Berks Lanes of Sinking Spring, PA & Howell Lanes of Howell, NJ, take home the 2016 Bowling Center Championship Titles

The PJBT continued its 18th season with one of his most prized events of the Year.  On this day, we had our 5th Annual Bowling Center Championship Tournament.  Matt Himmelreich and the PJBT staff created this event 5 years ago to show our CONTINUED SUPPORT OF YOUTH BOWLING in our area.  Our organization prides itself on its support to our centers that support us.  This event is a 5-person team tournament made up of bowlers on each team from each of their home bowling centers.  Teams are constructed by center and compete to win scholarships and prizes for their center.  This event gave away $4500 in scholarships to our youth….but most importantly….our winning Scratch and Handicap Teams Receive a $500 Donation to the center’s Junior League Program…compliments PERSONALLY OF PJBT.

The format for this event involved all team games – bowled individually by all 5 teammates….added together to determine their scores.  Qualifying was 5 games.  The top 6 teams entered the finals.  Finals was 1 game head-to-head matches NFL Bracket Style.  1/2 received a bye.  3vs6 and 4vs5 in 1 game match.  Winners took on 1 and 2 in semi-final.  Winners of those 2 matches bowled each other for the title.

This year’s event saw 180 BOWLERS, 36 TEAMS COMPETE.  We had 13 teams in scratch and 23 teams in Handicap.

In Scratch, for the 2nd time in the event’s history…..Berks Lanes #1 took home the title.  The team consisted of Austin Kerper, Aidan D’Souza, Kyle Drobeck, Tyler Dautrich, and Jack Celmer.  Austin, Aidan and Kyle got their 1st ever PJBT title….while Dautrich got his 3rd and Jack Celmer won his 17th career title.  Berks Lanes dominated the Scratch division.  They shot team games of 1063, 1215, 1144, 1172, and 976 for 5570 (+570) after 5.  They led the field by almost 400 pins!  They received a bye in Round 1 of the finals and started their title run in the Semi-Finals vs #6 seed AMF Country Club Lanes.  This match was a battle but they survived 921-848.  This propelled them into the title match vs #5 Erie Lanes.  The title match was close until the end….but late Berks pulled away and took the victory 1080-982.  Each winning bowler received a $200 individual scholarship and award.  Center received $500 donation to junior program.

In Handicap, Howell Lanes, of Howell, New Jersey, took home the tile.  Howell Lanes is the famous home of PBA Hall-Of-Famer Parker Bohn III.  When his blood was part of the winning team!  The Howell Lanes team consisted of Steven Skillman, Sydney Bohn (Parker’s daughter), Jaden Schaefer, RJ Carbone, and Morgan Gitlitz.  All 5 of them won their 1st ever PJBT title.  In Qualifying, the team average was 703 and they received 267 pins per game handicap.  They shot scratch games of 768, 790, 680, 739, and 706.  They sat at 5018 or +18 for 5 games.  They were seeded 3rd after qualifying.  They only trailed tournament leaders Cypress Lanes and #2 seed Town & Country Lanes #3.  Their route to victory was the hard way but they did it.  They had no bye so they took on #6 seed Chacko’s Bowl in Round 1.  They dominated the match and won 946-765.  This advanced them to take on #2 seed Town & Country #3 in the semi-final.  This match came down to the last shot….but in the end….Howell outlasted Town & Country #3 890-872.  This moved them into the title match vs #1 seed Cypress Lanes.  The title match was another close nail-biter but Howell Lanes outbowled Cypress 739-687 to take the title.  Each winning bowler received a $200 individual scholarship and award.  Center received $500 donation to junior program.

Thanks to all 180 Bowlers who came out again this year and we look forward to another great Bowling Center Championship Event next year.