Kearny Mesa Bowl

champs Ben Canfield & Gael Egana

        Ben Canfield completed a dream weekend, while 9 year-old Gael Egana tasted victory for the first time, in exciting JBT Southern California Conference action hosted by Kearny Mesa Bowl in San Diego.

        Our new and very exciting 'super-survivor' format was used for this event, where after qualifying the lowest game plus the two lowest overall pinfall totals are eliminated, game by game, until only one bowler remains.  In the handicap division, twelve survivors were quickly whittled down to three.  In the resulting three-way match, Anthony Dang remained red-hot, firing a 288 game (with pins) to advance.  Egana's 238 was also enough to move on, while newcomer Brian Schwedock bowed out in third with a fine 202 effort.

        Dang was trying for the third time in eight days to win a JBT title, but unfortunately for him the third time proved not to be the charm, as Egana showed no signs of intimidation in the tense environment, jumping to an early lead and cruising at the end for a 228-209 win, and the first title of his JBT career.

        In the scratch division, eighteen survivors were carved down to six, and in a very dramatic round, Cameron Smith was eliminated by low game with a 151.  It then came down to the tenth frame, and in the end Riley Dempsey (+110) and Kyle Duster (+114) were eliminated on total pinfall, while Joe Lewandowski fired a 234 to get to +137 and stay alive.

        In the ensuing round of three, Jakob Butturff, the overall pinfall leader, survived with 225, and Ben Canfield, the previous day's runner up, survived with 193, leaving Lewandowski in third with a 185 final game.

        Canfield was eager for revenge from the previous day's title match, but was stuck facing one of the Tour's hottest bowlers in Butturff.  Jakob led for most of the game, until a disastrous ninth frame washout gave Ben the opening he needed to come up with the 234-209 win and the fourth title of his JBT career.  It completed a dream weekend for him with a 299, a win, a second place finish, and of course the $1,000 PowerBowl windfall on Saturday.

        Brittany Kolatzny and Ashley Dunn played for the Impact Bowling Women's Series title for the second straight time, which could be a common occurrence between these two.  This time, even though Dunn qualified first by two pins, it was Brittany winning the match for the second straight day, already giving her 2 of the 3 wins she needs to qualify for the 2013 Girls TPC next summer.

        Thanks as always to the whole crew at Kearny for hosting our Tour.  Want in on fun and excitement you just can't get anywhere else?  Check out or schedule and come to the next JBT event, that's all you have to do!