Graham & Fenicle Capture Major #8 Titles at Rose Bowl

The PJBT continued its 19th season with a return trip to Haja Rose Bowl in Allentown for our 8th Major Singles event of the season.  This major was conducted on a challenging Kegel Created Pattern.  On this day, we saw 72 competitors take to the lanes….a perfect 36 bowlers in each division…Scratch and Handicap.  Format for the major was 6 games qualifying….top 40% bowled 3 games of match play.  After 9 games, the top 4 bowlers in each division advanced to our livestreaming finals.  Finals were eliminator style.  Each eliminator round low bowler was out.  We went from 4 to 3 to 2 and to a winner.  All finals were conducted on a fresh oil pattern and PBA Gold Pins!

In Scratch, Ryan Graham captured his 1st title of the year and his 2nd career PJBT title.  Graham won his 1st title in the 2017 Invitational Added Money Championship.  This event was his first regular season win….but another major win at that!  Graham was hovering near the top of the leaderboard.  He bowled solid in qualifying….with games of 196, 192, 234, 181, 194, and 163.  After 6 games, he was at 1160 or -40 and in 6th place.  Qualifying cut for 16th place was -145 for 6 games!  Graham made a run at the top four in match play.  He went undefeated with games of 202, 174, and 196.  These wins propelled Graham into 4th place, and the final spot in the finals.  Graham took on #1 seed Jack Celmer, #2 seed Dylan Zimmerman, and #3 seed Aaron Heckman in the finals.  Graham seemed to match up best in the finals on the fresh pattern.  In the first eliminator final, Graham shot the high score of all 4 bowlers with 248.  Round 1 saw #3 Heckman get eliminated.  In the second eliminator, Graham shot the second highest score of 185 to advance to the final.  Dylan Zimmerman shot 189 to become Graham’s opponent for the title match.  Round 2 saw #1 Celmer was eliminated.  Title Match was #2 Zimmerman vs #4 Graham.  Graham got off to a hot start and never looked back.  Graham dominated the title match 238-157 to victory.  Graham won a $300 scholarship and glass bowling pin for his win.

In Handicap, Sarah Fenicle captured her 1st Major title of the year and her 7th career PJBT title.  This 7th title for Fenicle has put her 4th all time in Handicap victories ever!  Fenicle entered the event with a 168 average and 28 pins handicap.  Fenicle started qualifying in the middle of the pack.  She shot scratch games of 206, 165, 155, 130, 133, and 160.  She stood at 1117 or -83 after qualifying and was seeded 14th of 16 entering match play.  Fenicle turned it on in match play.  She went 2-1 with games of 208, 223, and 164.  She propelled herself from 14th to 3rd entering the finals.  Her opponents were #1 seed Amanda Granata, #2 seed Nolan Herron, and #4 seed Haley Brown.  In the first eliminator, Fenicle shot 228 and was high of 4 bowlers.  #4 Haley Brown was eliminated in Round 1.  In the second eliminator, Fenicle again shot the high score with 233.  This advanced her to the title match to take on Nolan Herron, who shot 178 and won a rolloff to advance to the title match.  Herron and Granata tied at 178 and broke the tie with a 2-frame rolloff that ended 37-25.  In the title match, it was #2 Nolan Herron vs #3 Sarah Fenicle.  This match came down to the final frame!  Herron needed 20 pins in the tenth….spare strike or strike spare to force a tie!  He missed his spare in the 10th and Fenicle outlasted Herron 171-158.  Sarah won a $300 scholarship and glass bowling pin for her major win.

Congrats also to the Polash girls….Kylee and Isabella….as they were our high girls for the event….and won bonus scholarships.

Next week:  PJBT Adult Junior #5 of the year is at Stanton Lanes in Wilkes-Barre PA.  10:30am Start Time on 3-11-18.