Kadry on Bowling: Fresno man wins Tournament of Champions
Chris Pitts of Fresno claimed the title in the 6-Gamer Tournament of Champions after dominating the qualifying round and winning a sudden-death showdown in the final stepladder game. Pitts tallied a 1,465 qualifying total, nearly 100 pins over second place Nick Kelley at 1,366. Craig Miller from Tracy was third qualifier at 1,290.
Miller advanced on the stepladder after besting local Lanndyn Carnate at 159-153 in a grueling match in which both bowlers opened in the 10th. Miller moved on to face Kelley on the same oil pattern, but Miller made some adjustments and advanced on a 216-164 match. In the championship match Pitts and Miller faced off. Pitts managed to strike out in the 10th frame to tie at 213 a best-ball rolloff. Miller rolled first and posted a seven count, Pitts knocked down nine pins for the win.
Pitts took home the title and $450. Miller earned $360 for second, and Kelley pocketed $290 for third place. The first Scratch 6-Gamers of 2017 is set for Jan. 29 at noon.
▪ The Modesto USBC will start the Bowler-to-Veteran Link League Qualifying rounds this coming Sunday at both bowling centers. League bowlers pay $1 at the start of league play and use their league scores to qualify for a spot to represent Modesto at the State Finals. The tournament is run in divisions with five divisions for men and six for women all based on averages. Qualifying runs for two weeks at both centers and bowlers may try to qualify multiple times. This year the state finals, the Helen Duval Veterans Tournament, will be close to home. It will be held at Manteca Bowl on March 25.
Next month, the association will present the annual BVL Friendship Doubles Tournament to benefit the veterans fund. The BVL is a national nonprofit charitable organization which raises about $1 million annually to fund a variety of recreational equipment and therapeutic supplies for America’s veterans. The organization, formed in 1942 to aid World War II veterans, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
▪ If you know of a student ready to graduate from high school who could use some financial help to attend college, scholarship money is available through the Modesto USBC. Applications are at the local bowling centers and are easy to complete. The deadline for submission has been set for April 15. Two award types are available again this year, and can be given to multiple recipients. The Hall of Fame Scholarship is awarded to youth bowlers graduating this year. The award is based on their bowling record, scholastic aptitude and school involvement. The association board sets a dollar amount to be allotted for the annual scholarships, and the committee sets the number of awards and the dollar amounts to be given to each recipient. The second award is the Director’s Scholarship. This award can be won multiple times from ninth grade through 12th grade. It is open to children or grandchildren of current adult league bowlers.
▪ This Friday the Snowman’s No-Tap Tournament will run at McHenry at 1 p.m. The potluck will start at noon, and check-in begins at 12:30 p.m.
▪ The Stockton USBC is presenting its 41st annual Master Tournament on the weekend of Jan. 21-22 at Pacific Avenue Bowl in Stockton. A single six-game qualifying round is set for that Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 12:30 p.m. Entry fee is $125. The top sixteen will return on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for the two-game double elimination finals. To date, over $2,500 in sponsor money has been added to the prize fund. Entry forms are at the bowl desks. Contact Rodney Woodard at 209-639-5007 for information.
This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Kadry on Bowling: Fresno man wins Tournament of Champions."