Haggerty, Montagnino claim titles

Most Valuable Player closes fantastic season with men’s national title

Haggerty2005TrophyInsideMILWAUKEE –
Last month, Fresno State sophomore P.J. Haggerty was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2004-05 men’s collegiate bowling season.

He proved why Tuesday.

Top-seeded Haggerty, the 2004-05 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association MVP, defeated San Jose State sophomore Jason Andersen 3-1 in the best-of-5 men’s title match of the 2005 Collegiate Singles Championships, a United States Bowling Congress Event, at Olympic Lanes.

Andersen, a Fremont, Calif., native, was the third left-hander to fall 3-1 to the right-handed Haggerty, who earned the top seed and a bye to the quarterfinals by being the high qualifier. He also defeated Erie Community College freshman Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., in the quarterfinals and William Paterson junior Tom Scherrer, Holtsville, N.Y., in the semifinals.

“I had a great look at the lanes all week,” the Weimar, Calif., native said. “Taking down three lefties today was hard. Luckily, I got the breaks.”

Once of those breaks came in the eighth frame of Game 4 when a messenger pin kicked out the 10-pin – keeping Haggerty’s string of strikes in tact. It helped him stave off Andersen’s late run to hold on for the 233-209 championship clinching victory.

Haggerty started the championship match strong, striking on 8 of 11 attempts – including seven consecutive – to pull out a 244-213 victory in Game 1. Andersen evened the match with a 207-193 triumph in Game 2 before Haggerty pulled back ahead in Game 3, pulling out a 207-206 victory.

The 2003 American Bowling Congress Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow traded strikes in a fierce match with Ciminelli, the 2004-05 NCBCA Rookie of the Year. Once he advanced, Haggerty knew he was in control of his fate.

“I knew once I beat him I had a good chance of taking down the next two, no matter who it was,” said Haggerty, a Junior Team USA member in 2004 and 2005. “That gave me a lot of momentum. I got a lot of confidence out of that match.”

Haggerty received the Joe Norris Trophy, named for the legendary American Bowling Congress Championships Tournament champion.

Monagnino2005TophyInsideNewman junior Bianca Montagnino, Ashland, Ore., came from the No. 6 seed to claim the women’s championship, defeating Kansas senior Kelly Zapf, Rochester, N.Y., 3-1 in the title match. Montagnino was presented with the Marion Ladewig Trophy, named in honor of the legendary Women’s International Bowling Congress Championship Tournament champion.

Participants bowled 12 qualifying games Monday to determine seeding for the best-of-5, single-elimination match play competition beginning 9 a.m. Tuesday. The top four seeds in each division received byes to match play’s third round, while No. 5 through No. 8 seeds received byes to the second round.

Qualifying for the Collegiate Singles Championships was held at the four Intercollegiate Bowling Championships Sectional Qualifier sites – Allentown, Pa.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and San Jose, Calif. – on March 18. All participants bowled six games with total pinfall determining final standings. The top four finishers in each division (male and female) at each site advanced to the Collegiate Singles Championships.

Newman’s Cory Simmons and Nebraska’s Shannon Pluhowsky captured the Collegiate Singles Championships’ inaugural titles in 2004. The event replaced the Association of College Unions International National Championships as the premier individual college bowling tournament supported by the USBC Collegiate program.

2005 COLLEGIATE SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS

May 23-24, 2005
Olympic Lanes, Milwaukee

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Best-of-5, single-elimination match play
(Seeds in parentheses)

MEN
First Round
Match 1 – (9) Phil Campit, San Jose State, def. (16) Bill Goulette, Canisius, 3-2
Match 2 – (13) Dave Lughermo, Michigan State, def. (12) Aaron Brown, Washington, 3-1
Match 3 – (14) Ben Goede, St. Cloud State, def. (11) Tim Behrendt, Nebraska, 3-1
Match 4 – (15) Matt Sims, Purdue, def. (10) Andrew Owens, Florida State, 3-1

Second Round

Match 5 – (8) Ryan Ciminelli, Erie Community College, def. (9) Phil Campit, San Jose State, 3-2
Match 6 – (5) Matthew Deuire, Dutchess Community College, def. (13) Dave Lughermo, Michigan State, 3-2
Match 7 – (14) Ben Goede, St. Cloud State, def. (6) Anthony La Caze, Saginaw Valley State, 3-2
Match 8 – (15) Matt Sims, Purdue, def. (7) Mike Hoffman, Toledo, 3-2

Quarterfinals

Match 9 – (1) P.J. Haggerty, Fresno State, def. (8) Ryan Ciminelli, Erie Community College, 3-1
Match 10 – (4) Tom Scherrer, William Paterson, def. (5) Matthew Deuire, Dutchess Community College, 3-1
Match 11 – (3) Jason Andersen, San Jose State, def. (14) Ben Goede, St. Cloud State, 3-0
Match 12 – (2) Justin Stewart, Ferris State, def. (15) Matt Sims, Purdue, 3-0

Semifinals

Match 13 – (1) P.J. Haggerty, Fresno State, def. (4) Tom Scherrer, William Paterson, 3-1
Match 14 – (3) Jason Andersen, San Jose State, def. (2) Justin Stewart, Ferris State, 3-0

Championship

Match 15 – (1) P.J. Haggerty, Fresno State, def. (3) Jason Andersen, San Jose State, 3-1
(Game 1 – Haggerty 244, Andersen 213; Game 2 – Andersen 207, Haggerty 193; Game 3 – Haggerty 207, Andersen 206; Game 4 – Haggerty 233, Andersen 209)

WOMEN

First Round
Match 1 – (9) Nancy Lewandowski, Purdue, def. (16) Ariel Givens, Maryland-Eastern Shore, 3-0
Match 2 – (12) Elizabeth Brents, Newman, def. (13) Jonica Matson, Lindenwood, 3-2
Match 3 – (11) Jessica Lesagonicz, Lindenwood, def. (14) Teresa Perkins, Western New England, 3-2
Match 4 – (15) Mandy Pezzano, Pennsylvania, def. (10) Sandra Dekoj, Central Missouri State, 3-1

Second Round

Match 5 – (9) Nancy Lewandowski, Purdue, def. (8) Jamie Miller, California-Davis, 3-1
Match 6 – (5) Corina Shiver, San Jose State, def. (12) Elizabeth Brents, Newman, 3-0
Match 7 – (6) Bianca Montagnino, Newman, def. (11) Jessica Lesagonicz, Lindenwood, 3-0
Match 8 – (7) Stacey Wyatt, Pikeville, def. (15) Mandy Pezzano, Pennsylvania, 3-2

Quarterfinals

Match 9 – (1) Kelly Zapf, Kansas, def. (9) Nancy Lewandowski, Purdue, 3-2
Match 10 – (4) Amanda Beck, St. John’s, def. (5) Corina Shiver, San Jose State, 3-1
Match 11 – (6) Bianca Montagnino, Newman, def. (3) Kayla Bandy, Pikeville, 3-1
Match 12 – (2) Stefanie Nation, Central Florida, def. (7) Stacey Wyatt, Pikeville, 3-0

Semifinals

Match 13 – (1) Kelly Zapf, Kansas, def. (4) Amanda Beck, St. John’s, 3-1
Match 14 – (6) Bianca Montagnino, Newman, def. (2) Stefanie Nation, Central Florida, 3-2

Championship
Match 15 – (6) Bianca Montagnino, Newman, def. (1) Kelly Zapf, Kansas, 3-1
(Game 1 – Montagnino 234, Zapf 224; Game 2 – Zapf 228, Montagnino 182; Game 3 – Montagnino 258, Zapf 209; Game 4 – Montagnino 224, Zapf 204)