Kovalova leads qualifying at 2023 PWBA Grand Rapids Classic
June 02, 2023
WYOMING, Mich. – Dasha Kovalova of Muskegon, Michigan, has made an early impact at the first Classic Series of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association season and leads after qualifying at the PWBA Grand Rapids Classic.
Kovalova moved to the top of the standings Thursday at Spectrum Lanes by finishing her 12-game block with a 2,783 total, which was good enough for a 231.92 average and first place in the field of nearly 100 bowlers.
Birgit Noreiks of Germany was second with 2,739, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, qualified third with 2,706. Lauren Pate of Ballwin, Missouri (2,683), and Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan (2,620), followed next in the standings.
The top 12 athletes advanced to match play at the Grand Rapids Classic, which features a pair of six-game match-play rounds that start Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern. Total pinfall, including bonus pins for wins in match play, will determine the five finalists for Friday’s stepladder finals.
All rounds of competition at the Grand Rapids Classic will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com. The stepladder will air at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and the champion will take home $10,000.
The final qualifying spot went to Taylor Bulthuis of New Port Richey, Florida, who tallied a 12-game total of 2,565 (a 213.75 average).
The Classic Series – Grand Rapids includes the PWBA Grand Rapids Classic, PWBA BowlTV Classic and PWBA Great Lakes Classic. The BowlTV Classic is taking place June 3-4, and the Great Lakes Classic will be June 5-6.
Kovalova began looking forward to the Classic Series – Grand Rapids as soon as it was announced as part of the 2023 schedule.
After all, competing at Spectrum Lanes means bowling less than an hour from her home and having even more support than usual from family, friends and sponsors.
However, more attention can bring even more pressure to perform, so, for Kovalova, bowling so close to home has its ups and downs.
“It’s a double-edged sword for me,” Kovalova said. “It’s nice having people around who know me very well because they can help me when I need it, but at the same time it’s hard because I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The 28-year-old right-hander gave her supporters very little to be disappointed about on Thursday as she was rock solid from start to finish.
Kovalova came out of the gate strong, beginning her day with a score of 288 to immediately jump to the top of the leaderboard.
She didn’t lead wire to wire, but the five-time PWBA Tour titlist and past major champion – Kovalova won the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Queens – was never far from the top.
How could she be? After all, she followed up the 288 with scores of 218, 206, 237, 221 and 212 to finish the morning block before notching games of 188, 246, 257, 233, 234 and 243 during Round 2 to easily secure the top spot heading into match play.
Kovalova’s consistency on Thursday was due in part to being very comfortable with her ball reaction on the Grand Rapids Classic’s 44-foot oil pattern.
She was so comfortable, in fact, that she was able to keep the same bowling ball in her hand pretty much throughout the entirety of her second block.
“I only had to make one ball change during the second set, and that change came during the first game,” Kovalova said. “After that, I stuck with the same ball and just kept going.”
That approach was good enough to get her to the top of the standings on Thursday. Kovalova is hoping the success continues when she and the other 12 qualifiers hit the lanes for match play Friday morning.
Kovalova has been around long enough to know that being the top qualifier doesn’t guarantee match-play success. As such, her focus is on what lies ahead, not on what she accomplished on Day 1.
“Anything can happen during round-robin match play,” Kovalova said. “I’ve seen it where the leader gets lapped because they can’t win matches, and everyone else starts bowling well and adding in those bonus pins. I’ve been there before, so I just need to throw good shots, do my best and take things one shot at a time in my mind.”
If that approach works even half as well Friday as it did during qualifying, then Kovalova is as good a bet as any to be right in the thick of the Grand Rapids Classic title hunt.
Once the Grand Rapids Classic has concluded, the BowlTV Classic and Great Lakes Classic will feature the same format. The finals of the BowlTV Classic also will air on BowlTV. The stepladder will be Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
The combined qualifying totals for the Grand Rapids Classic and BowlTV Classic (24 games) will determine the 24 athletes advancing to the Great Lakes Classic.
Pinfall will drop at the beginning of the Great Lakes Classic, with all advancers bowling three eight-game blocks of round-robin match play Monday and Tuesday. The top five competitors, based on total pinfall and bonus pins, will advance to Tuesday’s stepladder finals.
The finals of the Great Lakes Classic will be broadcast Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV with the winner earning the $12,000 top prize.
To learn more about the PWBA Tour, visit PWBA.com.
Kovalova moved to the top of the standings Thursday at Spectrum Lanes by finishing her 12-game block with a 2,783 total, which was good enough for a 231.92 average and first place in the field of nearly 100 bowlers.
Birgit Noreiks of Germany was second with 2,739, and Danielle McEwan of Stony Point, New York, qualified third with 2,706. Lauren Pate of Ballwin, Missouri (2,683), and Valerie Bercier of Muskegon, Michigan (2,620), followed next in the standings.
The top 12 athletes advanced to match play at the Grand Rapids Classic, which features a pair of six-game match-play rounds that start Friday at 9 a.m. Eastern. Total pinfall, including bonus pins for wins in match play, will determine the five finalists for Friday’s stepladder finals.
All rounds of competition at the Grand Rapids Classic will be broadcast live at BowlTV.com. The stepladder will air at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, and the champion will take home $10,000.
The final qualifying spot went to Taylor Bulthuis of New Port Richey, Florida, who tallied a 12-game total of 2,565 (a 213.75 average).
The Classic Series – Grand Rapids includes the PWBA Grand Rapids Classic, PWBA BowlTV Classic and PWBA Great Lakes Classic. The BowlTV Classic is taking place June 3-4, and the Great Lakes Classic will be June 5-6.
Kovalova began looking forward to the Classic Series – Grand Rapids as soon as it was announced as part of the 2023 schedule.
After all, competing at Spectrum Lanes means bowling less than an hour from her home and having even more support than usual from family, friends and sponsors.
However, more attention can bring even more pressure to perform, so, for Kovalova, bowling so close to home has its ups and downs.
“It’s a double-edged sword for me,” Kovalova said. “It’s nice having people around who know me very well because they can help me when I need it, but at the same time it’s hard because I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The 28-year-old right-hander gave her supporters very little to be disappointed about on Thursday as she was rock solid from start to finish.
Kovalova came out of the gate strong, beginning her day with a score of 288 to immediately jump to the top of the leaderboard.
She didn’t lead wire to wire, but the five-time PWBA Tour titlist and past major champion – Kovalova won the 2019 United States Bowling Congress Queens – was never far from the top.
How could she be? After all, she followed up the 288 with scores of 218, 206, 237, 221 and 212 to finish the morning block before notching games of 188, 246, 257, 233, 234 and 243 during Round 2 to easily secure the top spot heading into match play.
Kovalova’s consistency on Thursday was due in part to being very comfortable with her ball reaction on the Grand Rapids Classic’s 44-foot oil pattern.
She was so comfortable, in fact, that she was able to keep the same bowling ball in her hand pretty much throughout the entirety of her second block.
“I only had to make one ball change during the second set, and that change came during the first game,” Kovalova said. “After that, I stuck with the same ball and just kept going.”
That approach was good enough to get her to the top of the standings on Thursday. Kovalova is hoping the success continues when she and the other 12 qualifiers hit the lanes for match play Friday morning.
Kovalova has been around long enough to know that being the top qualifier doesn’t guarantee match-play success. As such, her focus is on what lies ahead, not on what she accomplished on Day 1.
“Anything can happen during round-robin match play,” Kovalova said. “I’ve seen it where the leader gets lapped because they can’t win matches, and everyone else starts bowling well and adding in those bonus pins. I’ve been there before, so I just need to throw good shots, do my best and take things one shot at a time in my mind.”
If that approach works even half as well Friday as it did during qualifying, then Kovalova is as good a bet as any to be right in the thick of the Grand Rapids Classic title hunt.
Once the Grand Rapids Classic has concluded, the BowlTV Classic and Great Lakes Classic will feature the same format. The finals of the BowlTV Classic also will air on BowlTV. The stepladder will be Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
The combined qualifying totals for the Grand Rapids Classic and BowlTV Classic (24 games) will determine the 24 athletes advancing to the Great Lakes Classic.
Pinfall will drop at the beginning of the Great Lakes Classic, with all advancers bowling three eight-game blocks of round-robin match play Monday and Tuesday. The top five competitors, based on total pinfall and bonus pins, will advance to Tuesday’s stepladder finals.
The finals of the Great Lakes Classic will be broadcast Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on BowlTV with the winner earning the $12,000 top prize.
To learn more about the PWBA Tour, visit PWBA.com.