TRIANGLE BOWL

champs Jordan Plunkett & Kyle Hays

        Jordan Plunkett and Kyle Hays captured important wins in exciting JBT Pacific Northwest Conference action at Triangle Bowl in Longview WA.

        The scratch division was treated to a triple whammy of stress courtesy of our always tense nervewracker format combined with the choose your own fate madness of 'pick yer poison', all on the US Open lane condition.  Tristan Curtis led the field after 5 games at +58, and thus got to choose any other finalist to play.  He chose #16 Correen Lieber and avoided the nervewracker with a 2-0 sweep.   #2 Plunkett beat #14 John Jordan, but #3 Natalie Decker was upset by her own 'poison', #6 Schrader White.  Decker and Lieber were the top two female bowlers of the day, though, and moved on to the Women's Series title match.  In that game, Decker edged Lieber 190-182 for the Women's Series win.  Natalie is now eligible for a $500 bonus at the Girls Invitational, in Las Vegas in August.

        In the round of 8, Tristan chose Schrader, and he was upset poison again, sweeping Curtis 2-0.  Also, #4 Marshall Kent swept #8 Colton Munger 2-0 (including the day's high game of 279), and #7 Cameron Weier swept #9 Tanner Spacey, and in a nervewracker, Plunkett eliminated #11 Nick Bachteler 10-8.

        In one semifinal Plunkett swept White 2-0, but the Kent-Weier match was a nervewracker classic.  After Cameron won game two 193-192 to force a rolloff, Marshall and Weier tied at 9 twice before Kent prevailed in round three 10-6.   Perhaps a little tapped from that battle, Plunkett was able to win the final match in a battle with big Bowler of the Year implications.  The win was the 7th of Jordan's JBT career, pushing him back in a tie with Weier for the all-time Pac NW lead.

        The handicap division used our standard format, but still produced lots of tense excitement.  Zach Hemming opened the stepladder with a 199-190 squeaker over Evan Pendergraft.   The next match was even closer, as Hays came up with a dramatic 234-231 victory over Zach.   Hays then beat Thomas Nylund 198-180 to reach the title match.

        Top qualifier Aaron Yoon has been on fire lately, having captured the title at Milwaukie in January.  As if there hadn't been enough excitement, a videotape review was necessary to determine that the match ended in a tie, forcing a rolloff that Hays was able to win for the victory, the second of his JBT career.

        Thanks to everyone at Triangle for a great job hosting our event.  Over $1,300 in scholarships were awarded to bowlers of all averages- want in on all the excitement?  Check out our schedule, and we'll see you at a JBT event in the very near future!