Rash finishes with 279, 300 to win regional

PBA Communications

RashActionSumSean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., rolled games of 279 and 300 in his final two games to win the PBA West/Northwest Region Chameleon Don Johnson Memorial presented by Brunswick at 4th Street Bowl in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 2, by 69 pins over Jeff Frankos of Daly City, Calif.

Rash, who earned $2,500 along with his seventh PBA Regional title, used his big finish to post a 5-7 match play record and a 20-game total of 4,887 pins, including match play bonus pins. Frankos had a 9-3 match play record and 4,818 pins.

The tournament was the final West Region “animal pattern” championship event. Rash earned a paid entry into the 2012 PBA World Series of Bowling as the highest finisher in the optional animal pattern entry program while Frankos secured a WSOB entry as the overall points leader for the four West Region events.

MohrRonSumIn the companion Senior Open, Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, went 4-4 and knocked down 3,711 total pins for 16 games to top Hugh Miller of Mercer Island, Wash., for his seventh West Regional senior title and $1,500. Miller had 3,624 pins.

● In the Southwest Region’s annual trek to Golden, Colo., Nathan Bohr of Wichita, Kan., won five of his eight matches and dominated the third annual Miller/Coors Golden Bowl Open presented by Roto Grip at Golden Bowl on Sunday. The win was Bohr’s 14th in PBA Regional competition and third of the summer season.

Bohr, who barely made it out of qualifying, securing the eighth and last spot in the match play finals field, fired back-to-back games of 279 and 245 to break up a heated contest after four match games. Amateur Steve Badovinac of Parker, Colo., defeated Ben Laughlin of Chandler, Ariz., 246-213, in the position round to vault over Henderson, Nev.’s Dave Wodka for second place.

RhinoPageInside2● In Vero Beach, Fla., Rhino Page of Dade City, Fla., won three straight matches including a 207-157 victory over top qualifier Dale Coleman of High Springs, Fla., to win the PBA South Region Vero Beach Open at Vero Bowl on Monday, Sept. 3.

Page collected his sixth PBA Regional title and $3,400 after nipping PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., in his first match, 219-215, followed by a 234-238 win over Scott Newell of Deland , Fla., 234-228, in the semi-final match to advance to the title match.

● In Pottsville, Pa., Jeff Zaffino of Warren, Pa., collected his milestone 20th career regional title when he defeated Bob Caruso of Dayton, N.J., 205-193, in the PBA East Region Strike Zone Senior Open presented by Etonic at Strike Zone Alleys on Sunday.

Zaffino, who regularly competes in both the East and Central Region events, has now advanced to the finals in each of the seven East Region senior events he has entered since turning 50 in 2009. Sunday’s win, which paid $1,500, was his fourth of the current season.

A heavy schedule of regional activity continues throughout September. Over the Sept. 7-9 weekend, the South Region will host its third annual Fran Bohlman Memorial Open at Avalon Bowling Center in Milton, Fla.; the Central Region will conduct its second annual G.A. Wintzer & Son Classic presented by Roto Grip at Astro Lanes in Wapakoneta, Ohio; the East Region will conduct the Howell (N.J.) Lanes Senior Open; the Southwest Region offers the Storm Texas Senior Open at AMF Euless Lanes; and the Midwest Region will conduct standard and senior events at its Thunderbowl Open in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The Sept. 14-16 weekend includes the South Region’s Red Zone Lounge Open at Thunder Alley in Covington, Va., and the Southwest Region will conduct the Fort Smith (Ark.) Open presented by Storm at Bowling World.

The Sept. 21-23 schedule features the Southwest Region’s Odessa (Texas) Challenge for non-champions at Astro Bowl; the Central and Midwest Regions will combine for the Mel Westrich Senior Open at Delphos (Ohio) Recreation Center; the South Region will host the Victory Lanes Senior Open in Mooresville, N.C.; and the Northwest/West Regions will join hands for the Ten Down Lanes Open presented by Track in Roseburg, Ore.

Closing out the month, the Sept. 29-30 schedule features the West/Northwest Regions’ Sands Regency Casino Open and non-champions events at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno; the Central, East and South Regions will combine for the Roger Boone Memorial Senior Classic presented by Fritz’s Pharmacy at Greenbreier Bowling Center in Lewisburg, W.Va.; and the Midwest Region will host standard and senior St. Clair Bowl events sponsored by Allstate Insurance in Fairview Heights, Ill.

For complete PBA regional schedule and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tours” under the Schedules tab.

QUICK NOTES
BlanchardSum● PBA Rookie of the Year Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., returned to the site of his first PBA victory (a 2011 PBA Northwest Region non-champions event at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno) to win the $15,000 first prize in the Silverado National Open on Aug. 29. The tournament was hosted by Reno’s Tri Properties (Eldorado, Circus Circus and Silver Legacy) in cooperation with the PBA Northwest Region. PBA covered the event, live on its Xtra Frame online bowling channel.

● Four-time PBA Tour titlist and reigning USBC Masters champion Mike Fagan says, via Twitter: If you are a competitive bowler and you don't bowl the WSOB you have to be crazy. $600,000 in prizes for $750 entry.

● When do you have to throw 13 strikes for a 300 game? When you start the game on the wrong lane, and have to throw the shot over…which is what Sean Rash did in his final game in the PBA West/Northwest Region Chameleon Don Johnson Memorial presented by Brunswick at 4th Street Bowl in San Jose, Calif., Sunday. Rash’s perfect finish gave him a 69-pin victory over Jeff Frankos of Daly City, Calif.