SUNCOAST BOWLING CENTER

champs Nathan Panaligan & Maddie Pellegrino

Nathan Panaligan capped off a high-scoring day with a thrilling show, while Maddie's ladder-climbing skills put a Pellegrino in the winner's circle for the first time in ten years, in the Mojave Conference season-opener at Suncoast.

The very high-scoring scratch division action was highlighted by Christian Jensen's 300 game during qualifying, and our third highest-scoring match ever during matchplay, as Hasan Kural bested Matt Herbert 279-277.  

The scratch finals opened with Cameron Foster rolling ten strikes en route to a 265-178 victory over Robert Adams.  In round two, Foster cooled off, and Cayson Coyle took advantage for a 210-191 win.  In an exciting semifinal match, 27-time winner Steven Black finished with 212, forcing Coyle to strike out for the win.  Cayson got the first hit, but his second shot came in high, giving Steven a 212-201 win to advance to another title match.  For Coyle, it was his third 3rd place finish in as many events this season.

15-year old top qualifier Nathan Panaligan caught the lead with a big game eight, but came out with three spares to open the title match, while Steven ran the front five. However, the carry started to turn in the late frames, as Panaligan strung four of his own.  After a spare in the eighth, Nathan dug out a clutch four-bagger to finish, forcing Steven to also double to win.  Steven's first ball looked absolutely perfect, but an ultra-solid 10 stared back at him, and Panaligan came away with a 240-235 win, and the second JBT SW title of his career.

The handicap division featured, by far, the closest spread of finalists in our 230+ tournament history.  Taylor McKenrick led after game 8 at +208, while three bowlers tied for 3rd-5th at +202, for a grand total of six pins between first and fifth.  

In round one of the finals, two of those +202 bowlers squared off, with Maddie Pellegrino edging Teodoro Cipriaso 205-201.  Miss Pellegrino then defeated Ryan Yadao 198-182, and followed with an exciting 228-224 win over a very tough John Haggerty to advance to the title match.

In the final,  Pellegrino remained in control and was able to defeat McKenrick 214-187, for her first JBT title.  Big brother Mike last won a JBT title (on the east coast) in 1994, so her win brings the Pellegrino name back to the JBT winners' circle for the first time in a decade.