SOUTH POINT

champs Cortez Schenck & Sergio Torres

        Cortez Schenck and Sergio Torres earned two very different career milestones to wrap up an exciting weekend of Mojave Conference JBT action at the incredible new South Point Plaza.

        For the second straight day, although the cut scores weren't abnormally high, the leaders really tore their respective fields up.  All five scratch division finalists put on a clinic, beginning with Ben Canfield (who earlier shot the only 300 of the day, and his second of the weekend) defeating Teagan Smale (who fired 279-287 in a two game qualifying stretch) 257-232.  Wesley Low, who had a near-miss 299 game in qualifying, then beat Canfield 268-248.  Low was just as strong in the semifinal, stopping Eric Hatchett 258-227 to advance to the title game.

        Top qualifier Schenck fired 750 in the semifinals to leap into the lead, but of course he had his hands full with Low, and the battle of Junior Gold champs did not disappoint.  An eighth frame miss from Wesley turned out to be the difference, as Cortez won the match 257-236.  Not only was that a sweep of the weekend for Schenck, but with the win he earns the 50th title of his JBT career, becoming only the second bowler in history to achieve that mark, with lots of time left to chase down (and maybe lap) Kyle King, who sits at 63.

        Eight bowlers reached the handicap division stepladder, and Paul Colyer and what's left of his thumb won round one with a 241 game that beat Max Hiebl (215) and Michael Rose (197).   A very tight second round ended with Sam Espiritu's 243 escaping from Colyer (240) and Brendan Lindsey (234).  Sam turned it up in the next game, firing 263 to oust Amanda Atkin (232) and Cameron Criss (187) to reach the title match.

        Torres, the runner-up yesterday, was torrid again today, putting up +334 through six games before slowing down.  Against his Nevada High School championship teammate Espiritu, he found the look again, cruising to a 234-171 win, and a long awaited first career JBT title.

        Atkin also made the Women's Series title match, and against top seed Leah Glazer (who also made the regular scratch cut), she got exactly the 9 pins in the tenth she needed for a 223-222 win, and her third girls' title of the season.

        Huge thanks to everyone at South Point for welcoming our Tour to this awesome new facility!  Want in on all teh action for all ages and averages?  Just check out our schedule and come on down, that's all you have to do!