SEATTLE, Wash. - 12/9/2009


A field of 90 bowlers, many with aspirations of becoming full-time competitors on the Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association Tour for the 2010-11 season, will compete in the 41st annual Sands Regency PBA Regional Players Invitational at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nev., Dec. 15-17.

Only the top 25 points leaders in each of the PBA’s East, South, Central, Southwest, Midwest, West and Northwest Regions are eligible to compete in the event which will award seven players an exemption for the 2010-11 PBA Tour season. The RPI also offers a $7,500 first prize plus a berth in the 2010 PBA Tournament of Champions at Red Rock Lanes in Las Vegas Jan. 19-24.

In 2008, John Nolen of Waterford, Mich., won the 40th anniversary RPI in Reno and then went on to capture another one of the most prestigious events in the sport – the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Masters in Las Vegas.

The tournament gets underway with a players reception hosted by the Sands Regency Hotel and Casino on Monday, Dec. 14. Following a practice session Tuesday morning, the entire field will bowl six-game rounds on each of the PBA’s Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon, Scorpion and Shark lane conditioning patterns over a span of three days. Final standings will be based upon 30 games of actual pinfall.

Exemptions for the 2010-11 season will be awarded to the top seven players who have declared their desire to compete for exempt spots provided they finish in the top 16 of the overall standings. If there are not seven players in the top 16, unclaimed (or unearned) exemptions will be transferred to the PBA Tour Trials.

The inaugural RPI was won by hall of famer Tom Hennessey, a member of the fabled Budweiser’s of St. Louis team, in Cincinnati in 1969. The tournament has served as a launching pad for a number of players who went on to careers as national touring players. Among the past RPI champions who are still active as PBA Tour exempt players are reigning Lumber Liquidators U.S. Open champion Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas (1999); Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C. (2004); Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash. (2005), and Nolen.

SANDS REGENCY PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 15-17
(All times Pacific)

TUESDAY, DEC. 15
9 a.m. – Practice sessions on PBA Cheetah, Scorpion, Viper, Chameleon, Shark and Cheetah lane conditioning patterns.
1 p.m. – First round (six games) on Cheetah lane condition.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16
8 a.m. – Practice session on Viper and Chameleon lane conditions.
10:45 a.m. – Second round (six games) on Viper lane condition.
3:45 p.m. – Third round (six games) on Chameleon lane condition.

THURSDAY, DEC. 17
8 a.m. – Practice session on Scorpion and Shark lane conditions.
10:45 a.m. – Fourth round (six games) on Scorpion lane condition.
3:45 p.m. – Fifth round (six games) on Shark lane condition.

SANDS REGENCY PBA REGIONAL PLAYERS INVITATIONAL ENTRY LIST
National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Dec. 15-17
(Entries as of Dec. 9, 2009)
e – Will compete for 2010-11 Lumber Liqudators PBA Tour exemptions.

1, e-Qazi Ahmad, Shoreline, Wash.
2, e-Don Allen, Vancouver, Wash.
3, e-David Anthony, Austin, Texas
4, e-Scott Archabal, Boise, Idaho
5, John Arnell, Tacoma, Wash.
6, e-Brandon Balsis, Tinley Park, Wash.
7, e-David Beres, Waukesha, Wis.
8, e-Christopher Blackmore, Alexandria, Va.
9, e-Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis.
10, e-Ryan Boroff, Mansfield, Texas
11, e-Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa.
12, e-Jon Brandon, Santa Clarita, Calif.
13, Richard Brown, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
14, Brian Burkhardt, Ballwin, Mo.
15, e-Joel Carlson, Omaha, Neb.
16, e-Ed Carter, Akron, Ohio
17, e-Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y.
18, e-Chris Collins, Fayetteville, N.C.
19, e-Cole Copeland, Austin, Texas
20, Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore.
21, e-Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio
22, e-Pat Dombrowski, Parma, Ohio
23, Tim Dooley, Van Buren, Ark.
24, e-Ray Edwards, Middle Island, N.Y.
25, e-Rob Edwards, Vancouver, Wash.
26, e-Trey Field, Metairie, La.
27, Eric Forkel, Las Vegas, Nev.
28, e-Jeff Frankos, San Francisco
29, e-Michael Gaither, Tulsa, Okla.
30, e-Rodney Garrick, San Francisco
31, Kurt Gengelbach, Carrollton, Texas
32, e-Bo Goergen, Midland, Mich.
33, Joe Goldstein Jr., San Bruno, Calif.
34, Joe Goldstein Sr., Hayward, Calif.
35, John Gould, Pine Grove, Calif.
36, e-Kevin Henderson, Albany, Ore.
37, e-Marc Heninger, Tonganoxie, Kan.
38, e-Thomas Hess, Urbandale, Iowa
39, e-Chris Hibbitts, Fort Worth, Texas
40, Dan Higgins Jr., Westerville, Ohio
41, e-Darryl Izumo, Lihue, Hawaii
42, Dean Jones, Austin, Texas
43, e-Riga Kalfas, Florence, Ky.
44, John Kay, Derby, Kan.
45, e-Chad Kloss, Greenfield, Wis.
46, e-Roger Kossert, Brandon, Fla.
47, e-Eddie Kunkle, Daly City, Calif.
48, e-Ben Laughlin, Glendale, Ariz.
49, e-Rick Lawrence, Waxahchie, Texas
50, e-Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y.
51, Andrew Loose, Chicago, Ill.
52, e-Michael Markis, Hawley, Pa.
53, e-Shawn McKee, Concord, N.C.
54, e-Kevin Mitchell, Tulsa, Okla.
55, e-Mike Moore, Orlando, Fla.
56, e-Jonathan Nask, Jupiter, Fla.
57, e-Scott Newell, Deland, Fla.
58, e-Scott Norton, San Francisco, Calif.
59, Kelly O'Driscoll, Herriman, Utah
60, e-David O'Sullivan, Clearwater, Fla.
61, e-Billy Oatman, Cleveland, Ohio
62, John Oliva, Simi Valley, Calif.
63, e-Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa.
64, Andy Patterson, Tyler, Texas
65, e-Dan Patterson, Utica, N.Y.
66, e-Aaron Pawloski, Brentwood, Calif.
67, e-Tim Porritt, Rancho, Calif.
68, e-Rob Rice, Sunnyside, Wash.
69, e-Ernie Schlegel, Vancouver, Wash.
70, e-Ken Simard, Greenville, S.C.
71, e-Tom Sorce, Blasdell, N.Y.
72, Brett Spangler, New Castle, Ind.
73, e-Sean Swanson, Springfield, Mo.
74, e-Greg Thompson Jr., Dayton, Ohio
75, e-Brian Thompson, Flat Rock, Mich.
76, e-Jim Tomek Jr., Camp Hill, Pa.
77, e-David Traber, McHenry, Ill.
78, e-Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill.
79, e-Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C.
80, e-Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif.
81, e-Thomas Wall III, Fayetteville, N.C.
82, e-Michael Wall, Fayetteville, N.C.
83, e-Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore.
84, e-Randy Weiss, Randy, Irmo, S.C.
85, e-Terry Wiley, Vienna, Va.
86, William Wilson, Yorba Linda, Calif.
87, e-Chris Wimpey, Aurora, Colo.
88, Dave Wodka, Las Vegas, Nev.
89, Norm Wolff Jr., Modesto, Calif.
90, e-Jeff Zaffino, Warren, Pa.