AMF PEORIA

champs Mark Curtis & Maura Swaim

        Mark Curtis and Maura Swaim captured JBT titles in exciting Arizona Conference action at AMF Peoria Lanes.

        Cameron Smith opened up the stepladder finals with a 233-169 win over Aaron Foshie.  Kyle Karpovic then made his first finals in a while a success with a 236-206 win over Smith.  Curtis then stopped Karpovich 233-186 to set up the title match.

        Top seed Kyle King made some equipment changes prior to the event, and it paid off as he grabbed the top seed on a high scoring day.  However, Mark, who has broken out of a slump in a big way over the last month, opened the title match with the first five strikes, and that proved to be enough.  Curtis, one of the best non-title winners we have, can erase that from his bio now, as the 217-203 win earned him his first career JBT title.

        KJ Martinez, who had already cleaned up in the brackets, opened up the handicap division finals with a 216-212 squeaker over first-time finalist Matt Haiby, who rolled the high game of the event with a 290 that got him into the finals.  Despite being visibly sick, Cortez Schenck then stopped Martinez 252-189.   Schenck then rolled (or sneezed) on with a 216-203 win over Nick Skalicky to reach another title match in what has been an excellent 2011 so far.

       Top seed Maura Swaim bowled very well all day to capture the top seed, and didn't slow down at all in the title game.  Her 234-201 win was good for the second title of her JBT career, moving her back ahead of sister Valry, who won her first title in Kingman in December.

        Maura and Mark each picked up $225 for first, courtesy of added money from Bowling Dynamics, a new sponsor of Arizona Conference events.  Be sure to check them out at bowlingdynamics.com and thank them!  Mark also earned $25 more for wearing an EFX bracelet, and Maura cashed for an extra $100 by throwing an Ebonite bowling ball to win.  It really pays to take advantage of all our sponsors' incentive deals!

        Thanks as always to the great crew at Peoria for 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!