SILVA LANES

champs Danny Cobine and Shawna Bellman

            Danny Cobine and Shawna Bellman captured their first career JBT titles in exciting New Mexico-Texas Conference action at Albuquerque's Silva Lanes. 

            The scratch division got a double whammy of JBT intrigue by using the stressful nervewracker format, combined with our new and popular 'pick yer poison' addition, where higher seeded bowlers choose their own matchups instead of a traditional bracket.  Diego Lucero qualified first, averaging over 240 in qualifying, and went chalk in choosing #16 William Entsminger, who he swept 2-0.  # 2 Matt Helmick needed the nervewracker's one-shot rolloff to advanced over #15 Wendy Shelton, while the match of the round  was #9 Jess Gagliardi and #12 Tim Crites, which went to 4 overtimes before Jess pulled it out in an 8-7 thriller. 

            In the round of eight, #5 Cobine eliminated Gagliardi 2-0, #14 Ryan Scheer swept #8 Jacob Wright 2-0, #6 Brian Burkett ousted #11 Cody Franke 10-7 in the second nervewracker, and Lucero decided to go all-or-nothing in choosing to play #2 Helmick.  In a match befitting #1 vs. #2, Diego won game one 228-220, Matt won game two 258-222, and Helmick came through in the fourth nervewracker 10-9 to survive.

            In semifinal matches, Helmick  swept Burkett, while Cobine edged Scheer in a nervewracker to set up a title matchup with interesting storylines.  Danny and Matt used to be on the same high school team, but got split when the growing city of Rio Rancho added a new high school- and just last week, Cobine's school edged Helmick's in a rolloff to capture the high school state title!  This singles battle proved to be just as close, with Cobine winning game one 248-205, but game two coming down to to the tenth.   Needed 8-spare-strike to win, Danny's first ball went high and only got 7, which he spared and then struck, tying the match at 220 and thus forcing a one-shot rolloff to see if we'd need a one-shot rolloff (got it?)!  In the tiebreaker, Cobine regrouped for a 10-9 win, capturing his first JBT title in most dramatic fashion.

            In the handicap division, Katie McNeil opened up the stepladder finals with a 211-204 win over Arizona's Megan Carlson.  McNeil, the sister of NM Doubles champ Kelly, then got past Tonia Barela 175-156.  In a semifinal squeaker, Bellman got by McNeal 187-184 to reach the title match.

            Top seed Cortez Schenck also made his trip from Arizona worth it by coming up with his career best day en route to the top seed.  However, he ran into a little hand trouble in the title match, and Bellman was able to capitalize for a 223-179 victory and her first career JBT title.

            Wendy Shelton, one of the best female bowlers in JBT for many years, captured her first JBT Women's Series title of the season with a 172-149 win over up-and-coming Bailey McFarland.  Shelton now has a chance at the $500 bonus prize up for grabs at the JBT Girls' Invitational this August.

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