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.

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 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.

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 LaPerriere's second RTB title of the year and Gunns 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 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 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 1, 2024

Jeffry Harkins Wins RTB Megabuck Mania At AMF Firebird Lanes

Name: VanPort Bowling News
Address: Hillsboro, OR

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.

Who doesn't love a beach trip??

After two years, RTB headed back to the beach and conducted Coastal Combat at Muggly's in Toledo and for the first time ever, North Bend Lanes in North Bend. 12 teams of 5 headed to the Oregon Coast for two days of battle and about 100+ miles of coastal highway driving.

Each team was required to have at least one woman and one senior player, which is usually the norm for these Swiss events in the Northwest. We started off Saturday at Muggly's in Toledo, which was our home away from home back in the pandemic days. Patrick White and his team welcomed us back with open arms and killer food. But other than that, it was a tough day for the bowlers. Scoring was tough all day for most of the bowlers. But if it's tough for all, that means some close matchups.

Walnut City Lanes (Mary Phillips, Shane Courtin, Christopher Kopf, Jim Shimota, and Bryan Morris) started out with 6 points and they would be in contention all weekend long. Unicorn Balls (Candice Ailport, Jon Larsen, Joseph Walrath, Geoff Jones, and Steven Urbach) took 7, but they would struggle most of the day. But the leaders after game 1 were This Isn't 9 Pin No Tap (Brian Penn, Erik Penn, Shelly Lein, Jimmy Humbert, and Paul Dorchak), whi swept with 8 points and would be a force all weekend.

As the day moved on, No Tap would hold the lead through Game 3, but in Game 4, they took a disastrous 1 point, which allowed Hit And Miss (Jerry Graham III, Cody Renfro, Lap JJ, Bill Gillett, and Queen Jessica Ayotte) to jump into the lead, just ahead of Walnut City and Defstar Handyman Services (Dwayne Fagan, Don Talbott, Heather Williams, Brett Day, and Chris Ertel). They would be the story of the weekend, for one main reason. They NEVER moved.

After a rough 2 point start, they kept winning matches and moving up the standings, allowing themselves to stay on Lanes 11 & 12 and find a groove. This gave them a tremendous advantage over the rest of the field and they parlayed that into getting into the 2nd place match by Game 6, yet again, on 11 & 12. They would battle Walnut City, who would take their measure with a 5.5 point win, sending us down Highway 101 to North Bend Lanes for the first time. Special shoutout to Lanny Thomason, who led the field by more than 100 pins, with a 238 average and a high of 278.

Most of the bowlers stayed at The Mill Casino, who offered us a great rate and a fun atmosphere, if you like gambling. We were all able to relax and enjoy the evening, and then get geared up to head into battle the next day.

Owner Mark Mattecheck and Manager Bryan Roberts were on hand and the bowlers filed in for the start of Day 2. Walnut City held a 2 point lead over Hit and Miss and a 5.5 point lead over Defstar. But with 6 more games of action, it was clear to see that things were not over by any means. Scoring on Day 2 was much better and that provided some wild games and crazy swings. A couple teams would battle each other all day long and again, Defstar would find a home and stay there.

Hit And Miss would come out of the box swinging with 6 points in games 1 and 2, which gave them the lead over Walnut. Meanwhile, Defstar had a bad start, going 2 and 2 in Games 1 & 2, which put them all the way down in 7th, and would make it a long road to hoe to get back into the money. Walnut City returned the favor, going 6 and 6 in Games 3 & 4 and moved into a tie for the lead with No Tap, who had just swept away Unicorn Balls, ending their run of three straight 6 point games. In the meantime, Defstar had gone 8 and 7 to get back into 4th, just 2.5 points out of the lead, setting up a furious finish to determine the champions.

Dwayne and the crew had been on 1 & 2 for games 3 and 4, and would be so again for Game 5, repeating the situation from Muggly's. This allowed them to know the shot and be able to adjust accordingly, while their opponents needed time to figure out the shot. In Game 5, they would face Hit And Miss with a chance to move up the standings again and maintain their spot on that pair. Dwayne blasted the high game of the entire two day event with a 279, leading his team, as they took 7 of 8, with Heather only losing by 5. It was a crushing defeat for Hit and Miss, but they were not out of it at all.

Walnut City, meanwhile, put an end to the dreams of No Tap with an 8 point sweep and set the stage for the final game, again on 1 & 2. They had a 3.5 point lead, meaning the winner of the team game would take home the title. With a team win worth 3 points, there was little room for error in this final match. It was a battle from the start. Heather and Don both fired great games, 206 and 203 respectively, Brett had been forced to use his spare ball for a couple of games, and while it was successful, it lost a bit in this game as he fell to Shane Courtin 216-191. Likewise, Bryan Morris was able to be Dwayne 202-190. This meant that it could come down to the anchor bowlers to determine the title. Defstar was looking good, but needed a strong tenth from Chris Ertel. They had to win his point, which wasn't a sure bet against fellow lefty Jim Shimota. But with two great shots, Chris was able to lock down his point and seal the title for Defstar, But that was not the only action going on. A battle had emerged for the final cashing spot.

Come On Carry That!! (Deanna Flynn, Jennifer Todd, Ty Geer, Lonnie Ogilvie, and Melissa Mabe) swept Muggly's away to finish with 55 points. They had been down in the event and had battled hard. But Hit And Miss also finished with 55 points after knocking off No Tap. In Swiss formats, there is no roll-off to determine a position, ties are broken by total pinfall. In this case, Carry That had 12744 pins to Hit And Miss's 12437, giving them the 3rd and final cashing spot. Walnut City, with their 2 points, locked up 2nd place overall, but finished just a scant .5 point behind. A heartbreaking finish for them considering how much they dominated the event.

It was the first titles each for Brett Day, Don Talbott, and Heather Williams, giving them all spots in the TOC at SuperPlay in December. This was the 3rd title for Dwayne, his second this year. But the big news there was that this was the 3rd straight title for Ertel in events that he competed in, having won the Park Eliminator Trios and the Triangle Mega Swiss back to back. He moved into the lead in the Player of the Year standings, supplanting former leader Sean Daniels. This will make the race for POY even hotter as we get into the twilight of the season.

Final Standings:

Defstar Handyman Services - 60.5 points, 12532 pins $2000

Walnut City Lanes - 60 points, 12562 pins $1400

Come On, Carry That!! - 55 points, 12744 pins $875

Hit And Miss - 55 points, 12437 pins

This Isn;t 9 Pin No Tap? - 52 points, 12884 pins

The Incredble - 48.5 points, 12327 pins

Firs Bowl Lanes - 46.5 points, 12738 pins

Unicorn Balls - 46.5 points, 12267 pins

Muggly's - 46.5 points, 12158 pins

Middle Finger Salute - 41 points, 12041 pins

Precision Performance Proshop - 39.5 points, 12282 pins

Glitter Ballz - 25 points, 11540 pins

Full Standings available HERE!

We want to send a huge thank you to the staffs of Muggly's in Toledo and North Bend Lanes in North Bend. We appreciate you welcoming us into your establishments and making us feel wanted. We will be returning to Muggly's in November 2025 and are planning Coastal Combat 2 at North Bend in 2026.

Our next event is MegaBuck Mania at AMF Firebird Lanes on Labor Day weekend. Squads are available Friday night, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning. If we reach 200 total entries, we plan to pay $2500 FIRST PLACE!!! Look up RTB Northwest on Facebook to get further information.

2025 Schedule Release Soon

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!!!

2024 RTB Queens And Senior Queens