The East's Most Read Bowling Weekly

Sports Reporter
Our 80th
Anniversary
Year
The Nation's Leading Bowling Tournament Newspaper Since 1940
Vol. 80 No. 24 August 14 - 20, 2019 25 cents

Shannon O’Keefe Wins PWBA East Hartford Open Kevin Chernoff Hit 300-821
By Aaron Smith - PWBA ninth and first shot of the 10th frame
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – to give herself the opportunity to
At Farmingdale Lanes
Shannon O’Keefe of Shiloh, Illinois, secure the win. She knocked over FARMINGDALE, NY - Kevin Gary Haines rolled 289-2480754,
continued her dominance on bowl- nine pins on her next delivery to seal Chernoff earned top honors in the Keith Kasper 278, Michael Blitz
ing’s biggest stages after collecting the victory. Epic/Maple Foursome League at 277, Lou Demartino 269, Steve
her third title of the 2019 “I’ve had a tendency throughout Farmingdale Lanes blasting Buckman and Chris Paroly 268,
Professional Women’s Bowling my career, when I try to slow down games of 278-300-243 for a high Richard Friedman 266, and Jeffrey
Association Tour season at the my tempo, I can get really mechani- series of 821. Juarez 259.
PWBA East Hartford Open. cal,” said O’Keefe, the 2018 PWBA
O’Keefe, the top overall seed, Player of the Year. “After that lucky Rafael Acosta Slammed 300
delivered in the ninth and 10th break in the eighth, I looked at him
frames at Silver Lanes to secure her and he told me to just walk. So, I At Maple Lanes RVC
11th career PWBA Tour title, defeat- really felt like those shots in the ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Michael Pollo hit 299, Adam
PWBA photo
ing Germany’s Birgit Pöppler, 225- ninth and 10th were unbelievable Rafael Acosta topped the scoring Robertson 290, Mark Walton 289,
Champion Shannon O’Keefe
203. O’Keefe claimed the $10,000 shots. I’m so grateful he was there. in the Monday 4 Man Classic Gary Robertson and Thomas
top prize with the win, which was broadcast live on He knows my game so well and can deliver that kind League at Maple Lanes RVC Handley 279, Rich Talcott 278,
CBS Sports Network. of message in the heat of the moment.” blasting games of 257-300-231 for Jeremy Slade 269-258, Alby
Neither player relented in the championship match, O’Keefe now finds herself in a familiar position as a high series of 788. Pezzella 268, and Mike Frey 266.
but back-to-back spares in the eighth and ninth she increased her lead in the PWBA Player of the
frames from Pöppler gave O’Keefe the opportunity to Year race, but she’s focusing on a different mindset in Tommy Martino, Havel Wright 300
take the title. 2019 as she looks to continue the momentum from
After talking with her husband, Bryan, about her another big win last month as part of Team USA. At Majestic Lanes
pace to the line just moments before her final frames, HOPELAWN, NJ - Tommy 256-1014, Chris Fisher 216-257-
she made the adjustment she needed to strike in the See SHANNON page 2
Martino and Havel Wright each 279-226-978, Brian Adamson
fired a 300 game in the Tuesday 265-237-218-232-952, Jen
Anthony Neuer Wins PBA Bowlers Supply/Storm Eastern Open Summer 400 Doubles League. Daunno 257-245-229-221-952,
By Russ Mills - PBA who won a PBA West Tommy shot 300-228-204-257- and Sarah Bombersbach 244-247-
YORK, Pa.– Anthony Region tournament in Las 989, Havel 300-259-226-982. 236-223-950.
Pat Bowler rolled 232-268-258-
Neuer of Lewisburg, Pa., Vegas in 2013.
the 17-year-old son of PBA Neuer qualified ninth and Shawn Wyatt Hammered 300
Tour titlist Andy Neuer, defeated Mark Scuderi Jr. of
rolled two clutch strikes in E. Rochester, N.Y., 2-0; At Jib Lanes
the 10th frame to defeat Tommy Gollick of Oberlin, FLUSHING, NY - Shawn Wyatt Brett Lee rolled 278-290-234-
Anthony Pepe of Long Pa., 2-0, and qualifying topped the scoring in the 2 x 4 956, James Russo 262-256-213-
Island City, N.Y., 256-247, leader Kenneth Ryan of Doubles League at Jib Lanes 928, Lenny Nguyen 225-203-230-
in the championship round Farmingdale, N.J., 2-0, in blasting games of 212-212-236- 267-925, and Flex Jackson 225-
of the PBA Bowlers PBA photo best-of-three-game elimina- 300 for a high series of 960. 236-249-904.
Supply/Storm Open at Champion Anthony Neuer with Darren Armel, tion matches before defeat-
general manager of Colony Park Lanes.
Colony Park Lanes North. ing Ryan Shafer, 279-187, in
Neuer, an accomplished bowler with two USBC the semifinal match.
Fabrizio Cerutti Collected 300
Junior Gold Titles, advanced to the semifinal round Pepe, a two-time Bowlers Supply Open champi- At Farmingdale Lanes
in this same event in 2019. The future McKendree on, qualified third and defeated Tim Foy Jr. of FARMINGDALE, NY - Fabrizio 258-816, Jeff Gabriel 289, Lou
University student earned $2,500 in scholarship Seaford, Del., 2-0, and Paul Bajorski of Islip, N.Y., Cerutto shot a 300 game along Getzelman 280, Bryce Ingram
money as he became the second youngest amateur 223-216, in the semifinal round to advance to the with 257-226 for a 783 series in 279-267-267-813, Gary Haines
to win a PBA Regional event at the age of 17 years, final match. Pepe earned $1,300 as the runner-up. the Epic/Maple Foursome League 279-267, Justin Juarez and
100 days. The youngest bowler to win a PBA Bajorski and Shafer earned $1,000 apiece as semi- at Farmingdale Lanes. Andrew Warren 269, and Rob
Regional was Wesley Low Jr. at 15 years, 336 days, final round losers. Paul Bajorski blasted 269-289- Figgers and Jeffrey Juarez 268.
2 SPORTS REPORTER
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The 2019
Junior Gold Championships present-
ed by the Brands of Ebonite
International crowned six champi-
ons with the stepladder finals in
three divisions of the national youth
bowling tournament taking place at
Thunderbowl Lanes.
Boys and girls champions were
decided in the 15-and-under, the 17-
and-under and the 20-and-under
divisions. All finals were taped for
broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The U12 finals, which took place
Friday, will kick off the broadcasts
on Tuesday, July 23. The U15 finals
will air July 30, the U17 title match-
es were broadcast Aug. 6, and the
U20 finals aired Aug. 13. All TV
shows will start at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The 2019 Junior Gold
Championships had a record field of
more than 4,000 participants com-
peting for national titles and spots on
Junior Team USA.
In the U20 boys division, No. 3
seed Alec Keplinger of Coldwater,
Michigan, overcame a big deficit in
his opening match against Tom
Hankey Jr. of Great Barrington,
Massachusetts. Hankey Jr. struck on
his first five shots to open a 42-pin
lead, but two late open frames
Titles Decided at 2019 Junior Gold Championships
allowed Keplinger to come back for
a 234-209 victory.
In the title match, Daniel Chin of
Daly City, California, missed a sin-
gle-pin spare in the fourth frame
while Keplinger got just enough of
the single pins he left in the fourth
and fifth frames to take a 27-pin
lead. Keplinger then had three con-
secutive strikes, starting in the eighth
frame, on his way to a 215-182 vic-
tory and the title.
Taylor Davis of Burton, Michigan,
struck on four of her first six shots in
the opening match in the U20 girls
stepladder for a 200-169 victory
over Cameron Strombeck of
Durham, North Carolina.
Top seed Patricia Rosales of
Orlando, Florida, had just two
strikes heading into the final frame
of the title match against Davis, but
kept a clean scoresheet. After Davis
struck out in the final frame, Rosales
struck on her first two shots for a
198-188 victory.
This year’s U20 divisions had 809
boys and 440 girls.
In the opening match of the U17
girls finals, Amanda Naujokas of
Lake Ronlonloma, New York, the
2015 U12 girls champion, held the
lead against Caroline Thesier of
Mooresville, North Carolina, despite
leaving an unusual 7-8-10 split in the
fourth. While Naujokas would post
four consecutive strikes starting in
the sixth frame, Thesier would go
one better in a 219-197 victory.
Thesier would continue to strike in
the title match against Morgan
Gitlitz of Freehold, New Jersey.
Starting in the fifth frame, Thesier
struck seven consecutive times and
had nine strikes overall to claim the
title with a 265-225 victory.
In the boys division, Sidney
Schroschk of Berlin, Germany,
made his presence known for a sec-
ond consecutive year. In the opening
match against Nathan Smith of
Noblesville, Indiana, Schroschk
rolled to a 259-210 victory to
advance against 2015 U12 runner-up
Cameron Hurwitz of Rochester,
New York.
Hurwitz held the lead in a tight
match, and when Schroschk left the
6-8-10 in the eight frame and could
not convert, Hurwitz took advantage
and the title with a 227-211 victory.
The U17 divisions, which debuted
this year, had the largest divisions of
the tournament with 868 boys and
446 girls.
Defending U15 girls champion
Annalise OBryant of Ball Ground,
Georgia, had to work her way back
though the elimination bracket to
make the TV show, and faced the
person who sent her to the lower
bracket, Victoria Varano of Stony
Point, New York, in the opening
match.
OBryant stepped up in the final
frame to deliver the two strikes she
had to have to advance, reaching the
final with a 208-200 victory.
The title match against Isabel
Tetmeyer of Ankeny, Iowa, was not
any easier, but OBryant posted four
consecutive strikes starting in the
seventh frame on her way to a 199-
185 victory and her second consecu-
tive title.
First time Junior Gold participant
Ashton Yamasaki of Portland,
Oregon, was in the pocket all night
but left three consecutive corner pins
while his opponent, Brandon Caruso
of Channahon, Illinois, overcame an
early open frame with a string of
four strikes to take a 217-199 victo-
August 14 - 20, 2019
ry. ters were AMF Rose Bowl Lanes in
Top seed John Nunn of Roseville, Astro Lanes in Madison
Jacksonville, Florida, opened with Heights, Bowl One Lanes in Troy,
three strikes against Caruso in the Century Bowl in Waterford
title match before missing a single- Township, Skore Lanes in Taylor,
pin spare in the fourth. Nunn, who Sterling Lanes in Sterling Heights,
bowls two-handed but shoots spares and Super Bowl Lanes in Canton.
with one hand, had to convert anoth- Competitors in the U15, U17 and
er single-pin spare in the final frame U20 divisions bowled 16 qualifying
for the title, and converted it for a games over four days (four games
207-198 victory. each day) before the field was cut.
The U15 divisions had 715 boys Bowlers then bowled an additional
and 359 girls. five games before a second cut was
Thunderbowl Lanes was one of made, and those remaining bowled
eight centers that hosted qualifying an additional five games to deter-
and match-play rounds leading up to mine the 16 bowlers for match play.
the stepladder finals. The other cen-
SHANNON
Continued from Page 1
O’Keefe paired with Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, to win the
gold medal in doubles competition at the 2019 Pan American Games in
Lima, Peru.
“I haven’t even looked at the points once this season,” said O’Keefe,
who’s also won the PWBA Twin Cities Open and PWBA Tucson Open.
“I can only control what I’m doing. Last year, I got so caught up in what
everyone else was doing, and it made me miserable. I needed to change
my mindset. I’ve really wanted to just have fun and soak in every
moment this season. It’s made everything much more enjoyable, and I’m
going to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Pöppler put together six consecutive strikes in the middle of her semi-
final win to move past 2018 PWBA Rookie of the Year Jordan Richard
of Tecumseh, Michigan, 236-207.
Pöppler, the 2017 PBA/PWBA Striking Against Breast Cancer Mixed
Doubles champion with Jason Sterner, had to earn her spot in the elite
field this week through a pre-tournament qualifier (PTQ) at Silver
Lanes, since she sat outside the top 24 in points heading into competi-
tion this week.
She led the 60-player field and continued her momentum throughout
the main event. Her second-place finish also helped her move into the
top 24 in points, meaning she will not have to bowl in the PTQ next
week at the Pepsi PWBA Louisville Open.
“I started pretty well in the first match, but I knew the second match
was going to be tougher because Shannon had moved left with some sur-
face, so I had to jump left,” Pöppler said. “When I really needed good
shots, I couldn’t make them, so I can’t blame anyone else.
“I had to bowl the PTQ, and I don’t think the pattern seemed that dif-
ferent when we practiced later that day. I felt pretty confident, and I just
tried to enjoy the fact that I made it into the field. I’m glad I won’t have
to bowl the PTQ next week in Louisville.”
Richard advanced to the semifinals by delivering in the 10th frame
against Colombia’s Maria José Rodriguez, 199-182. Working on a strike
in the ninth frame, Richard rolled a strike and toppled seven pins to shut
out Rodriguez.
Rodriguez bounced back from an early miscue in her opening match
against Latvia’s Diana Zavjalova to collect a 212-193 victory. Rodriguez
missed a 10 pin in the third frame but rolled strikes on five of her next
six shots on the way to the win.
August 14 - 20, 2019 SPORTS REPORTER 3

Jib Lanes~Flushing (718) 591 - 0600 www.JibLanes.com

Maple Lanes RVC~Rockville Centre (516) 678 - 3010 www.RVCLanes.com
Farmingdale Lanes~Farmingdale (631) 249 - 4300 www.FarmingdaleLanes.com
Coram Country Lanes~Coram (631) 732 - 2022 www.CoramCountryLanes.com
Countryside Lanes~Clearwater, FL (727) 796 - 8100 www.CountrysideLanes.net
4 SPORTS REPORTER
PBA Tour Heads East for Three FloBowling PBA Summer Tour Stops
World’s best bowlers continue summer action with visits to Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware
By Bill Vint - PBA
CHICAGO - The best bowlers in the world are on
their way to the East Coast for a three-tournament
series as part of the FloBowling PBA Summer Tour,
a 10-event program that features lucrative side bene-
fits for those bowlers who perform at a high level
across a variety of scoring challenges in a variety of
locations.
Those who excel will be rewarded with bonus prize
money and incentives including bonus cash to the top
five in the USBC Cup points standings, eight berths
in the end-of-summer FloBowling ATX Invite and
eight expenses-paid trips to China for the inaugural
PBA China Tiger Cup in November. It’s all part of the
2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour.
The first stop on the eastern swing was at the PBA
Harry O’Neale Chesapeake Open hosted by AMF
Western Branch in Chesapeake, Virginia, Aug. 9-11,
where seven-time PBA Tour titlist Dick Allen of
Lexington, South Carolina, will defend his 2017 title,
won during the PBA Tour’s last visit to Chesapeake.
Allen also will be trying for his third title of the 2019
season.
The Chesapeake Open is named in honor of long-
time PBA South Region tournament manager Harry
O’Neale, who was inducted into the PBA Hall of
Fame for his service to the organization in 2016.
Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center in Wilmington,
North Carolina, will host the second stop, Aug. 12-
14, where 22-year-old two-hander Anthony
Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, won his third career
title in Wilmington’s inaugural PBA Tour event in
2017. Puerto Rico’s Cristian Azcona is the defending
champion.
The stars of the PBA will complete their eastern
swing Aug. 16-18 at Mid-County Bowling &
Entertainment Center in Middletown, Delaware,
where Simonsen won the 2018 Gene Carter’s Pro
Shop Classic in historic fashion, using his two-hand-
ed technique as a left-hander to defeat Matt Sanders
of Evansville, Indiana, 216-194, in the title match.
After the first two events of the FloBowling PBA
Summer Tour, Lubbock Sports Shootout winner
Jakob Butturff of Tempe, Ariz., and “Luci” Mixed
Doubles title-winner Kyle Sherman of O’Fallon,
Missouri, shared the points lead with 2,500 points.
They are followed by AJ Johnson of Oswego,
Illinois, with 2,245 points; EJ Tackett of Bluffton,
Indiana, with 1,895, and England’s Stuart Williams
with 1,805.
Fans can follow the summer points races (USBC
Cup, FloBowling ATX Invite and PBA China Tiger
Cup) by clicking on this link:
https://www.pba.com/SeasonStats/PointsList/132?lis
t=10. Points also play a key role in selection of PBA’s
2019 Player and Rookie of the Year, and for entry pri-
ority consideration for selected 2020 PBA Tour
August 14 - 20, 2019
events.
At the completion of the 11th annual Delaware
tournament, the PBA Tour heads to the Midwest for
the PBA Bowlerstore.com Classic presented by
Moxy’s Xtra Pair at Pla-Mor Lanes in Clearwater,
Ohio, followed by the FloBowling PBA Summer
Swing presented by the Brands of Ebonite
International at Parkside Lanes in Aurora, Illinois,
where the PBA Wolf, PBA Bear and Aurora Open
titles will be at stake. The Summer Tour will con-
clude with the FloBowling ATX Invite at Dart Bowl
in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 21.
The entire FloBowling PBA Summer Tour will be
livestreamed exclusively on FloBowling. For start-
to-finish coverage of all events, visit
FloBowling.com and sign up for a subscription.
PBA WILMINGTON OPEN
(A 2019 FloBowling PBA Summer Tour event)
Ten Pin Alley Family Fun Center, Wilmington,
N.C. (All times Eastern)
Monday, Aug. 12
4 p.m. - Practice Session
5 p.m. – New player orientation meeting
6:30 p.m. - Pro-am
Tuesday, Aug. 13
9 a.m. - A Squad, eight qualifying games
3 p.m. - B Squad, eight qualifying games
Top 1/3 of field advances to cashers round
Wednesday, Aug. 14
9 a.m. – Cashers round, four games (top 16 after 12
games advance)
11:30 a.m. – Round of 16, three games (top 8 after
15 games advance)
1:30 p.m. – Round of 8, two games (top 4 after 17
games advance)
3 p.m. – Top 4 stepladder finals
PBA GENE CARTER’S PRO SHOP CLASSIC
(A 2019 FloBowling PBA Summer Tour event)
Mid-County Bowling and Entertainment,
Middletown, Del., Aug. 16-18 (all times Eastern)
Friday, Aug. 16
11 a.m. - Practice session
2:30 p.m. – AB Sports Youth Scholarship Pro-am
5:15 and 8 p.m. – Anchor Buick-GMC/Williams
Chevrolet adult pro-am squads
Saturday, Aug. 17
8 a.m. - A Squad, 7 qualifying games
4 p.m. – B Squad, 7 qualifying games
Top one-third of field after 7 games advances
to cashers round
Sunday, Aug. 18
9 a.m. – Cashers round, 4 games (top 16 after 11
games advance to match play)
12:30 p.m. – Top 16, 12 games modified round
robin match play (top four after 23 games advance to
stepladder finals)
5 p.m. - Top 4 stepladder finals
August 14 - 20, 2019
AT JIB LANES
Rich Hill 701
FLUSHING, NY - Rich Hill led the scoring in the Midweek Mixers
League rolling games of 255-254 for a high series of 701
Brett Lee rolled 234-269-688, Stephen Amarosa 235, and Chaz Ameres
223-221.
Jhun Chacon 699
FLUSHING, NY - Jhun Chacon led the scoring in the Ball and Chain
League rolling games of 253-231-215 for a high series of 699.
J Vee Evangelista hit 203-278-673, Donald Bonoceur 274-209-662,
and Terrence White 215-244-652.
EĂŵĞ͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺWŚŽŶĞEƵŵďĞƌ͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ
>ĞĂŐƵĞ͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ-DĂŝů͗ͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺͺ
SPORTS REPORTER 5
THE MAGIC AT MAJESTIC
Nick Simone, Jr 682
HOPELAWN, NJ - Nick Simone, Jr topped the scoring in the Monday
Sumer Adult/Child League rolling games of 255-227-200 for a high
series of 682.
John Roam rolled 246-210-225-681, Frank Serignese 213-258-663,
Joshua Fylpczuk 246-267-661, Zack Chrobocinsk 246, Mike Moore
235, and Jason Gomez 233-201-639.
In the Wakefern League Keith Micewicz rolled 227, Steve Curtis 209,
and Frank DeRose 208.
Rusty Thomsen 858
HOPELAWN, NJ - Rusty Thomsen topped the scoring in the
Wednesday PBA Sport Shot Singles League firing games of 240-238 for
a high series of 858.
Robert Mockenhaupt shot 214-235-828, Chris DiPaola 226-201-818,
Marcus Huart 215-215-800, Ray Smarsh 201-215-773, Matt Gibney
219-205-771, and Ellis Pascal 260.
Casey Trumblety 737
HOPELAWN, NJ - Casey Trumblety led the scoring in the Guys and
Dolls League firing games of 237-245-255 for a high series of 737.
Gary Berish rolled 235-268-693, Chuck Mantione 201-248-238-687,
John Brooks 265-213-206-684, and James McMorrow 258.
6 SPORTS REPORTER
Ron Mohr Won David Small’s
Championship Lanes Classic
PBA photo
Host David Small, Champ Ron Mohr and manager Angie Colip
By Jerry Schneider-| PBA
ANDERSON, Ind. – Making his third consecutive championship round
appearance of the season, Ron Mohr defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr. 279-
215 in a battle of PBA Hall of Famers in the title match to win the PBA50
David Small’s Championship Lanes Classic presented by Roto Grip for his
first win of the season and 11th of his career.
Mohr, who was top qualifier for the stepladder finals, threw 11 strikes in the
title match starting with the first five before leaving a 10 pin in the sixth frame.
He then struck the rest of the way to handily win the match.
Williams, the Go Bowling! PBA Tour all-time titles leader with 47 wins,
was trying for his fourth win of the season and the 15th of his career to take
sole possession of the all-time titles lead on PBA’s tour for players 50 and over.
He left six 10 pins in the title match including a missed 10 pin in the fifth
frame.
“The way Walter Ray was bowling in the previous match I thought I might
be the answer to a trivia question, but things went my way today, said the 63-
year-old Mohr, whose last PBA50 win came in the 2018 Northern California
Classic. “I got off to a slow start in the tournament qualifying 23rd so I really
didn’t expect to win. There have been a lot of amazing things happen out here
(on tour) so I should probably know better than to count myself out.”
Mohr, a native of Fort Wayne, finished fourth in the PBA50 South Shore
Open and fifth in the PBA50 River City Extreme Open.
“The important thing for me was to slow everything down,” said Mohr,
crediting his wife Lita who noticed he was rushing his shots in the previous
championship rounds. “I really had to focus on not making a shot until I’m
ready and that was especially true when Walter Ray missed his 10 pin because
I didn’t want to do the same thing to possibly let him back in the match.”
Williams qualified second for the stepladder after coming all the way from
sixth in the final position round of the second match play round.
In the semifinal match, Williams, whose runner-up finish all but wraps up
his third PBA50 Player of the Year honor, beat hall of famer Doug Kent 247-
209 in the semifinal to advance to the title match.
In pain from a back injury suffered in the first game of match play earlier in
the day, Kent soldiered on to qualify fifth for the stepladder. Trying for his first
PBA50 Tour win, he beat fellow New Yorker Ryan Shafer 228-211 in the first
stepladder match before defeating four-time PBA50 Tour winner Lennie
Boresch Jr. 278-185 in the second match. It was Shafer’s second consecutive
fifth-place finish after finishing fifth in the South Shore Open.
United States, Colombia Win Singles at 2019 Pan American Games
By Matt Cannizzaro - USBC
LIMA, Peru - Team USA's Nick Pate claimed the singles
gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games, and his path
to the top of the podium may have been more about perse-
verance and mental toughness than it was about choosing
the right ball or line.
The 24-year-old right-hander won the title with a dramat-
ic 190-189 victory over defending champion Marcelo
Suartz of Brazil at the Bowling Center of La Villa
Deportiva Nacional (VIDENA).
Suartz stepped up needing nine pins on his fill ball to
retain the title, but he left the 3-6-10 combination on his
final offering to fall short.
After Pate left, and failed to convert, the 4-10 split in his
final frame, Suartz could've locked up the win with a strike
but left the 6 and 10 pins on his first shot.
Both players struggled to strike on the right lane, with
Pate leaving solid 9 pins in the fifth and seventh frames and
Suartz going high on five of the six shots he threw on that
lane.
"It's possible my shot in the 10th frame was fast, but I
really liked it off my hand, to be honest, and I wouldn't
have changed anything," said Pate, a two-time member of
Team USA. "To watch what happened to Marcelo was
mindboggling because he's such a great bowler. I was for-
tunate this time that it went my way, and I'm ecstatic. It's
something that will always have my name next to it, and
I'm looking forward to celebrating with my friends and
family."
Professional Women's Bowling Association Tour cham-
pion Clara Guerrero of Colombia earned a Pan Am Games
gold medal for the second consecutive time, this time
defeating top seed Aseret Zetter of Mexico, 198-171.
Guerrero, a 37-year-old right-hander who won the dou-
bles title with fellow PWBA champion Rocio Restrepo at
the 2015 Pan American Games, struck three consecutive
times, starting in the eighth frame, to seal the victory.
Guerrero started the final match with two open frames,
while Zetter began with a double. Back-to-back open
frames from Zetter in the sixth and seventh frames allowed
Guerrero to take control.
"I am very excited to have won this gold medal,"
Guerrero said. "It was a very tough week. The beginning
didn't go as well as planned with Maria in doubles, and we
didn't make the decisions we needed to in order to win a
medal for our country. We needed to regroup, and we
changed some strategies for singles. We're so glad we both
then were able to medal. It was just incredible, and we are
very, very happy. It means so much for our country, and we
appreciate all of the continued support."
The women's semifinals featured two players from
Mexico and two from Colombia.
Guerrero earned her spot in the championship match with
a 213-202 win over Mexico's Iliana Lomeli, and Zetter
cruised past Colombia's Maria Jose Rodriguez, also a
PWBA Tour champion, 185-146.
One men's semifinals featured a showdown between Pate
and his Team USA teammate Jakob Butturff, and the other
included Suartz and left-hander Jean Perez of Puerto Rico.
Butturff outdistanced the field in singles by more than
400 pins, which included 12 games of qualifying and eight
games of round-robin match play, and the all-Team USA
semifinal was equally high-scoring, with Pate winning 275-
268.
Pate averaged 219 over 32 games this week in Peru, but
his average for six games on the fresh 41-foot World
August 14 - 20, 2019
Bowling Rome oil pattern prior to the championships
match was 252.
He started the match against Butturff with nine consecu-
tive, before his 10th shot sailed right, nearly leaving 2-8-10
split. Instead, it was just a 10 pin that ended his run at his
second perfect game of the day and third in two events at
the newly built bowling center. His first came in April at the
Pan American Bowling Confederation Men's
Championships.
Pate spared the 10 pin for the win, and the difference in
the match ended up being 7 pins from Butturff in the first
and sixth frames.
"It's never fun bowling your teammate, but, at the same
time, that meant we both medaled and were guaranteed a
chance at gold, which is what we came here for," Pate said.
"I got a few key breaks in the match, and I was fortunate to
advance. Jakob bowled great all week and just fell victim to
the format, unfortunately."
Suartz defeated Perez 234-213 to earn the meeting with
Pate.
Butturff and Perez each earned bronze medals for their
finishes.
Pate never would've been in a position to compete in the
medal round if he hadn't been mentally tough from the first
day of competition.
His opening block of 1,172 left him in the bottom 10 of
the 32-player field, but he was able to keep a positive out-
look and improve his performance each day.
He said that watching Butturff strike as much as he did on
the way to record scores in doubles and singles motivated
him to want to strike more, too. He added six-game sets of
1,319, 1,361 and 1,398 and qualified sixth for match play
based on the latter 12 games.
All competitors bowled 12 games of qualifying over two
days, and total pinfall determined who moved on to round-
robin match play. Match play included seven head-to-head
matches, with 20 bonus pins for each win, and a position
round.
Pate started the eight-game round-robin match play with
games of 300 and 268 and catapulted into the top four.
Despite a few hiccups, he was able to hold on to the No. 4
seed for the semifinals.
The perfect game tied his for the highest game of the
tournament, while the 125 he posted in the fourth game of
doubles was the lowest game rolled in the men's division all
week.
"I didn't bowl well the first day, and things just weren't
going my way, but I fought tough mentally, and watching
Jakob really did make me want to strike more, too," Pate
said. "Pushing through the mental blocks was the key, and
it was nice to see all of the hard work pay off in such a spe-
cial event. I also have been using a breathing technique that
helps get my mind clear. When your mind isn't clear, you
can't make good decisions."
Along with equipment and lane play adjustments, Pate
was very focused on how he reacted to the things that were
happening, particularly not letting the bad shots and bad
breaks affect the shots or games that followed.
The week started with 12 games of doubles over two
days, with total pinfall determining the medalists.
Team USA's medal haul in Peru included a silver medal
in doubles for Pate and Butturff and a gold medal in dou-
bles for Shannon O'Keefe and Stefanie Johnson.
O'Keefe qualified for singles match play and finished
sixth, while Johnson finished 18th.
August 14 - 20, 2019 SPORTS REPORTER 7

AT CORAM COUNTRY LANES AT FARMINGDALE LANES

Billy Harrelly 723
CORAM, NY - Billy Harrelly led the scoring in the
Friday Summer Doubles League rolling a 279 game
for a high series of 723.
Dave Sherwin rolled 248-701, Steve Guzman 210,
and Tazz Wells 204.
Ken Woods 706
CORAM, NY - Ken Woods led the scoring in the
Friday AM Seniors League rolling a 249 game for a
high series of 706.
Louis Bonavita rolled 248-687, Jim Bowman 279-
671, and Mike Lisa 225-659.
In the Leisure Knolls League Dan Bruszewski hit
205.
Ken Woods 685
CORAM, NY - Ken Woods led the scoring in the
Wednesday Summer Mixed League roiling a 258
game for a high series of 685.
Steve Siddoli hit 246-676, Steve Guzman 232-676,
and Josh Nordstrom 236-655.
Bob Allen 683
CORAM,NY - Bob Allen paced the scoring in the
Friday PM Seniors League rolling a 276 game for a
high series of 683.
Andy Rastelli hit 223-679, and Tony Bainlardi 235-
638.
Dezmon Beltran 257
FARMINGDALE, NY - Dezmon Beltran rolled 257, John Caputo and
Frank Haberstroh 256, Salvatore Yannacone 248, and Kevin McDonald
247 in the Tuesday Party League.
In the Friday Summer Seniors League Marvin Slifkin sot 184, George
DiSalvo 182, and John Shedel 170.
Jermaine Daniels rolled 215-183, and Michael Bove 192-176 in the
Thursday Adult/Junior League.
Steve Stone 225
FARMINGDALE, NY - Steve Stone rolled 225, Mike Garone 214, and
Irwin Tarlow 212 in the Thursday Green Men League.
Paulette Miller rolled 178, Silvia Rey-Buzzonetti 166, and Gloria
Cohen 165 in the Monday Seniors League

GO
B
O
W
L
8 SPORTS REPORTER
Ray Brooks 279
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Ray Brooks fired a high
game of 279 in the Wednesday Night Mixed League.
Allen Johnson rolled 267, Barry Vineberg 257, and Dean
Fischer 256
Barry Clare, Nadine Williams-Clory 278
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Barry Clare and Nadine
Williams-Clory each fired a high game of 278 in the
Custom Thumbz Singles League.
Mike Lancaster rolled 267, Glen Smith 259, and Glenn
Appel 256.
Glenn Smith 268
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Glenn Smith rolled 268,
Charlie Torres 257, Nick Mayo 256, and Mike Carolan and
David Goldman 246 in the Custom Thumbz Doubles.
AT MAPLE LANES RVC
LaBau, Cummings 267
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - John Labau and Stanley
Cummings each fired a high game of 267 to lead all the
competition rolling in the Thursday Mixed League at Maple
Lanes RVC.
Brian Beale hit 247, and Charlie Torres 245.
In the Thursday El Cheapo Mixed League Bob Eaton
rolled 231, Steve Patitucci 230, and Brian Dubler and Matt
Dubler 222.
John Genna 260
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - John Genna rolled 260,
Brett Lee 257, Robert Wright 256-244, and Brett Zaccoli
251 in the Tuesday Adult/Child League.
August 14 - 20, 2019
Jennifer Yerkes 265
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Jennifer Yerkes fired a high
game of 265 in the Thursday Mixed League.
Daniel Digirolamo rolled 257, Brian Beale 247, John
LaBau 238-235, and Dave Williams 235.
Bob Eaton, Tommy O'Brien 257
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Bob Eaton and Tommy
O'Brien each fired a high game of 257 in the Thursday El
Cheapo Mixed League.
John Moran rolled 253, and Joe Rolston 236.
Richie Russo 267
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY - Richie Russo fired a high
game of 267 in the Wednesday Night Mixed League.
Ray Brooks rolled 263, John Maglio 244-225, Fay
Spragley 241, and Don Railey 235.