2007 LAS VEGAS MAIN EVENT- Handicap Division

champ Billy Read & runner-up Sandy Truman

Billy Read, Albuquerque NM, captured the biggest prize of his JBT career in winning the handicap division of the 2007 Junior Bowlers Tour's Las Vegas Main Event, presented by the Ebonite International and hosted by Texas Station.

After two days of qualifying, the 167 entrants were whittled to 66 for a tense six game semifinal.  The field was then chopped again, this time to 16, for our unique bracket-style stepladder finals.

In round one, two simultaneous four-way matches were held, with only the winner advancing.  In those games, #12 Brian Lim, San Francisco CA, and #15 Aaron Bristow, Farmington NM, emerged victorious.  The next round had two three-way games, and this time #5 Jessica Lai, San Francsico, and Lim came through with wins, narrowing the field down to 8.

In round three matches, Lim won his third match in a row, defeating #4 Robert Lim (no relation) 269-188, while #3 Kenny Herbster, Las Vegas, defeated Lai 202-191, to advance to the semifinals.  IN those matches the top two seeds prevailed, as #1 Sandy Truman beat Lim 236-218, an #2 Read edged Herbster 207-201, to set up the title match.  

Truman and Read are both regulars on our season-long JBT tour, marking the first time a Main Event title match had such a situation.  Both bowlers have been quickly improving all season long, but in this match it was Read who stayed steadiest, winning the match 202-175 for his 3rd career JBT title and a whopping $2,000 scholarship prize, while Truman was compensated with $1,500 for the runner-up slot.