onefrombills
08-17-2009, 05:07 AM
Fields Set for PBA Viper and Women’s Series Viper Championships
Allen Park, Mich. - 8/16/2009
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (Aug. 16, 2009)—The semifinal and championship match-ups for the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Championship were determined in best-of-seven game match play Sunday at Thunderbowl Lanes.
In the PBA Viper Championship Round of 8, seven-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist and top qualifier Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill., advanced to the semifinal by defeating Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La., 4-3. After being up in the match 3-1, Jaros had to beat Weber 243-228 in the seventh game to take the match.
“Even though I was ahead 3-1 I could feel the momentum start to change,” Jaros said. “He was doing a better of job of creating good shots and I was starting to struggle. I had a few breaks in that last game that probably made the difference.”
In three other Round of 8 Viper Championship matches two-time Tour titlist Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., defeated two-hander Jason Belmonte of Australia, 4-1; Ryan Ciminelli, Buffalo, N.Y. defeated Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-1 and two-time Tour titlist Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz. def. one-time titlist Jack Jurek, Lackawana, N.Y., 4-2.
Jaros will face Page in one Viper Championship semifinal and Haugen will face Ciminelli in the other.
In the Women’s Series Viper Championship 12-time professional titlist Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and 12-time Team USA member Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, won their semifinal matches and will meet in the championship final.
Johnson defeated 2009 PBA Women’s Tour Trials winner Shannon O’Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 4-1 and Barnes defeated international star Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia, 4-0.
“When you can get a three game lead and your opponent has to win four to beat you that loosens you up quite a bit,” said Barnes, who won the 2008 USBC Queens in Detroit. “This best-of-seven game format requires a lot more focus because you have to adjust for more than one game.”
Like a lot of bowlers competing in the Viper Championships Johnson could feel the mental part of the format take its toll.
“It’s just a mental grind out there,” Johnson said. “You can win big in one game but it’s just one game and then you have to move on to another where you might have another set of adjustments to make.”
The Viper Championship semifinal and championship matches and the Women’s Series Viper Championship match will both be conducted Sept. 5 at Thunderbowl Lanes and taped for the ESPN telecast Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET.
Both championships were conducted as part of the PBA World Series of Bowling on PBA’s Viper lane condition.
PBA Viper Championship
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 16
Round of 8 Match Play
Four players advance to semifinals Sept. 5. Players eliminated earned $4,600.
Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 4-2 (198-192, 258-213, 201-240, 259-182, 173-209, 246-238)
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-1 (258-210, 224-189, 224-225, 245-226, 243-191)
Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 4-3 (211-216, 223-175, 237-178, 257-234, 192-234, 203-267, 243-228)
Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4-1 (238-259, 256-177, 205-190, 245-211, 258-192)
PBA Women’s Series Presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 16
Semifinal Match
Winners advance to championship final on Sept. 5. Players eliminated earned $4,000.
Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 4-0 (225-184, 248-239, 212-199, 246-170)
Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 4-1 (248-227, 225-165, 246-194, 237-264, 205-179)
Allen Park, Mich. - 8/16/2009
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (Aug. 16, 2009)—The semifinal and championship match-ups for the Professional Bowlers Association Viper Championship and PBA Women’s Series presented by BOWL.COM Championship were determined in best-of-seven game match play Sunday at Thunderbowl Lanes.
In the PBA Viper Championship Round of 8, seven-time Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour titlist and top qualifier Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill., advanced to the semifinal by defeating Stevie Weber of Chalmette, La., 4-3. After being up in the match 3-1, Jaros had to beat Weber 243-228 in the seventh game to take the match.
“Even though I was ahead 3-1 I could feel the momentum start to change,” Jaros said. “He was doing a better of job of creating good shots and I was starting to struggle. I had a few breaks in that last game that probably made the difference.”
In three other Round of 8 Viper Championship matches two-time Tour titlist Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., defeated two-hander Jason Belmonte of Australia, 4-1; Ryan Ciminelli, Buffalo, N.Y. defeated Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-1 and two-time Tour titlist Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz. def. one-time titlist Jack Jurek, Lackawana, N.Y., 4-2.
Jaros will face Page in one Viper Championship semifinal and Haugen will face Ciminelli in the other.
In the Women’s Series Viper Championship 12-time professional titlist Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., and 12-time Team USA member Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, won their semifinal matches and will meet in the championship final.
Johnson defeated 2009 PBA Women’s Tour Trials winner Shannon O’Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 4-1 and Barnes defeated international star Shalin Zulkifli of Malaysia, 4-0.
“When you can get a three game lead and your opponent has to win four to beat you that loosens you up quite a bit,” said Barnes, who won the 2008 USBC Queens in Detroit. “This best-of-seven game format requires a lot more focus because you have to adjust for more than one game.”
Like a lot of bowlers competing in the Viper Championships Johnson could feel the mental part of the format take its toll.
“It’s just a mental grind out there,” Johnson said. “You can win big in one game but it’s just one game and then you have to move on to another where you might have another set of adjustments to make.”
The Viper Championship semifinal and championship matches and the Women’s Series Viper Championship match will both be conducted Sept. 5 at Thunderbowl Lanes and taped for the ESPN telecast Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. ET.
Both championships were conducted as part of the PBA World Series of Bowling on PBA’s Viper lane condition.
PBA Viper Championship
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 16
Round of 8 Match Play
Four players advance to semifinals Sept. 5. Players eliminated earned $4,600.
Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., def. Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., 4-2 (198-192, 258-213, 201-240, 259-182, 173-209, 246-238)
Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Thomas Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4-1 (258-210, 224-189, 224-225, 245-226, 243-191)
Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 4-3 (211-216, 223-175, 237-178, 257-234, 192-234, 203-267, 243-228)
Rhino Page, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4-1 (238-259, 256-177, 205-190, 245-211, 258-192)
PBA Women’s Series Presented by BOWL.COM Viper Championship
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., Aug. 16
Semifinal Match
Winners advance to championship final on Sept. 5. Players eliminated earned $4,000.
Lynda Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, def. Shalin Zulkifli, Malaysia, 4-0 (225-184, 248-239, 212-199, 246-170)
Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, N.Y., def. Shannon O'Keefe, Arlington, Texas, 4-1 (248-227, 225-165, 246-194, 237-264, 205-179)