HILINE LANES

champs Marshall Kent & Robert Altieri

            Marshall Kent scored a huge win in a great Bowler of the Year race, while Robert Altieri broke through for his first title, in exciting Pac NW JBT action at Hiline Lanes.

            Cameron Weier and Anthony Douglas opened the scratch division stepladder finals with a 215 tie, which Weier emerged from with a 10-6 win in the one-shot rolloff.   Cameron then followed with a 200-167 victory over Tristan Curtis.  Marshall Kent then stopped Weier 224-176 to set up the title match.

            Weier and Kent both have a shot at Bowler of the Year, but the edge currently goes to top seed Jordan Plunkett, leading the event on the tough 2010 USBC Nationals pattern.  With double points on the line, this was a huge match, and both bowlers rose to the occasion with brilliant games.   After Kent finished with 247, Jordan needed three strikes to win in the tenth.  After getting the first two, Plunkett's fill ball went high, leaving a 6-10 and giving Kent the one-pin victory (temporarily, until Plunkett flopped down in disgust at the shot, technically fouling for a 247-236 final).  The win moves Kent within 20 points of Plunkett and keeps things might interesting with 3 Pac NW events still left before the Invitational.

            Unlike the scratch division, Evan Pendergraft is building a big lead in the handicap division, and continued to increase that with a 271-194 win over Kolby Crowell to open up the handicap stepladder finals.  Bri Hemming then defeated Pendergraft 212-203, and followed with a 190-187 squeaker over Kyle Hays to reach the title match.

            Top seed Robert Altieri had a terrific day en route to the top seed, while Hemming, who had led much of the day, was looking to finally break through for her first win.  In the end, Altieri came up with the 204-179 win and earned his first career JBT title.

            Natalie Decker won the JBT Women's Series event with a 183-174 victory over Danaka Heekin.  Natalie joins Rebeca Reguero as the only girls with multiple wins in this season's Women's Series, and she'll have a chance at the $500 bonus at the JBT Girls Invitational this August in Las Vegas.  

          Thanks to everyone at Hiline for another great job hosting our Tour.  Over $1,500 in scholarships were awarded to bowlers of all averages- want in on the fun?  Check out our schedule and come on down to the next JBT event, it's that simple!