RUSSELL AND DORIN-BALLARD FINISH ATOP QUALIFYING AT LUMBER LIQUIDATORS SHARK CHAMPIONSHIP
Baltimore, Md. - 12/11/2008

Ronnie Russell and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard each dominated their respective fields in Thursday’s second block of qualifying to finish atop the field in the Lumber Liquidators Shark Championship, the eighth stop on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour.

Russell of Indianapolis, Ind. was 11th after the first seven game block with 1,578 pins, and he came on strong in the second block adding 1,681 pins for a total score of 3259, plus-459, averaging 232.79 over the 14 games. Russell edged out second-place Wes Malott of Argyle, Texas by 27 pins.

“Honestly I’ve never really bowled well on Shark (oil pattern),” Russell said. “I won a regional tournament on Shark but it was a different lane machine. I was pretty relaxed all day which helped me bowl really well.”

Russell, who lost his exemption last season when he and teammate Joe Ciccone lost in the finals of the PBA Exempt Doubles Classic, recently gained exempt status at the CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship in Vernon Hills, Ill. Patrick Healey was unable to bowl the number of tournaments required to retain his exemption and Russell was next on the PBA points list, so PBA Commissioner Fred Schreyer awarded him the exemption.

“My mind really isn’t on the exemption, I’m just trying to bowl well and put myself in a position to keep it now,” Russell said. “I just want to keep trying to bowl well and give myself a chance to win.”

Local favorite Eddie Van Daniker Jr. of Essex, Md. also advanced to the Round of 32 match play, finishing seventh in qualifying with a score of 3,135.

Also of note, Doug Kent, Joe Bailey and Rhino Page all shot 300 games during qualifying. All advanced to Friday’s play in which the top 32 men and top 10 women advanced.

Dorin-Ballard, who had held a 31 point lead after the first block over the 16-player field, managed to double her lead, finishing 98 pins ahead of Clara Guerrero of Colombia. Dorin-Ballard, who won last week at the Cheetah Championship in Cheektowaga, N.Y., finished the day with 3,045 pins, averaging 245 over the 14 games.

“I was bowling real well last week and of course winning brings confidence but you can’t be too confident because I think the conditions are tough,” Dorin-Ballard said. “My plan for tomorrow will be the same as it was last week, use the same equipment which has worked for me, watch my ball reaction and make my moves based off that.”
The Shark pattern is the longest of the five patterns, measuring 44 feet of oil. Typical to the length and design, professionals will migrate more towards the center of the lane as the ball normally will not hook back to the pocket if it strays too far outside near the gutter. This pattern usually requires extreme inside angles to get to the pocket after five or six games. The scoring pace is normally low for this pattern.
Lumber Liquidatators Shark Championship Format:
The field of 64 players bowled two, 7-game qualifying rounds for a total of 14 games on Thursday, Dec. 11 in which the top 32 players advanced to match play. Bowlers making the cut returned on Friday morning, Dec. 12 for the first nine games of an 18 game round robin match play schedule. The field will then be cut to the top 16 players who will return on Friday evening for the second round of match play competition. At the conclusion of match play, the top four finalists will advance to stepladder competition, i.e No. 4 vs. No. 3, winner vs. No. 2, winner vs. No. 1, in the championship match, aired live on ESPN on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. ET.
PBA Women’s Series Format
The field of 16 players bowled two, 7-game qualifying rounds for a total of 14 games on Thursday, Dec. 11 in which the top 10 players advanced to match play. Bowlers making the cut return on Friday evening, Dec. 12 for nine games of round robin match play competition. At the conclusion of match play, the top two finalists will compete in the championship match on Sunday, Dec. 14, aired live on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET.