KEYSTONE LANES

champs Ben Canfield & Katelyn Corwin

        Ben Canfield and Katelyn Corwin proved to be the ultimate survivors on a fun and challenging day of JBT Southern California Conference action at Norwalk's Keystone Lanes.

        In our 'super survivor' format, after a five game qualifier, three bowlers are then eliminated after each game: the lowest game in the field, and the lowest two overall totals.  Combined with the very tricky Wolf lane pattern, it led to low scoring but dramatic moments all day long.  In the scratch division, the higher total pinfall bowlers avoided the one bad game that could eliminate them, leaving the top three +/- bowlers (only four remained plus at that point) in the final three.  Those three bowlers played a three-way semifinal game, and in that game Bobby Hornacek advanced with 212, Ben Canfield survived with 190, while Spencer Van Rijsbergen bowed out with a 170.

        The title match figured to be competitive with Canfield, on an early-season roll for the second straight year, facing Hornacek, the reigning TPC champion.  Nobody expected it to be a strike-fest, though, but that's exactly what happened, as Canfield started with the front seven, while Bobby stayed close with a four-bagger through the seventh.  Hornacek blinked with an eighth-frame split, while Canfield's only miss turned out to be in the same frame, and the end result was a 276-212 win for Ben, by far the high game of the tournament, and a well-earned ninth career JBT title.

        In the handicap division, 18 semifinalists were eventually carved down to three, and in that semifinal match, Jose Morales (213) and Corwin (182) advanced, while Sydney Haynes bowed out in third with a 162.  Unlike the scratch division match, the handicap title game was much more indicative of the day's low scoring pace, as the high-revving Morales and and Katelyn both struggled.  Corwin missed a spare in the tenth, giving Jose a chance to double for the win.  Morales got the first hit, but not the second, and a relieved Corwin claimed the 172-170 win and her first career JBT title.

        Katelyn was also the top qualifier in the day's Women's Series event, but Stephaneie Zavala defeated her in that title game 183-167, good for the first of three wins she needs to qualify for the Girls TPC next summer.

       On the weekend, youth bowlers of all ages and averages shared in over $2,400 in scholarship prizes, two Ebonite bowling balls, and four tickets to Knott's Scary Farm, as well as all our usual fun and excitement.  To get in on all the action, just check out our schedule at www.bowljbt.com, and come on out to a JBT event soon!