BEDROXX

champs BJ Baker & Jacob Lebbs

BJ Baker reached a milestone only seen once before in JBT history, while Jacob Lebbs made personal history with win #1, in exciting JBT Arizona Conference action at Bedroxx.

Brian Scholl made his first scratch stepladder finals a success with a 200-170 opening round win over Eric Rubin.  Mike Cross, enjoying a great weekend, then beat Scholl 225-216, before BJ Baker, enjoying an even better weekend, had himself a strike extravaganza in a 279-189 win over Cross to advance to the title match.

Top seed Cameron Smith, a Californian who is quietly entrenched in the top 5 in Arizona points, led a very high scoring field, but it was evident after only a few shots of the title match that the day (and the weekend, and much of the season) belonged to Baker, whose front four strikes keyed a 245-183 victory, which marked the 30th career title in the veteran lefty's stellar JBT career, joining all-time leader Steven Black as the only JBT bowlers with 30+ titles.  His $680 scholarship windfall on the weekend puts him within shouting distance of Black's money record as well, if (a big if) he can keep up the torrid pace of the past month in the season-end bigger money events.

Mike Kenny snuck into the #8 position for the handicap finals, and then capitalized with a 219 game that beat Jon Reed (217) and early-rounds leader Gregg Kern (171) in round one.  Kenny then upped the ante to a big 253, beating Ahkeen Williams, who made both finals this weekend (225) and Joseph Metzer (222).  Lebbs then came up with a 246 semifinal effort to beat Kenny (200) and Rane Lacona (182), who along with Smith cashed in on the 50-clean jackpot for no opens in the qualifying rounds (Smith rolled all 8 qualifying games clean for the first ever "80 clean").

Top seed Kaitlin Mayall led an unprecedented batch of handicap bowlers who consistently went way over their averages.  Her +395 total is nowhere near our all-time record (+489), but her 230+ average on the day was easily her personal best, and it led a charge of 5 bowlers coming in at +300 or better after 8 games, which we believe is a first.  However, a mid-game open was all the opening that the consistent and determined  Lebbs needed, as he poured it on for a 242-211 win and his first career JBT title. 

Thanks to everyone at Bedroxx for another great hosting job the JBT's annual visit to this spectacular facility.  102 bowlers shared in over $2,500 in awarded scholarships- want in on the fun?  Come on down to the next JBT event, it's as simple as that!