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onefrombills
02-18-2009, 03:53 AM
WICKLIFFE, Ohio - As fans and participants started to make their respective trips home to points across the country, they were still buzzing about Sunday's title match in the Senior Division of the 50th Annual TNBA Reed-Hawthorne Singles Classic.

"I am just glad I was here to see it; that one will be talked about for a while," said one fan.

Ron Holt of Upper Marlboro, Md., defeated long-time rival John Gualtieri of Edison, N.J., 225-217, to capture the Senior Division title. In a match that was close throughout, Holt watched as top-seed Gualtieri put the pressure on with two critical strikes and a nine count.

That forced Holt to at least match him with two strikes of his own.

"I have the utmost respect for him and his game, and you want to go up against the best," said Holt, who picked up $2,500 with the victory. "Once I threw the first one, I knew I was going to throw the second one."

Said Gualtieri, who lead the majority of the tournament and pocketed $1,300 for his efforts: "Ron is great bowler; he threw them good to win."

Holt added that he "would rather win this tournament than almost any other. If you have bowled well here, then you can really pat yourself on the back."

In the Women's Division, second-seed Nicole Spratford of Hopelawn, N.J., gutted out a victory over Roxanne George of Waukesha, Wis., 161-149, to claim the $3,000 first-place prize.

"We kind of kept handing it to each other until I needed a spare in the 10th," said Spratford.

Spratford said her 219-165 victory in the semifinal match was more "nerve-wracking" because of her opponent - her younger sister, Vicki Spratford.

"She is very tough competitor and very good on the grind," Nicole Spratford said. "I am very proud of her."

In the Men's Division title match, top-seed Dave Guindon of Buffalo, N.Y., outpaced recent Las Vegas High Roller champion and second-seed Edward Smaglik of Flagstaff, Ariz., 224-173.

Guindon used a timely ball change and different plan of attack to claim the title.

"I bowled pretty solid (all day)," Guindon said. "The lanes got real tough in the end, so I went to a real straight hard (line) of attack. I grinded out a 220, and he just didn't beat me."

Guindon considers the Classic one of the country's premier events.

"Oh, without a question (it is a premier event)," Guindon said. "It's the whole experience that makes you feel better about this tournament. They do a heck of a job."

The National Bowling Association's two-day event drew nearly 300 men, 120 women and 96 seniors. For more information on TNBA, go to tnbainc.org


2009 TNBA REED-HAWTHORNE CLASSIC
At Freeway Lanes, Wickliffe, Ohio
Final Results
Women's Stepladder Finals
No. 5 Dawn Fay def. No. 4 Robin Orlikowski, 202-170
No. 3 Vicki Spratford def. Dawn Fay, 190-164
No. 2 Nicole Spratford def. Vicki Spratford, 219-165
Title match: Nicole Spratford def. No. 1 Roxanne George, 161-149
Senior's Stepladder Finals
No. 4 Avery Leblanc def. No. 5 Ben Arnold, 189-164
No. 3 Ron Holt def. Avery Leblanc, 201-200
Ron Holt def. No. 2 Ben Hoefs, 212-146
Title match: Ron Holt def. No. 1 John Gualtieri, 225-217
Men's Stepladder Finals
No. 5 Frank Testa def. No. 4 Jesse Smith, 215-166
Frank Testa def. No. 3 Ted Pritts, 238-221
No. 2 Edward Smaglik def. Frank Testa, 267-235
Title match: No. 1 Dave Guindon def. Edward Smaglik, 224-173