Shake, Rattle, & Bowl

champs Jakob Butturff & Ryan Zent with Women's Series winner Megan Carlson

        Jakob Butturff picked up right where he left off last season, while Ryan Zent regained his winning ways, earning JBT titles in 'super-survivor' action at Cliff Castle Casino. 

        In 'super-survivor', bowlers are eliminated three at a time after the first cut, with the lowest score each game, as well as the two lowest overall total pinfalls, being eliminated.   Thirteen scratch survivors were eventually carved down to four, and in that round only the low overall pinfall was eliminated, with Anthony Tripi bowing out in fourth.  This left Jakob, Joe Lewandowski, and Cortez Schenck standing.  In what then turned out to be the title match, Butturff, the overall pinfall leader heading in, consolidated the lead with a 212 game to get to +182 for 10 games.  Meanwhile, Schenck's 159 game dropped his overall total to -33, eliminating him.  Needing only a mark to avoid the low game and stay alive, Lewandowski left a heartbreaking 4-6-7, which he could not convert, rolling 158 and eliminating him via low game.  Thus, Jakob was the only won left standing, winning the tournament for the 7th title of his JBT career.

       Eighteen handicap bowlers began the survivor round, and when Allie May, Keith Fung, and 5 year-old Ashley Lamb were eliminated in round five, that left only Zent, Brandon Ely, and Kyle Shultz as the final three standing.