NM-TX DOUBLES

champs Mike Miller, Ryan Scheer, Kelly McNeil, and Tom White

        Two talented adult/junior teams claimed JBT titles in exciting JBT NM-TX Conference action, at the Doubles Classic, hosted by Tenpins & More @ Rio Rancho.

        After seven qualifying games, teams combined for a Baker format stepladder finals, with each teammate trading frames to form one game.  Jess Gagliardi and JBT alum Jose Gabaldon opened up the scratch division stepladder finals with a 234-194 win over the all-female team of Allie Ijams and Nicole Banks.  Allie and Nicole were one of three all-girls teams to make the scratch cut- nice job ladies!   Jess and Jose rolled on in round two with a tough 216-207 win over Matt Helmick and Andy Zumwalt.  A tense semifinal against Mike Miller and Ryan Scheer saw Gabaldon needing to double to win, but a ringing-10 denied him, and Mike and Ryan advanced by a 212-192 margin to the title match.

       Top seeds Wendy Shelton and Joey MacPhee had absolutely dominated the event, leading after every round and with both of them bowling very well.  However, Mike and Ryan were riding both the momentum and the resumes: Scheer is the current scratch division points leader, and Miller is of course the man who revolutionized the PBA Tour with his no-thumb delivery (that still looks just as sweet) a generation before the two-handers doing their version of it today.  The result was a terrific title match on a tricky condition where strikes were tough to come by.  In the tenth frame, Miller left a booming solid-8, giving MacPhee a chance to double to win it for his team.  Joey got the first hit, but a 4-pin on the second shot gave Miller and Scheer the 205-199 win and the championship.  The win, the third of Scheer's JBT career, gives him another big boost in the 09-10 Bowler of the Year race.

        Jeremiah Cruz and Anderson Raymond opened up the handicap division stepladder finals with a 174-163 grindout win over Josh and Dennis Helmick (meaning that three Helmicks made the finals on the day!)  Tanya Paris and Brad McKinsey then escaped with a 181-176 win over Cruz and Raymond in round two.  Another close but low-scoring semifinal match saw Tanya and Brad beat Nick Sanchez and former JBT star Justin DeDera 166-163 to reach the title match.

        Going into the last semifinal game, eight teams were within 32 pins of the lead, and it was the McNeil / Pierre team that came up with the biggest game, earning the #1 seed.  They'd have their hands full with Paris, a JBT newcomer, and McKinsey, who has bowled the doubles every year and been near the top of the standings on most of those attempts.  In another close battle, Kelly and Mark escaped with a 177-171 win, good for their first career JBT titles.

        Over $3,300 in prizes were awarded to bowlers of all ages and averages.  Thanks as always to the outstanding crew at Tenpins & More for another great job hosting this annual Tour tradition.  Want in on all this fun?  Come on down to the next JBT event, it's as simple as that!