Day 1 complete at 2024 USBC Senior Championships
August 01, 2024
COMPLETE STANDINGS
CINCINNATI – The first day of competition is in the books at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Championships at Western Bowl Strike and Spare as 411 bowlers rolled their opening three games of qualifying on Wednesday.
Many of North America’s top men’s and women’s bowlers age 50 and older who qualified through either a state or province senior tournament put their skills to the test across two divisions – Open and Women’s – in six age-based classifications – 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and older.
Below are the top three in each classification after the first round on qualifying:
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
50-54:
Amy Cole of Scappoose, Oregon, has the first-round lead in this group as she combined a 477 scratch total with 249 pins of handicap for an overall total of 726.
Karla Keller-Rook of Centertown, Missouri, is second with 691 and Rebecca Cutie of Poplarville, Mississippi, holds down the third spot with 675.
The top three had similar scratch totals (Cole-477; Keller-Rook-460; Cutie-471), but it was Cole’s additional handicap that helped propel her to the lead.
Robin Provenzano of Bristol, Connecticut, was the only player in the group to post all three games of 200 or better (201, 200, 208) and had the lone scratch 600 series (609). Karen Beam of Geismar, Louisiana, had the high scratch game with 223.
55-59:
Suzanne Spates of Troutman, North Carolina, closed with a scratch 279 game (the highest by any player in any division of the event) to help her to a 653 scratch series. That, coupled with her 63 pins of handicap, gave her an overall total of 716 and a slight five-pin lead after Round 1.
Lelia Hamilton of Hazel Crest, Illinois, combined a 504 scratch series with 207 pins of handicap to get to second place at 711. Mindy Tracy of Leadore, Idaho, closed with a pair of 192 games and is third with 693.
Ruth Wooliver of Orchard Park, New York, and Nancy Cote of Granby, Massachusetts, were the only other players in this group to post a 600 scratch series with 620 and 610, respectively. Wooliver is currently eighth (653) and Cote is ninth (646).
60-64:
The top three players in this group are separated by only four pins. Sharon Jones of La Junta, Colorado, posted 587 scratch and added 153 pins of handicap to grab the lead at 740 overall.
Jill Friis of Mount Brydges, Ontario, Canada, rolled the only 700 scratch series in the Women’s Division with games of 247, 232 and 233 for a 712 three-game set that also ties her for the best scratch series in the entire event. Friis is getting 27 pins of handicap and is in second place, just one pin behind Jones.
Donna Ryan of Smithtown, New York, was just shy of a scratch 700 series herself with games of 194, 234 and 266 for 694. Her 42 pins of handicap put her overall total at 736, good for third. Her 266 game was the high scratch game in this group.
65-69:
Carmen Baeckel of Oxford, Pennsylvania, combined a 517 scratch total with her 210 pins of handicap to lead with a total of 727. Nalini Nauth of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, trails Baeckel by 41 pins.
Shirley Townes-Boone of Memphis put together the best scratch round in the group (620) and, with her 63 pins of handicap, is currently third with 683.
The group’s high scratch game in Round 1 was 244 by Diane Marget of Mesquite, Nevada, who is fourth with 678.
70-74:
Susan Wanner of Bowman, North Dakota, combined a 387 scratch total with 324 pins of handicap to lead the group with a total of 711. Just six pins behind Wanner is Janice York of Clarendon, Arkansas.
Barbara Demorest of Bellingham, Washington, rolled the only scratch games of 200 or better in this group during Round 1 (239 and 204) and had the only scratch 600 series (614). She’s in third place with an overall total of 692.
75 and older:
Judith Strukel of Hamilton, Missouri, rolled a 531 scratch series and added 159 pins of handicap to grab the top spot with an overall total of 690. Her lead is a scant two pins over Jinnie Henry of Hixon, Tennessee, who had the only scratch 600 series (610) in the group.
Strukel’s 531 scratch series was second only to Henry and was the only other series over 500 scratch. Strukel (203) and Henry (235) were the only bowlers in this group with games of 200 or better.
Sandra Wince of Somerset, Ohio, holds down the third spot, just one pin behind Henry at 687 overall. Only three pins separate the top three bowlers in this classification.
OPEN DIVISION:
50-54:
Jeffery Harris of Yorktown, Indiana, posted the best scratch series in this group (650) and added 48 pins of handicap to grab the early lead with an overall total of 698. Five pins behind Harris is Jeffrey Shaver of Anniston, Alabama. Shaver also bested 600 scratch for his series (606).
Larry Altis of Marion, Kansas, combined a 585 scratch series with 105 pins of handicap to nab the third position at 690 overall, meaning first through third are separated by only eight pins.
Steve Bohn of Norwood, Minnesota, had the other 600 scratch series in this group (625), but isn’t getting any handicap, so his 625 total has him in 12th place. Kenneth Gerraughty of Canaan, New Hampshire, had the high scratch game in this group with 266 and is in 15th place (613).
55-59:
Charles Bruff of Rising Sun, Maryland, rolled the only 700 scratch series in the Open Division with games of 190, 255 and 267 (high scratch game in this group) for a 712 total that tied Jill Friis for the best scratch series of the event.
That 712 series combined with 36 pins of handicap gave Bruff a 748 total and the co-lead with Martin Michaud of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Michaud combined a 439 scratch series with 309 pins of handicap to tie Bruff.
Another Canadian, Pradip Saha of Calgary, Alberta, is in third place with 714.
In what can only be considered an oddity, the players in 16th, 17th and 18th place each rolled a triplicate scratch series. Andrew Fiala Jr. of Laurel, Mississippi, had triplicate 210 games; Neil Wentz of Surprise, Arizona, had three 191 games and Bruce Magnan of Klamath Falls, Oregon, had a trio of 187 games.
60-64:
Jay Jimenez of Grant, Nebraska, has the lead in this group with an overall total of 732 that resulted from a scratch series of 588 added to 144 pins of handicap.
Randy Nelson of Woodward, Oklahoma, had the best scratch series (649) and the best scratch game (256) of this group in Round 1, and ended up with an overall total of 703, good for second place.
Kevin Zilkey of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, rolled a 611 scratch series and added 87 pins of handicap for third place (698).
65-69:
Michael Cordes’ 558 scratch series and 135 pins of handicap has him in front of this group with an overall total of 693. Cordes of Crofton, Maryland, owns a 15-pin lead over Richard Bailey of Sharpsville, Indiana.
Bailey got better as the round progressed, putting together games of 179, 194 and 239 (high scratch game in the group for Round 1), for a 612 set, the only scratch series of 600 or better in the group.
Completing the top three is Ron Braaten of Ludlow, South Dakota, at 670.
70-74:
Eugene McNeely of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, put together a 537 scratch set and added that to his 228 pins of handicap for an overall total of 765 to grab the top spot in this group through the first three games of qualifying.
Ron Roberts of Billings, Montana, posted the group’s only 600 scratch series in Round 1 (622) and is second with an overall total of 730. Roberts was the only player in this classification to have all three of his games at 200 or better (214, 203, 205).
Sitting in third place is Jerry Maly of Cypress, Texas, at 697 overall. Warren Hamilton of St. Francisville, Louisiana, had the high scratch game with 232 and is fourth at 661.
75 and older:
William Kozma of Hennepin, Illinois, totaled 694, to take the early lead in this group. Kozma combined 586 scratch (the best scratch series in this group) with 108 pins of handicap for his leading total.
Thomas Giles of Buena Vista, Colorado, holds down the second spot, a mere five pins behind Kozma. In third place is Daniel Patrick of Huntington, West Virginia, with 655.
The high scratch game in this classification in Round 1 belonged to Robert Lopez of Henrico, North Carolina, with 213.
All 411 competitors will return to bowl another three-game qualifying block on Thursday, and the top six scorers in each division after six games, including handicap, will advance to Friday’s championship rounds, which are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Eastern.
Qualifying scores will not be carried over to the championship rounds, but bonus pins will be awarded to each player based on his or her qualifying position. The top qualifier in the division will receive 50 bonus pins, while the second seed will receive 40. Bonus pins will decrease by 10 pins for each spot, with the sixth qualifier receiving zero bonus pins.
The championship rounds will feature three games, and the bowlers authoring the highest totals, including handicap and bonus pins, will earn titles.
For more information on the USBC Senior Championships, visit BOWL.com/SeniorChamp.
CINCINNATI – The first day of competition is in the books at the 2024 United States Bowling Congress Senior Championships at Western Bowl Strike and Spare as 411 bowlers rolled their opening three games of qualifying on Wednesday.
Many of North America’s top men’s and women’s bowlers age 50 and older who qualified through either a state or province senior tournament put their skills to the test across two divisions – Open and Women’s – in six age-based classifications – 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75 and older.
Below are the top three in each classification after the first round on qualifying:
WOMEN’S DIVISION:
50-54:
Amy Cole of Scappoose, Oregon, has the first-round lead in this group as she combined a 477 scratch total with 249 pins of handicap for an overall total of 726.
Karla Keller-Rook of Centertown, Missouri, is second with 691 and Rebecca Cutie of Poplarville, Mississippi, holds down the third spot with 675.
The top three had similar scratch totals (Cole-477; Keller-Rook-460; Cutie-471), but it was Cole’s additional handicap that helped propel her to the lead.
Robin Provenzano of Bristol, Connecticut, was the only player in the group to post all three games of 200 or better (201, 200, 208) and had the lone scratch 600 series (609). Karen Beam of Geismar, Louisiana, had the high scratch game with 223.
55-59:
Suzanne Spates of Troutman, North Carolina, closed with a scratch 279 game (the highest by any player in any division of the event) to help her to a 653 scratch series. That, coupled with her 63 pins of handicap, gave her an overall total of 716 and a slight five-pin lead after Round 1.
Lelia Hamilton of Hazel Crest, Illinois, combined a 504 scratch series with 207 pins of handicap to get to second place at 711. Mindy Tracy of Leadore, Idaho, closed with a pair of 192 games and is third with 693.
Ruth Wooliver of Orchard Park, New York, and Nancy Cote of Granby, Massachusetts, were the only other players in this group to post a 600 scratch series with 620 and 610, respectively. Wooliver is currently eighth (653) and Cote is ninth (646).
60-64:
The top three players in this group are separated by only four pins. Sharon Jones of La Junta, Colorado, posted 587 scratch and added 153 pins of handicap to grab the lead at 740 overall.
Jill Friis of Mount Brydges, Ontario, Canada, rolled the only 700 scratch series in the Women’s Division with games of 247, 232 and 233 for a 712 three-game set that also ties her for the best scratch series in the entire event. Friis is getting 27 pins of handicap and is in second place, just one pin behind Jones.
Donna Ryan of Smithtown, New York, was just shy of a scratch 700 series herself with games of 194, 234 and 266 for 694. Her 42 pins of handicap put her overall total at 736, good for third. Her 266 game was the high scratch game in this group.
65-69:
Carmen Baeckel of Oxford, Pennsylvania, combined a 517 scratch total with her 210 pins of handicap to lead with a total of 727. Nalini Nauth of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, trails Baeckel by 41 pins.
Shirley Townes-Boone of Memphis put together the best scratch round in the group (620) and, with her 63 pins of handicap, is currently third with 683.
The group’s high scratch game in Round 1 was 244 by Diane Marget of Mesquite, Nevada, who is fourth with 678.
70-74:
Susan Wanner of Bowman, North Dakota, combined a 387 scratch total with 324 pins of handicap to lead the group with a total of 711. Just six pins behind Wanner is Janice York of Clarendon, Arkansas.
Barbara Demorest of Bellingham, Washington, rolled the only scratch games of 200 or better in this group during Round 1 (239 and 204) and had the only scratch 600 series (614). She’s in third place with an overall total of 692.
75 and older:
Judith Strukel of Hamilton, Missouri, rolled a 531 scratch series and added 159 pins of handicap to grab the top spot with an overall total of 690. Her lead is a scant two pins over Jinnie Henry of Hixon, Tennessee, who had the only scratch 600 series (610) in the group.
Strukel’s 531 scratch series was second only to Henry and was the only other series over 500 scratch. Strukel (203) and Henry (235) were the only bowlers in this group with games of 200 or better.
Sandra Wince of Somerset, Ohio, holds down the third spot, just one pin behind Henry at 687 overall. Only three pins separate the top three bowlers in this classification.
OPEN DIVISION:
50-54:
Jeffery Harris of Yorktown, Indiana, posted the best scratch series in this group (650) and added 48 pins of handicap to grab the early lead with an overall total of 698. Five pins behind Harris is Jeffrey Shaver of Anniston, Alabama. Shaver also bested 600 scratch for his series (606).
Larry Altis of Marion, Kansas, combined a 585 scratch series with 105 pins of handicap to nab the third position at 690 overall, meaning first through third are separated by only eight pins.
Steve Bohn of Norwood, Minnesota, had the other 600 scratch series in this group (625), but isn’t getting any handicap, so his 625 total has him in 12th place. Kenneth Gerraughty of Canaan, New Hampshire, had the high scratch game in this group with 266 and is in 15th place (613).
55-59:
Charles Bruff of Rising Sun, Maryland, rolled the only 700 scratch series in the Open Division with games of 190, 255 and 267 (high scratch game in this group) for a 712 total that tied Jill Friis for the best scratch series of the event.
That 712 series combined with 36 pins of handicap gave Bruff a 748 total and the co-lead with Martin Michaud of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Michaud combined a 439 scratch series with 309 pins of handicap to tie Bruff.
Another Canadian, Pradip Saha of Calgary, Alberta, is in third place with 714.
In what can only be considered an oddity, the players in 16th, 17th and 18th place each rolled a triplicate scratch series. Andrew Fiala Jr. of Laurel, Mississippi, had triplicate 210 games; Neil Wentz of Surprise, Arizona, had three 191 games and Bruce Magnan of Klamath Falls, Oregon, had a trio of 187 games.
60-64:
Jay Jimenez of Grant, Nebraska, has the lead in this group with an overall total of 732 that resulted from a scratch series of 588 added to 144 pins of handicap.
Randy Nelson of Woodward, Oklahoma, had the best scratch series (649) and the best scratch game (256) of this group in Round 1, and ended up with an overall total of 703, good for second place.
Kevin Zilkey of Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, rolled a 611 scratch series and added 87 pins of handicap for third place (698).
65-69:
Michael Cordes’ 558 scratch series and 135 pins of handicap has him in front of this group with an overall total of 693. Cordes of Crofton, Maryland, owns a 15-pin lead over Richard Bailey of Sharpsville, Indiana.
Bailey got better as the round progressed, putting together games of 179, 194 and 239 (high scratch game in the group for Round 1), for a 612 set, the only scratch series of 600 or better in the group.
Completing the top three is Ron Braaten of Ludlow, South Dakota, at 670.
70-74:
Eugene McNeely of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, put together a 537 scratch set and added that to his 228 pins of handicap for an overall total of 765 to grab the top spot in this group through the first three games of qualifying.
Ron Roberts of Billings, Montana, posted the group’s only 600 scratch series in Round 1 (622) and is second with an overall total of 730. Roberts was the only player in this classification to have all three of his games at 200 or better (214, 203, 205).
Sitting in third place is Jerry Maly of Cypress, Texas, at 697 overall. Warren Hamilton of St. Francisville, Louisiana, had the high scratch game with 232 and is fourth at 661.
75 and older:
William Kozma of Hennepin, Illinois, totaled 694, to take the early lead in this group. Kozma combined 586 scratch (the best scratch series in this group) with 108 pins of handicap for his leading total.
Thomas Giles of Buena Vista, Colorado, holds down the second spot, a mere five pins behind Kozma. In third place is Daniel Patrick of Huntington, West Virginia, with 655.
The high scratch game in this classification in Round 1 belonged to Robert Lopez of Henrico, North Carolina, with 213.
All 411 competitors will return to bowl another three-game qualifying block on Thursday, and the top six scorers in each division after six games, including handicap, will advance to Friday’s championship rounds, which are scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Eastern.
Qualifying scores will not be carried over to the championship rounds, but bonus pins will be awarded to each player based on his or her qualifying position. The top qualifier in the division will receive 50 bonus pins, while the second seed will receive 40. Bonus pins will decrease by 10 pins for each spot, with the sixth qualifier receiving zero bonus pins.
The championship rounds will feature three games, and the bowlers authoring the highest totals, including handicap and bonus pins, will earn titles.
For more information on the USBC Senior Championships, visit BOWL.com/SeniorChamp.