March 25, 2018
Milwaukie Bowl Wins 2025 Proprietors Cup
WOODBURN, Ore. – The 2025 Proprietors Cup was held at Woodburn Bowl with participation from 16 bowling centers across the region. Teams competed over two days in a baker-style team format
.
Participating centers included: Mt. Hood Lanes, Hazel Dell Lanes, The Firs Bowl, Highland Bowl, Milwaukie Bowl (defending champions), SuperPlay, Linn Lanes, Rainbow Lanes, KingPins Beaverton, Park Lanes, Oregon Trail Lanes, Emerald Lanes, Walnut City Lanes, AMF Firebird Lanes, Tigard Bowl, and Lava Lanes Bend.
On Saturday, all 16 teams bowled 20 baker games across split squads. Mt. Hood Lanes led qualifying with a total pinfall of 4,400, just seven pins ahead of Hazel Dell Lanes. Emerald Lanes secured the 12th and final spot to advance to Sunday’s match play.
The top 12 teams returned Sunday for another 12 baker games to determine bracket seeding. The top four teams — Hazel Dell Lanes, Milwaukie Bowl, Highland Bowl, and Mt. Hood Lanes — earned byes into the second round.
First Round Results:
Oregon Trail Lanes def. Park Lanes, 3–2
KingPins Beaverton def. Linn Lanes, 3–2
SuperPlay def. Emerald Lanes, 3–2
The Firs Bowl def. Rainbow Lanes, 3–1
Second Round Results:
Oregon Trail Lanes def. Hazel Dell Lanes, 3–2
KingPins Beaverton def. Mt. Hood Lanes, 3–2
Milwaukie Bowl def. SuperPlay, 3–2
Highland Bowl def. The Firs Bowl, 3–1
Semifinals (Best-of-7):
Oregon Trail Lanes def. KingPins Beaverton, 4–3
Milwaukie Bowl def. Highland Bowl, 4–1
Championship Match:
Milwaukie Bowl def. Oregon Trail Lanes, 4–1
Milwaukie Bowl secured its second Champ Husted Trophy with the victory.
March 25, 2018
Northwest Oregon Bowlers Off to Strong Start in PBA50 Northwest Region Season
GRANTS PASS, Ore. – Several Northwest Oregon bowlers posted solid performances to begin the PBA50 Northwest Region season at the PBA50 Caveman Bowl Classic, held at Caveman Bowl in Grants Pass. The tournament featured a field of 48 bowlers.
Last season’s PBA50 Northwest Region points leader, Blaine Weninger, led the field after the eight-game qualifying round. He was one of only three bowlers to average over 200, finishing at +72. Shawn Copeland qualified in 8th place, and Craig Tuholski qualified in 11th.
In match play, Copeland rebounded after a 145 start, posting games over 200 in five of the next six matches. His scoring surge moved him into first place heading into the one-game Position Round. Weninger dropped to 4th, and Tuholski fell to 11th.
In the Position Round, Randy Macomber of University Place, Washington, defeated Copeland. The win moved Macomber into 1st place and dropped Copeland to 2nd. Weninger lost to Anthony McCleary of Medford but retained 4th place and the final spot in the step ladder finals based on total pinfall.
Weninger and McCleary faced off again in the first match of the step ladder finals. McCleary advanced with a 202–156 win, placing Weninger 4th overall.
McCleary then defeated Copeland 192–178 in the second match, placing Copeland in 3rd.
In the championship match, Macomber held off McCleary 210–198 to win the tournament title.
March 18, 2025
Laura Cowling Triumphs at Northwest Women's Bowlers Tour Event
The Northwest Women's Bowlers Tour (NWWBT) held its latest tournament at Starlight Lanes, attracting 20 competitors. Laura Cowling emerged victorious, showcasing consistent performance throughout the event.
Cowling's journey to the title was marked by impressive scores, including a standout game of 278. Her total pinfall, combined with bonuses, amounted to 2,329, securing her the top position.
March 18, 2025
Oregon Bowlers Win The Mattingly Unlimited Swiss
The 36th Annual Jeff Mattingly Swiss Tournament took place this past weekend, bringing together bowlers from across the country and beyond, including competitors from Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Oregon, California, and Canada. The event provided a mix of challenges and opportunities for bowlers to compete and reconnect.
Team Richards claimed the tournament title with a strong performance. The winning team included Captain Dean Richards, Daniel Jackson, Johnny Leggett, Jason Hollingsworth, Gary Lenox, and Eryk Jensen.
This year, for the first time in recent memory, there were no honor scores recorded. The highest individual game was 268 by Jodey Rees and 253 by Valentina Cruz. The highest team game of the event was 1,097 by Team Brockett
March 18, 2025
Tim Myers Captures Antoher NWST Title
The RTB Eliminator Tournament took place this weekend at Firebird Lanes, featuring competitive doubles and trios events. Donald Cephus and Mauro Miranda claimed victory in the Eliminator Doubles, while Frank Dietz, Matthew Kemper, and Justine TK secured the win in the Eliminator Trios event.
A special thanks to Erik Griggs, Keith Johnson, and the Firebird Lanes staff for ensuring a well-organized event. Appreciation is also extended to all the bowlers who participated and contributed to another successful tournament.
March 11, 2025
Weninger, Miller, and Halvarson Win 40-50-60 NWST
NWST headed out to Park Lanes Sunday with 27 team in a swiss format. After a long day we have ourselves a winner. Congrats to our Winners Blaine Weninger, Hugh Miller and Scott Halvarson. Thank you to our sponsors: John Huggett with Lovley Tire and Wheel and Brian Garland with Brands of Brunswick/Hammer. Also huge thank you to Dean Johnson at Park Lanes for keeping everything running smooth. Most of all, Thank you to the Bowlers for understanding my Oops and being able to adjust.
March 11, 2025
Johnny Leggett Wins 4th OBA Title
Saturday OBA Recap
Our adventures took us to Woodburn Lanes for a two-squad event. Thanks Bill for hosting us this last weekend. As always thank you to Storm Products as well for their ongoing support of our organization.
First up was A squad. Bowling on a modified Mark Roth oil pattern, the volume was increased to help with the high friction surface. Even with that much volume, the bowlers were still able to get their balls to shape.
The format was 6 games of qualifying with 1 in 4 guaranteed to make the finals. With 23 entries, 5 bowlers would punch their ticket into match play later in the day.
Game 1 saw 2025 Portland Masters champion Eryk Jensen jump to the lead with a 278 game. He was able to keep the lead until the 4th game when Gary Lenox fired off a huge 289 to take a 50 pin lead. Game 5 saw the scoring place slow down a bit, but it did create an exciting finish with Ryan Conroy in 5th at +41, Bill Machin right behind him at +33. Game 6 saw virtually no changes with the exception of Bill jumping to 5th and the final guaranteed spot in the finals with Ryan sitting in 6th. Ryan would still have a chance to make the finals as we were guaranteeing only 6 from B squad, which meant the highest score that did not make the finals automatically would still get in the finals.
A squad qualifiers:
1st Gary Lenox +213
2nd Eryk jensen +148
3rd Grant Benton +121
4th Ben Heisler +69
5th Bill Machin +46
We did a quick reoil and the 25 player from B squad took their turn. Mike Armstrong Jr. came out with the early lead after game 1 with 244. Game 2 saw Courtney Nikolas jump into the lead. Game 3 Johnny Leggett took the lead by 1 pin over Laura Cowling. Laura then fired off a big 258 game to take the lead after game 4. Game 5 Laura continued to lead, but the real excitement was shaping up for the 6th position and the highest score not making the finals. Rich Corwin jumped to 5th at +20, Tim Myers was 6th at +13, Robert Altieri was 7th at +7, and Courney Nikolas was 8th at +1. They were all bowling to be 6th or better, but also to beat Ryan Conroy's +22. Game 6 saw excitement, but no change to the top 5. Congrats to Laura Cowling on leading the squad! Brad Jones fired a huge 255 game to move from 14th place all the way to 6th and last guaranteed spot in the finals. Now the race had come down to the 10th frame, with only one person that would be able to beat Ryan Conroy for the last spot in the finals. The timeless legend Tim Myers stepped up in the 10th with a chance to double and make the finals. First ball was a strike. The crowd knew what was needed and Tim got up in the 11th and made a good shot and a stubborn 10 pin stood, costing him the finals.
B squad qualifiers
1st - Laura Cowling +186
2nd - Johnny Leggett +177
3rd - Keith Stoner - +74
4th - Ryan Nikolas +65
5th - Rich Corwin +46
6th = Brad Jones +29
wildcard finalist - Ryan Conroy +22
Match play Brad Jones dominated, going +189 and winning all his matches to take the tournament lead. Grant Benton had 725 his first 3 games and won those matches and even a rough finishing game could not knock him out of 2nd. Laura struggled the first two games of match play, then fired a huge 268 to get her a chance to make the 4-person stepladder. A 196 and win in the last match play game earned her a position in the stepladder finals. The final spot was up for grabs and there were exciting matches all around to see who would grab it.
The 5 vs 6 match up of Gary and Eryk looked like where the last spot in the step ladder may come from. Eryk locked up the win in the 10th with 200. Gary, working on a strike, steps up and labels the shot, only to have a brutal 9 pin keep him out of the finals. And while all that was happening, Johnny Leggett bowled a 212 game with a win and by 7 pins, earned the final spot in the step ladder finals.
In the step ladder, the opening match between Laura and Johnny was tight early, and then Johnny pulled away late for the 228 to 196 win. Match 2, Johnny fired off a 278 to defeat Grant's 187. Setting up a title match with Brad Jones, who after game 5 of qualifying was 14th, jumping into the finals and parlaying that into the top seed. Unfortunately for him, Johnny was not to be stopped today firing off another huge 245 to beat Brad's 179.
The win gave Johnny his 4th OBA title! Congrats!
For those that missed the exciting action, check out all of the action on https://www.youtube.com/live/T7A0cOIDywM?si=LwdWjDQUtwVn9GtQ
March 11, 2025
Robert Altieri Wins OBA Non-Champ Event
OBA non champ recap
We had 38 bowlers shoe up to take a shot a winning an OBA event and a title. We had a good mix of OBA regulars and new faces at the event. Thank you to all that came out to bowl, was nice to see you and hope you enjoyed the experience.
Qualifying highlights
Game 1 - High games - Owen Barrett with 268 followed by Jim Jim DiSanto 267 and Brian DeLuisa-Anderson 267
Game 2 - High games - Jim Disanto 257, Brandon Pease 247 - leader Jim Disanto
Game 3 - High Games - Nick Amrein 264, Brandon Pease 257 - leader Disanto
Game 4 - High games - Michael Tish 259, Casey Patteeuw 238 - leader Tish
Game 5 - High Games - Casey Patteeuw 278, Lucas Ferrando 266 - leader tish
Game 6 - High Games - Alex Clark 240, Noah Hulin 232, Robert Altieri 232 - leader Tish - cut score +25
Advancing to the finals were: Tish, Altieri, Patteeuw, BDA, Disanto, Zach Zaste, Ferrando, Pease, Shea Pirtle, Mac Kaurin, Barrett, Clark
Match play saw 5 people separate themselves from the pack and fight for position in the top 4 step ladder finals. Pulling away and dominating match play was Robert Altieri, Brian DeLuisa-Anderson bowled solid and got himself the #2 seed. Casey Patteeuw was super consistent and earned the 3 seed. With a solid 215 and win the last game Zach Zaste earned the 4th spot for the step ladder finals.
In Match one, this ended up being a really close match between Casy and Zach. Zach had a couple hickups with single pin spares in the middle of the match but battled back to post a 215 score. This would force Casey to get up and get a mark in the 10th. Casey's first shot left the 4 pin, he made the spare and advanced to face BDA to in the semi final match.
Match #2 - This was another close match, with BDA paying full penalty for every shot that went high, he still was able to battle back with clutch shots putting pressure back on Casey. Casey finished first and needing a mark to shut BDA out, he left a 10 pin the first ball in the 10th. The spare attempt did not find the mark giving him a 194 game and giving BDA a chance in the 10th to double and win. BDA labelled the first shot for a strike. The second ball in the 10th came up high, giving him a score of 188. Casey would move on to face Robert for the title.
Title Match - first OBA title on the line. This match started off with Robert firing the first 3 strikes to take an early lead, and a brutal 7-10 in the 4th frame tightened the match up for a bit. Casey was able to find the pocket, but unfortunately for him he was not able to strike the entire match, despite frequently hitting the pocket. The match was essentially locked up in the 9th frame, and Robert was able to win his first OBA title with a score of 185 to 165. Congrats Robert on your win.
For those that want to see this exciting event, check out the video https://www.youtube.com/live/14BdSgw_SDI?si=fz0tFTs_O1lK_ElP
Eryk Jensen Wins 2025 Portland Masters
MILWAUKIE, Ore. – The 2025 Portland Masters concluded after two weekends of competition at Milwaukie Bowl, with Eryk Jensen securing his third tournament victory. The event began on Friday, February 22, with three days of qualifying, where 142 bowlers competed for 32 spots in the bracket finals.
Top 32 Qualifiers (in order):
- Johnny Leggett
- Michelle Smith
- Ryan Conner
- Ryan Nikolas
- Eryk Jensen
- Chris Tuholski
- Tim Myers
- Tyler Cruz
- Gary Lenox
- Ian Willard
- Bill Machin
- Craig Tuholski
- Lucas Cobb
- Nick Devlin
- Darren Stanley
- Luke Stone
- Jason Hollingsworth
- AJ Brockett
- Jordan Yoke
- Jacob Mullen
- Quinton Miller
- Tanner Acosta
- Mike Armstrong Jr.
- Dan Jackson
- Alexx Johnson
- Shane Helms
- Kyler Crevier
- Cale Brown
- Blaine Weninger
- Josh Wills
- Jeff Nogle
- Zack Stone
Qualifying Highlights:
- No. 4 seed Ryan Nikolas rolled a 298 game, followed by 238 and 268 for an 804 series.
- No. 20 seed Jacob Mullen opened with a 287 game.
- Only 20 bowlers finished qualifying above +200, and the cut line for the top 32 ended at -62, just three pins ahead of 33rd place.
Bracket Play Results
The match play finals began on Saturday at 8:00 AM with first-round matchups.
First Round (Winners Bracket) – Saturday Morning
- Johnny Leggett def. Zack Stone
- Luke Stone def. Jason Hollingsworth
- Gary Lenox def. Dan Jackson
- Tyler Cruz def. Alexx Johnson
- Blaine Weninger def. Ryan Nikolas
- Lucas Cobb def. Jacob Mullen
- Craig Tuholski def. Quinton Miller
- Eryk Jensen def. Cale Brown
The 9:15 AM round saw additional winners:
- Jeff Nogle def. Michelle Smith
- AJ Brockett def. Darren Stanley
- Ian Willard def. Mike Armstrong Jr.
- Tim Myers def. Shane Helms
- Ryan Conner def. Josh Wills
- Nick Devlin def. Jordan Yoke
- Bill Machin def. Tanner Acosta (by one pin)
- Chris Tuholski def. Kyler Crevier
In the winners bracket second round, held later that morning:
- Johnny Leggett def. Luke Stone
- Gary Lenox def. Tyler Cruz
- Blaine Weninger def. Lucas Cobb
- Eryk Jensen def. Quinton Miller
- Jeff Nogle def. AJ Brockett
- Tim Myers def. Ian Willard
- Ryan Conner def. Nick Devlin
- Chris Tuholski def. Bill Machin
First Round (Losers Bracket) – Saturday Afternoon
Bowlers who lost earlier faced elimination in the 1:45 PM round:
- Cale Brown def. Kyler Crevier (607-577)
- Tanner Acosta def. Craig Tuholski (566-552)
- Jacob Mullen def. Jordan Yoke (641-579)
- Ryan Nikolas def. Josh Wills (606-601)
- Jason Hollingsworth def. Shane Helms (561-456)
- Mike Armstrong Jr. def. Dan Jackson (588-574)
- Alexx Johnson def. Darren Stanley (591-577)
- Michelle Smith def. Zack Stone (534-503)
The next elimination round at 1:45 PM saw:
- Quinton Miller def. Cale Brown (587-532)
- Tanner Acosta def. Tyler Cruz (555-491)
- Jacob Mullen def. Lucas Cobb (584-549)
- Luke Stone def. Ryan Nikolas (569-536)
- AJ Brockett def. Jason Hollingsworth (577-544)
- Mike Armstrong Jr. def. Bill Machin (613-570)
- Alexx Johnson def. Ian Willard (563-553)
- Michelle Smith def. Nick Devlin (582-534)
Saturday 3:00 PM Matches (Winners & Losers Brackets)
Winners Bracket:
- Gary Lenox def. Johnny Leggett (591-539)
- Eryk Jensen def. Blaine Weninger (621-587)
- Tim Myers def. Jeff Nogle (628-573)
- Chris Tuholski def. Ryan Conner (645-531)
Losers Bracket:
- Quinton Miller def. Tanner Acosta (586-509)
- Jacob Mullen def. Luke Stone (663-630)
- AJ Brockett def. Mike Armstrong Jr. (602-587)
- Michelle Smith def. Alexx Johnson (623-607)
Those winners advanced to face bowlers who had just lost in the winners bracket:
- Quinton Miller def. Ryan Conner (605-560)
- Jacob Mullen def. Jeff Nogle (634-548)
- Blaine Weninger def. AJ Brockett (648-607)
- Johnny Leggett def. Michelle Smith (615-611)
Sunday 8:00 AM – Bracket Play Resumes
Winners Bracket:
- Eryk Jensen def. Gary Lenox (644-577)
- Tim Myers def. Chris Tuholski (540-522)
Jensen and Myers advanced to the Winners Bracket Final.
Losers Bracket:
- Jacob Mullen def. Quinton Miller (680-609)
- Johnny Leggett def. Blaine Weninger (621-596)
Further Losers Bracket Matches:
- Gary Lenox def. Jacob Mullen (656-610)
- Chris Tuholski def. Johnny Leggett (605-567)
Lenox and Tuholski then faced off, with Tuholski winning 549-485 to advance to the semifinals.
Championship Matches
Winners Bracket Final:
- Eryk Jensen def. Tim Myers (730-481)
Myers dropped to the semifinal against Chris Tuholski, winning 580-565 to earn a rematch with Jensen for the championship.
Final Match:
- Eryk Jensen def. Tim Myers (587-536)
Jensen secured his third Portland Masters title.
March 4, 2025
Vancouver's Addysen Case Adds Washington Jr Masters To Bowling Resume
Lakewood, WA – On March 3, 2025, the Washington Junior Masters Tournament concluded at Bowlero Lakewood, with Addysen Case emerging as the champion in the girls' division. Case, a senior at Skyview High School, has been a standout in the bowling community, previously securing the 4A individual district championship with a 583 series, leading her team to a seventh consecutive district title.
Tournament Results:
Girls' Division:
- 1st Place: Addysen Case
- 2nd Place: Laelah Tiquiah
- 3rd Place: Mia Yeager
- 4th Place: Ravenna Foley
Boys' Division:
- 1st Place: Danny Chalmers
- 2nd Place: Jayden Thayer
- 3rd Place: Jake Sale
- 4th Place: Noah Green
The South Sound USBC, which organized the event, expressed gratitude to all participants and extended special thanks to Bowlero Lakewood for hosting the tournament.
March 4, 2025
Sean Sullivan and Jack Jefferies Win BBI Doubles At Linn Lanes
Linn Lanes, OR – The BBI hosted a doubles bowling tournament at Linn Lanes on Sunday, drawing 37 teams to compete for the title. The event featured five qualifying games followed by four games of match-play finals, culminating in Sean Sullivan and Jack Jefferies securing the tournament victory.
Qualifying Round Highlights
The tournament started with an impressive 484 game from Kevin Morris and Brian Mumm in the opening round. The duo also accumulated 35 bonus pins, giving them an early lead. However, teams with higher handicaps quickly moved up, pushing Morris and Mumm to 5th place after two games.
At the two-game mark, the top teams were:
- Jess Ayotte and Kerrie Johnson
- Ryan and Mike Spranao
- Jack Jefferies and Sean Sullivan
After the third game, Ayotte and Johnson maintained their lead, followed by Morris and Mumm in second place, with Jefferies and Sullivan holding third.
In game four, Morris and Mumm reclaimed the top spot with an outstanding 538 game, while Amanda Whitcomb and Dustian Canary moved into third place, and Ryan and Rich Stocks climbed into fourth.
By the end of the five-game qualifying round, Morris and Mumm earned the No. 1 seed with a 100-pin lead over second-place finishers Mike Stefanchin and Bob Day.
Top 16 Qualifiers Advancing to Match Play:
- Kevin Morris & Brian Mumm
- Mike Stefanchin & Bob Day
- Jack Jefferies & Sean Sullivan
- Jess Ayotte & Kerrie Johnson
- Ryan & Rich Stocks
- Daisy & Jay Spellman
- Amanda Whitcomb & Dustian Canary
- Cory Bayless & Andrew Messinger Sr.
- Allen Frank & Selva Lukatah
- Bob Farmer & Bill Sanders
- Hank Schieber & Lonnie Wills
- David Childers & Bob Strudevent
- Holly Itami Springfels & Jack King
- Chris Kopf & Keith Figueroa
- Colin Yoshimoto & Jason Krieger
- Mark Smudde & Mimi Posselt
Match Play and Tournament Finals
The top 16 teams advanced to a four-game match-play finals to determine the tournament champions. After an eventful series of matches, Sean Sullivan and Jack Jefferies emerged victorious, claiming the BBI Doubles title at Linn Lanes.
February 25, 2025
Two Portland Area Schools Crowned State Champions
The 2025 Oregon State USBC High School Championships took place at The Epicenter Family Entertainment Complex in Klamath Falls over the past weekend. A total of 32 high school teams from across Oregon participated, with 16 teams competing in the open division and 16 in the girls' division.
Participating Teams:
Open Division:
- Sheldon High School
- Henley High School
- Bend High School
- Scappoose High School
- South Medford High School
- Roseburg High School
- Mountainside High School
- Hermiston Echo High School
- Oregon City High School
- South Salem High School
- North Medford High School
- Caldera High School
- Crater High School
- Corbett High School
- Albany High School
Girls' Division:
- North Bend High School
- Dallas High School
- Oregon City High School
- Forest Grove High School / Liberty High School (combined team)
- Sheldon High School
- Albany High School
- Scappoose High School
- Estacada High School
- South Medford High School
- Hillsboro High School
- Glencoe High School
- Grants Pass High School
- Roseburg High School
- Sprague High School
- Bend High School
The tournament spanned two days, featuring 24 team baker games on Saturday and an additional six on Sunday morning. This was followed by double-elimination bracket play on Sunday afternoon.
Girls' Division:
After Saturday's 24 games, North Bend, Dallas, and Oregon City led the standings, each holding at least a 200-pin advantage over fourth-place Forest Grove. Sheldon and Albany secured fifth and sixth places, respectively, with Scappoose, Estacada, Mazama, and South Medford completing the top ten. Hillsboro stood in 11th place, followed by Glencoe, Grants Pass, Roseburg, and Sprague. Bend High School, competing with only three bowlers on Saturday, finished in 16th place.
On Sunday morning, teams bowled six more games to finalize the double-elimination bracket. North Bend maintained the top seed, with Dallas in second and Oregon City in third. Forest Grove/Liberty secured the fourth seed, followed by Sheldon, Estacada, Scappoose, and Albany. Mazama, South Medford, and Hillsboro rounded out the top eleven, with Glencoe, Grants Pass, Roseburg, Sprague, and Bend completing the bracket.
In the bracket finals, the combined team of Forest Grove/Liberty faced Oregon City. Forest Grove/Liberty won the match in two consecutive games, earning their first OSUSBC Girls State Bowling Title.
Open Division:
Sheldon High School led the open division after Saturday's 24 games, followed by Henley, Bend, Westview, and Scappoose. South Medford, Roseburg, and Mountainside completed the top eight. Hermiston Echo, South Salem, North Medford, Caldera, Crater, Corbett, and Albany rounded out the standings.
Sunday's six games saw Westview ascend to first place from fourth, with Henley remaining in second. Bend and Sheldon followed in third and fourth, respectively. The rest of the standings saw minimal changes heading into bracket play.
The double-elimination bracket culminated in a final match between top-seeded Westview and 13th-seeded South Salem. Westview, a first-year program from Beaverton, won the match in two straight games, securing the school's first OSUSBC State Bowling Title in the Open Division.
February 25, 2025
Portland Masters Finals Set After Three Days of Qualifying
MILWAUKIE, Ore. – The finals for the 2025 Portland Masters are set following three days of qualifying at Milwaukie Bowl. The tournament began on Friday with the first of three qualifying squads.
A total of 142 bowlers competed for one of 32 spots in the bracket finals, which will take place this weekend.
Top 32 Qualifiers (in order):
- Johnny Leggett
- Michelle Smith
- Ryan Conner
- Ryan Nikolas
- Eryk Jensen
- Chris Tuholski
- Tim Myers
- Tyler Cruz
- Gary Lenox
- Ian Willard
- Bill Machin
- Craig Tuholski
- Lucas Cobb
- Nick Devlin
- Darren Stanley
- Luke Stone
- Jason Hollingsworth
- AJ Brockett
- Jordan Yoke
- Jacob Mullen
- Quinton Miller
- Tanner Acosta
- Mike Armstrong Jr.
- Dan Jackson
- Alexx Johnson
- Shane Helms
- Kyler Crevier
- Cale Brown
- Blaine Weninger
- Josh Wills
- Jeff Nogle
- Zack Stone
Ryan Nikolas, the No. 4 seed, recorded a strong start with an opening game of 298, followed by 238 and 268 for an 804 series. Jacob Mullen, the No. 20 seed, also posted a high first game of 287.
Only 20 bowlers finished qualifying with scores over 200, and the final qualifying position was secured at -62, three pins ahead of the 33rd-place finisher.
Bracket Play Schedule
Bracket play begins at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday with the following first-round matchups:
- Johnny Leggett vs. Zack Stone
- Luke Stone vs. Jason Hollingsworth
- Gary Lenox vs. Dan Jackson
- Tyler Cruz vs. Alexx Johnson
- Ryan Nikolas vs. Blaine Weninger
- Lucas Cobb vs. Jacob Mullen
- Craig Tuholski vs. Quinton Miller
- Eryk Jensen vs. Cale Brown
The next set of matches will start at 9:15 a.m.:
- Michelle Smith vs. Jeff Nogle
- Darren Stanley vs. AJ Brockett
- Ian Willard vs. Mike Armstrong Jr.
- Tim Myers vs. Shane Helms
- Ryan Conner vs. Josh Wills
- Nick Devlin vs. Jordan Yoke
- Bill Machin vs. Tanner Acosta
- Chris Tuholski vs. Kyler Crevier
Matches will continue throughout Saturday and Sunday until a champion is determined.
February 25, 2025
Nick Jones and Nick Karr win the RTB Plastic Ball Doubles
The annual Plastic Ball Doubles returned to it familiar February date, sandwiched between Portland Masters squads. 28 teams of doubles came to Woodburn Lanes, MAYBE ready to throw spare balls all day???
Bill Machin was bowling the event, so it was up to Caileen and Chris Neff 1.0 to run the show. And they handled it in fine style, able to handle any and all issues on the day, which were minimal at best. It was an interesting day with scores all over the place.
The day started with Machin and Chelsea Sporkia slotting themselves in second after 1 game, behind the pick-up team of Gerald Stacey from St Helens and Timothy Major from Salem. Also right in the mix were Rob Horan and Jeff Blindguy as well as Donald Cephus and Cesar Jose.
After 2 games, Donald and Cesar took over the lead, with Tim and Gerald just behind them. James Bretthauer and Ryan M. Cross moved into 3rd, ahead of Bill and Chelsea. There was a logjam of 5 teams all separated by 5 pins from 5th-9th. It was going to be a battle all day.
Bill and Chelsea moved back into the lead after 3 games with a huge 454 scratch game. The entire top 7 was nearly turned upside down, with Tim Schaefer and Bob Davenport going from 7th to 2nd, Miguel Guzman and Melissa Gray going from 14th to 3rd, and Tom Hanten and Barbara Howard Hanten going from 12th to 4th. Tied for 5th were Gerald Hoover Jr./Robert Rowe and Bretthauer and Cross, with Isaac Mailkoff and Gilberto Chavez sitting in 7th.
After 4 games, things were starting to get dicey. Unless your name was Bill, you had to really throw the ball great to make it strike. Tim and Bob were doing that as they moved into the lead by 3 pins over the Timothy and Gerald. who jumped 6 spots from 8th to 2nd. Bill and Chelsea stayed strong in 3rd, with Melissa and Miguel in 4th, followed by Aaron Heintzman and Jordan Hunt in 5th. Gerald and Robert sat 6th, and making their first appearance in the top 7 was the young team of Nick Karr and Nick Jones. But you would hear more of them soon.
With 5 game complete, and everyone lining up for the final game, Miguel and Melissa jumped back into the lead with a huge 424 scratch and 55 pins of handicap. They held a 30 pin lead over Bill and Chelsea, 49 pins over Tim and Bob, and 60 pins over Gerald and Tim. Nick and Nick had slipped behind the cut line, but just by 6 pins. It was still anyone's game.
As expected, all the scores plummeted in game 6. Except one team. Nick Jones and Nick Karr blasted a massive 445 scratch game, the third highest of the day, to leapfrog 7 teams all the way up to second. Melissa and Miguel held on to the top spot, ensuring of no worse than a second place finish. Tim and Bob slotted in third and would face the winner of the unexpected 4th-5th stepladder match, which was because Bill and Chelsea finished in a tie with Gerald and Robert at +99, necessitating the one game roll-off.
Finishing in 6th place was Timothy Major and Gerald Stacey, and the last to cash team was Aaron Heintzman and Jordan Hunt. The rest of the teams moved on to the stepladder finals. The first match was over pretty quickly, as Chelsea, who had struggled all day long, finally found a good look and first a 236 game to lead her team to the win over Robert and Gerald. They still received a nice 5th place check though..
Bill and Chelsea moved on to face the #3 Seeds Tim Schaefer and Bob Davenport. Bob was feeling confident, after shooting a 296 game on Thursday in league, with his plastic ball no less. He and Tim had a slight handicap advantage of 18 pins. But both Bill and Chelsea had their lowest games of the day, which was totally bizarre after they had just dominated the game before. The final score of 381-334 sent them home for the evening to prep for the Portland Masters.
Bob and Tim moved on to face the young two handers Nick Jones and Nick Karr. They had decided to use the same ball, easy for those pesky two handers And boy did they find the look they needed. Holding a modest 13 pins handicap advantage, they fired a 438 scratch game to easily outdistance Tim and Bob, who settled in with a 3rd place finish, but obviously a disappointment, considering how well they had bowled all day.
Nick Squared moved on to the finals to face top seeds Miguel Guzman and Melissa Gray, who had really found the look in game 3 and never looked back. But their good fortune came to a crashing halt at the 2 hands of the young Nicks. They started strong and although Melissa and Miguel tried to stay in contact, it was not to be. Nick Squared blasted a 450 scratch total and a 481-355 victory.
Melissa and Miguel got a great 2nd place check though and that's always good.
This is the first title for both Nick Karr and Nick Jones, earning each of them a spot in the TOC at Firs Bowl in December. That plus first place checks and the champions jerseys makes for a great day.
Final Standings:
Huge thanks to the staff of Woodburn Lanes, especially Caileen and Chris Neff, plus we appreciate Bill Machin for welcoming us in to run our event there. We will be back for the Grand Finals in December!!!
February 17, 2025
Chelsea Sporkia Wins Northwest Women’s Tour Event at Starlight Lanes
The Northwest Women’s Tour made a stop at Starlight Lanes on Sunday, where 19 women competed in a six-game qualifying round to determine the top six bowlers advancing to match play.
Qualifying started strong with Courtney Nikolas taking the early lead after a 258 scratch game. Kacey Smith, aided by 14 pins of handicap, held second place with a 223, followed by Chelsea Sporkia 224, Brittany Bland, Brandi Bohm, and Kelly Gilgan rounding out the top six.
Nikolas stayed in the lead after the second game, while Sporkia moved up to second place with a 248. Smith dropped to third, with Bohm, Gilgan, and Bland keeping their spots inside the cut line. Through three games, Nikolas maintained a 13-pin lead over Sporkia, with both bowlers posting consistent scores of 223 and 219, respectively. Bohm climbed into third after a 213, Smith dropped to fourth, and Crista Vicars moved into the top six with a 221.
Game four saw a change at the top as Sporkia jumped into first place with a 220, while Bohm’s 242 moved her to second. Nikolas slipped to third with a 200 game. Smith, Vicars, and Hannah Wools rounded out the top six.
Bohm continued her climb, taking over the top spot with a 218 in game five. Sporkia matched her score but, without handicap, fell back to second. Nikolas held onto third with a 190, while Vicars, Smith, and Wools kept their positions.
The final qualifying game saw Bohm secure the number one seed with a 214, while Nikolas moved back up to second with a 232. Sporkia dropped to third after a 192, and Vicars locked in fourth with a 226. Smith’s 168 kept her in fifth place, while Bland, who had been tied for 10th after five games, fired a 238 to leap into sixth place and grab the final spot in match play.
Match Play
The first round saw top seed Bohm face Bland, with Bohm rolling a 237 scratch plus 14 pins handicap for a 251 total, while Bland finished at 213. Bohm earned 30 bonus pins for the win.
Nikolas took on Smith, shooting 216 scratch plus 2 pins handicap for a 218, but Smith’s 208 plus 14 pins handicap (222 total) gave her the win and 30 bonus pins.
Sporkia and Vicars, both competing scratch, faced off in the final match of the round. Sporkia posted a 258 to Vicars’ 204, taking the win and the 30 bonus pins.
In the second round, Sporkia and Bohm went head-to-head, with Sporkia winning 224 to 188. Nikolas defeated Vicars 229 to 160, while Bland edged out Smith 206 to 202. After two rounds, Sporkia moved into first place and would not give up the lead.
Round three saw Bland defeat Vicars 197 to 173, Sporkia take down Bohm 215 to 177, and Smith roll a 259 to beat Nikolas’ 193.
In the final match play round, Vicars beat Bland 221 to 204, Smith defeated Nikolas 218 to 196, and Bohm closed out with a 237 to 192 win over Sporkia.
Despite Bohm’s late win, Sporkia held on for the overall victory, finishing just 18 pins ahead. Bohm took second, followed by Smith in third. Nikolas, Bland, and Vicars rounded out the top six.
February 17, 2025
John West Wins Northwest Senior Tour Masters
Vancouver, Wash. -- The Northwest Senior Tour (NWST) Masters took place over the weekend at Husted’s Hazel Dell Lanes, bringing in 74 bowlers for two days of competition. The tournament featured a qualifying round on Saturday, followed by double elimination match play on Sunday.
Qualifying kicked off with some high scores right out of the gate. Kevin Henderson set the pace in Game 1 with a 279, just ahead of Eric Parker’s 278 and John Gustafson and Scott Halvarson, who both shot 267. By Game 2, Jodey Rees jumped into the top spot after posting a 279, while Parker held on to second with a 243. Jimmy Dillingham’s 268 moved him into third, with Clyde DeLoach and Henderson rounding out the top five.
Rees maintained his lead after three games, but Blaine Weninger made his move in Game 4 with a 257 to take over the top qualifier spot. Meanwhile, Craig Tuholski rolled the tournament’s only perfect 300, pushing him into 11th place. Weninger continued to hold the top spot through the next three games, but after a 206 in Game 7, his lead was cut to just three pins over Dillingham. The final game of qualifying saw Weninger solidify his number one seed with a 290, while John West’s 269 moved him up to second. Mike Arronson, who had been steady all day, made his first appearance in the top five at third place with a 255, followed by Dillingham in fourth and Parker in fifth. The top 16 bowlers advanced to Sunday’s double elimination bracket play.
Sunday’s bracket play opened with three of the top five qualifiers getting knocked out in the first round. The biggest upset came when 16-seed Clyde DeLoach eliminated top-seeded Blaine Weninger, 544 to 449. John West, the second seed, had no trouble moving on, defeating Todd Fieken 567 to 441. Fourteenth-seeded Craig Tuholski pulled off another surprise, taking down third-seeded Mike Arronson, while Michael Karch, seeded twelfth, knocked out Parker.
With early exits from several top qualifiers in the winners bracket, bowlers in the consolation bracket had to battle to stay in contention. Weninger rebounded to defeat Henderson, Parker took down Myers, and Arronson outlasted Gustafson. Meanwhile, in the winners bracket, DeLoach kept his momentum going, beating Rees 433 to 326, while Karch edged out Dillingham. West stayed strong with a close win over Blair, and Tuholski advanced past Corwin.
The road to the finals saw more upsets. Weninger’s tournament came to an end after a loss to Corwin, while Arronson stayed alive by defeating Rees. Corwin then eliminated Blair, and Arronson moved past Dillingham.
In the winners bracket, DeLoach continued his run as the underdog, defeating Karch 435 to 414 to secure a spot in the finals. West dominated his semifinal match against Tuholski, winning 516 to 377, sending Tuholski and Karch to the consolation bracket to try to stay in the tournament. Corwin took down Karch 441 to 411, and Tuholski bounced back to eliminate Arronson 494 to 466. Corwin then defeated Tuholski to stay in the fight.
In the winners bracket final, DeLoach pulled off another win, beating West 470 to 446 and punching his ticket to the championship match. West dropped into the consolation final but responded with a dominant 482 to 417 win over Corwin to earn a rematch with DeLoach.
With DeLoach undefeated, West needed to win twice to claim the title. He got off to a strong start in the first match, taking down DeLoach 484 to 430 to force a winner-take-all final. The last match of the tournament was the closest of the day, with West narrowly defeating DeLoach 469 to 459 to capture the NWST Masters title.
West took home $750 and earned an entry into the USBC Senior Masters Tournament. Tournament Director Sami Morris thanked Husted’s Hazel Dell Lanes for hosting, along with sponsors John Huggett with Lovely Tire & Wheel and Brian Garland with Brands of Brunswick. The next NWST event is set for March 9 at Park Lanes for the 40, 50, 60 tournament.
February 10, 2025
Chris Tuholski Wins 6th Carrer OBA Title At Milwaukie Bowl
OBA Milwaukie Post Tournament Recap
We had 66 bowlers that took the lanes to compete on the 37 ft Broadway V2 pattern. we would cut to the top 16 for bracket match play and pay 22 spots. We also would pay a high sr/woman out of the money and also a separate high ladies check.
We would like to thank the entire Husted family and staff at Milwaukie Bowl for hosting our event. Thank you also to Leanne Hulsenberg and Kendle Miles for the support and partnership with Storm Products.
As for the bowling, The event started off with some great scoring with Jake Klemsen taking the early lead with a 289 followed by Ewan Oester 276.
Game 2 saw Nick Jones fire off a 264 with Keith Stoner right behind with 262. After two games our leader was Jake Klemsen with Ryan Nikolas in second, cut to the top 16 was +19.
Game 3 Kyler Crevier had the high game with 264 with Kwon Dohoon closely following with 253. After game 3, Jake continued to lead, with Ian Willard moving into second. The cut to the top 16 moved up to +37.
Game 4 saw Josh Wills have the high game at 269 (sign of things to come) and Chris Tuholski right behind with 266. The leader after game 4 was Ryan Nikolas with Jake moving into second. Cut to the top 16 moved up a little to +43
Game 5 saw big moves from Tim Myers and Corey Hall, both fired off 279 games. Ryan Nikolas continued to lead with Keith Stoner moving into second. The cut to top 16 moved to +54
Game 6 was going to be an exciting game. 13th through 28th were only separated by 48 pins, anyone would have the opportunity to move into the top 16 with a good game. Josh Wills had the high game with 257, capping off a huge 770 last 3 games. This would catapult Josh to leading our qualifying of the event. The biggest move of the last game was Daniel Jackson with a 235 moving from outside the top 16 to qualifying 16th at +55.
This set up our elimination match play bracket with a lot of exciting matches:
#16 Dan Jackson vs #1 Josh WIlls - This was a close match until Dan pulled away late winning 447 to 403
#8 Corey Hall vs #9 Mike Armstrong Jr. - In one of the closest first round matches, Mile pulled out a 402 to 395 win
#5 Keith Stoner vs #12 Rich Corwin - In another close match, Rich grinded his way to a 389 to 382 win.
#4 Jake Klemsen vs #13 Brian DeLuisa-Anderson - Brian was able to win this match 426 to 376
#2 Michael Kennedy vs #15 Johnny Leggett - Michael was able to keep using the "spare ball" and won the match 440 to 403.
#7 Chris Tuholski vs #10 Tim Myers - Chris was able to edge out the logo and legend 453 to 435
#6 Tanner Acosta vs #11 Dohoon Kwon - In what started out as a match where Tanner took a huge lead, DK calmly fired the front 9 the last game to defeat Tanner 478 to 461.
#3 Ryan Nikolas vs #14 Kyler Crevier - Ryan had command early and fired 510 to defeat Kyler's 384
We now moved to the round of 8, and due to time constraints, the decision was made to move from 2 game matches to a 1 game match.
#16 Dan Jackson vs #9 Mike Armstrong - In a game that was back and forth the whole time, Dan left a vicious 7 pin in the 10th which gave Mike a chance to double to win. Mike stepped up and labeled two shots giving him a 205 to 200 win
#12 Rich Corwin vs #13 Brian Deluisa-Anderson - BDA was able to pull through and win the match 232 to 215
#7 Chris Tuholski vs #2 Mike Kennedy - in a close match, Mike was not able to overcome a couple splits and was defeated 204 to 186
#11 Dohoon Kwon vs #3 Ryan Nikolas - Ryan won this match 205 to 163
Round of 4 -
#9 Mike Armstong vs #13 Brian Deluisa-Anderson - in a good back and forth match, Mike prevailed 224 to 209
#7 Chris Tuholski vs #3 Ryan Nikolas - This match was a very close match going into the 9th frame. Chris stepped up in the 9th and got a really good break to keep a string alive, and another in the 11th allowed him to defeat Ryan 249 to 234.
This set up the title match between #7 Chris Tuholski and #9 Mike Armstrong. Not to be denied, Chris with a 244 defeated Mike's 211 to win his 6th OBA title.
I am working on uploading full videos to the youtube page of qualifying, match play, and the final match. Please if you haven't yet, go out and subscribe to the page https://www.youtube.com/@seandaniels1204
We are working on a lot and the video interactions are going to help tremendously.
Thank you to everyone that came out and bowled, it was a great day. Next events head to Woodburn Bowl, and I will have more info posted on those in the coming days.
February 10, 2025
Bowlers At Two Vancouver High Schools Are State Champions
The 2025 WIAA/Gesa Credit Union State Bowling Championships concluded with Skyview High School and Hudson’s Bay High School claiming team titles in their respective classifications.
Skyview High School secured the 4A State Bowling Team Championship with a total pinfall of 7,708.
Hudson’s Bay High School earned the 1A/2A State Bowling Team Championship with a total pinfall of 7,571, marking the school's first-ever state title in bowling.
In the 1A/2A individual competition, Sanaa Tyler (Hudson’s Bay) won the State Individual Championship, finishing with a total pinfall of 1,145.
January 28, 2025
OSUSBC District 3 High School Finals
The Oregon State USBC High School Bowling District 3 held its district finals on Sunday at Mt. Hood Lanes in Gresham. Eighteen teams competed in the tournament, including three open teams that traveled from Hermiston. According to District Coordinator Sarah Spellman, the day was particularly exciting due to the establishment of two new teams from Eastern Multnomah County: the Estacada Girls team and the Corbett Open team.
Both new teams, formed through the efforts of Amber Palmer-Ortner, brought together students from multiple schools. The Estacada Girls team was co-opted from Estacada, Centennial, Corbett, and Sam Barlow, while the Corbett Open team included students from Corbett, Sam Barlow, and Centennial. Both teams performed exceptionally well in their first season, with Estacada placing second in the Girls division and Corbett winning the Open division, earning them spots at the State Tournament.
Teams Advancing to State
Girls Division:
Oregon City Black
Estacada
Lake Oswego #1
Open Division:
Corbett
Hermiston #1
Oregon City Black
All-Star Selections
Girls Division All-Stars:
Kylia Cannon (Estacada)
Jeslyn Acred-Jaramillo (Estacada)
Claire Turner (Estacada)
Shelby Unger (Oregon City)
Hayley DeVault (Oregon City)
Rebecca Culp (Oregon City) – MVP
Open Division All-Stars:
Triston Horn (Hermiston)
Ryder Hector (Oregon City)
Luke Henry (Oregon City)
Alex Harris (Corbett)
Braidyn Bishop (Corbett)
Jaxon Roberts (Hermiston)
Cody McMurtrie (Oregon City) – MVP
The Estacada Girls team, competing for the first time, finished in second place, securing a strong position to advance to State.
The Corbett Open team also made an impressive debut, taking first place in their division and earning the title of district champions.
Hermiston, a regular contender, brought three open teams to the tournament, with their #1 team placing second in the Open division.
January 27, 2025
District 1 Sends 7 Teams To OSUSBC High School State Tournament
The District 1 Bowling Championships brought 24 teams to SuperPlay in Beaverton on Sunday for an intense competition to decide who would advance to the State Tournament at the end of February. The tournament featured eight Girls teams and 16 Open teams, each vying for the coveted district titles and State spots.
Girls Division Recap
The Girls division began with all eight teams bowling 20 Baker-style games. At the end of the first block, Forest Grove/Liberty emerged as the top seed with a total score of 3002, closely followed by Scappoose Orange at 2835. HilHi rounded out the top three with a 2700 total. Glencoe, the Aloha Divas, and Scappoose White completed the top six, advancing to the second round. Notably, Scappoose High School, in only its second year, entered three full teams in the tournament—an impressive feat.
In the second round, the top six teams bowled 10 more Baker games, with scores resetting. Forest Grove/Liberty maintained their dominance, finishing the block with 1613 to secure the top seed for the finals. HillHi held strong for the second seed, while Scappoose Orange clinched the third spot. Glencoe narrowly missed the top three but still earned a trip to State, as District 1 could send four teams this year.
The stepladder finals began with Scappoose Orange facing HilHi in a two-game match. HilHi struggled in the first game, shooting a 135, but still held a 13-pin lead over Scappoose Orange’s 122. In the second game, Scappoose Orange caught fire with five strikes in the middle frames, finishing with a 200 to win 322-284 and advance to the finals.
The championship match saw Scappoose Orange take on Forest Grove/Liberty. Forest Grove/Liberty took an early lead with a strong 191 game compared to Scappoose Orange’s 140. While Scappoose Orange outscored them in the second game, 126 to 105, Forest Grove/Liberty’s first-game lead secured the victory, crowning them District 1 Champions. Forest Grove/Liberty, Scappoose Orange, HilHi, and Glencoe will all head to Klamath Falls for the State Tournament.
Open Division Recap
The Open division featured 16 teams battling it out over the same format. After the first 20 games, Westview dominated with a 4103 total, followed by Mountainside at 4004 and Century at 3596. Scappoose Orange, Aloha Blue, and Edison Green rounded out the top six.
In the second round, Westview extended their lead, finishing with the top seed after consistently high scores. Mountainside surged late to secure the second seed, while Scappoose Orange narrowly edged out Edison Green by 10 pins to take the third spot.
The stepladder finals began with Scappoose Orange facing Mountainside. Scappoose Orange took a 15-pin lead after the first game and held on with a 159 in the second game to win 336-321 and advance to the finals. In the championship match, Westview proved why they were the top seed, winning 371-318 over Scappoose Orange to claim the District 1 title. Westview, Scappoose Orange, and Mountainside will represent District 1 at State.
Individual All-Stars
Both divisions recognized standout performers who will advance to the State All-Star competition.
Girls Division All-Stars:
MVP: Anika Webster (HilHi)
MacKenzi Clark (Forest Grove/Liberty)
Madeline Rowe (Aloha Divas)
Aimie Beutler (Scappoose Orange)
Ellie Toedtemeier (Scappoose Orange)
Alisha Nelson (Glencoe)
Open Division All-Stars:
MVP: Ewan Oester (Westview)
Riley Conroy (Century)
Ryker Wistrand (Westview)
Ian Enright (Mountainside)
James Hartshorn (Mountainside)
Keiden Cabanting (Westview)
District 1’s teams and individual bowlers now turn their focus to the State Tournament in Klamath Falls, where they will compete for top honors at the end of February.
Clark County USBC Hall Of Fame Member, Roberta Green, Passes Away
The bowling community and countless friends are mourning the loss of Roberta Green, who passed away on Sunday, January 12, 2025, after a courageous year-long battle with inoperable brain cancer.
Her son, Stoney Brown, announced her passing, and tributes from friends, colleagues, and loved ones have poured in, reflecting the deep impact she had on everyone she met.
Roberta was a beloved figure in the bowling world and an integral part of Allen's Crosley Lanes, where she worked as the Events Coordinator beginning in 1988. Known affectionately as the "Queen of Crosley Lanes," she became the heart and soul of the local bowling community. Her kindness, dedication, and passion for the sport touched countless lives, and she was celebrated for her unwavering support and encouragement of others. In 1993, Roberta was honored with induction into the Clark County USBC Hall of Fame, a testament to her contributions to the sport and her legacy as a skilled bowler.
Beyond her professional life, Roberta found joy in the simple pleasures of life. She had a green thumb and loved to spend time in her garden, taking pride in the flowers and plants she cultivated and often capturing their beauty through pictures on her Facebook page.
Friends have shared heartfelt memories of Roberta:
Carol Reynolds wrote, “Roberta will be fondly remembered by so many. She was the heart of the bowling community and the Queen of Crosley Lanes. Her kindness is an example for all of us to follow.”
Jack Crosley shared, “Stoney, I am genuinely saddened to hear of your mom's passing. She was one of the sweetest women I ever met and one hell of a bowler. I will miss her... Take care, my friend!”
Marco Israel expressed, “Heartbreaking news. She was so kind to me.”
Roberta’s kindness, warmth, and vibrant personality left an indelible mark on everyone she met. She was a loving mother to Stoney, a treasured colleague, and a cherished friend to many.
January 14, 2025
Doubles Title For Nikolas and Leggett At Firebird
Salem, Ore -- (Sean Daniels) The OBA rolled into Lucky Strike Firebird lanes in Salem, Oregon for a couple different events this past weekend. We would like to thank Erik Griggs and his staff for the smooth weekend as well as Leanne Hulsenberg and Kendle Miles and Storm Products Inc for their partnership.
Next up was our doubles event. We had 40 teams compete and we would take 10 to the finals and pay 13 spots. Like yesterday, there was a lot of scores to be had on the Kegel Route 66 V2 pattern. Defending champions Bill Machin and Chelsea Sporkia started their defense by taking the lead with a 504 game, followed closely by Craig Tuholski and Chris Tuholski with a 497 game. Game 2 saw the Tuholski's decide they wanted to lead, firing off a huge 566 game, but Bill and Chelsea were not going anywhere responding with a 521 themselves. Game 3 saw Chris and Craig take back the lead with a 503 game, while Michael Tish and Corey Hall had the high game game 3 with a 517. Game 4 saw bill and Chelsea take back the lead with a 515, and the high game that game went to Ryan Nikolas and Johnny Leggett with a 557. Game 5 saw the high game of 502 from Bob Davenport and Tim Schaefer, with Johnny and Ryan right behind with 484. Game 6 saw the highest game from Nathan Davis and Brian DeLuisa-Anderson with 489 and Jeremy Hoffman and Andy Solberg made a run with 481. When qualifying was completed, we had the following finalists:
Bill Machin/Chelsea Sporkia, Craig Tuholski, Chris Tuholski, Corey Hall, Mike Tish, Ryan Nikolas/Johnny Leggett, Mike Fedasch/Mac Kaurin, Matt Ramshaw/Gary Lenox, Daryle Huff/Tim Myers, Mike Miller/Kyler Crevier, Corey Husted/Ian Willard, Makayla Jensen/Eryk Jensen.
Rounding out our cashing spots were: Blaine Weninger/Rich Corwin, Mike Arronson/Josh Wills, Tanner Acosta/Grant Dunigan.
Individual high games: Josh Wills 300, Courtney Nikolas 296, Matt Ramshaw 290
Match play really became a battle of what 5 teams would make the top 4 baker stepladder finals. Bill and Chelsea bowled solid games and won their first 3 matches, creating 176 pin lead going into the last game where they would coast to the top seed, earning a right to defend their title.
Ryan and Johnny continued the consistency and won 3 games to get themselves the #2 seed for the finals.
3 thorugh 5 battled all match play with Corey and Ian, Gary and Matt, Craig and Chris all occupying a spot in the step ladder at some portion. Going tinto the final match play game, Corey and Ian were on the outside looking in, 32 pins behind Craig and Chris in 4th. Since they were in 5th, they would need to hope that Gary and matt in 3rd could win the game and the bonus pins to help their cause. Corey and Ian did what they could and shot 459 and earned 40 bonus pins. This made the 3rd and 4th place match extremely interesting and going into the 10th, anything could happen. Gary got up in the 10th and left a viscious 7-10 which allowed Craig a chance to strike out and take the 10 pin bonus. Craig made a good shot and unfortunately the pins did not cooperate. Both now it left Chris needing to get them all and the scores were going to be really tight. Matt and Gary bolwed just enough to secure a spot in the ladder. Chris Tuholski stepped up thinking he needed them all in the 10th to stay ahead of Corey and Ian. Chris got up and did exactly what a player of his caliber does and got all of them in the 10th. Unfortunately for their team, they ened up 8 pins behind 4th and 12 pins behind 3rd.
This set up our one game baker stepladder finals.
#4 Gary Lenox / Matt Ramshaw vs # 3 Corey Husted / Ian Willard winner faces # 2 Ryan Nikolas / Johnny Leggett winner faces #1 seed and defending champions Chelsea Sporkia / Bill Machin
corey and ian defeated Gary and Matt to advance to face Johnny and Ryan. Nikolas/Legget defeated Husted/Willard 234 to 222. This set up our title match. I have no words that I can use to describe this title match, it was back and forth with Leggett/Nikolas having a 1 pin lead going to the 9th and 10th frame. Here is the conclusion to that exciting finish: https://youtu.be/wLyHWL27oPs
In an epic finish, Ryan Nikolas and Johnny Leggett defeat Bill Machin and Chelsea Sporkia by 1 pin.
I would like to thank all that came to watch, watched online, and bowled the events. Looking forward to capturing more epic moments in the future.
Here are links to the action:
Qualifying: https://youtu.be/Tqy0sXA8PPU
Matchplay: https://youtu.be/lKKTqXlQths
Step ladder: https://youtu.be/y-sAy4D0pOA
January 14, 2025
Gary Lenox Captures Sixth Carrer OBA Title In Salem
Salem, Ore -- (Sean Daniels) The OBA rolled into Lucky Strike Firebird lanes in Salem, Oregon for a couple different events this past weekend. We would like to thank Erik Griggs and his staff for the smooth weekend as well as Leanne Hulsenberg and Kendle Miles and Storm Products Inc for their partnership.
First up, 59 bowlers laced them up to compete on the Kegel Chromium pattern. The field was bowling for 14 spots in our match play finals with an additional 5 spots being paid. From the start, the bowlers were finding their groove and we had a lot of good games to start. Game 1 saw Corey Hall lead with 279 followed by Ryan Conner with 278.
Game 2 high games were Kian Pryor with 259 and Eryk Jensen with 258. Game 3 saw Jeremy Hoffman with 277 and Ryan Nikolas with 276.
After 3 games our leader was Mac Kaurin with 750 followed by Eryk Jensen 742 and Bill Machin with 729.
Game 4 saw birthday boy Bill Machin with a 279 and Shawn Meads with a 279.
Game 5 youngster Kwon Dohoon made a move with 276 and Gary Lenox with a solid 266.
Going into game 6, there were 10 players within 30 above or below the cut, and with the scoring pace, a big game could move anyone into the top 14.
Game 6 saw Ryan Nikolas connect for all 12 strikes, shooting 300, with Josh Wills 258. That game moved Ryan into the qualifying lead and propelled Josh into the top 14. The top 14 moving to match play were:
Ryan Nikolas, Bill Machin, Eryk Jensen, Gary Lenox, Mac Kaurin, Keith Stoner, Ryan Conner, Corey hall, Johnny Leggett, Shawn Meads, Josh Wills, Ian Willard, Kwon Dohoon, and getting the last match play spot with +68 was Nick Karr.
The 5 other cashers were Kian Pryor, Robert Altieri, Brandon Teegarden, Matt Ramshaw, and Tim Schaefer. last cash score was +49. We did pay a high Sr that did not cash and that was Aaron L. Hendren. Our high woman non casher went to Laura Cowling.
Match play saw a lot of back and forth with the top 3 being Ryan, Bill, and Eryk. The 4th and final spot in the step ladder had some moving back and forth. It was held by Gary Lenox until a 171 looked to derail his chances. Going into the final position round match, Bill, Ryan, and Eryk were mostly locked into the step ladder finals, with Keith Stoner in 4th, Corey Hall 5th, Gary Lenox 6th, Ryan Conner 7th, Ian Willard 8th, Johnny Leggett 9th. 4th through 9th were only separated by 64 pins. Game 4 saw almost everyone mentioned above struggle to shoot 200, which left an opportunity for someone to have a big game and win and get into the stepladder finals. And the player that took that opportunity ended up being Gary Lenox (Don't let me sneak into this step ladder 🙂
Our Stepladder finals went as followed:
Gary Lenox defeated Eryk Jensen 227 to 166
Gary Lenox defeated Ryan Nikolas 236 to 229
This set up a title match with Bill Machin, who was trying to win on his birthday. Unfortunately for Bill, Gary had other plans and after a spare to start the match, a 10 bagger put a stamp on an impressive win as well as a comeback of sorts for Gary. Gary wins 289 to 225
Congrats Mr Lenox on your win.
Here are the links to all the action from the event:
Qualifying: https://youtu.be/FBU5RdV0rZc
Match Play: https://youtu.be/7iRHhYp8xJ8
Step Ladder: https://youtu.be/y-sAy4D0pOA
Thank you to all that came out and bowled, watched, or watched the live stream.
January 7, 2025
Ryan Gillis Takes BBI Title at Husted’s Hazel Dell Lanes
Vancouver, Wash. -- On Sunday, 94 bowlers gathered at Husted’s Hazel Dell Lanes for the first BBI tournament of 2025 featuring five games of qualifying.
Qualifying Highlights:
Game 1: Ryan Gillis led the field after a 235 game with bonus pins and handicap, followed by Julio Rivera Torres and Marco Israel, who both scored 257. Jayne Mahealani Sonognini placed fourth with a 232.
Game 2: Marco Israel maintained momentum with another 257, taking the lead. Gillis fell to 10th after a 148 game, while Rivera Torres held second with 214. Griffin Kinney jumped to third with a 237. Steve Hermason and Steve McGee tied for fourth.
Game 3: Marco Israel’s hot streak continued with a 247, keeping him in first. Rivera Torres stayed in second with a 210. Corey Hall climbed the leaderboard with a 255, followed by Steve McGee and Jon Searcy. Gillis, the Game 1 leader, was on the cut line in 16th place, just four pins ahead of 17th.
Game 4: Marco held the lead with a 206, while Rivera Torres and Antonio Sparano tied for second after Sparano’s 258 game. Corey Hall and Hank Schieber were tied for fourth. The cut line was now at 946, held by Gary Abel, with several bowlers close behind.
Game 5: Julio Rivera Torres took the top spot with a 289 game, finishing at 1342 with bonus and handicap. Marco Israel’s 240 secured second place at 1282, followed by Corey Hall at 1256. Mark Smudde made a dramatic leap from 32nd to 16th with a 257 game, finishing just two pins ahead of the cut.
Finals Results:
Mechanical issues required adjustments to the finals, with some lanes hosting four bowlers instead of the standard two. Despite the challenges, Ryan Gillis dominated the finals, achieving a perfect 4-0 record to claim the tournament title.
Final standings:
Ryan Gillis: 1076 (4-0-0)
Julio Rivera Torres: 1068 (3-1-0)
Antonio Sparano: 1022 (3-1-0)
Michelle Lowery: 1012 (2-2-0)
Griffin Kinney: 1002 (2-2-0)
Steve Hermanson: 999 (1-3-0)
Mark Smudde: 971 (2-2-0)
Brandon Welsh: 940 (4-0-0)
John McGinnis: 920 (2-2-0)
Louis Turner: 903 (1-2-1)
Other notable performances:
Ernie Schlegel was the highest-scoring Super Senior out of the money.
Ellen Harada was the highest-scoring woman out of the money.
Tournament organizer Debbie expressed appreciation for the bowlers’ patience and adaptability, commending their cooperation in overcoming the day’s challenges.
December 31, 2024
Mountainside High School Bowling Team Strikes Success
BEAVERTON, OR – What started as a simple idea to bring friends together has turned into a winning formula for the new bowling team from Mountainside High School. This talented group of students is making waves in the local bowling scene, demonstrating that hard work, camaraderie, and athleticism can redefine perceptions of the sport.
Joey Hammer, a ninth-grader with an impressive 200 average after just two years of bowling, stands out as one of the team’s top players. "I love the community we’ve built here," Joey said. "There are so many developing bowlers on the team, and it’s great to be a part of that growth."
The team owes much of its creation to Ian Enright and James Hartshorn, two juniors who took the initiative to bring the team together. Ian, whose natural athleticism stems from years of playing baseball, explained his inspiration: “I thought it would be fun to bowl with friends. So, I got these guys into bowling, and it just kind of happened.”
James, who had long dreamed of forming a high school bowling team, echoed the excitement. “It’s amazing to finally have this team. Practices are fun, and it’s great to have a group of friends who share the same passion.”
Many members of the team bring athletic backgrounds that contribute to their bowling skills. Lucas Soles, a junior who started bowling just this summer, already boasts a 170 average. He credits his balance and precision as a baseball pitcher for helping him adapt to the sport. The team also includes Xander Johns, a junior who began bowling only two months ago, and fellow junior Jake Slaikjer. Despite their varied levels of experience, the group has come together to form a competitive and cohesive unit.
“People often underestimate the athleticism involved in bowling,” Ian said. “Especially with two-handed bowling—it’s much harder than it seems.”
The Mountainside team is actively working to change how people perceive bowling. Through an Instagram page showcasing their journey, the team has gained significant recognition at their school. With over 160 followers and growing, students regularly congratulate the team on their wins, helping to elevate bowling’s profile.
“It’s not just for fat guys or smokers,” one bowler joked. “Bowling is a real sport that takes skill, strategy, and teamwork.”
Despite being newly formed, Mountainside High School’s bowling squad has already secured a District 2 tournament win and earned 2nd and 3rd place finishes in District 1 tournaments. For a team with several members who are new to the sport, this is a remarkable achievement.
“Our goal is to keep improving and show everyone that we’re here to stay,” Ian said. “We may be a new team, but we’re building something special.”
With their passion, drive, and team spirit, the Mountainside High School bowling team is proving that the lanes are for everyone—and that the sky’s the limit for this talented group.
December 23, 2024
Aaron Bailey Wins His First RTB Title At The Grand Finals.
The 2024 RTB season drew to a close with the Top 16 points earners attending The Grand Finals at Walnut City Lanes for a shootout to determine the final season champion.
Bowlers earn points by attending events and cashing in events. 20 points are earned for every event attended and if you cash in an event, bowlers can earn up to 60 bonus points. Additional bonus points are earned in the Mega Swiss and Megabuck Mania events.
Throughout the season, we add $1.50 for EVERY entry in an RTB event, excluding specialty events such as the Scratch, the Queens, and the Sr Classic. This amounted to $2521 added to the prize find for this event.
The format is an 7 game Eliminator format. All bowlers bowl 5 games, moving pairs each game. After 5 games, we cut the field in half, sending 8 people home with the same payout. The rest of the field bowls an additional game, with pins carrying over. After that game, the final 8 are cut to 4, with the 5th-8th getting a pay bump. The final 4 bowl one last game with pins continuing to carry over. After that game, we cut down to 2 bowlers. 3rd and 4th are given an additional pay bump.
The final 2 then go back to zero and bowl a best 2 out of 3 final match to determine the champion. This allows for some drama in the event that we have a runaway in the qualifying round.
Before the action began on Saturday, we took the time to recognize the top 16 with commemorative medals signifying their success throughout the season. We also recognized the Player Of The Year, for the second time, Bill Machin, who had 8 cashes and 3 titles, the last defying the long odds to come back and win the POY.
We started with 16 and began the quest to crown a champion. Bill started our swinging with a 264 game, But he trailed Eddie Grudzinski, who shot 250 and had a few sticks to help him. Lanny Thomason was right there as was Gonzalo Antonio. Game 2 saw Bill hold the lead, but Aaron Bailey, looking for his first title, had moved into 2nd with two consistent 220+ games. Eddie maintained 3rd place and Lanny 4th, with Jerry Graham III sitting 5th.
After 3 games, Aaron had taken over the lead as the lanes really began to show some breakdown. Jerry was in second, Bill 3rd, Eddie 4th, and Chris Ertel moved to 5th. Sitting in 8th was Joe Laperriere, with a tenuous lead over Antonio. Game 4 saw Chris move up to 3rd behind Aaron and Jerry, and Brian Penn come into a tie with Bill for 4th. Lanny was in the 8 spot, 20 pins ahead of Antonio.
The final saw a bunch of movement. Eddie had been struggling since his early start, and his final game of 163 gave him a feel that he would be heading home. But he was able to make the final spot, 13 pins ahead of his good friend Caleb Gay. OBA Director Sean Daniels finished in 7th with Penn in 6th, Lanny 5th, Chris 4th, and Bill 3rd. Jerry blasted a monster 223 surpass Aaron for the lead and set himself up for a run at the title. The 8 bowlers who were eliminated all earned $125 for their time on a $100 entry.
The top 8 moving on were separated by 125 pins, not much in the grand scheme of things. And other than the top 3, it was a battle to see who would make the next step and go to the final 4. Bill would have the high game at 227, which would slot him 3rd at +96. Aaron closed the gap slightly on Jerry with a 210 game, but still trailed by 38 pins. The bottom 5 would all be very close. Sean shot the high game of those 5 with a 198, but his handicap deficiency kept him in the 8th spot at +39. Eddie Grudzinski was just a pin ahead at +40 and Lanny just ahead of him at +44. Chris and Brian were the final and Brian got just enough with his 199 game to edge of out Ertel by 4 pins. The 5th-8th place bowlers all got $200 for their finish.
The final 4 had one last shot to make the Championship finals. It would take a pretty big game to do that as Aaron and Jerry had a decent lead. And on the beat up lanes, that just wasn't gonna happen. Bill had the best shot but inly could muster a 154. Brian's 170 game also couldn't eat into the lead. Jerry and Aaron set up an all lefty finals, a rarity in this event. A lefty hasn't won this event since 2014. Bill and Brian each got $300 for their 3rd-4th place finish.
The championship finals took place on 9-10. By now, everything was pretty messy, so finding a good shot would be a test for both. Jerry held a 26 pin handicap advantage per game. The would go back and forth, trading shots. Aaron struggled to carry on the left lane, but the right he was perfect. Jerry got behind with an open and then in the 7th he left an awful 4-7-10 split. To the surprise of all, he was able to convert it and it gave him the spark he needed to edge out Aaron for Game 1 228-226.
Game 2 was a MESS. Both players lost their look on both lanes. 6 frames in, Jerry was heading into 100 territory, with 4 opens. It didn't look much better for Aaron, but at least he was able to strike a couple times. Jerry finally recovered slightly, but he was only able to muster a 128 (167 w handicap), which gave Aaron's fairly mediocre 168 (181 w handicap) was able to nod the match at 1 and take it to a decisive Game 3. Though I am pretty sure that was more of a torture than an award.
The final game saw Jerry start out with an early lead and Aaron continued to struggle with carry on lane 9. But at least he was staying clean. Jerry finally had a couple bad shots and that allowed Aaron to get back in the match. Going into the 8th frame, he really needed to figure out the left lane to make Jerry work to catch up. He was able to get the ball to face up clean and drove out the 7 pin with a beautiful strike. Jerry wasn't done yet, as he struck in the 8th but then left an open in the 9th. Aaron needed a strike and then good count to win. He struck in the 9th and then went back to the problematic lane 9. If he could strike on the first ball, it would be all over. He stepped up and with a clean smooth stroke, he ended the match with a strike. Another strike in the 11th and it was a lock. The final score was a 214 (227 handicap) to a 170 (209 handicap) win.
Aaron earned his first ever RTB title, something Travis Gunn did at the 2022 Grand Finals. He pocketed $675 and the championship jersey, plus an invite to the 2025 TOC. He will also get a custom mini RTB belt eventually.
Jerry got a fine $450 for the runner-up spot.
We want send a sincere thank you to Walnut City Lanes, who hosted us for the final time with this event. They are closing business in May 2025. They have been a wonderful host for us over the year, We wish Jerry and Sherry Rettke a wonderful retirement and hopefully, someday, there will be a new Walnut City Lanes for us to host an event at. Thank you for years of memories!!
That concludes our 2024 season. We will rerate the bowlers back to their last 50 games of tournament play as their starting averages for the 2025 season. I will be working on these over the winter break and we will start out fresh at the new event, Willamette Valley Warfare at Woodburn Lanes and Starlite Lanes in January.
Everyone have a great Christmas and New Years and we will see you in mid January!!!
December 16, 2024
Tanner Acosta Wins RTB Northwest Tournament of Champions
The Annual Tournament of Champions is always my favorite event, as all entrants earned the right to be there by winning an event at least sometime in their career. Anyone who is a champion can attend, provided that you compete in at least one event per year AND have your champion shirt.
This year, we had 76 champions attend for the 5 game qualifying round, including 3 former champions (Mychael Samson from 2021, Leo Funari from 2022, and the reigning champion Nick Losli). None of them though would be in the running for another title, thought Leo gave it a run with a 287 game to start the proceedings. There were a number of huge games early on.
Keith Stoner, the reigning Grand Finals champion, started with 277-279 to give him a great head start. Zachary Osburn shot a 276 i game one, Tanner Acosta shot 290, giving himself a century award after his 190 in game 1. Sean Daniels, this year Player of the Year runner-up, also erased a bad first game with the high game of the day with a 297 in game 2. And Melissa Germann shot her personal best game, a 278, in game 2 to jump into second early behind Stoner.
After game 3, Stoner retained the lead, with Chad Gibbs of Sweet Home moving into the 2 spot, Cody Renfro from Dallas having a dream day was in 3rd, and Melissa Germann slipped to 4th, but still looking good. Rebecca Cole from Bend was sitting in the final transfer spot at +97, but it was a tenuous lead with multiple competitors still well in the running,
Game 4 saw Stoner retain the lead and Renfro move into the 2 spot as Gibbs fell back a bit. Thomas Grimraider Brannon shot a huge 258 to jump into 5th, just ahead of Daniels. James Donaldson shot his 3rd straight 200 game to get into a 3 way tie with Tanner Acosta and Nate Moore at +135. And Rebecca continued to hold the 16th spot by just 1 pin over Matt Ramshaw. It would all depend on the 5th and final game to see who made the finals.
The top 4 bowlers stayed the same, with Renfro overtaking Stoner for the overall top spot, and Brannon jumping Eric Stern for 3rd and 4th. Daniels remained top 5, just barely ahead of Jeff Blindguy and Tanner Acosta. Melissa Germann held on to lane choice by grabbing the 8 spot. David Gunn and Nate Moore tied for 9th, with David getting the 9 spot by virtue of having the higher scratch game. Chad Gibbs remained in the field in the 11 spot. Lucas Richard Cobb jumped from 18th to 13th with a 235 game. And Brendan Smith shot 238 to go from 20th to the final spot in 16th.
The biggest moves came from Amanda Whitcomb and Zachary Wenger. After 4, they were tied at +91 in 24th. They both fired huge games, Amanda with 246 and Zach followed up his 279 with a 247. This allowed Zach to jump to 14th, tying with Donaldson and getting the spot over Opie due to his scratch game. Whitcomb bounced all the way up to 12th, setting up a first round duel with her good friend and frequent ball rep Daniels.
While this locked up the top 16, there were 3 other paying spots. Brian Penn had been in the top 16 most of the day, but he slipped with a 191 in game 5 ti finish in 17th, just 4 pins out of the bracket. 15 year old Rasna Som came all the way from Pendleton and fired a scratch +70 to snag the final cashing spot, which will go to his SMART account. And finally, Brett Day jumped all the way from 33rd up to 18th with a 244 game to get a check.
17. Brian Penn +138 $160
18. Brett Day +128 $155
19. Rasna Som +125 $150 (SMART)
We also were gifted a 900 Global Sublime Focus from Play Well Pro Shop, which raised an awesome $350 for the prize fund. Cody Renfro took home the ball, extending his dream day.
The single elimination bracket awards the higher seeds with lane choice, except they cannot camp on a pair. So each higher ranked seed selected their pairs, no surprise that 1&2 were the last ones taken. Most of the matches were fairly cut and dry, with the exception of the 4/13 match between Cobb and Stern. That match went down to the very last shot, with Stern taking the nod 211-205.
There were a couple shocking upsets in round 1. Amanda Whitcomb pulled off a shocker, beating her good friend Sean Daniels 256-185. And in a real stunner, Keith Stoner was knocked out after leading most of the tournament by James Donaldson 214-174.
Round 1 Results
Cody Renfro def Brendan Smith 226-204
David Gunn def Melissa Germann 192-159
Tanner Acosta def Nate Moore 211-165
Jeff Blindguy def Chad Gibbs 198-165
Thomas Grimraider Brannon def Zachary Wenger 220-197
Stern def Cobb 211-205
Whitcomb def Daniels 256-185
Donaldson def Stoner 214-174
Round 2 Saw Renfro's dream day continue. He fired a huge 276 wigh handicap game to knock out Gunn's 216. Cody only started bowling this year and he's already rapidly improving and will be challenging for more titles next season. Whitcomb put a beating on Stern with a 272-229 win. Tanner ended the dream of Opie, but they had fun doing it. Tanner just had too much with a 247-187 win. And finally, in a very exciting match, Jeff Harkins was able to strike out in the 10th to get past Thomas Brannon 230-206.
The second round losers went home with a nice check of $350/ea.
The Semi-finals brought on the big bucks. Amanda and Cody battled through the match to see who would go to the finals. Cody had had am incredible day, only shooting two games below 200, pretty crazy for a new bowler. But this time, his luck ran out. Amanda put together a solid 199 scratch (225 handicap) game as Cody struggled to a 155 scratch (197 handicap) game. Amanda would move to the finals against either Tanner or Jeff.
Jeff Harkins had won MegaBuck Mania this year and stood a decent chance to win the two highest paying events of the year. He had to battle the young fireballer Acosta, known for his incredible skill and shotmaking and fiery energy. They would battle shot for shot with every frame being critical to the match. Tanner started with a double and then started a trend that would define the match. He threw a great shot on lane 5 and left a bouncing 10 pin. He would clean it up and then strike on lane 6. But in the 5th, again a bouncing 10 pin. You could see it was getting to him. Jeff, however, was not able to take much advantage, with a bunch of spares and only one strike. The 6th frame was another beautiful strike on Lane 6, and then AGAIN a 10 pin on Lane 5. Another spare and another beautiful strike on lane 6.
Jeff found a line and was able to strike, which set up a thrilling finish. Tanner, having gotten a pep talk from Sean Daniels, came back to lane 5 and made a minor speed and line adjustment and buried the pocket for a clutch strike. This gave him the opportunity to go to lane 6, his good lane, and shut out Jeff. He blasted the pocket on the first shot and struck. One more strike and 6 would lock up the match. But that stubborn 10 pin again reared its ugly head. This gave Jeff the chance to win. Jeff needed the first two strikes to win. He struck on the first shot but was not able to contact for the second and that ended the dream. He spared and struck for a 224 handicap game, but Tanner's 228 moved his to the finals against Amanda.
Cody and Jeff each got $575 for their semi-final finish.
The final, featuring the #7 seed Acosta, an unlikely finalist due to his late decision to enter and his scratch status, and the #12 seed Whitcomb, who is having a resurgence after a lifetime away from bowling and two hip replacement surgeries and years of rehab to walk comfortably again. The match started out good with a spare strike from Amanda and a strike spare from Tanner. But then Amanda lost her ball reaction on the right lane this would drastically alter the complexion of the match. She was able to stay clean, albeit not able to strike much, while Tanner motored along, but was not able to really extend his lead much. The 26 she was getting was keeping Amanda close. She finally struck again on the left lane, but again the right lane left her with a 6 count. She cleaned that up and moved to the 9th frame, still with a shot.
But what looked to be a good pocket shot left one of the worst breaks in bowling. The pocket 8-10, which was pretty undeserved. She plucked off the 8 pin and it tried to clip the 10 off, but missed it. This gave Tanner a near insurmountable lead and he completed the job by striking in the 9th and 10th for a solid 223 game to eclipse Amanda's 193 handicap game.
Amanda, coming off her win at NWWBT at Linn Lanes, took home a great $950 check for runner-up.
Tanner took home a cool $1500 for RTB title #2 and earned the special TOC jersey and the replica mini RTB title belt, when it gets here
He thanks his sponsors Roto Grip and ZEALO Gear, as well as his family and friends for all the support.
Thanks to Justin Backus and the team at SuperPlay, as well as owner Terry Pierce. Aside from one minor issue, everything ran very well with minimal issues all day. And that was all while they were managing multiple birthday parties and prepping for their first live concert that night.
We conclude the season next week as we visit Walnut City Lanes for the final time. We plan to send them off with a bang as we crown the final champion of the season and the silver replica RTB belt.
Thank you to all the champions who came out to compete and we will see many of you next season. We open the Willamette Valley Warfare to start the 2025 season on December 16th!!! BE READY!!!!
December 16, 2024
Cale Brown Takes the Win at NWST Tournament in Centralia
The Northwest Senior Tour (NWST) headed to Fairway Lanes in Centralia, Washington, where 57 bowlers competed in a high-energy, high-scoring event. After six intense games of qualifying, the top 16 moved on to match play, with a total of 19 bowlers receiving payouts.
It didn’t take long for the action to heat up. In Game 1, Kelly Hyatt made a statement with a perfect 300 game, while other bowlers like Ricky Torchia (279), Rob Kahle and Lanny Thomason (268 each), and Jed Docker (266) weren’t far behind.
In Game 2, Hugh Miller surged into the lead with a 289, following his 246 opener. Thomason stayed consistent with a 259 to move into second, while Hyatt slipped to third after a 210.
By Game 3, Thomason took over, firing his third consecutive 250+ game with a 267, bringing his series to 794. Eric Parker jumped into second with a 278 game, and Miller held third after a 237.
Game 4 kept Thomason on top as he rolled a 258, his fourth straight 250+ game. Meanwhile, Shawn Meads climbed into third with a 278, and Miller and Jodey Rees stayed in the top five.
Things shook up in Game 5 when Miller nearly hit perfection with a 290, reclaiming the lead. Thomason’s 224 dropped him to second, and Cale Brown made a big move into third with a perfect 300 game of his own.
The final game of qualifying was tight at the top. Brown’s 247 was just enough to edge out Miller’s 226 for the top qualifying spot by two pins. Thomason finished third, while Tim Valincia’s 275 game pushed him into fourth. Meads rounded out the top five. Steve Soto made the biggest leap, rolling a 300 to jump from 37th place to 10th, securing a spot in match play. The 16th and final spot came down to one pin, with Chad Itami holding on despite a 185 in his last game.
The match play bracket kicked off with upsets and high scores. In Game 1, 16th seed Chad Itami stunned top-seeded Brown, 242-228. Second seed Hugh Miller had a low-scoring win over 15th seed Erick Hohlbein, 219-202, and Kelly Hyatt, the 14th seed, edged out third-seeded Thomason in a close 214-211 match. The highlight of the round was Meads’ perfect 300 game, which vaulted him into first place.
In Game 2, Meads faced Miller in a 1 vs. 2 showdown, defeating him 233-183 to maintain his lead. Meanwhile, Tim Myers outlasted Brown in a nail-biter, 227-224, moving Myers to third and dropping Brown to fourth. The top four bowlers were separated by just 83 pins at this stage.
Game 3 saw Meads continue to dominate, defeating Valincia 236-216 to keep his top spot heading into the final game. Brown rebounded in his rematch with Myers, winning 258-215 to reclaim second place, just 61 pins behind Meads. Miller sat in third, with Valincia in fourth.
The final match came down to Cale Brown and Shawn Meads, two of the most consistent bowlers of the day. Brown found his line early, stringing together strikes to post a 279 game. Meads bowled well with a 235, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Brown. With the win and 30 bonus points, Brown took the top spot on the leaderboard by just 13 pins, earning the day’s top prize of $550.
Tournament Director Sami Morris thanked Fairway Lanes and their staff for their hospitality and expressed appreciation for all 57 bowlers who made the event a success. It was another thrilling day on the NWST, with standout performances from start to finish.
December 13, 2025
Blaine Weninger Named 2024 PBA 50 Northwest Player Of The Year
Reno, NV. -- Blaine Weninger, from Happy Valley, Oregon, was awarded the 2024 PBA50 Northwest Region Player of the Year. The award was presented on Thursday in Reno, Nevada, prior to the PBA Regional Players Invitational (RPI) tournament.
The PBA50 Northwest Region Player of the Year award is given based on performance and standings in PBA50 regional tournaments throughout the season.
December 11, 2024
"R Kids" Program Set To Return In 2025
Gresham, Ore. -- The "R Kids" youth bowling program, once a cornerstone of competitive youth bowling in the Pacific Northwest, is set to make its highly anticipated return in 2025. Under the leadership of USBC Silver Level Coach Chris Burnett, the program will relaunch at Mount Hood Lanes in Gresham, Oregon. It promises to provide young athletes with the tools and opportunities to excel while honoring the legacy of its founder, Coach Mick McMahon.
Originally founded by McMahon, "R Kids" became synonymous with elite youth bowling, shaping the careers of many accomplished athletes. Burnett, a former participant, expressed his gratitude for McMahon’s influence and his commitment to carrying the legacy forward.
“This program paved the way for a lot of bowlers you see today,” Burnett shared. “Bringing it back is my way of paying it forward and honoring Coach Mick’s profound influence.”
McMahon, reflecting on the program’s return, shared his thoughts: “Chris has frequently surprised me with the knowledge and coach’s eye he has developed over the years. He is the ideal man to revive the legacy. Meanwhile, I have 28 years of memories with the ‘R’s,’ and it’s wonderful to see the program come back.”
Burnett envisions "R Kids" as a platform to challenge young bowlers and prepare them for competitive success at all levels. The program will feature Saturday morning competitions with a four-game format designed to hone consistency and adaptability.
“The sport is on an uphill climb,” Burnett noted. “With the right coaching and opportunities, kids will only continue to improve. This is about giving them something to strive for—the competition, camaraderie, and legacy are all part of what makes ‘R Kids’ special.”
Burnett’s coaching philosophy emphasizes unlocking each athlete’s potential and maintaining a positive mindset. “Every athlete thinks they’ve plateaued at some point, but there’s always more to give,” he said. “It’s my job to help them see that and push their limits.”
Mount Hood Lanes General Manager Javier Ayala views Burnett’s involvement as a transformative step forward for their youth program. “Here at Mount Hood Lanes, we want to give kids the tools to be the best bowlers they desire to be,” Ayala said. “That might mean becoming a competitive league bowler, earning a college scholarship, or even going pro. To do that, we need the best coaching available, and Chris Burnett is exactly the person to help us take this program to the next level.”
Ayala praised Burnett’s passion for coaching and recounted how the partnership came to be. “I wasn’t even going to ask Chris to join because I assumed he would say no,” he shared. “But when I approached him on a whim, he was as excited as we were about the idea. Not only that, he suggested bringing back ‘R Kids,’ and I was blown away. Chris has a heart for coaching—it’s who he is.”
Mount Hood Lanes already boasts a strong foundation of youth coaches, including up-and-comers like Amber Ortner, who aspires to become a USBC Gold Level Coach, and seasoned contributors like Nathan Gublee, Wayne Noonan, and Bill Carr. Ayala expressed pride in the team and excitement for the program’s future.
“When youth bowlers in Oregon think of the best or must-bowl league, we want them to think of Mount Hood Lanes and ‘R Kids,’” Ayala said. “With Chris leading the charge, we are confident we can achieve that.”
Families interested in joining the "R Kids" program can contact Chris Burnett at 503-438-5554. The program is open to youth bowlers eager to learn, compete, and grow under the guidance of experienced coaches.
The relaunch of "R Kids" at Mount Hood Lanes promises to inspire a new generation of bowlers, offering a program that combines tradition, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. With Chris Burnett’s leadership and support from a dedicated coaching staff, "R Kids" is poised to reclaim its place as a premier training ground for elite youth talent in Oregon.
December 10, 2024
Eryk Jensen Captures His 5th OBA Title
Vancouver, Wash. -- The Oregon Bowlers Association (OBA) brought the 2024 calendar year to a close with a high-stakes, double-points tournament at Hazel Dell Lanes in Vancouver, Washington. The event, hosted on the challenging 2022 USBC Team Trials Day 4 pattern, drew 74 bowlers competing for an OBA title and entries into several prestigious 2025 events, including:
- Portland Masters Entry (courtesy of Dave Husted)
- Seattle Masters Entry (courtesy of Kevin Hong)
- NW Masters Entry (courtesy of Andy Schmidt)
- NW Senior Tour Masters Entry (awarded to the highest-finishing bowler over 50, courtesy of Sami Morris)
- OSUSBC State Queens Entry (awarded to the highest-finishing woman, courtesy of Darren Stanley)
Additionally, Benny Salinas generously contributed added prize money, further boosting the tournament’s rewards. The OBA also debuted its first-ever live-streamed event, enhancing accessibility for fans and participants. Organizers plan to expand live streaming for future tournaments.
Qualifying Round Recap
The qualifying round cut to the top 20 players for match play, with payouts extending to the top 24 finishers. While the pattern proved tough for many, several bowlers delivered standout performances. Notable highlights included:
- Mac Kaurin starting strong with a 257 in Game 1 to take the early lead.
- Ian Willard rolling a perfect 300 in Game 2, catapulting him into first place.
- Gary Lenox delivering a near-perfect 279 in Game 5, the second-highest game of the tournament.
After six games of qualifying, Eryk Jensen emerged as the top seed with a total of 1,367 pins, narrowly edging out Kaurin (1,356) and Willard (1,355).
Top 10 Qualifiers:
- Eryk Jensen: 1,367
- Mac Kaurin: 1,356
- Ian Willard: 1,355
- Chris Tuholski: 1,314
- Bill Machin: 1,301
- Johnny Leggett: 1,279
- Craig Tuholski: 1,276
- Mike Armstrong Jr.: 1,272
- Tanner Acosta: 1,261
- David Townsend: 1,260
Special Awards:
- Highest Finishing Woman: Laura Cowling earned $150 and a 2025 OSUSBC State Queens entry.
- Highest Finishing Senior Outside the Finals: Erik Hohlbein received $150.
Match Play Highlights
In match play, the race to the stepladder finals remained tight, with just 130 pins separating first and 16th place entering the semifinals. Several players delivered clutch performances:
- Game 1: Eryk Jensen’s massive 278 game extended his lead, while Johnny Leggett’s 258 kept him in contention.
- Game 2: Mac Kaurin’s 270 game vaulted him into second place, narrowing Jensen’s lead to 81 pins.
- Game 3: Chris Tuholski and Leggett each bowled 257 to secure positions in the top four.
By Game 4, only 32 pins separated seventh place from fourth, creating intense competition. Ultimately, Jensen maintained his commanding lead, securing the top seed. Meanwhile, Tuholski defeated Jensen to solidify the second seed, and Kaurin edged out Leggett to clinch the third seed.
Final Match Play Standings:
- Eryk Jensen: 2,364
- Chris Tuholski: 2,286
- Mac Kaurin: 2,267
- Ian Willard: 2,252
Stepladder Finals
The stepladder finals delivered dramatic moments:
- Match 1: Kaurin faced Willard in a back-and-forth battle. Both finished with 180, forcing a 9th-and-10th frame roll-off. Kaurin prevailed, rolling strikes in the 9th and 10th frames to win 58-38.
- Match 2: Kaurin then met Tuholski, who opened with three consecutive open frames. Kaurin capitalized, building an early lead and sealing a 207-161 victory.
- Championship Match: Kaurin faced top-seeded Jensen for the title. After a close start, Jensen pulled away for a decisive win, earning his fifth career OBA title and securing entries into the Portland, Seattle, and NW Masters.
Closing Notes
The OBA thanked Hazel Dell Lanes and its staff, along with its long-term sponsor Storm Products, for their support. Organizers expressed gratitude to all participants for making the event a success.
Upcoming Events
The 2025 season kicks off with tournaments at Firebird Lanes in Salem on January 11-12.
December 2, 2024
Keith Gatlin Wins First BBI Title at Larry Janson Memorial Tournament
Gresham, Ore. – The annual BBI Larry Janson Memorial Tournament was held Sunday at Mt. Hood Lanes, attracting 90 bowlers for the day.
The qualifying round began with standout performances from James Gregory and Rob Grimes. Gregory opened with a near-perfect 299, leaving a 7-pin on his final shot, while Grimes recorded a 290 after sparing in the first frame and striking out. Grimes’ score, combined with his handicap, gave him the lead after game one, followed by Vince Selzler in second, James Lowery in third, and Gregory in fourth.
In game two, Earle Ramsay and Colin Yoshimoto both posted 280 games, moving them into sixth and 13th place, respectively. Grimes maintained his lead with a 243, keeping him ahead of Selzler, who held onto second place despite a 182. Keith Gatlin climbed into third, followed by Greg Herring and Floyd Kerslake.
After three games, Grimes extended his lead with a handicap total of 826. Ramsay moved into second with 798, while Kerslake, Selzler, and Brent Streater rounded out the top five. Tim Oge shot a 280 in game three, moving above the cut line into eighth place.
Game four saw Grimes extend his lead to 39 pins over Ramsay. Scores across the board dipped, with a 248 being the highest scratch score. Gatlin was third, 40 pins out of the lead, followed by Streater in fourth and Rich Stocks in fifth. James Gregory held onto the 16th and final match play transfer spot by a narrow margin, leading Paul Swearingen by six pins and Corey Hall by nine.
The final game of qualifying was marked by Greg Herring’s 257, which propelled him to the top of the leaderboard. Grimes struggled with a 167 but managed to hold onto second place. Jess Ayottee climbed to third, followed by Tito Pilado Posada in fourth and Gatlin in fifth. The top 16 qualifiers were finalized, with John Speelman earning the last match play spot.
In the end, Keith Gatlin, the number five qualifier, emerged victorious by just two pins, claiming his first BBI tournament title. Match play results were unavailable at the time of publication, and updates will follow as more details are released.
December 2, 2024
Myers Outlasts Tough Conditions And Strong Competition At
AJ's 8-Game Sweeper
Hazel Dell, Wash. -- A.J.’s 8-Game Sweeper took place on Sunday at Husted’s Hazel Dell Lanes, with 37 bowlers facing challenging lane conditions that saw only 11 participants finishing plus on the day. The winning score was +133, reflecting the difficulty of the competition.
The tournament began with Mac Kaurin leading the field after a 259 in game one, followed by Ricky Torchia at 222 and Darren Stanley at 216. Only eight bowlers managed to score over 200 in the first game.
Kaurin maintained his lead after the second game with a 229, but Kyler Crevier made a significant leap from 11th to 2nd with a 266. Torchia stayed close in third with a 226.
In the third game, Torchia moved into first place with a 245, while Kaurin dropped to second after scoring 201. Tim Myers climbed to fourth after a strong 268 game.
By the fourth game, Myers had taken over the top spot with a 228, as both Kaurin and Torchia struggled. Kaurin’s 181 dropped him to second, and Torchia’s 167 placed him third. David Townsend moved into fourth after delivering a tournament-high 269.
Myers extended his lead in the fifth game with a 247, while Johnny Leggett surged into second with a 262. Crevier and Townsend rounded out the top four.
However, in the sixth game, Myers slipped to second with a 198, trailing Leggett’s 224 by just ten pins. Townsend stayed in third, while Owen Barrett climbed to fourth with a 238. Craig Tuholski entered the top five with a 214.
Leggett held onto a slim six-pin lead after game seven, with Tuholski moving into third after a 258, just 20 pins from the lead. Entering the final game, Leggett had a 16-pin advantage over Myers and a 20-pin lead over Tuholski, with Townsend in fourth, 53 pins back.
In the decisive eighth game, Leggett recorded his lowest score of the tournament with a 187, while Myers posted a 216 to secure the victory by 13 pins. Tuholski dropped to a 188 in the final game but tied for third with Kaurin, who closed with a 247. Crevier finished in fifth, followed by Townsend, Barrett, Nathan Gubele, and Andy Solberg rounding out the cashers in ninth.
Tournament Director A.J. Schock expressed gratitude to all bowlers for their participation and encouraged them to stay tuned for details on the next event.
December 2, 2024
Westview and Forest Grove Win Back To Back Weekends
Saint Helens, Ore. -- The OSUSBC High School Bowling District One returned to competition this past weekend at Oregon Trail Lanes in St. Helens. The tournament featured 12 teams competing in a split squad format, with each team bowling 12 Baker games per squad.
For the second consecutive weekend, Westview High School dominated the Open Division, securing first place with a commanding lead of over 150 pins. Edison Green showed marked improvement from their fourth-place finish at the previous Kingpins Beaverton tournament, moving up to second place. Newcomer Mountainside High School had an impressive debut, finishing in third place.
The full Open Division standings are as follows:
- Westview High School
- Edison Green
- Mountainside High School
- Aloha Black
- Scappoose Orange
- Glencoe Maroon
- Liberty
- Century
- Forest Grove
- Aloha Fire
- Glencoe Grey
- HilHi
- Edison Black
- Scappoose Black
- Scappoose White
In the Girls Division, Forest Grove High School claimed their second consecutive first-place finish, posting a winning score of 1654. Glencoe High School secured second place, followed by Scappoose White in third.
The full Girls Division standings are as follows:
- Forest Grove
- Glencoe
- Scappoose White
- HilHi
- Scappoose Black
- Aloha
- Scappoose Orange
- Edison
District One teams will next compete at Park Lanes on December 22.
Sign Up Now For The Washington Youth Masters
November 25, 2024
Six Youth Bowlers Qualify for Junior Gold Tournament at Mt. Hood Lanes
Gresham, Ore. -- Five youth bowlers earned spots in the Junior Gold Tournament next July in Green Bay during the Junior Gold Challenge Tournament held at Mt. Hood Lanes on Sunday. The event featured 26 bowlers competing across multiple divisions.
Under 12 Division
In the combined Under 12 division, Cheyannah Ortner-Palmer narrowly secured first place, finishing just two pins ahead of Logan Davis with a five-game total of 740 to 738. The top five finishers in the division were:
- Cheyannah Ortner-Palmer - 740 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Logan Davis - 738
- Coen Grupas - 703
- Oliver Demenezes - 644
- Allie Eubank - 543
Boys Under 15 Division
Andrew Cook and Ronan Dang earned their Junior Gold spots in the Boys Under 15 division. Cook led the pack with a five-game total of 1101, bolstered by a 279 game in the second round. Dang’s performance, highlighted by a 215 in the final game, secured second place with 1042, narrowly edging out Owen Kelly, who finished third at 1040.
The top eight bowlers in the division were:
- Andrew Cook - 1101 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Ronan Dang - 1042 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Owen Kelly - 1040
- Kyran Biesack - 917
- Rasna Som - 848
- Stetson Hewes - 693
- Maxwell Patterson - 629
- Szylas Totman (withdrew after two games due to injury)
Boys Under 18 Division
Four bowlers competed in the Boys Under 18 division. Matt Birkholz claimed the top spot with 1080, although he had already qualified for Junior Gold next year. Brody Ruby secured second place with a 1072, earning him advancement to Junior Gold in 2025. The results were as follows:
- Matt Birkholz - 1080
- Brody Ruby - 1072 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Jordan Zitek - 1005
- Quentin Belville - 875
Girls Under 15 Division
In the Girls Under 15 division, Jakodi Edwards-Ford emerged victorious with a score of 679, edging out Taylor Fisher, who finished second with 665. Edwards-Ford’s 163 in the opening game made the difference and secured her advancement to Junior Gold next year.
- Jakodi Edwards-Ford - 679 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Taylor Fisher - 665
- Megan Patterson - 590
Girls Under 18 Division
The Girls Under 18 division featured six bowlers, with Michele Westmorland dominating the field. She posted the highest score of the tournament across all divisions with 1134, earning her a spot in the Junior Gold Tournament in 2025. The top six finishers were:
- Michele Westmorland - 1134 (Junior Gold Advancer)
- Lily Fields - 831
- Izabella Hewes - 814
- Sylvie Biesack - 784
- Samantha Slater Hoadley - 696
- Kylia Cannon - 636
The Junior Gold Challenge Tournament showcased strong performances and offered a platform for youth bowlers to gain valuable competitive experience as they prepare for the national stage.
NOT PICTURED BRODY RUBY
November 25, 2024
Whitcomb Shines at Northwest Women Bowlers Tour Stop at Linn Lanes
Lebanon, Ore. -- The Northwest Women Bowlers Tour (NWWBT) went to Linn Lanes in Lebanon on Sunday as 28 women bowled for the title in a six-game qualifier and step ladder finals.
The day started strong with Sheryl Woodward rolling a 236 in the first game to take an early lead. Cassandra Hunter and Sarah Wilson trailed closely behind. Woodward continued to set the pace with a 220 in the second game, but Hannah Wools surged into second place with a powerful 238, while Sarah Spellman climbed into third.
The leaderboard continued to shuffle in game three as Wools claimed the top spot with a 219. Laura Cowling joined the top three with a 238, pushing Woodward to second place. The competition tightened in game four when Cowling vaulted into first with a 247, as Woodward slipped to second and Amanda Whitcomb rocketed into third after her 243 game.
Cowling solidified her position in game five with a 239, keeping her at the top. Whitcomb moved up to second after scoring 214, while Woodward rounded out the top three. The final game of qualifying saw Wools battling to stay on the cut line with a 179. Ultimately, the top eight bowlers advanced to match play, with Cowling leading the pack with a total score of 1416.
The semi-finals featured four games of match play, where Cowling proved her dominance, winning all four matches with games of 225, 256, 237, and 265. Her high scores earned her the top seed in the step ladder finals. Whitcomb claimed the second seed with games of 212, 192, 200, and 247, while Woodward, with two match play victories, earned the third seed.
In the finals, Amanda Whitcomb faced Woodward in the first match, Whitcomb rolled a 212 scratch game to defeat Woodward’s 163, advancing to the championship match. Against the top-seeded Cowling, Whitcomb delivered a 235 scratch game, outpacing Cowling’s 212 to claim the title.
While the tournament was a handicap event, Whitcomb’s scratch scores at the end demonstrated she didn’t need the advantage.
November 25, 2024
OSUSBC High School District One Gets Their Season Underway At Kingpins Beaverton
Beaverton, Ore. -- The Oregon High School Bowling District 1 season opener took place at KingPins Beaverton. The event marked the beginning of the 2024-2025 bowling season, with five teams competing in the Girls division and thirteen teams in the Open division.
The Girls division saw a fierce battle between Forest Grove and Glencoe over the first 10 games, with both teams trading places at the top of the leaderboard. However, starting in Game 11, Forest Grove pulled away and maintained their lead to secure the first-place finish with a total pinfall of 2,862. Glencoe followed in second place with 2,634 pins, while HilHi (2,124), Scappoose (1,987), and Edison (1,470) rounded out the standings.
The Open division was dominated by the Westview Wildcats, who finished with a commanding 4,221 total pinfall, averaging an impressive 211 across 20 games.
The day began with strong individual performances, including Edison Green’s 243 in Game 1 and Westview’s 232. However, the entire field faced challenges in Game 2, with the highest score being 148. Westview shifted gears in Game 3, delivering their first of two 268 games, and never relinquished their lead for the remainder of the tournament.
The standings for the Open division were as follows:
- Westview Wildcats: 4,221
- Aloha Black: 3,370
- Scappoose Orange: 3,195
- Edison Green: 3,171
- Glencoe Crimson: 2,895
- Century: 2,885
- HilHi: 2,688
- Forest Grove: 2,614
- Liberty: 2,561
- Edison Black: 2,422
- Scappoose Black: 2,217
- Aloha Fire: 2,056
- Glencoe Maroon: 1,899
District 1 teams will return to action on Sunday, December 1, at Oregon Trail Lanes for the next round of competition.
November 25, 2024
RTB Northwest Concludes Regular Season at Woodburn Lanes with MegaBuck Singles Tournament
Woodburn, Ore. -- The final event of the RTB Northwest regular season took place at Woodburn Lanes, featuring the MegaBuck Singles tournament. The event, which serves as a last chance for bowlers to secure a spot in the Tournament of Champions (TOC) and earn points toward Player of the Year, drew a strong turnout.
The competition began with two squads. The first squad saw 29 bowlers vying for seven semi-final spots. Early standouts included Joe LaPerriere, who shot a 267, and Keith Stoner, who fired a 268 in the opening game. After five games, Mike Grenya led the squad with a +236 score. The top seven qualifiers were:
Mike Grenya: +236
Don Talbott: +196
Jake Rost: +190
Brian Penn: +185
Joe LaPerriere: +178
Paul Dorchak: +156
Bill Machin: +144
The second squad, labeled the “Burn Squad” due to more challenging lane conditions, saw 45 bowlers compete. Amanda Gay led this squad with a +203 score, followed by Daniel Barrera (+183) and Terry Bigsby (+164). The top 11 from this squad included ties for seventh place between Chelsea Sporkia and Travis Gunn (+126).
In the semi-finals, Bill Machin dominated early, rolling a perfect 300 game on the newly installed lanes. Despite this, Travis Gunn made an impressive comeback after a rough start, climbing to third place with a 697 series. The top three bowlers advanced to the finals:
Bill Machin: +67
Travis Gunn: +51
Terry Bigsby: +22
The finals were a tightly contested three-game series. Machin started strong with a 238 game, securing a narrow lead over Gunn and Bigsby. Gunn closed the gap in the second game, but Machin’s consistent performance and clutch strikes in the tenth frame of the final game earned him the victory. The final scores were:
Bill Machin: 667 (+67, $1,000)
Travis Gunn: 651 (+51, $625)
Terry Bigsby: 622 (+22, $450)
This marked Machin’s 13th career RTB title, leaving him just one title shy of the all-time record held by Jason Brutosky.
The RTB Northwest regular season ended with a record 1,976 unique entries. The TOC, set for December 14 at SuperPlay, has already garnered 94 entries, with hopes for a sellout. Next season promises to expand further with the addition of RTB Columbia Gorge and potential new sponsorships.
Acknowledgments
RTB Northwest Tournament Director Andy Schmidt thanked Brunswick Bowling Products for their three years of sponsorship and announced Storm Bowling Products as their new sponsor under the 900 Global brand. Special thanks were given to Caillean Massey and Chris Neff for their efforts during the event.
November 17, 2024
A Queen, Senior Queen and Princess Are Crowned In Salem
The 2024 Oregon State USBC (OSUSBC) Queens, Senior Queens, and Princess Championships concluded this weekend at Northgate Bowl in Salem, Oregon. Tournament Director Darren Stanley expressed gratitude to the participants, hosts, and sponsors who made the event a success.
Participation and Venue
A total of 43 bowlers competed across three divisions: 19 in the Queens Division, 13 in the Senior Queens Division, and 11 in the Princess Division. Northgate Bowl, under the leadership of Greg, Connie, and Tiffani, provided excellent hospitality throughout the event.
Tournament Highlights
- The finals in all three divisions featured dramatic matchups, with competitors from the elimination brackets forcing decisive second matches against the winners' bracket leaders.
- Courtney Nikolas bowled a perfect 300 game during match play.
- Larry and Marilu of Larry’s Pro Shop donated a bowling ball for a raffle benefiting state youth scholarships. Dorothy Breazile was the raffle winner.
Division Champions
- Queens Division: Makayla Jensen, winning $500 and an entry into the 2025 USBC Queens.
- Senior Queens Division: Penny Fentiman, winning $400 and an entry into the 2025 USBC Senior Queens.
- Princess Division: Addysen Case, receiving a $300 SMART Scholarship.
Payouts by Division
Queens Division:
- 2nd: Candice Ailport - $400
- 3rd: Courtney Nikolas - $300
- 4th: Laura Cowling - $250
- 5th: Chelsea Sporkia - $200
- 6th: Marissa Turner - $200
- 7th: Catherine Rawsthorne - $180
- 8th: Sarah Spellman - $180
Senior Queens Division:
- 2nd: Cindy Mattingly - $300
- 3rd: Kathy Ledford - $220
- 4th: Carol Williams - $160
- 5th: Deb Lee - $120
Princess Division:
- 2nd: MacKenzi Clark - $200 SMART Scholarship
- 3rd: Laelah Tiquia - $180 SMART Scholarship
- 4th: Alena McDugle - $160 SMART Scholarship
- 5th: Madilynn Pollock - $120 SMART Scholarship
Looking Ahead
The OSUSBC Queens, Senior Queens, and Princess Championships will return next year on November 15–16, with the location to be announced in the coming months. Full standings are available at TournamentBowl.
Darren Stanley, OSUSBC Board Member and Tournament Director, thanked everyone who participated and encouraged even more bowlers to join in 2025.
November 17, 2024
Tim Myers Is Dominant At Tigard Bowl For NWST Win
The Northwest Senior Tour rolled into Tigard Bowl this weekend for the highly anticipated Highway 99 Open. A total of 53 bowlers hit the lanes Sunday morning, competing in six grueling games of qualifying before moving to the match play round.
In game 1 Cale Brown and Rick Dolan both fired 268 games to tie for the early lead, with Steve Menning right on their heels at 267. Kelly Hyatt put up a strong 265, while Michael Kennedy and Curtis Henderson stayed in the mix with scores of 259 and 256, respectively.
Game 2 brought the first fireworks of the day—Shawn Copeland rolled the day’s first perfect 300 game, rocketing himself into second place, just two pins behind Michael Kennedy. Kennedy’s 278 game moved him to the top of the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Brown kept pace with a 253, holding steady in third place. Daryle Huff and Kelly Hyatt rounded out the top five after two games.
By Game 3, the leaderboard started to shift. Cale Brown remained consistent with a 237 game to keep himself in contention, while Ron Martinson climbed to fourth after firing a 268. Blaine Weninger’s 259 game moved him into fifth place, setting up an intense race for the top spots.
Game 4 saw Rich Corwin deliver the second 300 game of the day, an impressive turnaround after struggling in the first two games. Corwin’s perfect game shot him up the leaderboard from 33rd to 16th. At the top, Blaine Weninger took the lead with a solid 258 game, followed closely by Kelly Hyatt and Cale Brown.
And then, in Game 5, Rich Corwin did it again—another perfect 300 game, back-to-back! That feat catapulted him into second place. Weninger, meanwhile, held steady at the top, and Tim Myers emerged in third with a 257 game. Kelly Hyatt and Cale Brown began to slip slightly, but both remained in the top five heading into the final game.
The sixth and final qualifying game tightened the leaderboard even more. Blaine Weninger managed to hold onto his lead with a 212 game, finishing 268 over for the round. Tim Myers, however, was right on his heels, closing the gap to just eight pins with a huge 269 game. Curtis Henderson surged into third place with a 278, while Rich Corwin and Shawn Copeland rounded out the top five. Fourteen bowlers advanced to match play, while others, like Steve Manning and Trent Zabelle, earned cash prizes as top Super Senior and Super Senior Plus competitors, respectively.
The top 14 bowlers advanced to match play and in the first round, there were upsets right out of the gate. Top-seeded Blaine Weninger faced off against 14th-seed Daryle Huff in a nail-biter. Weninger was on a 290 pace but missed a crucial spare in the 9th frame, opening the door for Huff. Huff capitalized, winning 267 to 247. Meanwhile, 2nd-seed Tim Myers faced Eric Parker. Parker narrowly edged out Myers by one pin, 247 to 246, after a tense 10th frame.
But the day wasn’t over for Weninger and Myers. Tim Myers stormed back in Game 2 with a blazing 279 game, defeating Shawn Copeland and moving into second place overall. Weninger held onto his lead with a 216-215 win over Cale Brown in another tight match. By Game 3, Myers had found his stride, defeating Weninger 268-223 to take a commanding 70-pin lead. John West surged into second place with a 299 game, missing perfection by just one pin.
The final match play round saw Tim Myers solidify his dominance, defeating John West 248-217 to clinch the victory with a total score of 2591. Curtis Henderson’s 268 game moved him into second place, while West finished third. Blaine Weninger and Shawn Copeland rounded out the top five.
Final Standings and Prizes Here are your final results:
- 1st place: Tim Myers, 2591 total pins, $550 prize.
- 2nd place: Curtis Henderson, 2479, $450.
- 3rd place: John West, 2460, $400.
- 4th place: Blaine Weninger, 2451, $375.
- 5th place: Shawn Copeland, 2434, $350. Rounding out the top 14 were Michael Kennedy, Daryle Huff, Eric Parker, Dwayne Fagan, Kelly Hyatt, Cale Brown, Jim DiSanto, and Andrew Messenger Sr.
Tournament Director Sami Morris thanked sponsors John Huggett of Lovely Tire and Wheel and Brian Garland of Brands of Brunswick for their support. Special thanks also went to Mark Pearl and the staff at Tigard Bowl for ensuring a smooth event.
Next Stop The Northwest Senior Tour heads to Centralia, Washington, on December 15th for the Fairway Singles at Fairway Lanes. Bowlers can contact Sami Morris to register.
November 11, 2024
Collegiate Bowling Makes a Comeback in the Northwest with New Teams at OSU and UW
Collegiate bowling is making a comeback in the Pacific Northwest as new teams from Oregon State University (OSU) and the University of Washington (UW) launch programs with an ambitious start to their seasons. Both schools’ newly formed bowling clubs aim to bring competitive bowling back to the region and build a strong community of student bowlers. Each club is led by enthusiastic student leaders, experienced coaches, and community support through fundraising campaigns.
At Oregon State University, students Jacob Berger and Colby Spear are spearheading efforts to build a competitive bowling team from the ground up. Berger, also the head mechanic at MU Lanes and Games on the OSU campus, shared his excitement for the new program and encouraged the community to help support the team’s growth.
"I'm excited to officially announce Oregon State University's Bowling Team," Berger said. "A lot has been happening over the past few weeks: I've had to learn how to use Facebook again, our GoFundMe has been growing, our member base has kept expanding, and we are prepping for some tournaments in mid-late January in California. We also officially have a coach, Chris Burnett! Colby Spear and I have thus far been leading the team, and we are thrilled to have an awesome coach like Chris continue to help grow the program with his technical and strategic knowledge."
The new team practices regularly at MU Lanes and Games, with a goal to make a name for themselves on the collegiate bowling scene. To support their efforts, OSU’s bowling club has set up a GoFundMe page with a target of $5,000. These funds will be essential to cover travel, tournament fees, equipment, and team uniforms. Berger encouraged anyone interested to check out the team’s GoFundMe page, as well as to contact him directly at bergejac@oregonstate.edu for more information on how to join or support the team.
Meanwhile, the University of Washington’s Husky Bowling Club has already kicked off its season, led by head coach Joseph Kraszewski. The Huskies recently competed in their first collegiate tournaments at the SLOtown Showdown I and II, hosted by Cal Poly at Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria, CA. The team drove 18 hours to the event and finished 8th place in both tournaments, showcasing a promising start for a brand-new program.
During the first day of competition, the Huskies faced challenges with nerves, travel fatigue, and stiff competition, placing 10th in the first game among varsity programs. They fought their way up to 7th before the final round, where they ultimately placed 8th. On the second day, the Huskies reached as high as 6th place but ended the day once again in 8th. Notable individual performances included Senior Vinson Liu, who finished 20th and 21st on the individual leaderboard across both days, and Junior Skyler Broussard, who came close to All-Tournament honors with 15th and 16th place finishes.
"This trip was a great success," said Coach Kraszewski. "Coming to Santa Maria and competing in this competition is the culmination of the work, time, and effort that this team has spent to get to this moment. For a brand new collegiate program populated with new bowlers and a new coach, this performance was a great success. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of kids."
Looking ahead, the Huskies will compete in two back-to-back Tier 1 events in Las Vegas from December 18-21, marking the next milestone in their season.
Both OSU and UW have launched GoFundMe campaigns with a $5,000 goal to support travel, equipment, and other team expenses. UW’s Husky Bowling Club emphasized the importance of fostering an inclusive bowling community, inviting bowlers of all skill levels to join and help build the club’s legacy.
As Northwest collegiate bowling takes off, OSU and UW’s clubs are driven by student passion and community support, with hopes to establish a lasting impact on the sport in the region. For those interested in supporting these teams, donations can be made through their GoFundMe pages, helping them achieve their goals and compete at a national level.
GO BEAVERS
GO HUSKIES
Support Your Favorite School By Clicking On Their Photo Below
November 10, 2024
Bill Machin Captures 5th OBA Title
Lebanon, Ore. -- The Oregon Bowlers Association (OBA) Tournament at Linn Lanes saw Bill Machin emerged as the champion on the low-scoring 2024 PBA Cheetah Pattern.
Qualifying rounds set the tone for the day, with low scores dominating the leaderboard. In the opening game, Machin posted an impressive 259, placing him in the lead, followed closely by Ryan Nikolas with 248 and Michael Kennedy with 245. Only seven bowlers achieved scores above 200 after the first game.
By game two, Kennedy surged to the top with a 258, while Gary Lenox posted a tournament-high 288, placing him in second. Nikolas, Eryk Jensen, and Kian Pryor rounded out the leaders.
In game three, Kennedy struggled with a 172 but maintained his lead, while Pryor moved into second with a 221, trailing Kennedy by just 20 pins.
By game four, Pryor shot a 265, overtaking Kennedy, who dropped to second with a 203. The top five after five games included Pryor, Kennedy, Jensen, Nikolas, and Lenox. Only six bowlers were above par after five rounds, with the cut line at -88 going into the final qualifying game.
Pryor secured the top seed after game six, ending with +156, a 72-pin lead over Jensen, who moved into second. Kennedy finished third, followed by Nikolas, Lenox, and Machin, whose final 209 game earned him a place in the bracket as the sixth bowler to score plus on the day. Notable moves included youth bowlers DoHoon Kwon and Brody Ruby, who climbed to 11th and 15th, respectively, just ahead of Chris Tuholski, who rounded out the top 16 at -100, edging out Will Wilson by a single pin.
The tournament moved into a single-elimination bracket, where upsets dominated the early rounds. Each match consisted of two games, with higher seeds choosing their opponents.
Top-seed Kian Pryor selected 16-seed Chris Tuholski, but was eliminated as Tuholski won 416-392. Second-seed Jensen faced 14-seed Ewan Oester, but also fell in an upset, with Oester winning 358-352. Third-seed Michael Kennedy defeated 15-seed youth bowler Brody Ruby 452-387, while fourth-seed Nikolas and fifth-seed Lenox also suffered defeats to lower-seeded opponents. Other first-round winners included Josh Wills, Machin, and Kwon.
In round two, Michael Kennedy, the highest remaining seed, chose 9-seed Kyler Crevier, winning 431-362. Machin, seeded sixth, defeated Oester 358-305, and 13-seed Benton continued his upset streak with a 399-371 victory over 7-seed Wills. In the final match of the round, 11-seed Kwon knocked out Tuholski 382-352.
The semi-finals saw Kennedy face Machin in a 3-seed vs. 6-seed showdown, with Machin advancing 385-352. In the other semi-final, Kwon defeated Benton 372-307, setting up the final between Machin and Kwon.
In the championship match, Machin dominated with a two-game total of 469, besting Kwon’s 377 and clinching his fifth OBA title.
November 10, 2024
Victory For The Salesmen At Firs Bowl
Eugene, Ore. -- The RTB Northwest Tour made a stop at Firs Bowl in Eugene for the Emerald Valley Quad Swiss event, hosted by Tim and Shelly Lein. The competition drew 24 teams, each aiming to gain points toward the Grand Finals and the Player of the Year awards. After seven rounds of close matches, The Dictionary Salesmen emerged as the champions.
Tournament Recap
The event began with a strong start from team LL3D, who swept Game 1 to lead the field. However, by Game 2, Oh Split and The Dictionary Salesmen moved up with sweeps of their own, positioning themselves as top contenders. By Game 3, Daddy's Home, led by Tony J. Godinho's impressive 299 game and 785 series, took the lead based on pinfall, closely followed by Leins With Gunns and Oh Split.
Game 4 saw a shift as The Dictionary Salesmen took five points from Daddy’s Home, moving into first place. Leins With Gunns trailed by one point, while Chris and the NEW Triangle, Daddy’s Home, Fourplay, and Respect Your Elders filled out the top six.
In Game 5, Leins With Gunns overtook The Dictionary Salesmen with a commanding lead of 28 points, a four-point advantage over the Triangle and Salesmen. However, Game 6 saw a decisive 7-0 sweep by The NEW Triangle over Leins With Gunns, giving them the top spot heading into the final game.
The title match pitted The NEW Triangle against The Dictionary Salesmen, who held a 55-pin handicap advantage. Despite strong individual performances from the Triangle, The Dictionary Salesmen prevailed with a 6-1 victory to claim first place with 36 points. Oh Split secured second place with 33 points, while The NEW Triangle rounded out the top three with 32 points.
Final Standings and Payouts
- The Dictionary Salesmen - 36 points, 6,365 pins ($1,400)
- Oh Split!!! - 33 points, 6,163 pins ($1,100)
- Chris and the NEW Triangle - 32 points, 6,432 pins ($800)
- Bowling For Soup - 32 points, 6,233 pins ($640)
- Daddy's Home - 30 points, 6,350 pins ($560)
- Leins With Gunns - 30 points, 6,108 pins ($480)
This marks the first RTB Tour title for the Gibbs brothers, putting them in the Tournament of Champions next month at SuperPlay. This is the second title for teammates Donald Cephus and Aaron Heintzman, with Cephus having won RTB vs. Boneyard in October and finishing runner-up at the recent Baker Doubles.
In addition to tournament play, a raffle awarded a Brunswick ball to Caleb Gay. The RTB Tour thanked all participants, proprietors, and supporters and looks forward to the season’s final event, the MegaBuck Singles at Woodburn Lanes, where bowlers will vie for the last title of the regular season.
November 9, 2024
The Eagles Land At Milwaukie Bowl
Milwaukie, Ore. -- Mike Humphreys and Jason Hollingsworth were honored in a special ceremony at Milwaukie Bowl on Sunday for their achievements at the 2024 USBC Open Championships in Las Vegas. USBC Hall of Famer and Milwaukie Bowl owner David Husted presented the prestigious USBC Eagles to both bowlers in recognition of their outstanding performances. Husted became choked up with he told they family, friends, and local bowling community members who gathered to celebrate the achievements, how proud he was to "one, have these gentlemen represent us and two, win the whole damn thing in their divisions."
The 2024 USBC Open Championships, the tournament’s 120th edition, drew more than 55,000 bowlers across three divisions—Regular, Standard, and Classified—at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This year’s tournament ran from February through July, with an impressive field of 11,005 teams.
Mike Humphreys competed on May 28th, scoring a series of 745 with games of 244, 250, and 246, securing first place in his division out of 20,038 participants. Humphreys then waited two months, until the tournament’s end in late July, to confirm his victory. Jason Hollingsworth competed on July 28th, the tournament’s final day, delivering an 825 series with games of 289, 257, and 279. His score outperformed 20,807 competitors.
In their remarks, Humphreys and Hollingsworth thanked their families and the Husted family for their support and for organizing the celebration. Humphreys acknowledged his father, Tom, a Hall of Fame bowler, for inspiring his love for the sport. Hollingsworth expressed gratitude to his mother and family for their ongoing support.
The ceremony concluded with refreshments and congratulations from the community, marking a proud moment for Milwaukie Bowl, the Greater Portland, and Oregon Bowling Community.
November 3, 2024
Stacy Gomen Captures First BBI Title At Park Lanes
Hillsboro, Ore. -- November’s BBI Tournament featured 84 bowlers at Park Lanes in Hillsboro. The excitement began in game one when Dustian Canary set the pace, rolling an impressive 272 to take the early lead. But as the competition intensified, game two saw a new frontrunner emerge: Mike Stefanchin. His consistent performance propelled him to the top of the standings, with Canary trailing behind, and Jim Ferretti making a significant move into contention with a 289 game.
By game three, Stefanchin remained firmly in the lead, however, Canary struggled to keep up, recording back-to-back games in the 180s, which dropped him to fifth place. Seizing the opportunity, Sean McKinley surged into second place, Sandy Abel climbed to third, and Wes Farron delivered a clutch 247 in his third game to secure the fourth spot.
Game four was a turning point as Stefanchin hit a roadblock, scoring a 177, but he managed to cling to his narrow lead. Thomas Ketchum capitalized on Stefanchin’s struggles, throwing a strong 243 to close the gap to just three pins. Meanwhile, Stacy Gomen’s 257 propelled her into a tie for fifth, setting up a tightly packed field, with 20 bowlers within 40 pins of the crucial cut line.
The drama heightened in game five as Dustian Canary roared back with a 226, reclaiming the top qualifier spot and earning a $50 bonus from Lovely Tire and Wheel. Mark Smudde came in hot with a 256 to finish second in qualifying, just three pins shy of Canary. The rest of the top sixteen qualifiers included standout performances from Sandy Able, Mike Stefanchin, Thomas Ketchum, Wes Farron, Stacy Gomen, Sean McKinley, and more, with the cut score landing at 1122.
The match play rounds kept the intensity alive, and when the dust settled, it was Stacy Gomen who emerged victorious.
FInal Standings
1 Stacey Gomen 1093 4-0-0
2 Lonnie Wills 1057 4-0-0
3 Thomas Ketchum 1027 3-1-0
4 Todd Hinchliffe 1015 2-2-0
5 Lynn Spellman 1015 2-1-1
6 Chuck Bush 968 2-2-0
7 Kristi Thompson 958 2-2-0
8 Wes Farron 965 1-3-0
9 Rick Kennedy 929 2-1-0
10 Sandy Abel 925 2-1-0
11 Mark Smudde 924 2-2-0
12 Mike Stefanchin 890 1-0-0
13 Josh Lott 863 1-2-1
14 Dustian Canary 845 1-0-0
15 Quenton Knight 831 1-0-0
16 Sean McKinley 798 1-0-0
Dustian Canary Top Qualifier Sponsored by Lovely Tire & Wheel
James Donaldson High Super SR - Out of cash Sponsored by Lovely Tire & Wheel
Sue Herring High Woman - Out of cash Sponsored by Lovely Tire & Wheel
November 3, 2024
Cale Brown Is A First Time NWST Winner In Lakewood
Lakewood, Wash. -- The Northwest Senior Tour’s Puget Sound Singles tournament at Bowlero Lakewood featured 64 bowlers and high scores from the opening game. Jeff Knapp and Mike Devlin both bowled perfect 300 games in game one, with Cale Brown narrowly missing with a 299, John West posting 297, and Jon Gustafson and Bobby McKenzie rolling 289s. By game two, Craig Tuholski moved into first place with a 259, followed by Scott Halvarson in second with 245. The top five also included McKenzie, Brown, and Fred Van Camp IV.
In game three, Blaine Weninger shot a 299 to take the lead, with Halvarson, West, McKenzie, and Springfels rounding out the top five. Weninger’s momentum continued in game four with a 266, keeping him in first, while McKenzie, Halvarson, West, and Erik Hohlbein trailed. Weninger maintained his lead in game five, bowling a 259. Hohlbein moved into second with a strong 279 game, while McKenzie, Halvarson, and West followed.
After qualifying, the top 20 bowlers advanced to match play. Weninger defeated Ted Loftman 268-190 to maintain his lead. Second-seeded Hohlbein struggled, losing 204-225 to Mark Blair but stayed in second overall. McKenzie won his match against Mike Polinsky 216-205, while Cale Brown, seeded seventh, defeated Ed Dolfay 258-206, jumping to third.
The second round saw Hohlbein beat Weninger 243-236, but Weninger’s pin count kept him in first. Despite the victory, Hohlbein dropped to third place. Brown’s 269-227 win over McKenzie propelled him to second, setting up a critical match against Weninger.
Brown narrowly beat Weninger 259-256 and clinched the tournament title with a final 258-193 victory.
Tournament Manager Sami Morris acknowledged Brown’s first NWST title and expressed appreciation to sponsors Brands of Brunswick and Lovely Tire and Wheel. The tour’s next event will be at Tigard Bowl.
November 3, 2024
Oregon High School Bowling Underway In District 2
Cottage Grove, Ore. -- District 2 kicked off the new high school bowling season with a strong showing, featuring a full field of 12 teams and additional teams on a waitlist. The event, held at Cottage Bowl, marked significant growth for District 2, including renewed interest in areas that have not had a high school bowling program since the mid-2010s.
On the girls' side, Sheldon and Albany Open took 3rd place, with Dallas Girls and Sheldon Open finishing in 2nd. The 1st place honors went to Albany Girls and South Salem Open.
Junior Gold Qualifier At Mt. Hood Lanes
October 27, 2024
"The Pro Shoppe" Wins Mt Hood Lanes Ladies Swiss
GRESHAM, OR – The defending champions make it back to back wins at this years Ladies Swiss at Mt. Hood Lanes. Led by Jennifer Bergheim's 11 points and 208 average, Jeri Ault, Courtney Kall, Jamiee Lorey, and Reagan Lorey finished 6 1/2 points ahead of second place team MBC.
October 27, 2024
Halloween Adult/Youth Baker Doubles Results
Hillsboro, Ore. -- 40 teams of adults and youth bowlers spent their Sunday morning at Park Lanes. Some of the teams traveling from as far away as Seattle and Yakima, Washington. The unique format saw the adults and youth bowlers pairing up to bowl games together with the adults throwing the odd frames and the youth bowlers the even frames.
Divided into two divisions, 301 combined average and above and 300 combined average and below, there were 20 teams in each division.
Final Results: Lower Division
Final Results: Upper Division
October 26, 2024
Hard Fought Battle For RTB Northwest Baker Doubles Title
Cottage Grove, Ore. -- Congrats to Jonathan Curiel and Lucas Richard Cobb on winning the RTB Baker Doubles at Cottage Bowl!!
Each earned $560 for the win and champions jerseys. The beat out Donald Cephus and Cesar Jose 465-419 in the finals!!
October 22, 2024
Laura Cowling Wins October NWWBT At Woodburn Lanes
WOODBURN, OR. -- The Northwest Women’s Bowling Tour (NWWBT) held its second event of the season at Woodburn Lanes this past Sunday. Sixteen participants competed in a six-game qualifying round, followed by match play for the top four bowlers.
Marissa Cuno Turner kicked off the qualifying round with a 278 in game 1, while Courtney Nikolas followed with a 277 in game 2. At the end of qualifying, the top four bowlers advancing to match play were:
Courtney Nikolas: 1299
Hannah Wools: 1261
Melissa Gray: 1239
Laura Cowling: 1218
Fifth-place finisher Marissa Cuno Turner earned the last cashing spot with 1213.
In match play, Hannah Wools emerged as the top seed for the step ladder finals after winning three matches. Courtney Nikolas qualified second, and Laura Cowling secured the final spot.
In the step ladder finals, Cowling defeated Nikolas, advancing to the title match against Wools. Cowling maintained her strong performance, defeating Wools to claim the championship.
The NWWBT’s next event will be held at Linn Lanes in Lebanon on November 24, 2024. Sign-ups are open for registration.
October 22, 2024
Professional Bowlers EJ Tackett and Ronnie Russell
Host Clinics at Tigard Bowl
TIGARD, OR – Professional bowlers EJ Tackett and Ronnie Russell spent three days at Tigard Bowl, offering bowling lessons and sharing stories with local adults and youth bowlers. The duo conducted clinics from Oct 18 - 20, where they provided hands-on instruction and recounted their journeys to becoming professional bowlers. Both Tackett and Russell are well-known figures in the bowling world, with multiple titles under their belts.
In addition to the lessons, Tackett and Russell spoke about their experiences on the lanes, some of their most memorable moments in the sport, and the pivotal role Motiv Bowling Company has played in their careers.
Tigard Bowl owner Mark Pearl expressed his satisfaction with the event's success. "Well, what a great success this weekend was. I brought in EJ Tackett and Ronnie Russell for three days of clinics. Everyone I spoke to thoroughly enjoyed their time and lessons. They had fun too! Glad to call them my friends. They will be back next year again," Pearl said. He also praised Motiv Bowling, calling it "the greatest bowling ball company on the planet."
Both Tackett and Russell are expected to return for another round of clinics next year, continuing to share their expertise with the local bowling community.
October 22, 2024
The Old Timers Put On A Show At Hazel Dell
The 53rd Old Timers Tournament concluded on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at Hazel Dell Lanes, marking another successful year for the event, which began in 1969. A total of 120 participants, along with their families and spectators, gathered for the tournament, described by Tournament Director Debbie Deane as an annual "reunion."
The "Stoney's Pro Shop" team, captained by Robert Sturdevant, secured first place with a total score of 3436. Sturdevant led the team with a scratch total of 710, including individual games of 247, 204, and 259. His teammates contributed as follows: Dave Patterson - 500, Tom Nelson - 659, David Riggs - 640, and Ron Martinson - 667.
In second place was the "All About The Balls" team, captained by Mary Stratton Dahlke of Redmond, OR, with a score of 3370. Two teams tied for third and fourth place with scores of 3355: "Geezer Power," captained by Mike Martin, and "Fun Timers," led by Jim Hair.
This year's tournament also raised awareness for breast cancer and all other forms of cancer. Stoney Brown, whose mother, Roberta Green, is battling cancer, donated a new bowling ball to support research efforts. "Thank you, Stoney," said Deane.
October 22, 2024
West Wins In Astoria
Astoria, OR – The Northwest Senior Tour (NWST) held a successful event at Lower Columbia Bowl in Astoria, with 59 bowlers filling the lanes.
After a competitive day, John West claimed the victory.
The event was supported by sponsors John Huggett with Lovley Tire and Wheel, Brian Garland with Brands of Brunswick, and Budweiser.
2024 Old Timers Tournament
The 53rd annual Old Timers Bowling Tournament is a time-honored event for bowlers aged 50 and up. Originally founded by Howard and Ethel Setter, it has become a multi-generational tradition led by their daughter, Debbie Deane. Held at Hazel Dell Lanes, the tournament maintains long-standing customs, including a chicken dinner and champagne served during the final game. Deane shared in an interview that many players are family members of past participants, keeping the tournament’s legacy alive. The event honors the dedication of loyal bowlers, including some in their 90s, and has built a strong community over the years.
October 13, 2024
Ramshaw Delivers In Eugene
Eugene, Ore. -- Matt Ramshaw drove 160 miles to capture the October OBA title at Firs Bowl in Eugene.
Ramshaw was 5th following after 6 games of qualifying. In match play, he won 3 of his 4 matches to earn the #1 seed in the step ladder finals.
Last months winner, Ryan Nikolas was the number 4 seed and defeated Kian Pryor and Chelsea Sporkia before facing Ramshaw in the championship match.
Ramshaw was not slowed down by his waiting for his opponent blasting a 276 to Nikolas' 212 to walk away with the title.
Tournament Director Sean Daniels is working on a more detailed tournament recap.
Congratulations Matt on your big win!
October 13, 2024
$2,500 In Scholarships Paid At Superplay On Sunday
Beaverton, Ore. -- Congratulations to several youth bowlers for their finishes at the October SuperPlay Scholarship Series.
October 12, 2024
It's A Win For Bretthauer In Salem
Salem, Ore. -- For the first time, RTB Bowling hosted an event specifically for senior bowlers, bringing 44 men (aged 50+) and women (aged 40+) to AMF Firebird Lanes on Saturday to compete for an RTB title and a $675 first-place prize. The tournament saw a range of new and returning participants, with many expressing interest in future events.
Early Highlights and Qualifying Rounds
The tournament kicked off with impressive scores. John Docker of Milwaukie bowled a perfect 300 in his opening game, while Bob Davenport from Salem nearly matched him with a 298. Steve Bretthauer of Hillsboro followed closely with a 289. These top performances set the tone for the day and kept the competition intense.
Throughout the qualifying rounds, these bowlers stayed in the top rankings. Bob Davenport moved into the lead in Game 5 with a 254, ultimately securing the top spot by the end of qualifying with a total of +310. Steve Bretthauer and Docker rounded out the top three. The cut for the money bracket ended with 11 bowlers, with Terry Andersen of Sherwood securing the last spot.
Final Qualifying Standings:
- Bob Davenport - Salem, OR (+310)
- Steve Bretthauer - Hillsboro, OR (+228)
- John Docker - Portland, OR (+195)
- Shawn Meads - Ridgefield, WA (+194)
- Griffin Kinney - Oregon City, OR (+189)
- Bill Eddleman - St Helens, OR (+185)
- Gerald Stacey - St Helens, OR (+184)
- James Pedersen - Salem, OR (+177)
- Chuck Orton - Springfield, OR (+169) - $165 prize
- Lanny Thomason - Eugene, OR (+154) - $140 prize
- John Wells - Eugene, OR (+152) - $125 prize
Match Play Bracket
In the match play bracket, bowlers faced off in two-game total pin matches. The top seed, Davenport, narrowly defeated Pedersen 440-437 to advance. Bretthauer, Kinney, and Eddleman also advanced to the next round.
The final four included Bretthauer, Kinney, Davenport, and Eddleman. Bretthauer defeated Eddleman with a score of 449-398, while Davenport won against Kinney 434-413, setting up a final match between Davenport and Bretthauer.
The Championship Match
In the finals, Davenport and Bretthauer faced off, each vying for the RTB title. Bretthauer took an early lead with a 212 game, while Davenport, struggling with ball issues, managed a 166. Despite a strong comeback in the second game, Davenport could not overcome the gap. Bretthauer secured his third RTB title, winning the match 418-394 and claiming the $675 prize. Davenport took home $425 as the runner-up.
Additional Highlights and Announcements
A raffle, sponsored by Brunswick Brands, awarded John Barth a prize, and event organizers thanked Firebird Lanes staff for a well-run tournament. The success of this senior-exclusive event has led to plans for a return in May at Mt. Hood Lanes.
The next RTB event will be the highly anticipated Baker Doubles at Cottage Bowl, expected to draw nearly 120 bowlers across two squads. This event marks the return of the Baker format, which hasn’t been featured since 2016.
October 10, 2024
Team USA Bowlers Win Eight Medals on Final Day of 2024 Champion of Champions
Lima, Peru. -- Team USA closed out the 2024 PANAM Bowling Champion of Champions by winning eight medals on the final day, bringing their total to 10 medals out of a possible 12. The competition was held at the VIDENA Bowling Center, where the team competed in singles, doubles, and all-events categories.
On the last day, each of the four Team USA bowlers earned two medals. Bryanna Coté of Tucson, Arizona, took home the gold in women's all-events and a silver in women’s singles. Crystal Elliott from Palm Bay, Florida, won gold in women’s singles and a bronze in all-events. In the men’s categories, Matt Russo of Ballwin, Missouri, secured gold in all-events and bronze in singles, while Chris Via of Springfield, Ohio, earned gold in men’s singles and bronze in all-events.
Earlier in the tournament, Russo and Via had also captured silver in men’s doubles.
In the women’s singles competition, Elliott led the way with an eight-game score of 1,602, finishing with a 16-game total of 3,202, while Coté finished 21 pins behind with a total of 3,181. Colombia’s Juliana Franco won the women’s singles bronze with 3,112.
Coté’s performance in all-events over three days resulted in a 24-game total of 4,758, giving her the all-events gold. Aruba’s Kamilah Dammers earned silver with a score of 4,735, and Elliott took bronze with 4,721.
For the men’s singles, Via scored 1,666 in his final eight games, achieving a two-day total of 3,393. Francois Lavoie from Canada won silver with a score of 3,372, while Russo earned bronze with a total of 3,312. In men’s all-events, Russo topped the field with a 24-game total of 4,935, followed by Canada’s Mitch Hupe with 4,911 for silver and Via with 4,902 for bronze.
PHOTO: Bowl.com
October 8, 2024
Team USA Bowlers Head into Final Day of 2024 PANAM Champion of Champions in Medal Hunt
LIMA, Peru – Team USA bowlers are well-positioned for medals as they enter the final day of the 2024 PANAM Bowling Champion of Champions. Chris Via leads the men’s singles field with a score of 1,727 across eight games, while Matt Russo holds fifth place at 1,677. Canada’s Francois Lavoie, Bermuda’s David Maycock, and Colombia’s Jaime Gonzalez follow closely behind, promising an exciting finish on the tournament’s challenging 39-foot oil pattern. Russo and Via are also second and third in all-events, following Canadian leader Mitch Hupe with 3,322.
In the women’s field, Bryanna Coté and Crystal Elliott placed second and third in singles on Tuesday. Coté rolled a total of 1,613, and Elliott 1,600, both trailing Aruba’s Kamilah Dammers, who led with 1,625. All three women also occupy the top spots in the all-events standings, with Coté and Elliott at 3,190 and 3,119, respectively.
Singles resumes Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern with women’s competition, followed by the men’s block at 4 p.m. The medal race remains competitive, and Team USA looks to reach the podium in singles and all-events
October 8, 2024
Team USA Wins Silver in Men’s Doubles at Pan-Am Bowling Champion of Champions in Peru
LIMA, Peru – Team USA’s Matt Russo and Chris Via achieved silver medals in men’s doubles on Monday, October 1, during the 2024 PANAM Bowling Champion of Champions. Competing at the VIDENA Bowling Center, the pair outscored Peru’s team by just 17 pins with a total of 3,132. Russo and Via, who scored 1,623 and 1,509 respectively, were edged out for gold by Canada’s Mitch Hupe and Francois Lavoie, who posted a combined 3,302 – the only score averaging above 200 per game on the tournament’s challenging 39-foot oil pattern.
Despite facing challenging lane conditions, both American bowlers emphasized the importance of teamwork and maintaining focus. “Chris and I worked well together,” Russo noted, emphasizing the role of strategy and support in achieving their finish. Via added, “It’s a great feeling to bring home a silver medal, and we’ve gathered some insights from today that will help us in singles.”
On the women’s side, Team USA’s Bryanna Coté and Crystal Elliott fought hard in their eight-game series but fell short of the podium by six pins, finishing fourth with 3,096 points. El Salvador’s team took bronze, while Venezuela secured the gold.
The tournament continues with singles rounds, where competitors will complete two eight-game blocks over two days. Beyond singles, medals for overall performance will also be awarded, with Russo and Coté both currently ranked in the top three for all events.
PHOTO: USBC
October 6, 2024
Keith Figueroa and Rich Stocks win October BBI at AMF Firebird Lanes
Salem Ore. - The October BBI took members to AMF Firebird Lanes in Salem. After 5 games of qualifying, Steve Bretthauer and Paul Coates finished at the top qualifiers.
The field was cut to the top 16 pairs and in the end, the team of Keith Figueroa and Rich Stocks came out on top.
A full write up of the action will be added at a later date.
October 6, 2024
JBT Tournaments at Kingpins Portland and Beaverton See Big Wins for Kwon and Others
PORTLAND, OR – The Junior Bowlers Tour (JBT) held two exciting tournaments over the weekend, with notable wins at Kingpins Portland on Saturday and Kingpins Beaverton on Sunday. Do Hoon Kwon took home two titles in the Scratch and U17 divisions in Portland, with Michele Westmorland also securing a title. Piper Chalmers won in the Girls division.
On Sunday in Beaverton, Kwon dominated again, winning both the Scratch and U17 divisions, including a perfect 300 in qualifying. Laelah Tiquia won in the Girls division, and Tobie Holcomb claimed the Handicap division.
Complete results will be posted soon on the JBT website.
October 4, 2024
Federal Charges Filed in Connection with 2019 Bowling Ball Factory Fire
JENNINGS, MO – Federal prosecutors have filed charges against John S. Wonders, the owner of a former bowling ball factory that caught fire in October 2019. Wonders, who purchased Faball Enterprises, Inc. in the late 1980s, had been operating the factory at 8700 Xograph Avenue in Jennings under the name Visionary Bowling Products, LLC.
In 2018, the City of Jennings acquired the property due to unpaid taxes, and the business ceased production by 2019. By August of that year, the city notified Wonders to vacate the property by October 20. Prosecutors allege that from July to October 2019, John Wonders and Jason Wonders improperly stored or abandoned hazardous chemicals at the facility without a permit, violating federal environmental laws under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
A significant fire broke out at the vacant facility on October 21, 2021, prompting evacuations of nearby homes and businesses due to potential hazards. More than a dozen fire departments responded, and the Jennings School District issued a shelter-in-place order. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources later discovered hundreds of decaying containers of hazardous materials at the site.
Both John and Jason Wonders have been charged with unlawful storage of hazardous waste.
PHOTO: KTVI
October 2, 2024
USBC Open Championships to See Record Participation in 2025; Announces Key Changes for 2026
ARLINGTON, TX – The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Open Championships is on track to record its largest team participation since 2012 at the 2025 event in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This growth comes after consistent improvements to the tournament structure, including the addition of a third division in 2017 and ongoing feedback from participants and external working groups.
For the 2026 event in Reno, Nevada, several key changes will be implemented to further enhance the tournament:
Division Average Adjustments: The average ranges for the tournament's three divisions will change, making competition more balanced. Bowlers will be classified as follows:
- Classified Division: 160 average and below (185 or lower on a typical league condition)
- Standard Division: 161-181 average (186-210 on a typical league condition)
- Regular Division: 182 average and above (211 or higher on a typical league condition)
Entry Fee Increase: Entry fees for each event (team, doubles, and singles) will rise by $10, and the all-events optional entry will increase by $5. All additional fees will go directly to the prize fund. With these adjustments, the 2026 prize fund is expected to exceed $9.2 million based on current participation levels, up from $7.3 million in 2024.
Team and Doubles Composition Rule Changes: Starting in 2026, bowlers aged 60 and older, as well as those who were part of junior national teams, will no longer be subject to restrictions under Rule No. 21. Collegiate bowlers will also be free from this rule, encouraging full team or doubles participation. The updated rules will also affect past adult national team members and professional bowlers.
In addition to these changes, the USBC Women’s Championships will introduce a new category—Team All-Events—in 2025, giving teams a chance to compete for a title based on combined performances in team, doubles, and singles events, similar to the Open Championships.
For more details on the USBC Open Championships, visit BOWL.com/OpenChamp. More information about the Women’s Championships can be found at BOWL.com/WomensChamp.
October 1, 2024
Oregon State USBC Looking To Hire New Association Manager
The Oregon State USBC has announced that Rebecca Cole has stepped down as Association Manager. The organization thanked her for her dedicated service and passion for bowling, wishing her success in her future endeavors.
The OSUSBC is now in the process of hiring for two key positions: Association Manager and Open Tournament Director. The organization is seeking candidates with a passion for bowling, strong communication, and organizational skills. Those interested in applying can find more information on the Oregon State USBC website.
October 1, 2024
Bowling Set to Return to 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with New Go Bowling Float
ARLINGTON, TX – Go Bowling is bringing bowling back to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® for the 98th edition of the iconic event in New York City. Go Bowling, the consumer-facing brand of the International Bowling Campus (IBC), will premiere a new float, Strikes Again, at this year’s parade. The float will feature an animatronic bowler and vibrant visuals, showcasing the excitement of bowling.
Go Bowling has been a partner in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2018, and this year's float will highlight the energy of the sport while reminding viewers that bowling is a fun, family-friendly activity.
“We’re thrilled to team up with Go Bowling to roll out an exciting, action-packed float for this year’s parade,” said Jordan Dabby, producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The new float is expected to engage millions of live spectators and viewers nationwide.
In addition to the float, Go Bowling will support the parade partnership with digital marketing initiatives, offering over 3,400 member bowling centers posters and promotional assets. Contests will also be held on social media throughout November, offering followers limited-edition bowling balls and pins.
The 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Thursday, November 28. For more information, visit macys.com/parade.
For details on how to join the bowling fun, visit GoBowling.com and follow them on social media.
Triangle Bowl Gets Modern, While Staying Vintage
Longview, Wash. -- Triangle Bowl has completed a major renovation, replacing its vintage pin setters with the latest Brunswick GS NXT models.
The bowling center had been relying on the original pin setters for over 60 years. In the 1960s, they had upgraded to the first generation of Brunswick A pin setters, and later the faster A2 models.
This year, the decision was made to invest in the newest pin setting technology. The GS NXT models offer faster strike cycles and the ability to set single pins, enabling new interactive bowling games.
The center worked with Brunswick to keep the classic wood-paneled design masking units that pay homage to bowling's golden era.
The upgrades aim to modernize the Triangle Bowl and provide a premium bowling experience for the community, which has seen other local alleys close in recent years.
September 30, 2024
Gunn and LaPerriere Win RTB Plastic Ball Doubles
WOODBURN, OR – The third edition of the RTB Plastic Ball Doubles Tournament took place at Woodburn Lanes, drawing 27 teams for the unique event where competitors could only use polyester balls.
The event featured a challenging 29-foot light oil pattern, which tested the skills and patience of all participants.
Barbara Howard Hanten and Tom Hanten set the pace early, leading after game 1 with a score of +56. However, James Bretthauer and Ryan M. Cross took over the lead after game 2 and held on through game 4, increasing their advantage to 80 pins. But the competition tightened as the lanes continued to shift.
David Gunn and Joseph LaPerriere made a big move in game 5, jumping from 4th place to claim the top spot with a 408 scratch score. This earned them a spot in the stepladder finals alongside Barbara and Tom Hanten, Sean Stacey and William Gillett, and Kian Pryor and David DuBois, who had made significant jumps throughout the day.
The finals saw David Gunn and Joseph LaPerriere secure their second RTB title, defeating Barbara and Tom Hanten in a close match. The duo’s win came after Gunn’s second RTB title of the year and LaPerriere’s first win since May 2022.
Final Results:
- David Gunn / Joseph LaPerriere – $525 each
- Barbara Howard Hanten / Tom Hanten – $375 each
- Kian Pryor / David DuBois – $275 each
- Sean Stacey / William Gillett – $225 each
- James Bretthauer / Ryan M. Cross – $190 each
- Dwayne Fagan / Bob Davenport – $160 each
The next RTB event, the Senior Classic, will take place on October 12 at AMF Firebird Lanes, open to bowlers 50+ for men and 40+ for women.
September 29, 2024
Inaugural RTB Columba George Tournament In Pendleton
Pendleton, Ore. -- Sunday marked the first RTB event in the Columbia Gorge, held at Quaking Aspen Lanes, located at Wildhorse Resort and Casino. The tournament saw a strong turnout, with 32 teams and 64 participants competing in the event. The tournament paid out prizes to the top 8 teams, following a 1/4 payout structure.
The competition started off with high scores in the 250-230 range, but as the day progressed, lane conditions shifted, and players had to quickly adapt. Aaron Hines and Nathan Som, local bowlers familiar with the venue, took an early lead in game 3 and maintained their advantage through consistent performance. They finished the cut with a lead of over 100 pins on the second-place team, Melissa Gray and Miguel Guzman-Orozco.
Despite Aaron and Nathan's dominance, Gray and Guzman-Orozco steadily held second and third positions throughout the six-game block. In the bracket finale, they narrowly defeated Larry Dankenbring Jr. and Chris Mott by just 4 pins in the first match. They continued their momentum by winning against Lee Ozuna and Lawrence Montez by 49 pins and then upsetting the long-standing leaders, Hines and Som, by 63 pins in the final match to claim victory.
RTB Columbia Gorge thanked the staff at Quaking Aspen Lanes for their smooth management of the event and announced that the next event will take place in Walla Walla on November 2. This will be a singles event with two squads scheduled for 9 AM and 1 PM. Registration is open for interested participants.
Interview with Kevin Hong.
Kevin Hong, is a youth and adult bowling coach in the Seattle area. He discussed his extensive involvement in youth bowling, including organizing tournaments and leagues.
He highlighted the importance of bowling as an inclusive sport for children who may not excel in traditional sports, noting its appeal to those with social anxiety and autism.
Kevin also emphasized the advancements in coaching and technology that have enhanced the sport.
Additionally, he shared his passion for vintage bowling, documenting historic bowling centers through his website, VintageBowling.net, and encouraging others to support and promote the sport.
September 24, 2024
3rd Place Finish For Kelso's Zack Stone At PBA Northwest Regional Drake Mechanical Open
GARDEN CITY, ID – The PBA Northwest Region Drake Mechanical Open at Westy's Garden Lanes ends with Lanndyn Carnate of Redding, California, securing the title.
Carnate led the field with a total of 6,103 pins, including an impressive record of 5 wins and 1 loss in the match play rounds, earning him the $2,300 1st place prize.
Riley Woodard from Orem, Utah, finished in second place followed by Zack Stone from Kelso, Washington,.
Lanndyn Carnate (Redding, CA) – 6,103 total pins (224.53 average, 5-1-0 match play record)
Riley Woodard (Orem, UT) – 5,965 total pins (222.16 average, 4-2-0 match play record)
Zack Stone (Kelso, WA) – 4,669 total pins (220.88 average, 2-2-0 match play record)
Nickolas Freiberg (Sparks, NV) – 5,795 total pins (222.78 average, 3-2-0 match play record)
Michael Fitzgerald (Phoenix, AZ) – 3,763 total pins (220.60 average, 0-2-0 match play record)
Evan Nash (Kennewick, WA) – 3,679 total pins (218.33 average, 0-2-0 match play record)
Giorgio Clinaz Jr. (Brigham City, UT) – 4,655 total pins (214.81 average, 1-2-0 match play record)
Nick Borgaro (Coeur d’Alene, ID) – 3,547 total pins (212.40 average, 0-2-0 match play record)
Strong showings by several other local Professionals including a 10th place finish for Craig Tuholski, 12th place Christopher Tuholski, 17th place Bill Machin, and 18th place Kyler Crevier.
Zack Stone
Chris Tuholski
Bill Machin
Kyler Crevier
Craig Tuholski
September 22, 2024
Team "Bye" Wins Summer Ending Mt. Hood Swiss
GRESHAM, OR – The Summer Ending Swiss Tournament at Mt Hood Lanes saw 24 teams compete in a two-day showdown marked by tight scores and exciting matchups. Team "Bye" emerged victorious, clinching the title and a $3,000 prize with a total of 57 1/2 points.
There were some impressive individual performances. Mike Armstrong bowled a perfect 300 game, while Chris Ertel came close with a 299. Other high scorers included Mike Devlin (287), Jeri Ault (266), Kristen Kawachi (265), and Courtney Nikolas (256).
Kern Park Floral set the bar high with the top team game score of 1236. However, Team "Bye" secured their championship by defeating Kern Park Floral in the final and decisive 12th match.
The top eight teams that cashed are as follows:
Team "Bye"
Stone Pro Shop
All About The Balls
New Direction
Kern Park Floral
MATORS
Surf Punks
Hood Rats
Mike Arronson claimed the high average for the tournament, finishing with an impressive 229.
Congratulations to all the teams and bowlers for an outstanding tournament!
Rob Kahle, Sue Unger, Travis Moyer, Sarah Spellman, Brian Deluisa-Anderson
September 21, 2024
Spit On That Thang Walks Away The Winners In Bend
BEND, OR – A special event hosted by Rebecca Cole and Play Well Pro Shop at Lava Lanes Bend successfully introduced 18 new bowlers to RTB events. The initiative, designed to expand participation in future tournaments, featured a discount incentive for teams bringing in two new bowlers, with seven teams meeting the criteria. Play Well Pro Shop contributed to the prize fund through this sponsorship and a ball raffle, adding $213, which was won by Jeff Brittle from Orchard Lanes in Hood River.
The event saw 21 teams competing for an RTB title and a spot in the Tournament of Champions (TOC) scheduled for December. Throughout the tournament, the top spots were fiercely contested. Teams "Spit On That Thang" and "Hit N Miss" led the field early, both going 5-0 before facing each other in game 2. "Hit N Miss" emerged victorious in that match with a clean 5-0 sweep, sending "Spit On That Thang" down the standings.
The competition remained tight, with new leaders emerging as "Benchwarmers Strike Again" and "FCB" moved into the top spots by game 3. However, by game 5, "Hit N Miss" regained the lead, setting up a crucial final showdown.
In the decisive game 6, strong performances from Ryan and Chris Mott led "Spit On That Thang" to a 4-1 victory over "Hit N Miss," clinching the title with a total of 22 points. This win marked Ryan Mott's first title, Chris Mott's second, and Larry Dankenbring Jr.'s sixth.
Final standings were as follows:
- Spit On That Thang – 22 points, 4,322 pins, $1,200
- Hit N Miss – 21 points, 4,366 pins, $900
- FCB – 21 points, 4,124 pins, $675
- No Thumbs Allowed – 20 points, 4,002 pins, $540
- Benchwarmers Strike Again – 18 points, 4,057 pins, $420
RTB thanked Lava Lanes Bend for hosting the event and Play Well Pro Shop for their support in recruiting new bowlers. The next RTB event will be the Plastic Ball Doubles in Woodburn, followed by the Senior Classic at Firebird on October 12.
September 18, 2024
Highland Bowl in Corvallis Introduces String Pin Technology
Scott Yarrow, proprietor of Highland Bowl in Corvallis, Oregon, recently sat down with The Vanport Bowling News to discuss the bowling center's recent installation of USBC approved string pin machines, and the successful hosting of the Super Bowl Consolation Tournament.
The introduction of string pin technology at Highland Bowl, which was completed in early July, came with mixed initial reactions. According to Yarrow, some bowlers were hesitant about the change, with some teams opting out of the tournament due to preconceptions about how string pins might affect gameplay. However, once participants tried the new system, feedback was largely neutral to positive.
“Once people actually bowled on it, they realized it wasn’t as different as they thought,” said Yarrow. “It’s bowling, and after a few frames, they adjusted and just played the game.”
String pins, a relatively new innovation in bowling, feature strings attached to each pin, which Yarrow said improves machine reliability and reduces breakdowns. Highland Bowl has seen a significant reduction in mechanical stops, with Yarrow reporting only two to three stops per day, compared to frequent interruptions under the old 82-70 pinsetters.
Yarrow emphasized that while some subtle differences in pin action exist, such as occasional string trips or unique messenger pin behavior, the overall experience is similar to traditional free-standing pins. Additionally, he highlighted the benefits of improved pin-spotting accuracy and fewer disruptions, enhancing the bowler experience during league play and tournaments.
“One of the USBC requirements was that everything had to be on spot, and that’s what these machines deliver,” Yarrow noted, referencing the United States Bowling Congress’s approval of the string pin technology after extensive testing.
Since the installation, Highland Bowl has hosted its leagues and tournaments without any major issues. High scores, including a 299 game, have already been recorded, showing that the new system remains competitive.
Yarrow encouraged bowlers who are skeptical about string pins to come and try them. “You can watch videos online, but it’s really something you need to experience for yourself,” he said. “Once bowlers try it, they usually walk away feeling pretty good about it.”
Highland Bowl continues to offer open play and welcomes bowlers to come experience the string pin system firsthand.
September 15, 2024
Makayla Jensen Wins Inaugural NWWBT Event
Madras, OR – The Northwest Women’s Bowling Tour (NWWBT) launched its inaugural event on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at Madras Bowl in Madras, Oregon.
The tournament featured 16 participants who competed in a six-game qualifying round, followed by four games of match play, culminating in a top-three step ladder finals.
Makayla Jensen led the qualifying round with a total score of 1377, followed by Chelsea Sporkia (1313), Brittany Nicole Bland (1250), and Jill Creamer (1248). Joy Parker finished fifth with a score of 1232, earning the last cash prize. Creamer also posted the high game of the day with a 256.
In the match play round, Brittany Bland’s strong performance secured her the top seed for the finals, with Jensen as the second seed and Creamer in third. Creamer’s 269 and 228 games in the final two match play rounds earned her a spot in the step ladder finals.
In the first step ladder match, Jensen defeated Creamer, finishing with a total score of 204 to Creamer’s 203, advancing to the title match.
The title match was a rematch between Jensen and Bland, with Jensen overcoming the 20-pin difference to win with a final score of 246 to Bland’s 187, making Makayla Jensen the first-ever NWWBT champion.
The next NWWBT event will take place at Woodburn Lanes on October 19, 2024.
After her win, Makayla posted the following to Facebook:
Today I was able to win the first ever Northwest Women’s Bowling Tour event at Madras Bowl! Huge shout out to Sean Daniels for giving us ladies something to bowl regularly! I’m very thankful for your efforts. Already can’t wait for next month at Woodburn! 💖
Thank you so much for all of the love and support! This is a special win for me. Feels like an awesome start to a new season of bowling.
Today I started the first few games with my Hammer Effect, switched to my Track Theorem in the middle, and went back to my old faithful to finish the tournament.
As always, thanks to Bowlifi for making sure I am always looking stylish on the lanes!
Couldn’t have the success I’ve had recently without the support of Milwaukie Bowl and Larry's Pro Shop behind me every step of the way. ❤️
Thank you so much to my in laws for keeping the boys while Eryk and I bowl in different cities across the state, yet again! Love you guys!
Quick shoutout to my Hubby and his partner Tim Meyers for taking 2nd this weekend in the NWST 90+ doubles!
Excited I got to steal my mom away for the day and have some much needed one on one time. 🥰
Thankful for this life I live. 🖤
#TeamBowlifi #NothingHitsLikeAHammer #TrackBowling #BrandsofBrunswick #TeamJensen
September 15, 2024
Nathan Gubele and Daryle Huff Win NWST at Walnut City Lanes
McMinnville, OR – Nathan Gubele and Daryle Huff emerged victorious at this weekend's Northwest Senior Tour 90+ Doubles event hosted at Walnut City Lanes. The event saw competitive play, including a standout performance by Lanny Thomason, who bowled a perfect 300 in Game 12.
The event was sponsored by John Huggett of Lovley Tire and Wheel, Larry Schwab of Larry's Pro Shop, Benny Salinas of Benny's Diesel Repair, and Brian Garland with Brands of Brunswick. Special thanks were given to Jerry Retkee and his staff at Walnut City Lanes for hosting the tournament.
September 15, 2024
Team #speakingtruths Wins RTB Superplay Quad Swiss
Beaverton, OR – Team #SpeakingTruths (Jason Smith, Sean Daniels, Chelsea Sporkia, and Bill Machin) took the top spot at the RTB Quad Swiss event held at SuperPlay, finishing with 39 points and 6,382 pins. They led most of the day, securing the $1,520 prize. Ebowla finished second with 34 points and 6,286 pins, followed by Drink Roll Repeat with 32.5 points and 5,979 pins.
Tristan Bailey had the day’s high game at 290. Other notable teams in the top six were Our Lefty Sucks, A-Team, and Hit N Miss.
Top 6 Teams and Prizes:
- #SpeakingTruths – 39 points, 6,382 pins – $1,520
- Ebowla – 34 points, 6,286 pins – $1,200
- Drink Roll Repeat – 32.5 points, 5,979 pins – $1,000
- Our Lefty Sucks – 31 points, 5,915 pins – $800
- A-Team – 30 points, 6,167 pins – $600
- Hit N Miss – 29 points, 6,191 pins – $500
The tournament also saw impressive individual performances, including a standout 290 game from Tristan Bailey. Other high scores were recorded by Jake Klemsen (front 10 until an 8-pin stopped his run), Matt Ramshaw (279), Bill Machin (278), Shawn Robertson (277), and Heather Williams (274).
In bracket play, #SpeakingTruths solidified their dominance, taking a 6-1 victory over The Gunn Club after briefly losing their lead. The team also defeated Ebowla 7-0 before clinching the title with a second 7-0 victory over The Gunn Club, securing their win before the final game even started.
Despite the already secured title for #SpeakingTruths, the rest of the field remained highly competitive, with spots 2-9 separated by just 5 points going into Game 7. Ebowla ultimately took second place, with Drink Roll Repeat finishing third. The A-Team made a huge push, winning 25 of their last 28 points to grab the 5th spot. Hit N Miss claimed the final cash position after defeating Dragon Ballz in a tiebreaker by total pinfall.
The tournament was hosted at SuperPlay, with Terry Pierce and his staff providing excellent service throughout the event. The next RTB event will be the return of the Plastic Ball Doubles at Woodburn Lanes..
September 15, 2024
Melissa Voytko Wins First PWBA Title
PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio – Melissa Voytko secured her first Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Regional title at the PWBA Cleveland Regional on Sunday at Yorktown Lanes, defeating top seed Samantha Knight, 229-213, in the championship match.
Voytko, a 36-year-old left-hander from Brunswick, Ohio, earned the $2,100 first-place prize and a spot in the PWBA Regional Showdown, set for Dec. 5-7 at Aloma Bowl in Winter Park, Florida. The win also marks her first career appearance in a PWBA stepladder final.
Voytko's victory was the result of a critical ball change after an open frame in the second left her trailing by 26 pins. Switching to a Phaze II ball in Frame 4, she rolled five consecutive strikes to take control of the match.
Knight, 28, from Muskegon, Michigan, opened the match strong but was slowed by a split in Frame 8. She made a late ball change and rolled four strikes in the ninth and 10th frames to apply pressure on Voytko, who needed a mark in the 10th frame to secure the win. Voytko responded with a strike to clinch the title.
The stepladder finals began with fourth-seeded Summer Jasmin of Beckley, West Virginia, defeating third-seeded Alyssa Pierson of Waukesha, Wisconsin, 177-162. Jasmin advanced to face Voytko in the semifinals but lost 205-162 after several missed spares.
Knight took home $1,100 for second place, while Jasmin earned $800 for third, and Pierson received $600 for fourth.
The next PWBA Regional event will be held in Greeley, Colorado, on Oct. 26.
For more information on the PWBA Tour and regional events, visit PWBA.com.
September 8, 2024
Ryan Nikolas Wins OBA Singles Title At Mt. Hood Lanes
Gresham, OR – This past Sunday, the Oregon Bowlers Association (OBA) hosted its monthly tournament at Mt. Hood Lanes in Gresham, with impressive performances and fierce competition. Hosted with the support of Storm Products, and Richard Lorey's The Pro Shoppe, the tournament saw a series of standout scores and a new singles champion crowned.
Tournament Highlights:
- Perfect Games: Berry Scruggs (300), Gary Lenox (300), and Josh Wills (300) each delivered perfect games, while Brian DeLuisa-Anderson (BDA) recorded an 814 series with games of 279, 256, and 279.
- Qualifying Rounds: After six games, Brian DeLuisa-Anderson led the field with a total score of 1496. Chris Springfels (1456), Josh Wills (1434), and Gary Lenox (1429) followed closely behind. The top 16 advanced to match play, with Rob Grimes securing the final spot with a score of 1334.
- Cash Prizes: A total of 24 spots were paid, with the last cash score tied between 21st and 24th place at 1302. Ricky Torchia was the top senior/woman, scoring 1266.
Match Play Recap:
- Early Leaders: The match play rounds saw multiple lead changes. Brian DeLuisa-Anderson led after the first game, followed by Marcus Winklepleck and then Chris Springfels, who maintained his lead to claim the top seed heading into the step ladder finals.
- Step Ladder Finals:
- Semi-Finals:
- Gary Lenox (231) defeated Brian DeLuisa-Anderson (168).
- Ryan Nikolas (279) defeated Gary Lenox (228).
- Finals: Ryan Nikolas claimed his first singles OBA win with a final score of 256, defeating Chris Springfels, who scored 162.
- Semi-Finals:
Final Standings:
- Ryan Nikolas – $900 (1st place)
- Chris Springfels – $650 (2nd place)
- Gary Lenox
- Brian DeLuisa-Anderson
This event marked Ryan Nikolas’ first singles win in the OBA.
Looking ahead, the OBA will host its next singles tournament in Eugene on October 13, 2024, with a non-points quad swiss event the day before.
Ryan Nikolas now leax Jake Klemsen in year to date points.
September 5, 2024
USBC Adds $50,000 Prize Fund Following Improper Posting of the 2024 Open Championship Super Brackets
A Facebook post by PBA member Alex Cavagnaro has raised concerns over discrepancies in prize payouts from the 2024 USBC Open Championships' Super-Brackets.
According to Cavagnaro’s post, he was supposed to receive $2,960 in prize money on August 16th, but when he received his check from USBC on September 4th, that amount was missing. He then checked the standings on bowl.com and found the Super-Brackets were no longer posted.
After contacting USBC, Cavagnaro was informed that there were "problems" and he would be contacted later. Shortly after, the brackets were reposted on bowl.com, but his winnings were still not listed. Following a second call, Cavagnaro says he was told his check was accurate and that a press release might be forthcoming.
On September 5th, USBC posted a statement on its Facebook page acknowledging issues with the payouts for the 2024 USBC Open Championships' 2K Super-Brackets in the Regular, Standard, and 50+ categories. USBC confirmed that prize checks were correct, but the originally posted bracket report on bowl.com contained errors, including disqualified or ineligible bowlers.
USBC has now published the correct bracket report alongside the original, labeled as an "alternate" report. To resolve the issue, USBC will pay bowlers the highest prize amount from either report, deducting any previously paid amounts. This adjustment totals approximately $50,000 in additional prize money.
USBC apologized for the mistake and directed affected bowlers to contact the tournament staff with any questions at usbcopenchampionships@bowl.com or by calling 888-910-2695.
FULL USBC STATMENT:
With prize checks for the 2024 USBC Open Championships arriving, the tournament staff has been notified that some of the yearlong payouts for the 2K Super Brackets in the Regular, Standard and 50+ categories did not match the totals posted on BOWL.com.
After additional review, it is confirmed that prize checks are correct. However, we discovered the report with randomized bracket matchups and prize totals initially posted on BOWL.com was outdated and incorrect. That incorrect report was a version including individuals who were ineligible due to disqualification or entering in the improper division.
The correct official bracket matchups and prize total report is now published: https://bowl.com/.../2024-yearlong-brackets-and-side-pots
Of course, the bracket matchups are different in the two reports since the correct official version removed the ineligible bowlers. Therefore, some bowlers have different prize totals in each report.
While USBC rules only require paying based on the official results, we understand many bowlers saw the initial report and were excited about their winnings. We do not want anyone to receive less prize money than expected. Therefore, in the interest of good customer service, USBC will pay participants their highest prize total of the two reports, minus any prize money already paid for that product. No bowler will receive less money than what was on the initially published report.
Both reports are now published on BOWL.com. Next to the official results report is the initially published version, now labeled as “alternate.” Bowlers with a higher prize earning on the alternate report compared to the official report will receive a supplemental check for the difference.
This is approximately $50,000 in additional prize money being added by USBC. We apologize for the inconvenience of this mistake.
If there are any additional questions or concerns, please contact the tournament staff at usbcopenchampionships@bowl.com or by calling 888-910-2695.
If you have also been impacted by the so called "problems", please reach out to me at info@vanportbowlingnews.com and share your story.
Dohoon Kwon Named To National Storm JR Team
Storm Products is excited to announce twelve new members to the Storm JR. Team (formerly known as Team Evolution). This team consists of ambassadors who participate in Storm's youth bowling initiatives, demonstrate an enthusiasm for the sport of bowling, and have shown loyalty to the principles of the Evolution Program.
The Storm JR. Team is reserved for a select group of exceptional youth players who have actively engaged in the monthly lessons of the Evolution Program and remain loyal to Storm Products through their equipment choices and brand support. The members of the Storm JR. Team are among the top players in their respective age groups nationwide. They maintain outstanding academic performance, engage in community service, treat others with respect, conduct themselves with the highest integrity, and actively encourage other young athletes to join the sport of bowling in their local communities.
Leanne Hulsenberg, a USBC and PWBA Hall of Fame Member who serves as the Tournament and Events Manager at Storm Products, leads the Storm JR. Team and Evolution Program.
"The Storm JR. Team continues to serve as a vital platform for ambitious young bowlers aiming to compete at the highest levels of our sport. It bridges the gap between aspiring youth athletes and our professional team, nurturing their dreams of future professional careers," Hulsenberg stated. "These junior team members are not just athletes; they're ambassadors who inspire their peers, showcasing how bowling can positively shape young lives both on and off the lanes."
The current athletes on the Storm JR. Team are Katelyn Abigania, Anna Antony, Malia Briggs, Alex Crowley, Brady McDonough, Matteo Quintero, Abigail Starkey, Eliana Occhino, Ernesto Reynoso, Rush Steen, Kaitlyn Stull, and Jos Weems.
The athletes joining the Storm JR. Team in our Fall 2024 additions are Alyssa Bechtol, Ryan Burgess, Alexa Escamilla, Lindsay Greim, Emmanuel Guevara, Micah Jensen, Taylor Kretz, Dohoon Kwon, Christian Mouton, Savannah Portillo, Larielle Tharps, and Aiden Watts.
"The Storm JR. Team have consistently demonstrated their commitment to bowling through their exceptional performance in the Evolution Program, their loyalty to Storm Products, and their pursuit of excellence in the sport," Hulsenberg remarked. "What truly sets them apart is their ability to inspire and motivate their peers, effectively becoming young ambassadors for the sport. Their passion is contagious, encouraging more youth to discover the rewards and opportunities that bowling offers."
The Storm JR. Team program involves each athlete's parent or legal guardian as an integral part of the process. Both the athletes and their support systems are fully engaged with the program as these young bowlers continue to progress toward their future in the sport.
DOHOON KWON
Accomplishments:
5-Time SYC Champion
PBA Jr. Nationals Champion
WYBT Champion
JBT Champion
7th Place in the 2022 PBA Regional Jim Kent Memorial Tournament
Home State: Washington
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Subject In School: Physics
Favorite Storm Ball: Summit
What are you known for: I always try to keep myself calm. I try to have a poker face because when I always get ahead of myself, I make silly mistakes.
Fun Fact: I started bowling because my parents owned a restaurant next to the bowling alley, so I went there everyday to practice. I speak Japanese, Korean, and English. When I become a professional bowler, I can travel to these countries and have no problem. When I was in Korea I did taekwondo for 6 years and I was the 2nd black belt.
“I always dreamed of becoming a member of Team Storm which will help me a step closer to becoming a professional bowler. It still feels really incredible and is just unbelievable, I am really thankful for this amazing opportunity.”
This story is written By Blair Blumensheid of Strom Bowling. To read more about the incredible Youth Bowlers selected to the team, CLICK HERE
September 1, 2024
High Scores End With A Victory For Mike Sprano At The 2024 Al Whiteman Memorial
Gresham, Ore. -- 89 bowlers took part in the Monthly BBI tournament at Mt. Hood Lanes. Scoring was high from the very first game with Jason Kriege's 288 followed by Rob Grimes and Jim Ferretti posted 279 games each. Roger Kreighbaum posted a 268, Amber Palmer-Ortner a 258, and Marco Israel a 257. High scores continued game 2 with Jim Ferretti's 290, Quenton Knight with a 289, Dorothy Breazile with a 266, and Amber Palmer-Ortner with a 247. Game 3 would see Jim Ferretti post a 269 for an 838 scratch 3 game set. Amber Palmer-Ortner continued her hot bowling with a 258, and Bob Farmer would join the plus 250 club with a 254.
Game 4 saw Mike Sparano join the high scoring party with a 279 game vaulting him to 3rd in the standings after 4 games. Jason Krieger added a 279, Quenton Knight a 275 and Brian Mumm a 258 game. In Game 5, Curt Moody used a 279 game to finish qualifying as the number 2 seed, Tim Oge jumped into the top 16 with a 256 game and Jim Ferretti finished with a 225 to lead qualifying at 1310 scratch.
The top 16 bowlers advanced to match play where Dorothy Breazlle and Mike Sparano would finished tied with the most total pins plus handicap. According to BBI Rules, first place is awarded to Sparano for the highest game plus handicap during the tournament.
Congratulations to Mike Sparano on his win. A full write up from Tournament Director Debbie Mendenhall will be available soon.
3 Female Finalist
Sue Herring, Amber Palmer-Ortner, Dorothy Breazile
Tied For First Place
Mike Sparano and Dorothy Breazile
Top Qualifier
Jim Ferretti
September 1, 2024
Jeffry Harkins Wins RTB Megabuck Mania At AMF Firebird Lanes
Jeff "BlindGuy" Harkins' victory at the second annual MegaBuck Mania at Firebird Lanes in Salem capped a weekend filled with intense competition and high scores. The tournament featured four squads, each offering bowlers a 1:5 chance to advance to the casher's round, followed by a stepladder final to determine the overall champion.
The tournament kicked off with the "Party Squad" on Friday night, where 26 bowlers competed. Joseph Andrew Rau-Young led the way with a 269 game, with Dwayne Fagan posting an impressive 279. Rau-Young held his position through the final games, earning a spot in Sunday’s casher's round. Other notable bowlers from this squad included Tyler Satter, Alex Adams, and Alexander Smith, who secured his spot by a single pin in his first RTB event.
Saturday morning’s squad saw Daniel Barrera dominate with a total score of +322, easily advancing to the casher's round. Buck Steffen, making his first RTB appearance in over five years, surprised the field with a +229 scratch score, securing the #2 spot. Brian Penn, Jeremy Wodesky, and Gonzalo Antonio Zamora rounded out the qualifiers from this session.
The Saturday afternoon squad featured smaller numbers, with just 23 bowlers competing. Brian Vigil took the lead with a strong 267 game in the second match and finished with a +216 score. Harkins, from Springfield, posted a +170 to secure his first-ever RTB career cash win, alongside Jay Long from Silverton, who qualified with a +147.
Sunday morning’s squad had the largest turnout, with 41 bowlers battling for the remaining spots in the casher's round. High scores were abundant, including a perfect 300 game by Will Tefft and a 289 game from Nathan Stephens. Ultimately, Jerry Graham III topped the squad with a +293, followed by Jake Rost, Mychael Samson, Clint Gibbs, Nathan Stephens, and several others.
By the end of qualifying, 22 bowlers advanced to the casher's round. In this round, Caleb Gay led early with games of 261 and 225 but stumbled with a 157 in his final game. Despite the setback, Gay advanced to the stepladder finals alongside Tyler Satter, Harkins, Rau-Young, Vigil, Barrera, Blake Copeland, and Graham III.
In the stepladder matches, Harkins, starting from the #3 spot, faced a series of tough opponents. He first defeated Brian Vigil in a tight match, then narrowly edged out Tyler Satter in the semifinal with a 253-228 win. In the final match against top-seeded Caleb Gay, Harkins started strong with four strikes in the first five frames and maintained his lead to win 278-230, claiming his first RTB title.
The full stepladder results were as follows:
- Jeff Harkins – $1,375
- Caleb Gay – $1,125
- Tyler Satter – $900
- Brian Vigil – $775
- Joseph Andrew Rau-Young – $675
- Blake Copeland – $600
- Daniel Barrera – $525
- Jerry Graham III – $475
In addition to the stepladder, other cashers from the casher's round included Jeremy Wodesky, James Donaldson, Clayton Netzel, Alex Adams, and Nathan Stephens, who took home various prize amounts.
Harkins' win was a remarkable achievement, not only for his on-lane performance but also for his determination to overcome the challenges of vision impairment. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Harkins relies on support from teammates for pin identification and lane adjustments, but his dedication and skill have allowed him to compete at a high level.
The MegaBuck Mania tournament saw an increase in participation this year, with 114 total entries, a 16-entry increase from the previous year. The tournament also raised $220 for the prize fund through a ball raffle, won by Justin Laney.
The next event in the series, the Superplay Quad Swiss, is set for September 14 and has already reached full capacity, with a waiting list in place for additional bowlers.
September 1, 2024
Season Opening WillyVille Monthly Trio Swiss Goes To Two Old Guys And A Leftie.
Congratulations to Two old guys and a leftie on winning the season opening event.
They defeated the newest franchise, El Choppo 656-632 to win $900 and 2400 points.
With that being said, we did lose a franchise today but El Choppo was the next one on the wait list, so welcome Scott Howell and his crew.
Other cashers were
3rd - Border jumpers
4th- Snap crackle and pop
5th- C U Next Tueday
6th- Shrek's Machines
It was nearly a wire to wire win for Eryk Jensen at the 2024 PBA NW Dave Husted Open at Milwaukie Bowl.
The annual tournament held August 17th and 18th featured 57 of the best bowlers in the Pacific Northwest.
After 8 games of qualifying, Jensen posted a 1799 (224.88 avg), leading Nick Borgaro of Coeur d Alene, Idaho by 32 pins.
The top 12 bowlers moved on to Match Play action on Sunday.
After 19 games of Match Play, Cameron Weier of Seattle, was the leader, Jensen was in 2nd followed by Tyler Coates, Christopher Tuholski, and Nick Borgaro.
In the final position round match, Jenson's defeated Weier 245-181 to win.
The final standings are available at HERE courtesy of the PBA.
You can also watch the position round match on the PBA NW Region Facebook Page HERE
Eryk Jensen Wins The PBA NW Dave Husted Open
August 18, 2024
The Northwest Senior Tour opened its 2024-25 at KingPins Portland on Sunday. There were close matches and different leaders throughout the day, but when it mattered the most, Michael Kennedy came away with a win.
Tournament Director Sami Morris would like to thank the KingPins Staff, Larry Schwab, John Hugget with Lovley Tire and Wheel, and Brian Garland with Brands of Brunswick for sponsoring the event.
Michael Kennedy Wins NWST Portland Open
August 18, 2024
The Oregon State USBC has finalized the details for the 2024 State Queens tournament, which will take place at Northgate Bowl on November 16th and 17th.
This year, the regular Queens division is open to all competitors aged 18 and up. Additionally, a new Princess division has been introduced for female youth bowlers, who will compete for SMART scholarships.
The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, earlier than in previous years.
Participants can follow the event on TournamentBowl and find the entry form on the Oregon State USBC website.
Oregon State USBC Announces State Queens Tournament
August 18, 2024
The team of ReighAnn Oliphant, Jordyn Beswick, Dianna Hollingsworth, Makayla Jensen, and Courtney Couch, used a commanding day 2 of the Starlite Ladies Swiss to walk away with the 1st place check.
After finishing day 1 with 25 points, 4 points behind the first place team, "The Misfits" took 31 points on Sunday to win by 11 points.
Congratulations To "The Misfits" Winning The Starlite Ladies Swiss
August 18, 2024
August 11, 2024
Klemsen and Conner Victorious At OBA Baker Doubles
An amazing performance by Jake Klemsen and Ryan Conner at Sundays OBA Baker Doubles tournament leads to a win.
Klemsen and Conner finished first after 12 games of qualifying at +290. Craig and Chris Tuholski were second at +270 with Eryk and Makayla Jensen finishing 3rd at +267.
The cut to move on to top 12 match play was +159.
Klemsen and Conner would keep their hot bowling alive advancing to the step ladder finals as the number one seed. The teams of Bill Machin and Chelsea Sporkia, along with Mike and Nick Devlin would move into 2nd and 3rd place to advance to face each other in the first game of the step ladder finals.
Mike and Nick would dominate game 1 of their 2 game match 268 to 178 over Bill and Chelsea. Game 2 the tables would turn with Mike and Nick only managing a 172 while Bill and Chelsea turned on the gas for a 246. But it would not be enough as the Devlin's would move on to face Klemsen and Conner with their 440 to 424 victory.
The championship 2 game match was a close one with Klemsen and Conner taking game one 229 to 194. Game two, the Devlin's bounced back with a 211 however Klemsen and Conner second game of 187 was just enough to earn the 416 to 405 victory at KingPins Portland.
Tournament Director Sean Daniels will have a full write up of the day in the coming days.
August 11, 2024
Chris Tuholski Wins First AJ's 8 Game Sweeper At KingPins Portland
Congratulations to Chris Tuholski for winning the first 8 game sweeper held at KingPins Portland on August 10th.
Finishing the day at +339, Chris took home the $400 first place prize.
Matt Ramshaw finished second at +256, while Nick Devlin came in third at +227. Nick also shot 300 in the 6th game. You can watch is final shot by clicking here.
This was AJ Shocks first 8 Game Sweeper that she has run and said on her Facebook page that everything went "Pretty Smooth".
The next 8 Game Sweeper will be held at Hazeldell Lanes on December 1st.
August 8, 2024
Vince Schiro Bowling Ball Locker Program Helps Youth Bowlers
As a tribute to her late coach, Vince Schiro, Amber Palmer-Ortner has launched the Vince Schiro Bowling Ball Locker Program.
This donation-based initiative provides youth bowlers with essential equipment such as bowling balls, bags, and shoes. The program is inspired by Vince, who helped Amber continue bowling after losing her equipment in a fire, "Vince gave me a set of used equipment when mine was lost at sandy lanes in a fire. He had a locker at Hollywood Bowl and helped me continue in the sport I love. I want to continue the program in memory of Vince." Amber says the program aims to boost kids' confidence and ensure they have the gear needed to succeed in the sport.
Donations of gently used equipment are welcomed, particularly for bowling balls between 6 and 14 pounds and women's shoes in sizes 7.5 and 8.5.
For more information or to donate, contact Amber at amberpalmerortner@gmail.com or 503-810-4876.
August 5, 2024
Exclusive video interviews with Mike Humphrys and Jason Hollingsworth.
The 2024 USBC Open Championships Standard and Regular Singles Champions.
August 5, 2024
Cory Bayless and Andrew Mssinger Win BBI Season Opener
Congratulations to Cory Bayless and Andrew Mssinger for winning the KingPins Doubles BBI Season Opener on Sunday. A full write up from Debbie Mendenhall is on the BBI page.
Also congratulations to Nathan Gubele for his 300 game during the tournament and to Sami Morris with her highest game of her bowling career, 299 (DAMN TEN PIN!)
August 1, 2024
Milwaukie Bowl Home To Two New National Champions
Milwaukie, OR - Mike Humphrys and Jason Hollingsworth have emerged as champions in their respective divisions at the 2024 USBC Open Championship. Humphrys secured the singles title in the Standards Division with a series score of 745, while Hollingsworth clinched the Regular Division title with an impressive score of 825.
Humphrys bowled games of 244, 255, and 246 on May 28th, finishing the tournament with a leading score of 745. Reflecting on his performance, Humphrys said to bowl.com, “After the doubles set I had, I was just trying to relax and find something out on the lanes that would work for me.” He noted an improvement of 363 pins from his doubles score, attributing his success to adjustments made after consulting friends.
Jason Hollingsworth, another Milwaukie bowler, made headlines in the Regular Division. After recording scores of 651 in the Team event and 673 in Doubles, Hollingsworth delivered an outstanding performance in Singles with games of 289, 257, and 279, culminating in a score of 825. Speaking to bowl.com, Hollingsworth expressed his excitement: "It's one of those things you don't think's actually going to happen. You joke around with your friends, like, ‘We’re going to Vegas and win an eagle.’ And then when you realize you have a chance at it, it gets the heart beating a little faster."
The 2024 USBC Open Championship concluded on July 29th, with both Humphrys' and Hollingsworth's scores remaining unbeaten.
Photo: www.bowl.com
Photo: USBC Facebook
2024 RTB Queens And Senior Queens
Our annual Queens events are the time for all the ladies to shine on the lanes. We welcomed all the ladies, young and old, to the classic Milwaukie Bowl for the first time. Special thanks to Corey Husted and the entire Husted family and staff for welcoming us in. Big shout-out to Greg Bingham and Eryk Jensen for running the show all day and making things buttery smooth.
The Queens were up first on Saturday. 34 ladies took to the wood lanes, and while Hannah Wools shined in games 1-3, it was all Jasmine Peterson overall. She fired a pair of 267 games and once she overtook Wools after game 3, she never looked back. Even after a subpar 5th game, she still maintained the lead and cruised to a +143 scratch score and +251 overall for a 64 pin lead and the #1 overall seed. Local star Makayla Jensen, who has a ton of talent, was super consistent and fired a +103 scratch and +1387 overall score to take the #2 spot.
The other finalists were as follows:
Jasmine Peterson, Hubbard, OR +251
Makayla Jensen, Portland, OR +187
Jessica Ayotte, Tillamook, OR +176
Amanda Whitcomb, Aloha, OR +170
Sarah Wilson, Hillsboro, OR +163
Taylor Wodesky, Oregon City, OR +142
Jade Diaz, Milwaukie, OR +136
Becky Rux, Mt Angel, OR +118
The single elimination bracket featured 2 game total pins matches. Each higher seed got to choose their starting pair. Jasmine had to give up the most handicap to Becky Rux, a total of 74 pins. But she was able to score well enough to get past the #8 seed Rux, winning 426-349. The closest match of round 1 was, not surprisingly, the 4/5 matchup between friends Whitcomb and Wilson. The match was nearly scratch, with Amanda getting 2 pins total. But she had enough in the tank to hold off her friend, finishing with a 402-364 win.
The long distance award winner, Ayotte, all the way from cheese country, was able to get an early lead on young Taylor Wodesky from just up the road in Oregon City. Taylor tried to come back, but Jessica was able to put her away 425-344. The biggest stunner of round 1 was the 2/7 matchup between a pair of Milwaukie regulars. Former RTB champion Jade Diaz took on friend Makayla Jensen. Jade was getting 32 total pins of handicap and surprisingly, she wouldn't need it. Although Makayla beat her by two scratch the first game, Jade still had a narrow lead. But she was able to pull away in game two and pull off a stunning upset over one of the favorites with a 496-459 final score. Each of the 1st round losers received $175 each.
The Semi-Final matches again allowed the higher seed to choose their pair, but they could not camp on the pair they were just on. Jasmine took on Amanda and Jade faced off with Jessica. Jasmine had a dogfight on her hands against Amanda. Both struggled in the first game, but Amanda's struggles continued and Jasmine was able to find just enough stroke to be able to hold her off. Final score was 459-417. The closest match of the day was the other semi final match between Jade Diaz and Jessica Ayotte. They both battled back and forth. Jade was getting a scant 10 pins, so she knew any mistake could cost her. It would come down to the final few frames. Jessica finished up with a score of 418 and that barely held off Jade's 409. That sent her to the finals against the top seed. Jade and Amanda received $275 each for the semi-finals.
Your Queens finals featured two non champions battling for their first title. Game 1 was a big battle. Jessica was getting 7 pins a game and she fired a huge 215. But Jasmine, who hadn't missed a beat all day, was right behind her at 209. This gave Jessica a 13 pin lead going to game 2. And that is where the wheels came off the trucks. Both ladies struggled with spares and splits. Jasmine in fact had two 4-10 splits and Jessica had a 4-6-7. Jessica was able to close out to 155 game and that forced Jasmine to strike on the first shot in the tenth to take home the title. She stepped up, as confident as she could be, knowing it was one ball for the win. But as the ball left her hand, it was a little left. The result was not the desired one, an 8 count. The score was 160, but that left her 15 pins short, Final score was 420-402. Jasmine recieved $375 for runner-up. She said she was happy with making the finals and that she bowled so well all day.
Jessica received $525 for the win and was presented her tiara from outgoing Queen Jenn McCrow. Also the RTB belt and a beautiful bouquet of roses from Holly Itami Springfels and Flower Shope Kern Park. She will take her crown back to Tillamook and has stated she will pay it forward next year and donate the tiaras to the champions.
The ladies also added $231 to their prize fund through the Radical ball raffle. We would also sell tickets Sunday and then draw the winner.
Sunday morning brought the Senior Queens to The Bowl. Again, a smaller field, but nonetheless an elite field :) And this field had a single shining star. Jayne Mahealani Sonognini rolled over the field in qualifying. Like Jasmine, she took the lead in Game 3 never looked back. She ended averaging 202 for the day, a +14 scratch and +182 total, 90 pins clear of the field. A stunning surprise followed in the #2 spot. Beverly Cady from Woodburn, who started with a 118 game, came back with 4 of her next 5 over average and a 188 in game 5 that propelled her into the #2 spot at +92 total. Another newcomer, Abby Mance from Salem, posted a +58 to sneak into 3rd place, just ahead of Joy Parker from Lebanon, who filled up the top 4 bracket at +50.
The first matchup, the 2/3 matchup, featured the two surprise finalists, Bev and Abby. Neither really lit the lanes on fire during the match, as they both grinded with spares, strikes being hard to come by. But Bev pulled our just enough, using her 32 pins of handicap to win the match and advance to the finals 427-383. Abby, who was so excited to make the cut, earned $175 for the semi-final finish. The other semi-final match was a battle between two friends, who were wearing the same shirt, as they are part of the same team for other events Joy enjoyed a 15 pin per game handicap advantage. Unlike the other match, these two showed the lanes who was boss. Joy shot a solid 182 while Jayne took her down scratch with a 188. That gave Joy a 9 pin lead going to the critical game 2. Both would light up the lanes, with strikes and spares. But then a critical error as Jayne missed a 10 pin in the 9th frame. It looked as though that would cost her. But Joy said no to that, closing with 5 straight strikes to shoot 225 and pull away from dominant leader. Her final score was 493 to Jayne's 456. The shocking defeat did not dampen her spirits. She was so happy to average 200 and make the finals, it didn't even matter. And she saw her friend go on for the title. She won bracket money and a nice $175 check helped keep that smile up.
The finals saw Joy vs Bev, who admitted later she only signed up for S & G, if you know what I mean. She was so nervous and her anxiety was through the roof. And game number 1 showed it. It started with a ridicluous pocket 7-9, and then two disastrous gutter balls showed her nerves, and she started off spotting Joy a 29 pin lead. Bev was getting 19 so that helped a little in Game 2. That and some comforting from teammate and RTB champion Dan Lancaster, who was on hand to watch. But Joy had the whole LebCrew watching her as well, so it was a rowdy final to be sure. Game 2 was a total role reversal. Joy started out looking like it was gonna be a cakewalk, after Bev had yet another gutter ball. But she steadied her nerves and started to get in the pocket. and started to feel better, Meanwhile, the wheels were coming off for Joy. 3 splits in 4 frames made things almost even. And then Bev had the finish of a lifetime.
She finally got a strike in the 8th, and then another in the 9th. One more in the 10th and the title was hers. She jumped up and down with excitement and then finished out with two more strikes for an exclamation point. She was so excited and showed some real emotion, tears were definitely flowing. The final score was 458-384. Joy went home with $260 for runner-up.
This was the first title for Bev in only her second ever event. She took home $425 for the win and the tiara from outgoing Senior Queen Melissa Gray. She also got the roses from Holly Itami Springfels and Flower Shope Kern Park, along with the RTB belt. She thought she would have to give the tiara back, but was assured it hers to keep. She is excited to try the TOC at SuperPlay in December.
We also added an extra $95 to the prize fund in the raffle. The randomly drawn winner by a local house bowler was none other than the Queen Jessica Ayotte!!! She wins a ball of choice from Brands of Brunswick.
We want to send a sincere thank you to everyone at Milwaukie Bowl. You were fabulous hosts and we look forward to coming back next year. Greg and Eryk did an excellent job, and the rest of the staff there made it a great time for everyone.
We head off to the coast for Coastal Combat in two weeks, and we open up the MegaBuck Mania.....well actually its already open at the time of this posting. Please salute your new Queens for the next year.... Jessica Ayotte and Beverly Cady!!!
July 31, 2024
2024 Kingpins Swiss
7th Annual KingPins Swiss Tournament ends with the Stone Pro Shop winning! Congrats to Mac Kaurin and David DuBois for bowling perfect games! Thank you to our sponsors Lovely Tire & Wheel Company, Beaverton Auto Body & Paint, Storm Bowling, Mary Stratton-Dahlke from Stellar Realty Northwest, Larry's Pro Shop! We can’t wait to have everyone back next year! KingPins Portland
Stone Pro Shop
Trent Zebelle, Sha Harvey, Samantha How, Luke Stone, Mike Nogle
July 21, 2024
©Copyright. All rights reserved.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.