Restrepo has big finish to take PWBA Greater Detroit Open lead
June 17, 2016
Qualifying: Round 1 | Round 2
CANTON, Mich. – Colombia native Rocio Restrepo was on her way to the second 800 series of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour season at the PWBA Greater Detroit Open on Friday when she decided to try something different.
While the change didn’t work, Restrepo still pulled out a 238 in her final game of the day to grab the lead with a 2,786 total for the 12 qualifying games. She leads Brittany Smith of Des Moines, Iowa, by five pins with 2015 PWBA Rookie of the Year Stefanie Johnson of Grand Prairie, Texas, in third at 2,758.
For Restrepo, she had just rolled games of 269 and 279 and entered the final game of the night in second place, 16 pins behind Smith. That’s when Restrepo decided to make a slight move.
“I was a little upset because I had made a move that I shouldn’t have,” Restrepo said. “I just had 260, 270 and knew I had good ball reaction. I didn’t really know if it was the right move, so I got mad at myself. In the middle of the game, I went back to where I was and struck out.”
Restrepo had averaged 232 during the first six-game block of the day and was in fourth heading into the evening games. After just missing the group stepladder finals at the PWBA Wichita Open and losing in the opening match of the group stepladder at the Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open last week, she’s looking to go deeper into a tournament.
Restrepo advanced to the televised stepladder finals of the season-opening PWBA Las Vegas Open, but fell in the opening match to the eventual champion, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York.
“I’ve been bowling well but haven’t really got to where I want to be,” Restrepo said. “I’m trying to take advantage of patterns I feel more comfortable with and I did that today. Hopefully, tomorrow I can keep it up and keep grinding.”
Smith said she figured her 217 final game would not be enough to hold the lead.
“I bowled well at the Queens but have not bowled the greatest the last two weeks,” said Smith, the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player for the 2015-2016 collegiate season. “It was nice to come out here and feel like I’m throwing the ball well and scoring well.”
Johnson led after the first qualifying block on Friday, completing the six-game block with games of 289 and 256 for a 1,425 pinfall total, a 237.5 average. Smith was second at 1,401 followed by Mariana Ayala of Euless, Texas, at 1,398, and Restrepo at 1,394.
April Ellis of Wichita, Kansas, earned the final spot in Saturday’s cashers’ round with a 2,535 total, a 211.25 average. Ellis advanced to the stepladder finals at last week’s Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open.
Heather Melvin of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, rolled a 300 game in the fourth game of the early block to briefly take the lead. Mexico’s Sandra Gongora matched the feat in the evening, rolling the seventh perfect game, and her second 300, in PWBA competition this season.
The PWBA Greater Detroit Open continues Saturday as the top 32 bowlers return for six more games qualifying games. The top 12 players, based on total pinfall after 18 games, advance to round-robin match play. For match play, the players will be split into two groups of six players who will bowl six games of match play, including a final position round.
The top qualifier in each group at the end of match play earns an automatic spot in the stepladder finals with seeding determined by total pins. The second, third and fourth qualifiers in each group will advance to a group stepladder final, and the winner of each group stepladder final will advance to the televised finals.
All qualifying and match-play rounds of the PWBA Greater Detroit Open are on Xtra Frame, the exclusive online bowling channel for the Professional Bowlers Association.
The PWBA Greater Detroit Open stepladder finals will be taped June 26 during the PWBA Players Championship and will air Tuesday, July 19 on CBS Sports Network.
CANTON, Mich. – Colombia native Rocio Restrepo was on her way to the second 800 series of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour season at the PWBA Greater Detroit Open on Friday when she decided to try something different.
While the change didn’t work, Restrepo still pulled out a 238 in her final game of the day to grab the lead with a 2,786 total for the 12 qualifying games. She leads Brittany Smith of Des Moines, Iowa, by five pins with 2015 PWBA Rookie of the Year Stefanie Johnson of Grand Prairie, Texas, in third at 2,758.
For Restrepo, she had just rolled games of 269 and 279 and entered the final game of the night in second place, 16 pins behind Smith. That’s when Restrepo decided to make a slight move.
“I was a little upset because I had made a move that I shouldn’t have,” Restrepo said. “I just had 260, 270 and knew I had good ball reaction. I didn’t really know if it was the right move, so I got mad at myself. In the middle of the game, I went back to where I was and struck out.”
Restrepo had averaged 232 during the first six-game block of the day and was in fourth heading into the evening games. After just missing the group stepladder finals at the PWBA Wichita Open and losing in the opening match of the group stepladder at the Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open last week, she’s looking to go deeper into a tournament.
Restrepo advanced to the televised stepladder finals of the season-opening PWBA Las Vegas Open, but fell in the opening match to the eventual champion, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, New York.
“I’ve been bowling well but haven’t really got to where I want to be,” Restrepo said. “I’m trying to take advantage of patterns I feel more comfortable with and I did that today. Hopefully, tomorrow I can keep it up and keep grinding.”
Smith said she figured her 217 final game would not be enough to hold the lead.
“I bowled well at the Queens but have not bowled the greatest the last two weeks,” said Smith, the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player for the 2015-2016 collegiate season. “It was nice to come out here and feel like I’m throwing the ball well and scoring well.”
Johnson led after the first qualifying block on Friday, completing the six-game block with games of 289 and 256 for a 1,425 pinfall total, a 237.5 average. Smith was second at 1,401 followed by Mariana Ayala of Euless, Texas, at 1,398, and Restrepo at 1,394.
April Ellis of Wichita, Kansas, earned the final spot in Saturday’s cashers’ round with a 2,535 total, a 211.25 average. Ellis advanced to the stepladder finals at last week’s Pepsi PWBA Lincoln Open.
Heather Melvin of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, rolled a 300 game in the fourth game of the early block to briefly take the lead. Mexico’s Sandra Gongora matched the feat in the evening, rolling the seventh perfect game, and her second 300, in PWBA competition this season.
The PWBA Greater Detroit Open continues Saturday as the top 32 bowlers return for six more games qualifying games. The top 12 players, based on total pinfall after 18 games, advance to round-robin match play. For match play, the players will be split into two groups of six players who will bowl six games of match play, including a final position round.
The top qualifier in each group at the end of match play earns an automatic spot in the stepladder finals with seeding determined by total pins. The second, third and fourth qualifiers in each group will advance to a group stepladder final, and the winner of each group stepladder final will advance to the televised finals.
All qualifying and match-play rounds of the PWBA Greater Detroit Open are on Xtra Frame, the exclusive online bowling channel for the Professional Bowlers Association.
The PWBA Greater Detroit Open stepladder finals will be taped June 26 during the PWBA Players Championship and will air Tuesday, July 19 on CBS Sports Network.