Average entries show increase in experimental tournament series

PBA Communications

SEATTLE – The Professional Bowlers Association’s experimental regional “animal pattern” championship series has produced 35 paid entries into PBA World Series of Bowling IV and a significant increase in the average number of entries in PBA Regional tournaments between March and August of 2012, PBA Director of Regional and Senior Tours John Weber announced Monday.

The inaugural animal pattern series featured Cheetah, Viper, Scorpion and Chameleon Championships in each of the PBA’s seven regions (the Shark pattern, the fifth lane condition in the series, was not used in the first-year program). Each event offered an optional entry program, allowing players who elected to do so to compete on specific lane conditions for a paid World Series entry. In addition, the top player in overall competition points in each region – whether or not he paid the optional entry fees – also received a World Series entry.

The animal pattern program was introduced by the PBA during the 2008-09 season to provide the bowling public with a method to easily differentiate between the variety of lane conditioning challenges professional bowlers face. It has served as a central part of the World Series of Bowling since the WSOB’s inception in 2009, producing an annual series of animal pattern championships. The animal patterns also are featured in the PBA Experience Sport Bowling league program conducted by the United States Bowling Congress, providing grassroots league and tournament bowlers opportunities to test their skills on the same lane conditions used in PBA competition.

The new regional tournament series drew a total of 1,991 entries for 28 events – an average of 71.1 entries per tournament which represents a nine percent increase compared to entries in the more than 170 PBA Regional tournaments conducted over the past year. The Cheetah events drew the highest number of entries in five of the seven regions while Scorpion Championships drew the fewest entries in four of the seven regions.

2012 PBA REGIONAL ANIMAL PATTERN CHAMPIONS
(results below include the tournament winner with player who earned optional WSOB berth noted in parenthesis; overall points include the top five players per region who had not won a WSOB entry in an individual event)

PBA EAST REGION
Rockaway Lanes Chameleon Open: Adam Baer, Gettysburg, Pa. (Greg Ostrander, Wall, N.J.)
Homefield Bowl Viper Open: Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. (Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y.)
Cap Card Scorpion Open: a-Greg Bruff, York, Pa. (Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa.)
Bowlers Supply/Storm Products Cheetah Open: Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa. (O’Neill)
Overall Points: 1, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y. 2, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y. 3, Tommy Dakouvanos, Belford, N.J. 4, Adam Baer, Gettysburg, Pa. 5, Danny Wiseman, Baltimore.

PBA SOUTH REGION
Rocky Mount Viper Open: Zach Brown, Raleigh, N.C. (Kyle Troup, Taylorsville, N.C.)
Gastonia Chameleon Open presented by Columbia 300: Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. (Scott Newell, Deland, Fla.)
Spring Hill Cheetah Open: a-Jason Mahr, Spring Hills, Fla. (Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla.)
Canton Scorpion Open presented by Columbia 300: Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla. (Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala.)
Overall Points: 1, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga. 2, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla. 3, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C. 4, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C. 5, Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C.

PBA CENTRAL REGION
Baldo Campana Viper Open: Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind. (Russell)
J.D. Producing, Inc./Triway Lanes Cheetah Open presented by Hammer: Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y. (Jurek)
Storm Products/Beechmont Toyota Chameleon Open: Connor Pickford, Charlotte, N.C. (Brian Himmler, Cincinnati)
Dan Kondas Memorial Scorpion Open presented by DV8: Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y. (Ciccone)
Overall Points: 1, Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa. 2, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio. 3, Ed Carter, Austintown, Ohio. 4, Pat Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio. 5, Brandon Novak, Chillicothe, Ohio.

PBA SOUTHWEST REGION
Fort Sill Viper Open: Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas (Kevin Mitchell, Tulsa, Okla.)
Lubbock Cheetah Open: Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas (Scroggins)
Killeen Chameleon Open: Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas (Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas)
Scorpion Open: Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan. (Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas)
Overall Points: 1, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan. 2, Joe Findling, Mesquite, Texas. 3, Clint Dacy, Fort Worth, Texas. 4, Chris Hibbitts II, Fort Worth, Texas. 5, Dustin Ochoa, San Antonio.

PBA MIDWEST REGION
Stars & Strikes Scorpion Open presented by Ebonite: Jason Wojnar, Chicago (Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill.)
Oak Forest Bowl Chameleon Open: Pete Weber, St. Ann. Mo. (Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa)
Illinois Valley Viper Classic presented by Storm: Dave Traber, Hebron, Ill. (Dave Beres, Greenfield, Wis.)
Premiere Bowling and Entertainment Cheetah Open presented by Brunswick: Dave Traber, Hebron, Ill. (Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind.)
Overall Points: 1, Dave Traber, Hebron, Ill. 2, Jason Wojnar, Chicago. 3, Derek Eoff, Madison, Wis. 4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo. 5, Mike Steil, Wheeling, Ill. 5,

PBA WEST REGION
Battle at Black Oak Casino Cheetah Open: Dennis Horan Jr., Temecula, Calif. (Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev.)
Wine Country Scorpion Open presented by Columbia 300: Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz. (PJ Haggerty, Roseville, Calif.)
Vanessa Brown Homes Viper Open: Allen Blansette, Napa, Calif. (Blansette)
Chameleon Don Johnson Memorial: Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill. (Rash)
Overall Points: 1, Jeff Frankos, Daly City, Calif. 2, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz. 3, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore. 4, Kevin Gallagher, Torrance, Calif. 5, Dennis Horan, Temecula, Calif.

PBA NORTHWEST REGION
DV8 Chameleon Open: Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore. (Warren)
Pawn Brokers Cheetah Open: Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore. (Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif.)
Secoma Lanes Scorpion Open: Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas (Malott)
Dave Husted Viper Open presented by Etonic: Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore. (Thomas Ault Jr., Portland, Ore.)
Overall Points: 1, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore. 2, Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore. 3, Adrian Anderson, Roseburg, Ore. 4, Mike Danielson, Portland, Ore. 5, Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash.