It was the fifth career European Bowling Tour title for Fagan and the second this season after the Brunswick Euro Challenge in March which also counted as his fourth PBA title. PBA players from the United States have won four out of seven EBT events this season. The 31-year-old right-hander became the first multiple EBT champion this season and widened his lead in the men’s point ranking.

Guerrero, who led the tournament in qualifying, posted a huge 278 in the last game of Final Round Three to make the cut to the single-elimination finals with the two-game total determining the winner.

In a quarterfinal match between two former World Ranking Masters champions, Guerrero defeated Britt Brøndsted (left), 446-420, to advance to the semifinals en route to win the women’s ranking in Munich.

It marked the third time that the Colombian national team member led the women’s ranking in an EBT tournament after the 2010 Brunswick Euro Challenge, where she captured her first EBT title, and the 2011 Vienna Open.

In the semifinal, Guerrero eliminated another World Ranking Masters champion, Stuart Williams (above right), England, 476-441. Williams, a six-time EBT champion, has won his first PBA title in the 2011 PBA World Series of Bowling.

Fagan, who led Round Three with a 255 average to earn the No. 1 seed for the finals, topped No. 8 Perttu Jussila (left), Finland, in the quarterfinals, 420-394, and posted games of 250 and 252 to sideline fellow PBA champion Sean Rash (right), 502-425, in the semis.

Guerrero pocketed 4.000 Euro for second place while Williams and Rash earned 2.000 Euro apiece for third and fourth place, respectively.

Guerrero, Rash, Williams as well as quarterfinal losers Brøndsted, Jussila, Dominic Barrett (left), England, and Mika Koivuniemi (right), Finland, will participate in the 5th EBT Masters, which follows the 3rd Track Dream-Bowl Palace Open on April 30 and May 1 also at Dream-Bowl Palace.

The Masters is the season-ending event of the 2011 EBT season and features the top 16 men and women of the 2011 EBT point rankings.

The 3rd Track Dream-Bowl Palace Open is the seventh stop of the 2012 European Bowling Tour and the third out of eight EBT “Silver” tournaments this season. The tournament will be held from April 25-29 at 52-lane Dream Bowl Palace in Unterföhring, a suburb of Munich, Germany and offers total prize fund of 50.000 Euro with 7.000 Euro going to the winner, 3.000 Euro to the runner-up and 4.000 and 2.000 Euro to the third and fourth place finisher, respectively.

Qualifying of the 3rd Track Dream-Bowl Palace Open ran from Wednesday April 25 through Saturday, April 28. Women receive 8 pins handicap each game, a standard for women on the European Bowling Tour.

A total of 48 players including all squad winners and the top 4 of the Desperado Squad qualified for the finals on Sunday, April 29. The top 8 qualifiers receive two byes, while qualifiers 9-16 bypass the first round of the finals.

Three four-game rounds each starting from scratch will trim the field to 32, 20 and then eight players, who will determine the champion in single-elimination match play rounds. In each round over two games decided by total pinfall, the highest seeded player meets the lowest seeded player, the second-highest meets the second-lowest, and so on.

The 2012 European Bowling Tour is made up of 21 events in 16 countries including two Platinum, four Gold, eight Silver and seven Satellite tournaments.

The top 50 men and the top 50 women in each event earn ranking points based on how they finish in the event. The winner of a Platinum tournament receives 250 ranking points, the winner of a Gold tournament gets 150, the winner of a Silver tournament such as the 3rd Track Dream-Bowl Palace Open earns 100, and the winner of a Satellite tournament gets 50 ranking points.

Those points will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the top 16 men and top 16 women who will compete in the sixth EBT Masters in Bratislava, Slovakia in Sept. 2013.

Bobby Kerwin Jr. attended Ebonite International’s “try before you buy” event in December 2011, and discovered that the Track 811A Special Edition bowling ball was a great fit for his game.  Fast forward four months, and the 25-year-old righthander has posted four 300 games, and two 800 series, including an 888 total on April 9th.

“Our Demo Day was the beginning of some great scores,” said Kerwin, who operates Pike Lanes in Southampton, Pa. “Until we had one, I hadn’t thrown a Track ball in my life.”

At Pike Lanes’ Demo Day on December 11th, attendees were able to see the newest and hottest balls from Ebonite, Columbia 300, Hammer and Track.  Bowlers were also able to bowl with the new products, and receive feedback from Ebonite’s staff on how to get the most out of their games.

“I tried a little bit of everything that day,” said Kerwin.  “I threw other balls that day, but I struck the most with the 811A.”

The day after the Demo Day Program, Kerwin drilled a Track 811A, and promptly posted games of 279, 238 and 300 for an 817 series.  Another 300 game came on March 1, also with the 811A.
“It’s a phenomenal ball,” said Kerwin.  “It’s not too much skid flip, and doesn’t over jump on the back end.”

Kerwin and the Track 811A weren’t done just yet.  The duo lit up the lanes for 34 strikes in the Monday Night Bux-Mont Firemen’s League.  Kerwin opened with a 288 game before finishing the night with 24 straight strikes for back-to-back perfect games.

“For fresh oil, it’s always the first ball out of my bag,” said Kerwin, whose previous high series was 837.  “I had the front 10, and missed a 10 pin.  After that, I just wanted to move on, and keep making good shots.”

For Pike Lanes, the Demo Day Program has been great for its bowlers, and great for business.

“It definitely got people talking,” said Rachel Wilf, the proprietor at Pike Lanes.  “People who were here raved about the Demo Day, and had people asking when the next one would be.  We’ve already set up the next Demo Day for September.”

So where is the Track 811A now? Kerwin says the 888 ball has been retired.

“I started with an 800 series, and closed with 888,” he said.  “I signed the ball with a marker, and I’ll probably never throw it again.”

But there’s another Track 811A in Kerwin’s bag; the second Track ball he’s ever drilled.

“When I rolled 837, I didn’t think I would ever get close to 900,” he said.  “But with a ball like the 811A, 900 is definitely possible.”

-Based in Hopkinsville, Kent., Ebonite International is a privately-owned company that currently services bowling centers, distributors and retail outlets both domestically and internationally. The company’s consumer product brands include Ebonite, Hammer, Robby’s, Columbia 300, Track and Powerhouse™. Its commercial product brand is Ebonite Bowling Center Direct.

Fagan rolled games of 238, 299, 268, 258, 299, 201, 290, 269 and 264 for a total of 2,386 pins.

Fagan, who had won only two titles in nine previous seasons as a PBA Tour player, is seeking his third title of the 2011-12 season, including his second major championship after winning the United States Bowling Congress Masters in January. He also finished second in the U.S. Open, another major, losing the title to Pete Weber by one pin in February, and the 31-year-old Long Island, N.Y., native won the Kuwait International Open for his second PBA title of the season in March.

“I just felt comfortable today,” Fagan said. “My tempo’s good, my speed control is good, my ball reaction is good. It’s probably something that’s never happened to me like this before.

“Things are just clicking this year,” he added. “I’m getting smarter with equipment, adjusting faster. The difference between me and top players last year was probably one shot a game, and I’m fixing that.

“I know things aren’t over,” he continued. “I’m just going to try to keep doing the same things. I’ve learned in tournaments like this, when you have a good shot, you’d better take advantage because it might not be there the next round.”

Trailing Fagan was Australian two-handed star Jason Belmonte, who had won three titles this season. Belmonte had 2,147 pins for nine games. Third was defending champion Mika Koivuniemi, who snuck into the Round of 36 Thursday night, claiming his spot by a single pin in a four-player roll-off for the 25th spot in the Elite Field.

Competition for the TOC title and the $80,000 first prize continues Thursday night with nine more qualifying games. After 18 games, the field will be cut to the top 18 who will advance to two nine-game rounds of head-to-head match play on Friday. The top four players after 36 games of qualifying and match play will advance to the ESPN stepladder finals Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Bowling fans can follow Round of 36 progress through the PBA’s exclusive coverage on Xtra Frame, the PBA’s online bowling channel; through live scoring on pba.com, and through the Professional Bowlers Association on Facebook and Twitter. Subscriptions to Xtra Frame are available on the pba.com home page.

PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Red Rock Lanes, Las Vegas, Thursday

ROUND OF 36 STANDINGS (after 9 of 18 games; top 18 advance to Round of 36 match play finals on Friday):
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,386.
2, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2,147.
3, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 2,121.
4, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,116.
5, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 2,113.
6, Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 2,079.
7 (tie), Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., and Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,078.
9, Mike DeVaney, Hemet, Calif., 2,058.
10, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,044.
11, Robert Smith, Los Angeles, 2,043.
12, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,041.
13, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 2,019.
14, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,011.
15, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 2,007.
16 (tie), Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., and Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,004.
18, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,997.
19, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 1,990.
20, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 1,987.
21, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 1,947.
22, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colo., 1,946.
23, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 1,945.
24, Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, 1,935.
25, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,923.
26, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 1,919.
27, Stuart Williams, England, 1,901.
28, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,899.
29, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 1,897.
30, Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., 1,883.
31, Bryon Smith, Roseburg, Ore., 1,882.
32, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,860.
33, Dom Barrett, England, 1,837.
34, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 1,830.
35, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,805.
36, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 1,791.

300 Game: Osku Palermaa.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Lumber Liquidators, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Pepsi-Cola and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to http://www.pba.com.

BATON ROUGE, La. - John Gaines of Orlando, Fla., always jokes that it’s not a successful trip to the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships unless you get your picture taken, and at this point in the 2012 event, that still means taking the lead.

The three-time champion and his Lodge Lanes Too teammates accomplished that goal and had the chance to pose for the camera after surging into the top spot in Team All-Events with a 9,744 total at the Baton Rouge River Center on Wednesday. Five Horsemen of Racine, Wis., previously held the lead with 9,731.

Lodge Lanes Too got off to a slow start in team Tuesday with a 976 game but battled back with 1,161 and 1,059 for a 3,196 effort, which is fourth in Regular Team. Nicholas J’s Pro Shop 2 of La Crosse, Wis., leads with 3,401.

That momentum for Lodge Lanes Too carried over into doubles and singles, where good communication helped them navigate the challenging lane condition.

“A lot of information was exchanged between doubles and singles, and Jeff Ussery from our companion team was spot on with what he told us about the pair they were on, which is the main reason we got off to such a strong start in singles,” said Gaines, who made his 24th USBC Open Championships appearance. “I don’t know if what we got is enough, but we did what we could. All five guys shot 1,900, and that’s a pretty solid effort. You can’t win unless you leave with the lead, and we did that.”

Gaines, a back-to-back Team All-Events winner in 1997 and 1998 as well as the 1998 Regular Singles champion, led the way for Lodge Lanes Too with a 1,994 all-events total. He was joined by 1987 Team All-Events champion Mitch Jabczenski (1,961), 2004 Regular Singles and All-Events winner John Janawicz (1,940), recent Professional Bowlers Association champion Scott Newell (1,930) and former Team USA member Vernon Peterson (1,919).

As someone who’s enjoyed a lot of success at the Open Championships, Gaines started preparing for this year’s event 364 days ago. As a group, the members of Lodge Lanes Too and Hammerbowling.com began practicing and communicating by phone and email about three months ago.

“There were quite a few emails and phone calls,” Gaines said. “Anytime someone practiced at home, there was a call or email about what they saw or what ball and surface they used. That helped us narrow things down, and the closer it got, the more often we talked.”

Individually, all 10 bowlers are talented and have growing resumes, but it takes good camaraderie and communication to be successful in team competition. The first thing Gaines looked for when putting the group together was good teammates. Being a good bowler was second.

The night before heading into Baton Rouge, eight of the 10 bowlers got together at Island Strikez in Gulfport, Miss., which is managed by Mike Sealy, the anchor bowler for Hammerbowling.com. While it was a chance to practice together for the first time, it was more about team building and getting comfortable together.

Most of the group reconvened on the Showcase Lanes at the River Center on Monday night for an hour of practice that allowed them to get used to the high ceilings and approaches inside the venue.

“We just wanted a chance to make sure we were all on the same page about how we like to exchange information, especially since a couple of the guys were new to the group,” Gaines said. “The first night wasn’t as much about bowling as it was about having a good time and everyone getting to know each other better. That makes it a lot easier to go out there and bowl well.”

Gaines gained a new appreciation for the Open Championships from USBC Hall of Famer Bob Goike, who showed him the ropes more than a decade ago, and he hopes he can help his teammates see things the same way.

“I realized what this event was about when I heard my own teammates announced in the squad room for the first time,” Gaines said. “That made it different and more real, and that’s when it clicked for me. I think that’s when it started for these guys, too. They’re young and talented, and now they’re really starting to understand the history of the tournament.”

Hammerbowling.com, which is seventh in Regular Team with 3,154, includes Shawn Lee, who shot 300 at the 2008 event in Albuquerque, N.M., and competed for the 10th time, Ussery (five appearances), Matt Gilman (six), Keith Nolan (10) and Sealy (18). Jabczenski is the veteran of the two teams with 40 consecutive appearances.

Lee set the pace for Hammerbowling.com with a 2,082 all-events total, which is fourth overall, and was followed by Ussery (1,940), Nolan (1,733), Gilman (1,723) and Sealy (1,699). Ryan Whitney of Lewisville, Texas, leads Regular All-Events with 2,170.

“Today was really important for us to go through because it helped everyone understand what it takes first-hand,” Gaines said. “You have to stay calm and stay in the moment, but you also have to realize you’re climbing a ladder and stay aggressive. Even if we don’t win, the experience of going through all of this will only help us down the road.”

Sponsors for the 2012 USBC Open Championships include Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno and Silver Legacy Resort Casino Reno. Other sponsors include the Belle of Baton Rouge, official brackets sponsor; Kegel, official lane maintenance provider; Humana, official registration sponsor; Bud Light and Budweiser, official beer sponsors; The Advocate, official publication sponsor; Brunswick, official lane provider; Steltronic, official scoring system; Storm Bowling Products and Nationwide Insurance.

Photo provided by USBC.

HOPKINSVILLE, KY – Ebonite international has announced Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., as the new Southwest District Sales Manager (DSM). Previously the Program Development Manager at South Point Bowling Center, Wodka brings experience and organization to the sales team.

“We are pleased to bring Wodka to the team,” said Mike Judy, National Sales Manager. “He has great relationships with the people in Las Vegas and southern California, and in the business of bowling, relationships are everything. Dave is a natural fit in that territory, and brings a wealth of bowling, sales, and territory management experience.”

Wodka’s area of coverage will include the Las Vegas area, Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the Ebonite International team,” said Wodka. “There’s not a better team in the bowling industry, and I will enjoy creating ideas and projects to boost sales and excitement in my part of the country.”

An Ebonite PBA staff member until 2000, Wodka was a member of the sales team from 2000 to 2007, when he left to manage a bowling center in southern California. While working in the bowling center as a manager and pro shop operator, and then as Program Development Coordinator at South Point, Wodka gained a great deal of experience on his resume that he feels will help him relate to Ebonite International’s pro shop and bowling center customers.

“I was a member of Ebonite’s pro staff in 1992, and I’ve always been proud to be associated with the company,” added Wodka. “The products today are better than they’ve ever been, and I look forward to picking up where Shawn Morris left off in the southwest.”

Wodka’s tenure begins immediately after the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer in Indianapolis, IN.

The 31-year-old 10-year PBA Tour veteran started the title match with nine strikes before losing his bid for a perfect game when he left a 10 pin on his first shot in the 10th frame.

The title was the second of seven PBA Tour titles that will be awarded at international events under a new alliance with the World Tenpin Bowling Association. The Brunswick Euro Challenge included a field of 399 competitors – 318 men and 81 women – from 35 countries.

Fagan, who won the Alka-Seltzer Plus Liquid Gels United States Bowling Congress Masters in January and finished second in the U.S. Open in February, earned 15,000 Euros (US$19,998) along with his fourth career PBA Tour title. Fagan also earned a European Bowling Tour title. He previously had qualified for the PBA Tournament of Champions Round of 36 based on his USBC Masters victory.

Fagan advanced to the title match by eliminating Finnish native Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich., 222-199, in the semifinal match.

With his victory, Fagan joins Australia’s Jason Belmonte, Finland’s Osku Palermaa and Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla., as the fourth PBA Tour two-time winners for the 2011-12 season. There are four titles yet to be decided in the 2011-12 PBA Player of the Year race, including the end-of-season PBA Tournament of Champions.

PBA Tour competition resumes in the United States Saturday and Sunday with the Xtra Frame Tour Dick Weber PBA Playoffs presented by Hammer at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis. All qualifying and elimination rounds in the PBA Playoffs will be webcast live, exclusively on the PBA’s online bowling channel, Xtra Frame. For subscription information, visit pba.com. 

BRUNSWICK EURO CHALLENGE
Plaza Saint Maximin, Saint Maximin, France, March 25

Final Standings:
1, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 501 (2 games), $19,998.
2, Joonas Jehkinen, Finland, 193 (1 game), $9,994.
3, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 199 (1 game), $6,663.

Stepladder Results:
Semifinal Match: Fagan def. Koivuniemi, 222-199.
Championship: Fagan def. Jehkinen, 279-193.

Final Match Play Standings (after 13 games, including match play bonus pins, each non-finalist earned $2,665):
1, Jehkinen, 5-2, 3,201.
2, Koivuniemi, 4-3, 3,119.
3, Fagan, 4-3, 3,094.
4, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3-4, 3,072.
5, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2-5, 3,058.
6, Stuart Williams, England, 4-3, 3,010.
7, Dennis Eklund, Sweden, 4-3, 2,979.
8, John Wells, England, 2-5, 2,893.

Round Two Cashers (after 6 games, each earned $1,998) :
9, Tom Hess, Urbandale, Iowa, 1,345, $1,998.
10, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 1,344, $1,998.
11, Adrian Ang, Malaysia, 1,336, $1,998.
12, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 1,330, $1,998.
13, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 1,308, $1,998.
14, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 1,293, $1,998.
15 (tie), Dominic Barrett, England, and Martin Larsen, Sweden, 1,288, $1,998.
17, Carolyn Dorin-Ballard, Keller, Texas, 1,281, $1,998.
18, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 1,268, $1,998.
19, Anders Lousdal, Denmark, 1,241, $1,998.
20, Mike Quarry, England, 1,237, $1,998.
21, Michael Holzapfel, Germany, 1,224, $1,998.
22, Jesper Agerbo, Denmark, 1,223, $1,998.
23, Raymond Teece, England, 1,219, $1,998.
24, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 1,218, $1,998.
25, Birgit Pöppler, Germany, 1,214, $1,998.
26, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 1,202, $1,998.
27, Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 1,192, $1,998.
28, Mathias Sarmadi, France, 1,126, $1,998.

Other PBA Tour Cashers (each earned $1,332):
37, Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y.
40, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan.
44, Parker Bohn III, Freehold, N.J.
47, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela.
52, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill.

About the PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is an organization of more than 3,800 of the best bowlers from 13 countries who compete in PBA Tour, Regional and Senior Tour events. Nearly one million ESPN viewers watch PBA Tour on Sundays during the tour season and thousands watch PBA activities online by using PBA’s video streaming service, Xtra Frame. PBA sponsors include Bayer, Brunswick, Budweiser, GEICO, Alka-Seltzer Plus, Pepsi-Cola and the United States Bowling Congress, among others. For more information, log on to www.pba.com.

Duke, of Clermont, Fla., defeated reigning PBA Player of the Year and No. 1 seed Finland native Mika Koivuniemi, 266-217, in the championship match at Thunderbowl Lanes to win the $10,000 first prize which pushed his career earnings over the $3 million mark.  Koivuniemi, who now makes his home in Hartland, Mich., was trying for his 10th career Tour title.

Duke joins fellow Hall of Famers Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Pete Weber as the only players to earn more than $3 million and his 35 wins also moved him into fourth on the all-time career list for titles won.

Williams is PBA’s all-time career titles leader with 47 followed by Earl Anthony with 43 and Weber with 36.  Williams holds the all-time career earnings mark with $4.35 million followed by Weber with $3.52 million.

“At this point in my career I feel just blessed to be able to compete,” said the 47-year-old Duke. “It’s just so hard to win out here that at this point in my career I’m just blessed — that’s all I can say. I’m jealous of what the young guys can do so it makes it all the more special.”

Duke, the No. 2 seed, soundly defeated 2009 PBA World Championship winner Tom Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., in the semi-final match 288-178 to advance to the championship match. Duke attributed his success to reducing the amount of practice he took before each match.

“Usually, everyone wants as much practice as they can get but for me that’s not always the case,” Duke said. “Sometimes you need the practice but other times you have to know when to get out of there.

“The guys with the big rev rates will just burn up the lane and I didn’t want to add to that. Fortunately, I was able to play outside on the lane where I like to play. I had to make a one-board adjustment in the first game but even in the championship match I had to make a three and a half board adjustment.”

In the opening stepladder match, Smallwood, who was trying for his second career title, defeated three-time Tour titlist Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa., 245-214, to advance to the semifinal against Duke.

The Detroit Open was the third PBA Tour event streamed live exclusively on pba.com’s Xtra Frame online bowling channel.  The next stop for the PBA Tour will be the Dick Weber Playoffs from Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis March 30-April 1 which will also be streamed live on Xtra Frame.

PBA DETROIT OPEN PRESENTED BY TRACK
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Sunday

FINAL STANDINGS:
1, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., two games, 554 pins, $10,000.
2, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, one game, 217 pins, $5,000.
3, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., two games, 423 pins, $3,200.
4, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., one game, 214 pins, $2,500.

PLAYOFF RESULTS:
Match One – Smallwood def. O’Neill, 245-214.
Semifinal match – Duke def. Smallwood, 288-178.
Championship match – Duke def. Koivuniemi, 266-217.

MATCH PLAY RESULTS
After 22 games, including match play records and total pinfall including bonus pins. Top four advanced to stepladder finals.

1, Mika Koivuniemi, Finland, 10-3, 5,629.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 11-2, 5,598.
3, Bill O’Neill, Southampton, Pa., 10-3, 5,499.
4, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 9-4, 5,484.
5, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 7-6, 5,373, $2,300.
6, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 5-7-1, 5,372, $2,000.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 10-3, 5,299, $1,900.
8, Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, 6-6-1, 5,296, $1,800.
9, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 7-6, 5,264, $1,750.
10, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 8-5, 5,241, $1,700.
11, Jeffrey Roche, Dearborn, Mich., 6-7, 5,227, $1,750.
12, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 5-8, 5,209, $1,600.
13, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4-9, 5,201, $1,550.
14, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 7-6, 5,200, $1,500.
15, Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 4-9, 5,195, $1,450.
16, Ildemaro Ruiz, Venezuela, 7-6, 5,147, $1,400.
17, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 8-5, 5,121, $1,350.
18, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 5-8, 5,117, $1,300.
19, Corey Miller, Grand Blanc, Mich., 6-7, 5,067, $1,275.
20, Troy Stus, South Lyon, Mich., 5-8, 5,023, $1,250.
21, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 4-9, 5,015, $1,225.
22, Mike Williams II, Montgomery, Ala., 4-9, 4,956, $1,200.
23, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 5-8, 4,940, $1,275.
24, Justin O’Hara, Westland, Mich., 2-11, 4,613, $1,150.

After more than a 15-year absence, Abingdon revived its once-successful bowling program this season. The high school had won state titles in girls bowling in 1973, 1976 and 1979, but the program ended in the 1990s. A student survey showed overwhelming support to bring back the sport, and 27 of the school’s 249 students signed up when the bowling program returned with both a boys’ and girls’ team.

“With Abingdon’s rich bowling history, resurrecting the bowling team has already created a positive buzz in the community,” David J. Black, superintendent of the Abingdon Community Unit School District, said in the school’s grant application. “Thanks to the support of this grant, Abingdon will have a chance to reestablish itself as one of the premier, downstate bowling programs in the state.”

With no available funds from the district for this season, the bowling team had fundraisers and also received assistance from the local Kiwanis organization and the high school booster club. Projected costs for the season were nearly $8,000, including lane time for practices/meets, travel costs and uniforms.

Head coach Amanda Stenger, along with Black and athletic director Joe Nichols, worked together on the application to the High School Grant Program, which provides assistance to bowling programs that have a financial need because of budget cuts or other changes, and to schools that request funding to start a new program. The grant program, administered by the International Bowling Campus Youth Development Team, can award up to four $2,500 grants a year.

“This will help our program tremendously,” Stenger, who coaches both the boys’ and girls’ teams with assistant Steve Batson, said of the grant. “We were using borrowed balls and used ones. This will definitely help us get some team equipment. This grant will also allow us to continue to provide time for our bowlers to use our bowling center and continue to get better.”

Stenger said the teams did well in their first season, with every bowler improving over the course of the season. The boys finished sixth out of 13 teams at their sectional, while the girls were 12th out of 19 teams.

“Because of our YES Fund partners, these grants are available to schools such as Abingdon that need assistance,” said IBC Managing Director of Youth Development Chad Murphy. “The students have shown they want to compete in the sport and hopefully this grant will help to build a successful program.”

The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress. The YES Fund also is supported by its founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, North Pointe Insurance, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.

To learn more about the High School Grant Program, visit BOWL.com/highschool.

About International Bowling Campus
The International Bowling Campus (IBC) is the headquarters for the bowling industry and directly serves the more than 71 million bowlers in the United States. The IBC houses the resources of the United States Bowling Congress, the governing body and membership organization for the sport; the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America, representing the business interests of bowling centers; Strike Ten Entertainment, the marketing arm for the industry; the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame; The Bowling Foundation; the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association; the Bowling Writers Association of America; the Bowling News Network; the Billiard and Bowling Institute of America; and the International Training and Research Center.

It is the first time in the history of the event that the USBC Intercollegiate Singles Championships will be televised. All four shows will air on CBS Sports Network. Dave LaMont will handle play-by-play, while USBC spokesman and Team USA member Chris Barnes will provide color commentary for the shows.

CBS Sports Network will air the one-hour shows, which will be shown in high definition for the first time, over a four-week period each Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern starting May 4. The Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships annually crown national champions in college bowling and this year marks the first time the events have been held together.

“Once again, the International Bowling Campus has come together, this time to double the collegiate bowling presence on national TV,” said Chad Murphy, IBC Managing Director of Youth Development. “Our hope is that young bowlers everywhere will tune in and say, ‘I have to be part of that’ and they will start working toward the goal of becoming a collegiate bowler.”

All four shows will be taped at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Neb., on April 21. The Intercollegiate Team Championships will be featured on two of the broadcasts - the men’s final and the women’s final. The remaining two broadcasts will feature the top four men and top four women in the Intercollegiate Singles Championships battling in the semifinals and finals.

“This agreement allows us to showcase more college bowling to a national television audience,” USBC Managing Director of Media and Events Pete Tredwell said. “These are the pinnacle events of the college bowling season, and we are pleased to be able to bring them to the country on CBS Sports Network.”

Leading up to the taped television shows, bowling fans will be able to watch all rounds of qualifying and match play at both events on BowlTV. The Intercollegiate Singles Championships will be shown April 17, while the Intercollegiate Team Championships will be shown April 19-20.

The broadcast agreement for the Intercollegiate Team Championships and Intercollegiate Singles Championships was coordinated in conjunction with Strike Ten Entertainment and made possible through the efforts of the Youth Education Services (YES) Fund. The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and the United States Bowling Congress. The YES Fund also is supported by its founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, North Pointe Insurance, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.

For more information USBC Collegiate, visit BOWL.com/collegiate.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.

CBS Sports Network
CBS Sports Network, the cable channel of CBS Sports, features comprehensive sports programming. The Network covers more than 300 live games annually, showcasing 30 men’s and women’s sports, in addition to a variety of studio shows, documentaries and original programs. CBSSN’s live programming is highlighted by college sports including, teams from the Mountain West, Conference USA, Atlantic 10, Patriot League, the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy, as well as Major League Lacrosse and National Lacrosse League. The Network also airs the weekday “Tim Brando Show” and is the new home of Professional Bull Riders (PBR). 

CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers on Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go to http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com.

After winning three titles along with multiple other Top-10 finishes on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour in 2011, Jason Belmonte of Australia was the leading vote-getter. Voters for the All-America teams used statistics from the calendar year 2011 to make their decisions.

Joining Belmonte on the men’s All-America team are Mika Koivuniemi of Hartland, Mich., Chris Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Bill O’Neill of Southampton, Pa.

US Bowler, the official membership publication of the USBC, also recognizes five women and five senior All-Americans.

Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., was the women’s top vote-getter for the second consecutive year. Kulick won four medals for Team USA in international competition in 2011, finished second at the U.S. Women’s Open and 13th at the USBC Queens.

Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Shannon Pluhowsky of Kettering, Ohio, Leanne Hulsenberg of Roseville, Calif., and Missy Parkin of Lake Forest, Calif., join Kulick on the women’s team.

For the seniors, Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, topped the ballots after winning four Senior PBA Tour titles and finishing in the Top 5 in five other events.

Joining Mohr on the senior All-America team is Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., Tom Baker of King, N.C., Harry Sullins of Chesterfield Township, Mich., and Dale Eagle of Laguna Niguel, Calif.

The US Bowler All-America teams are selected in voting by a national panel of bowling journalists, USBC Hall of Famers and USBC association leaders. Each All-American will be presented with a customized plaque.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body for the sport. USBC is a membership organization that provides standardized rules, regulations and benefits to make bowling fair and fun for everyone.

The interactive home of USBC is BOWL.com. Go to twitter.com/USBC for the fastest USBC headlines.