito Fujii, Japan, 2,124. 96, Arturo Quintero (a), Mexico, 2,123.
97(tie), Kyle Sherman (a), O’Fallon, Mo., Wesley Low (a), Palmdale, Calif., Timothy Behrendt (a), St. Charles, Mo., and Maria Jose Rodriguez, Austin, Texas, 2,121. 101(tie), Jim Pratt, Avondale, Ariz., Bryan Bourget (a), Woonsocket, R.I., and Danny Ly (a), Temple City, Calif., 2,119.
Perfect games – DeeRonn Booker, Anaheim, Calif. (Round 1)
YOUNG TALENT EXCELS, TOM SMALLWOOD SETS PACE AT 2017 USBC MASTERS
LAS VEGAS – When Jalen Mosley of Indianapolis finished schooling some of the best bowlers in the world during the first round of qualifying at the 2017 United States Bowling Congress Masters, his demeanor was calm and he remained focused – not on bowling, but on heading off to work on his language arts homework.
The 16-year-old high school sophomore is taking the week off of school to see where he ranks among the best around, but staying current on his school work is as important as staying above the cutline at one of the premier events for USBC members.
After the first of the week’s three qualifying blocks at The Orleans Bowling Center, Mosley is in 74th place with a 1,080 total, and his eyes are on a spot in the event’s 64-player double-elimination match-play bracket. His five-game effort Tuesday included a high game of 246 and a clutch finish in the fifth game of the day, in which he struck on five of his final six shots.
“This is a really cool experience, and I’m still amazed I bowled as well as I did,” said Mosley, who finished tied for third place in the U15 division at the 2015 Junior Gold Championships and was 36th in the same event in 2016. “My entry to the Masters was a birthday gift, now that I feel like I can compete with these guys this week.”
Mosley is one of three 16-year-olds in the USBC Masters field, and the youngest by about a month. The others are Tristan Butler of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Cerell Cardines of Las Vegas.
Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Michigan, holds the lead after five games at the 2017 Masters with a 1,263 total, a 252.6 average. He rolled games of 274, 268, 245, 244 and 232 to pace the 395-player field on this week’s 40-foot oil pattern.
Momentum seems to be in Smallwood’s favor after a fourth-place finish in last week’s FireLake Professional Bowlers Association Tournament of Champions. He also had a runner-up performance at the 2016 PBA World Championship. Prior to the recent run, his last TV appearance came at the 2014 Masters, where he finished fourth.
“As kids, all of us dreamed of bowling on Sundays, and it’s been nice to make two shows in such a short time, especially with both being majors,” said Smallwood, a two-time PBA Tour champion. “I’m definitely confident coming into this week. With three majors in a row recently, your body gets a little beat up, but you get sharper bowling this much. Now, I just need to keep it simple and grind for the next two days, hopefully get to match play and have that work out how I want.”
Smallwood is followed by England’s Stuart Williams (1,261), Nick Kruml of Downers Grove, Illinois (1,260), reigning PBA Player of the Year EJ Tackett of Huntington, Indiana (1,223), and collegiate standout Michael Tang of San Francisco (1,218).
There is a three-way tie at 1,093 for 61st place, making that the cutline after five games.
Defending Masters champion Anthony Simonsen of Austin, Texas, who is guaranteed a spot in the match-play bracket, finished the first round of qualifying tied for 110th place with a 1,063 total. He struggled early but averaged 232 his last three games to make up some ground.
All competitors at The Orleans this week will bowl 15 games of qualifying over three days to determine the match-play field. The top 63 players will join Simonsen in the double-elimination bracket, where three-game total pinfall determines who advances.
As the defending champion, Simonsen is guaranteed the No. 64 spot in the bracket, but bowling qualifying gives him a chance to improve his seeding, as well as get a feel for the bowling center and oil pattern.
Qualifying continues through Thursday, and match play will take place Friday and Saturday to determine the five players for the championship round.
Those five bowlers will compete in the stepladder finals, live on ESPN at 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 26.
The 2017 Masters features a total prize fund of nearly $300,000 and again is a major event on the PBA Tour. The winner will take home the coveted Masters trophy and $30,000 top prize.
All qualifying and match play rounds of the Masters are being covered live on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel. For subscription information, visit PBA.com.
For more information about the USBC Masters, visit BOWL.com/Masters.
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.
Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 2,500 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.
2017 USBC MASTERS
At The Orleans Bowling Center, Las Vegas
Tuesday’s Results
QUALIFYING – ROUND 1
(Five games)
1, Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,263. 2, Stuart Williams, England, 1,261. 3, Nick Kruml (a), Downers Grove, Ill., 1,260. 4, EJ Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 1,223. 5, Michael Tang (a), San Francisco, 1,218. 6, Ian Willard (a), Milwaukie, Ore., 1,214.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,199. 8, Francois Lavoie, Wichita, Kan., 1,193. 9, Adam (AJ) Johnson, Oswego, Ill., 1,187. 10, Nobuhito Fujii, Japan, 1,184. 11, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 1,180. 12, Eryk Jensen (a), Gresham, Ore., 1,179.
13(tie) Dan Bock (a), Albert Lea, Minn., and Josh Blanchard, Mesa, Ariz., 1,167. 15, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 1,166. 16, Dominic Barrett, United Kingdom, 1,165. 17(tie) Arturo Quintero (a), Mexico, and Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,159.
19, Matthew Sanders (a), Evansville, Ind., 1,154. 20, Casey Shephard (a), Kalamazoo, Mich., 1,152. 21, Dallas Leong (a), Las Vegas, 1,146. 22(tie) Zeke Bayt, Westerville, Ohio, and Steve Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,144. 24, Manuel Otalora, Cooper City, Fla., 1,142.
25, Matt Zasowski, Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,140. 26, Ronnie Sparks, Redford, Mich., 1,138. 27, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 1,135. 28, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,133. 29, Nicholas Pate (a), Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 1,132. 30, Adam Martinez (a), San Antonio, 1,129.
31, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,127. 32, John Szczerbinski, N. Tonawanda, N.Y., 1,126. 33, Timothy Foy Jr., Seaford, Del., 1,125. 34, Jake Peters, Henderson, Nev., 1,122. 35, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,119. 36(tie), Markus Jansson, Sweden, and Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 1,117.
38, Matthew Anderson (a), Las Vegas, 1,116. 39, Maria Jose Rodriguez, Austin, Texas, 1,115. 40, John Verbich III (a), Griffith, Ind., 1,114. 41, Lucas Legnani, Argentina, 1,113. 42, Shawn Maldonado, Houston, 1,110.
43, DeeRonn Booker (a), Anaheim, Calif., 1,109. 44, Timothy Behrendt (a), St. Charles, Mo., 1,108. 45, Steve Smith (a), San Diego, 1,107. 46, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,106. 47, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 1,104. 48(tie) Brad Miller, Raytown, Mo., and Jeremiah Smith (a), Mandan, N.D., 1,103.
50(tie) Ryan Zagar (a), Kenosha, Wis., and Jesper Svensson, Sweden, 1,102. 52, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio, 1,101. 53(tie) Matt Cabanski (a), Cibolo, Texas, Santiago Mejia, Colombia, Kyle Bigelow, Troy, Ohio, and Robert Campagnale (a), San Bernardino, Calif., 1,100.
57, Anggie Ramirez Perea, Austin, Texas, 1,099. 58, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz., 1,098. 59, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,096. 60, Wesley Low (a), Palmdale, Calif., 1,095.
61(tie), Tyler Cortez Schenck (a), Phoenix, Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, and Brennan Haugh (a), Faribault, Minn., 1,093. 64(tie) Michael Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., and Mike Wolfe, Floyd Knobs, Ind., 1,092. 66, Kevin Cook (a), Casper, Wyo., 1,089.
67, Douglas Heimos (a), St. Louis, 1,087. 68(tie), Corey Hines (a), Jackson, Mich., and Andy Neuer (a), Lewisburg, Pa., 1,086. 70, Greg Thompson Jr., San Jose, Calif., 1,084. 71, Danny Khuu (a), Brockton, Mass., 1,083. 72(tie), Shane Holt, Lake Wales, Fla., and Kenneth Ryan (a), Farmingdale, N.J., 1,081.
74, Jalen Mosley (a), Indianapolis, 1,080. 75(tie), Rhino Page, Orlando, Fla., and Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 1,079. 77, Joshua Roca (a), Wichita, Kan., 1,077. 78(tie), Steven Badovinac (a), Monument, Colo., and Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 1,076.
80(tie), Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., Gary Faulkner Jr., Sanford, Fla., Andres Gomez, Hollywood, Fla., Daniel Fransson, Sweden, and David Scardaville, Houston, 1,075.
85, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,074. 86(tie), Greg Ostrander, Freehold, N.J., and Shuichi Heki, Japan, 1,073. 88(tie), Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., Alexander Hoskins (a), Brigham City, Utah, Lon Peless, Belding, Mich., and Michael Machuga (a), Erie, Pa., 1,072.
92(tie), Francois Louw, South Africa, and Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif., 1,071. 94(tie), Chad Nelson (a), Owatonna, Minn., Martin Larsen, Sweden, and Mike Hanson (a), Spokane, Wash., 1,070.
97(tie), William ‘BJ’ Moore, Apex, N.C., Raul Rosales (a), El Monte, Calif., Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Tim Ursillo (a), Lakeside, Calif., 1,069.
Perfect games – DeeRonn Booker, Anaheim, Calif.
