NM-TX INVITATIONAL

champs Stephen Planer & Olivia Silva

    Stephen Planer and Olivia Silva earned $1,000 scholarships each as champions of the JBT NM-TX Conference Invitational Tournament, hosted by Albuquerque's Leisure Bowl.

 

    After five games on the tough PBA Viper pattern, the top 16 bowlers advanced to triple-elimination matchplay.  All-time title leader Kyle King earned the top seed, and Paul Carper used a brilliant 300 game to earn the #2 seed, but both bowlers struggled in matchplay, and ended up the first two bowlers eliminated.

 

    By round six, eight bowlers remained, highlighted by #3 Anthony Solano, who remained undefeated with a win over William Entsminger.  In other matches, #6 Planer eliminated #8 Brian Burkett, #14 Ryan Scheer ousted #15 Ahkeen Williams, and #5 Rebeca Reguero, who has been on a tear in this year's Invitationals, eliminated #7 Matt Helmick.

   

    With five bowlers left, Reguero earned a bye, while Planer gave Solano his first loss, and Scheer eliminated Entsminger.  Now with four left, Solano eliminated Reguero, and Planer ousted Scheer to set up the finals.  Reguero finished in third, while Scheer, who was unfortunately in an auto accident the night before that broke a finger on his bowling hand, finished up his courageous performance in fourth place.

 

    Anthony and Stephen each had only one loss, creating a best 2-of-3 title match situation.  Solano had impressed with his first JBT win the day before and was looking unstoppable, but his only loss was to Planer, who looks forward to the pressure of matchplay.  Using that confidence, Planer captured game one to give Solano his second loss, and then finished it off with a 194-169 win in the next game to capture the title and the $1,000 top scholarship prize.

   

    In the handicap division, Nicole Gallegos put on a great show in qualifying to earn the top seed, and got through six rounds of matchplay with only one loss to get into the final five.  In that round, #5 Klarice Medina gave #7 Joe Dominguez his second loss, Gallegos eliminated #12 Tim Baribeau, and #2 Olivia Silva enjoyed a valuable bye.

 

    That left four bowlers, and in that round Silva eliminated Medina, while Dominguez stayed alive by beating Gallegos.  This earned Dominguez a bye, and he watched as Silva eliminated Gallegos in third place, setting up a title match scenario where Joe would have to best Olivia twice to win.

      

    Silva- work with me now- a past champ at Silva Lanes, went to Silva by accident in the morning, returned to Leisure just in time for the start, and remained nearly unstoppable all day.  Her 222-197 first game win wrapped up the title, the 5th of her JBT career, and the big $1,000 scholarship payday.

 

    Thanks as always to everyone at Leisure for a great job hosting this important event.  Almost $7,000 in scholarships were awarded to bowlers of all averages- congratulations to everyone who qualified!