Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 - (Page 34)

DENNY'STOUR BY GEORGE WOOTEN BY J.R. SCHMIDT WALTER RAY IS 'CHECKED' IN PLAYER OF YEAR RACE A VICTORY IN THE DON JOHNSON BUCKEYE STATE CLASSIC BRINGS CHRIS BARNES ONE STEP CLOSER (AGAIN) TO ONE OF THE FEW BOWLING HONORS THAT HAS ELUDED HIM. THE YEAR WAS 1990. THE STATE OF OHIO missioner Fred Schreyer this season. Jimmy hosted four PBA Tour events that season, the also hosted a celebrity fundraiser to beneﬁt the ﬁrst of which was the Columbus Professional Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus for Bowlers Classic. Fresh off his ﬁrst Player of the the ﬁght against pediatric diabetes. Their efYear campaign, Venezuelan Amleto Monacelli forts for the week raised $30,244. The routine may have been different, but the erased a 20-pin deﬁcit to defeat Chris Warren outcome was similar for Barnes, who bowled for his seventh PBA title. Tour roommate Mika Koivuniemi in the chamThat year, Chris Barnes was a sophomore at pionship round for the second Wichita State, working toward time in four weeks. Unlike their the ﬁrst of two appearances as previous meeting, when Barnes a National Collegiate Bowling won by 42 pins, the match in Coaches Association All-AmeriColumbus was close. And when can. In 1991, he found himself in Barnes missed a 4-6-7 split, and Columbus for the Intercollegiate then failed to double in the 10th Bowling Championships. frame, it left Koivuniemi needing Fast forward to 2008, as only a mark to win. However, Barnes returned to Ohio’s capi“Major Mika” let Barnes off the tal city in the midst of one of his hook by missing a 3-10 split. Fiﬁnest seasons on the Denny's nal score: 222-213. PBA Tour. With one title and Waiting for Barnes in the eight TV appearances prior to championship match was Ken the Don Johnson Buckeye State Simard, a 237-226 winner over Classic, he had been battling Wes Malott in the other semiﬁWalter Ray Williams Jr. for the nal. Simard qualiﬁed for his Tour top spot in the Chris Schenkel exemption by leading the PBA PBA Player of the Year Point South Region point rankings in Rankings. Williams led, 60-48, 2006-07, and was making his going into Columbus. But Barnes ﬁrst trip to the TV ﬁnals. turned the tables by making the TV ﬁnals after Williams failed Both players struggled in their to make the cut at Sequoia Pro In Columbus, Barnes took over the back-and-forth match. Barnes lead in the Player of the Year race. used a four-bagger in frames Bowl. 6-9 to pull ahead. Then, needing The PBA’s arrival at Sequoia meant a change in routine for the players. just a mark and nine pins to shut out Simard, While the Tour bowls at other 32-lane centers, Barnes left the 2-8-10 on his ﬁll ball. four lanes at Sequoia were taken out of play Simard stepped up, embodying every bowlfor the Don Johnson Classic. Along with haver’s dream: needing to throw three strikes in ing ﬁve players on a pair of lanes (as opposed the 10th frame to win a title. But after ﬂushing his ﬁrst strike, Simard left the 3-10 split on his to the usual four) in qualifying, the Round of 32 second shot, giving Barnes a 209-197 win. The was split into two groups, and Pro-Am squads title was the 10th of Barnes' career, and put were held mid-week instead of on Saturday. him back in the Player of the Year race lead. The tournament was named after Johnson, “Now I’ve forced Walter’s hand,” Barnes the PBA Hall of Famer and a former Columbus said. “He’s gonna have to make another show resident. His son, Jimmy Johnson, also a PBA — and he always does, so I ﬁgure I’m gonna champion, competed with a Commissioner’s have to make another one as well.” Exemption, only the second granted by ComPBA LLC / ELICSON THERECAP PBA DON JOHNSON BUCKEYE STATE CLASSIC February 26-March 2, 2008 Sequoia Pro Bowl Columbus, Ohio 1. Chris Barnes, $25,000; 2. Ken Simard, $13,000; 3. Wes Malott, $6,000; 4. Mika Koivuniemi, $6,000. ESPN Finals: Barnes def. Koivuniemi, 222-213; Simard def. Malott, 237-226; Barnes def. Jones, 209197. Round of 8 (Best of 7, Losers Received $4,100 Each): Mika Koivuniemi def. Ronnie Russell, 4-3; Chris Barnes def. Todd Book, 4-1; Ken Simard def. Steve Harman, 4-3; Wes Malott def. Kelly Kulick, 4-3. Round of 16 (Best of 7, Losers Received $2,700 Each): Steve Harman def. Ritchie Allen, 4-3; Ken Simard def. Michael Machuga, 4-2; Wes Malott def. Brad Angelo, 4-3; Chris Barnes def. Bill O’Neill, 4-3; Kelly Kulick def. Chad Kloss, 4-2; Mika Koivuniemi def. Robert Smith, 4-2; Ronnie Russell def. Dave D’Entremont, 4-2; Todd Book def. Brian Kretzer, 4-3. Round of 32 (Best of 7, Losers Received $2,200 Each): Ritchie Allen def. Jason Wojnar, 4-0; Steve Harman def. Norm Duke, 4-1; Ken Simard def. Danny Wiseman, 42; Michael Machuga def. Chris Warren, 4-3; Brad Angelo def. Jim Tomek Jr., 4-0; Wes Malott def. Edward VanDaniker Jr., 4-3; Chad Kloss def. Jack Jurek, 4-1; Kelly Kulick def. Eugene McCune, 4-1; Ronnie Russell def. Sean Rash, 4-0; Dave D’Entremont def. Tommy Delutz Jr., 4-2; Robert Smith def. Troy Wollenbecker, 4-3; Mika Koivuniemi def. P.J. Haggerty, 4-3; Brian Kretzer def. Mike Wolfe, 41; Todd Book def. Tom Baker, 4-1; Chris Barnes def. Mitch Beasley, 4-3; Bill O’Neill def. Joe Ciccone, 4-2. Lane Pattern: Viper. 14-Game Cut Score (32nd Place): 3043. Leading Qualifier: Ritchie Allen, 3295. Advanced from Tour Qualifying Round: Edward VanDaniker Jr., Eddie Graham, Jeff Lizzi, Bill Rowe (amateur), Steve Rogers, Michael Cimba, Kelly Kulick, Brian Hatcher, P.J. Haggerty, Bill McCorkle and Ronnie Horton. BALL CHECK BARNES: Columbia 300 Wrath High Flush and Momentum. SIMARD: Ebonite Game Breaker. MALOTT: Columbia 300 Wrath Dead Flush. KOIVUNIEMI: Brunswick Inferno. 34 bowlers journal international APRIL 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008 Contents Leading Off Letters Bowlitically Incorrect Calendar Par Bowling The Coach Frame of Mind Inside Line The Truth Be Bowled Tournaments Pro Bowling PBA Bayer Classic PBA Pepsi Championship PBA Don Johnson Classic Regional Roundup Cover Story Up Close Senior Tour The USBC Move USBC Convention Pattern Play Anniversary Flashback Time Capsule Media Beat No Holes Barred Shop Talk Spotlight Marketplace Hall Marks Profit Prophet Advertisers' Index Classified Advertising Intelligencer Business Calendar Business People Strikes Me

Bowlers Journal International - April 2008

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