MOUNTAIN INVITATIONAL

Jonas Romero, Carlos Estrada, Aileen Linares, Xaden Todacheenie, Josh Burnett, Brock Bivins

        Josh Burnett and Xaden Todacheenie earned JBT major titles as champions of the 2022 Mountain Invitational, held at Albuquerque's Silva Lanes.

        After five qualifying games on two different lane patterns, the top eleven totals joined the top 5 season-long point scorers for exciting triple-elimination matchplay.  Harper Schmidt was the last undefeated scratch bowler, with a 5-0 start, but the wheels fell off from there en route to a third place finish.   In the same round, Carlos Estrada finished a fine day in fourth, which left Brock Bivins and Josh Burnett still standing, each with only one loss.  They split the next two games, leaving the soon-to-be ACU teammates to play one last game for the title.  These are situations where Bivins has thrived of late, but Burnett had the answer here, rolling a terrific final game to capture the title, his second overall, and first major, and $1,000 top scholarship prize!

        Todacheenie was one of a slew of bowlers that had a shot at handicap Bowler of the Year heading into the Invitational, and picked the perfect time to get hot, qualifying 8th for matchplay and then starting an undefeated streak that never stopped.  When he eliminated Alex Thompson in third place in round eight, and Jonas Romero ousted Gerilynn Delegarito at the same time, Jonas was left with the unenviable position of needing to beat Xaden three straight times to swipe the title away.  Romero had a fantastic debut weekend, but even he wasn't up to the task of slowing down Todacheenie, who won this game as well to complete the dream day, going a perfect 9-0 in matchplay to win his second career JBT title, first major, $1,000 top prize, and enough points to leapfrog the field into Bowler of the Year!

        Delegarito's great day also featured appearances in both subdivision finals.  In U-17, Schmidt was able to defeat her for the win- and that win also decided U17 Bowler of the Year in his favor, wow!  In Girls Scratch, Aileen Linares finished off her dominant season by beating Gerilynn for her seventh Mountain Conference girls win of the season.  Harper and Aileen each picked up $200 for the win, while Delegarito matched that $200 with the dual runners-up.  Linares also held off both Bivins and Burnett to earn the scratch Bowler of the Year title, the first female in our 26 year history to earn that honor!

        Gigantic thanks to Barbie and her team at Silva for another great job hosting our Tour on a busy weekend!  Over $7,000 were awarded on the weekend!  The top 20 point scorers now advance to the Touring Players' Championship, featuring the best form all JBT conferences playing for our most important title of the season!

JBT INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

$25,000 in scholarships

MINIMUM GUARANTEED!

Mountain: May 22, 9:30 AM, at Silva Lanes

So Cal: June 5, 9:30 AM, at Winnetka Bowl

Mojave: June 12, 9:30 AM, at Suncoast

Arizona: June 18, 9:30 AM, at Let It Roll   (T of C/ non-C Sunday 6/19)

Pac NW: June 26, 9:30 AM, at Paradise Lanes

ENTRY FEE: $60 scratch, $50 handicap

 Includes all scholarships except $2 scholarship brackets in both divisions

Eligibility:

Each event is open to anyone making a top-4 finish in that Conference this season,

OR the top 32 in season-long points in that Conference

Format:

-QUALIFYING: Bowl 5 games across 10 lanes.   The top eleven 5-game totals, plus the top 5 season-long point scorers, advance to the triple-elimination finals!  (If a top-5 player does not show or chooses to bowl in the opposite division, additional bowlers will be taken to complete a 16-player field)

-FINALS: Bowlers will play TRIPLE elimination match play (keep bowling until you lose 3 times), until a winner is determined

***FORMATS, DATES, AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING SUBJECT TO COVID RESTRICTIONS, WHICH MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM TODAY.  STAY POSTED AT OUR WEBSITE & FACEBOOK!

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GUARANTEED PRIZE FUNDS, each event:

1^st-$1,000

2^nd- $500

3^rd- $250

4^th- $125

5^th- $100

Additional spots earn scholarships on a 1:6 ratio

PLUS The top 5 point scorers going into each Invite will have Invite winnings augmented to $50 minimum

ALL OTHER JBT RULES APPLY. SEE YOU THERE, DON’T MISS IT!!!