Kerry Painter wins 2013 ITRC Super Senior Classic

Final results

ARLINGTON, Texas -
Kerry Painter of Fairbanks, Alaska, is enjoying a memorable year on the lanes and added another highlight to the reel Friday with a win at the inaugural International Training and Research Center Super Senior Classic.

KerryPainterTrophy250x140Painter, who won a rolloff for the No. 1 seed in the finals, defeated Pete McCordic of Katy, Texas, 197-179, at the ITRC to take home the championship trophy and $3,000 top prize. McCordic earned $2,250 for second place.

Neither player was able to double in the first nine frames of the finale, but Painter held a slight lead heading into the final frame. After McCordic failed to strike in the 10th, Painter needed a mark for the win and delivered three strikes.

"I watched the pair as they were bowling, and after getting to practice on it, I thought I needed a big number," Painter said. "The backends tightened up quickly, and it got tough. The 10th frame was scary, but I knew I could do it. It was what you want bowling to be. It was competitive and came down to execution."

The championship round kicked off with Paul McCordic of Sugar Land, Texas, defeating Willie Wells of Plano, Texas, 201-176, leading to a battle between Paul and his twin brother, Pete. Pete prevailed, 235-197, before eliminating Don Blatchford of Santa Monica, Calif., 212-185, to reach the finals.

Earlier in the day, the cashers' round to determine the stepladder finalists ended in dramatic fashion as Painter and Blatchford tied for the top spot with a 3,652 total for 16 games. Painter guaranteed himself a place in the title match by downing Blatchford in a one-game rolloff, 219-217.

"I didn't lead today until I tied Don on the final shot," Painter said. "My goal coming into today was not to miss any spares and try to get to the top spot to make it a one-match tournament. I was able to stay calm, focus and pick up my spares. This is a huge win for me."

Painter's year includes a third-place finish at the USBC Senior Masters in June and victories at the PBA50 Senior/Super Senior Doubles Classic presented by Brunswick and High Roller Super Senior Masters, which earned him August Bowler-of-the-Month honors from the International Bowling Media Association.

The inaugural ITRC Super Senior Classic was open to USBC members age 60 and older. The ITRC, located on the International Bowling Campus, is the home of Team USA and Junior Team USA.