Teams from Multiple Different States Take Home 3-Person Team Tournament Titles

The PJBT rolled into Clearview Lanes in Mount Joy, PA, to hold our Annual 3-Person Team Tournament.  This unique event is our only event of the year where we allow bowlers to team up and make their own 3-Person Teams for a trio team event.  This event is a sell out at 42 teams of 3 and this season we had 40 teams!  120 bowlers took on the Kegel Stone Street Pattern.  This pattern is one of the Kegel Recreational Patterns.  Even though we considered it a sport pattern….scores didn’t reflect that.  Our bowlers put on some great performances on this day.  The format for the event was each team bowled 5 games of qualifying.  After 5 games, the top 40% of teams bowled 3 more games of qualifying, scores carrying over.  After 8 games, the top 4 teams in each division advanced to our bracket final.  Head-To-Head single elimination 1 game team matches.  It was seeds 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3.  Winners then bowled each other for the title.

In Scratch, the Team of Tristan Leyen, Brian Kennedy, and Andrew Lazarchick captured the title.  This was a unique demographics team because Leyen is from Maryland, Kennedy from PA, and Lazarchick from New Jersey.  Each state on this day got a victory.  Leyen & Lazarchick got their 3rd career PJBT titles while Brian Kennedy won his 7th career title. Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick started off with their worst game first.  They only shot 571 for game 1.  After that, they were plus and never looked back.  They rolled games of 718, 730, 654, and 696.  They were near the top of the leaderboard entering Round 2.  The first 5 game cut for the top 10 teams of 22 was +270!  Games 6-7-8 for Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick were 746, 622, and 607.  After Game 8, Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick, was the cut line in 4th place.  In the finals, Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick took on #1 tournament leaders Eric Erb/Tony Lutz/Isaac Erickson.  This match didn’t go the way the rest of the day did.  Erb/Lutz/Erickson bowled incredible all day….but they couldn’t get lined up in this match.  Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick struck a lot and often….eliminating Erb/Lutz/Erickson by the score 675-550.  In the other semi-final, #2 seed Jantson Reiss/Zachary Dragovits/Alden Everett took on #3 seed Dylan Zimmerman/Jarrett Defalco/Connor Kolessides.  This semifinal match was also close to the end….but Reiss/Dragovits/Everett pulled away in the end.  Reiss/Dragovits/Everett defeated Zimmerman/Defalco/Kolessides 727-641.  The title match was our #2 seed vs #4 seed.  This title match was close throughout.  A couple of late strikes together sealed the victory.  Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick beat Reiss/Dragovits/Everett 639-568.  For the win, Leyen/Kennedy/Lazarchick each received $200 scholarship and plaque for their win.

In Handicap, our team from Virginia and West Virginia, David Triggs/Michael Blackburn/Jennifer Williams captured the title.  This team entered the event with a team average of 538 and was getting 55 pins handicap per game.  They shot respectable games during qualifying of 540, 642, 535, 602, and 607.  When you add in their handicap, they were in the top 3 entering Round 2.  With 18 Handicap teams, the top 8 advanced to Round 2.  First cut was +38.  Triggs/Blackburn/Williams had games of 531, 510, and 610 in Round 2.  These scores helped them to maintain a 3rd seed position entering the bracket final.  They trailed tournament leaders Jacob Gilbert/Corey Rinda/Shania Jennings by over 300 pins!  That deficit, though, was erased as we began the bracket final.  #3 Triggs/Blackburn/Williams first took on #2 seed team Draven Pensinger/Dorian Forney/Kody Creager.  This match was entertaining but Triggs/Blackburn/Williams won the match 592-506.  In the other exciting semi-final, #1 seed Gilbert/Rinda/Jennings squeaked out a win over #4 seed Cameron Smee/Brandon Stark/Tevon Kerr. This match came down to literally the last shot.  Jennings’ strike in the 10th frame sealed the deal….they won the match 566-558.  This set up a final with #1 seed vs #3, which was ironic because scratch had 2 and 4 remaining while 1 and 3 in Handicap.  In the title match, Gilbert/Rinda/Jennings got off to the early lead.  They held a comfortable lead through about 6-7 frames of the match.  Then came on Triggs/Blackburn/Williams.  They strung some strikes together while Gilbert/Rinda/Jennings had opened the door with some open frames.  The match was close again in the 10th frame.  A late strike by Jennifer Williams sealed the comeback!  Triggs/Blackburn/Williams defeated Gilbert/Rinda/Jennings 529-516.  Triggs/Blackburn/Williams each won a $200 scholarship and a plaque for their victory.

All in all, this event was a great day.  We gave away over $2500 in scholarships total to 27 different bowlers on the day (9 teams).

We also want to congratulate Connor Kolessides for bowling our only honor score of the day.  Kolessides bowled a perfect 300 Game During Game 1 of Qualifying.  He, however, was not in the 300 Pot, so that pot of $67 will carry to next week.

Speaking of next week….the PJBT will conduct their first event after turning the clocks for the Summer!  The PJBT’s Major #8 takes place next Sunday 3/12 at special start time of 12 Noon!  We will be at Haja Rose Bowl in Allentown.  Extra Payouts and top girls payouts for Majors.  Don’t miss it!