In his third season bowling on the PBA50 Tour, decorated paramedic John Conroy of Mahopac, N.Y., averaged 240.3 Sunday to lead qualifying after the first round in the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick at Farmingdale, Lanes in Farmingdale, N.Y.

Conroy, who owns one PBA50 regional title, bowled a 1,923 eight-game pinfall total that included games of 217, 299, 215, 286, 206, 216, 236 and 248.

“I just tried to stay in the moment and keep focused on bowling the (lane) condition and not the other bowlers,” said Conroy, whose best PBA50 Tour finish was 13th in the 2014 United States Bowling Congress Senior Masters. “I had some problems picking up my spares today but I was able to overcome that by hanging in there and making the right adjustments at the right time.”

Conroy, a 52-year-old New York City native and 2013 East Region PBA50 Player of the Year, earned the American Ambulance Association Star of Life Award and Emergency Medical Services Award in 2014 for his work in the emergency medical field for 31 years, including 28 as a paramedic. He worked most of his career in New York City where he was among the first responders not only for the 9-11 attack but also the 1993 bomb attack on the World Trade Center’s north tower.

Conroy topped PBA50 UnitedHealthcare Sun Bowl In the Villages winner Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, who finished the first round in second with a 1,910 pinfall.

“It’s a funny game,” said Scroggins, an eight-time winner on the PBA Tour who won the Sun Bowl In The Villages in his PBA50 debut. “When I won the Sun Bowl In The Villages everything just fell into place, last week I felt like I bowled pretty well but didn’t make the cut and now after the first round in this tournament I don’t feel comfortable at all but I’m near the top.”

Rounding out the top five after the first round were Hall of Famer and Pasco County Florida Open winner Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,904; Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., 1,889, and Mike Dias of Lafayette, Colo., 1,888.

After feeling ill on Saturday, PBA Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia of Jackson, N.J., was able to bounce back to bowl a 300 game in the first game of the first round and eventually finished 16th with an 1,825 pinfall total.

The 94-player field returns Monday for another eight-game qualifying round which will determine the top 24 players who will advance to match play and 15 players (positions 25-31 and eight PBA60 players) who will advance to Tuesday morning’s five-game cashers round that will determine eight additional match play spots. After match play, the top five players will advance to the stepladder finals at 7 p.m. ET.

Fans can follow PBA action through the entire PBA Network which includes wall-to-wall coverage of an expanded schedule of live events on Xtra Frame including the Johnny Petraglia BVL Open, player interactions through Facebook and Twitter, mobile gaming, original programming, archived events and immediate news updates 24/7 on varying communications devices anywhere in the world. For additional PBA Network information visit http://www.pba.com/PBANetwork.

PBA50 JOHNNY PETRAGLIA BVL OPEN PRESENTED BY BRUNSWICK

Farmingdale Lanes, Farmingdale, N.Y., Sunday

First round after 8 games

1, John Conroy, Mahopac, N.Y., 1,923.
2, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 1,910.
3, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,904.
4, Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., 1,889.
5, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,888.
6, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas, 1,867.
7, Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y., 1,866.
8, a-John Kirker Jr., Taftville, Conn., 1,857.
9, a-Todd Lathrop, Colchester, Conn., 1,855.
10, Jerry Brunette Jr., Rochester, N.Y., 1,852.
11, Stephen Pavlinko, Sewell, N.J., 1,848.
12, ss-Ted Staikoff, Black Hawk, S.D., 1,842.
13, Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 1,837.
14, Christopher Keane, Cape Coral, Fla., 1,836.
15, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 1,827.
16, ss-John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 1,825.
17, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 1,817.
18, James Hansen, Anchorage, Alaska, 1,812.
19, Dave Mutch, Oakland, N.J., 1,805.
20, Peter Knopp, Germany, 1,803.
21, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,784.
22, ss-Bill McCorkle, Westerville, Ohio, 1,778.
23, ss-Tom Baker, King, N.C., 1,776.
24, David Zelger, Red Lion, Pa., 1,770.
25, ss-Tommy Brodowski, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,768.
26, Mike Hastings, Millsboro, Del., 1,756.
27, ss-Steve Stein, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,749.
28, Al Spano, Massapequa Park, N.Y., 1,748.
29, Harry Sullins, Chesterfield Twp., Mich., 1,746.
30, Brian Miller, Springfield, Ohio, 1,742.
31, Dave Sill, Titusville, Fla., 1,740.
32, Bob Learn Jr., Erie, Pa., 1,736.
33, a-Jose Zambrano, Jackson Heights, N.Y., 1,735.
34, Don Hicks, West Babylon, N.Y., 1,732.
35, Joe Salvemini, Mckinney, Texas, 1,731.
36, ss-Michael Henry, Brunswick, Ohio, 1,726.
37, Glenn Smith, New York, 1,710.
38, (tie) Warren Burr, Wilmington, Del., and ss-a-Jim Ruccione, Ozone Park, N.Y., 1,700.
40, ss-Gary Shultis, Levittown, N.Y., 1,695.
41, (tie) John DiSantis, Wilmington, Del., and ss-Andrew Smith, Colonie, N.Y., 1,689.
43, Brian Cooper, Henderson, Nev., 1,683.
44, ss-Brendan Bierch, Grafton, Mass., 1,682.
45, Robert Brown, Cody, Wyo., 1,679.
46, a-Russell Michaud, Hudson, N.H., 1,676.
47, ss-Dale Eagle, Laguna Niguel, Calif., 1,674.
48, a-Steven DiMartino, Upper Saddle River, N.J., 1,672.
49, Sammy Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 1,671.
50, Marty Berke, Allentown, Pa., 1,670.
51, (tie) a-Johnathan Francis, Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., and ss-Chris Fedden, Albany, N.Y., 1,660.
53, Tracy Teeters, Eugene, Ore., 1,659.
54, Barry Clare, Bayside, N.Y., 1,657.
55, ss-Bob Caruso, Dayton, N.J., 1,650.
56, Tom Carter, Columbus, Ohio, 1,647.
57, ss-Steve Bova, Massapequa, N.Y., 1,637.
58, ss-Norm Ginsberg, West Babylon, N.Y., 1,634.
59, Michael Vella, Bellport, N.Y., 1,632.
60, Dale Csuhta, Wadsworth, Ohio, 1,631.
61, ss-a-Rob Sperling, Livingston, N.J., 1,623.
62, Jeffrey Koenig, Melville, N.Y., 1,620.
63, Timothy Regan, East Northport, N.Y., 1,618.
64, ss-Bill Henson, Westerville, Ohio, 1,617.
65, ss-Ron Glick, Morganville, N.J., 1,616.
66, ss-Timothy Kauble, Marion, Ohio, 1,615.
67, Tom Yadanza, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 1,611.
68, Terry Metzner, Kentwood, Mich., 1,606.
69, ss-Tim Pierce, Portland, Ore., 1,605.
70, ss-Glen Nakagawa, Highland Village, Texas, 1,603.
71, ss-Steven Banks, Leesburg, Va., 1,594.
72, ss-Tony Bellantoni, White Plains, N.Y., 1,592.
73, ss-Ross McDonald, Clarksville, Md., 1,590.
74, ss-Salvatore Mattera, Nesconset, N.Y., 1,574.
75, David Taylor, Largo, Fla., 1,572.
76, a-Guy Wallach, Livingston, N.J., 1,568.
77, ss-Rich Giragosian, Charlotte, N.C., 1,565.
78, ss-Frank Gallo Jr., Jacksonville, Fla., 1,554.
79, ss-Stephen Nowicki, Rochester, N.Y., 1,552.
80, (tie) a-Joe Biscardi, Wantagh, N.Y., and ss-Stephen Lippman, Palm Harbor, Fla., 1,548.
82, a-Joseph Natoli, West Babylon, N.Y., 1,532.
83, ss-a-Scott Salem, Oradell, N.J., 1,530.
84, ss-Ralph Ehrlich, N.Massapequa, N.Y., 1,526.
85, Eddie Wu, New York, 1,516.
86, a-Greg Eskow, Syosset, N.Y., 1,514.
87, Robert Donovan, Prattsville, N.Y., 1,512.
88, ss-Dowell Milliken, Lake Grove, N.Y., 1,509.
89, ss-Walter Davis Jr., St. Petersburg, Fla., 1,485.
90, Scott Zimmerman, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,472.
91, Gary Elferis, Flushing, N.Y., 1,436.
92, a-Richard Carosella, North Merrick, N.Y., 1,341.
93, a-Sal Palmeri, Middle Village, N.Y., 1,317.
94, ss-Michael Brower, Amsterdam, N.Y., 519.