Page 12 - Bowling World Newspaper March 2013

12www.bowlingworld.com– MARCH 2013
Georgia’s Sterner Rolls 299
to Win First Title in PBA Don
Carter Classic
10 pin on final ball prevents bid for place in PBA history
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., who
had never finished higher than seventh place in a Professional
Bowlers Association Tour event before the 2012-13 season, won
his first PBA Tour title in the Don Carter Classic with a nearly-
perfect 299-235 victory over top qualifier Wes Malott of Pfluger-
ville, Texas, at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The Don Carter Classic and PBA League Carter team finals
aired Sunday on ESPN.
Sterner, who lost a 199-177 decision to eventual champion
Tom Daugherty in his only previous PBA television appearance in
the Bowlers Journal Scorpion Championship during the GEICO
PBA World Series of Bowling earlier in the season, lost his
chance at the 23rd nationally-televised 300 game in PBA history
when he left a solid 10 pin on his final shot.
He also lost a bid to join Bob Benoit of Topeka, Kan., as only
the second player to win his first PBA Tour title with a 300 game.
Benoit won the 1988 Quaker State Open in Grand Prairie, Texas,
for his first title in his first PBA television appearance.
“The biggest thing I learned from my first show was getting rid
of the nerves, and to trust your decisions,” Sterner said. “It’s a
little added pressure to bowl on TV, but once you get comfortable,
and trust your decisions, it’s a lot easier.
“I felt very confident,” he added. “I had the right ball, I knew
what moves I needed to make and it was just a matter of going
through my routine and believing in it. After the first couple of
shots, I could see how the lanes were changing, and it just came
easy. It was definitely a great feeling.
“When I realized the match was done, I realized I had a shot at
300, and the pins just kept falling,” Sterner continued. “I don’t
think I’ve ever bowled that good of a game under pressure, ever.
“The last shot, I liked. I thought it was a great shot, but at that
point I was so ready to celebrate the win, the 300 game wasn’t
even important.”
With his first title, Sterner also earned his first opportunity to
compete in the Barbasol PBA Tournament of Champions, March
26-31 at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis.
The Don Carter Classic was the third of four PBA Tour events
held during the PBA Detroit Winter Swing. The Earl Anthony PBA
Players Championship will conclude the Winter Swing on ESPN
on Sunday, March 24 at 3 p.m. ET when top qualifier Sean Rash
of Montgomery, Ill., meets challenger Scott Norton of Mission
Viejo, Calif. The telecast also will include the PBA League Earl
Anthony round, the final qualifying round heading into the Elias
Cup finals. The Anthony PBA League round qualifiers are Terrell
Owens’ Dallas Strikers, Chris Paul’s L.A. X, Jerome Bettis’ Mo-
town Muscle and a fourth team that will advance from the Clash
eliminator round.
PBA DON CARTER CLASSIC
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
Championship: Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga. ($15,000) def.
Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas ($7,500), 299-235.
In PBA Mark Roth Classic Back-to-back "Big
Four" Splits Doom Norton's Chances
ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Michael Haugen Jr. of
Carefree, Ariz., was a man on a mission, and
survived a battle that wasn't resolved until the
final frame in defeating Scott Norton of Mission
Viejo, Calif., 215-194, to win his third Profes-
sional Bowlers Association Tour title in the Mark
Roth Classic at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The Mark Roth Classic title match, and the
PBA League Mark Roth round finals, aired
Sunday on ESPN.
Haugen, 46, won both of his previous PBA
titles in 2008, but came into the 2012-13 season
without the support of a bowling ball company
sponsor and felt snubbed because he wasn't
one of the 48 players selected to participate in
the new PBA League. He vowed it would take
10 quality shots by Norton to beat him for the
Roth title, and Norton fell short, leaving back-to-
back 4-6-7-10 splits in the ninth and 10th
frames which turned a tight battle into an easy
win for Haugen.
"Being able to stay in the moment and make
the shot you need to make is very rewarding,
and I was able to do that today," Haugen said.
"Scott and I both felt there wasn't going to be a
250 game on those conditions, so it was a mat-
ter of staying clean. I was just very fortunate
today that Scott got a couple of bad breaks.
You never expect a guy that talented to make
shots like that."
Being overlooked in the inaugural PBA
League draft also provided incentive for
Haugen.
"I've been at this (PBA competition) for 14
years. I've made a TV show every year, and
done ok in stats, but I didn't get picked," he
said. "I don't know why, but that was motivation
for me, too. It feels really good."
PBA League coverage continues on Sunday,
March 3 at 3 p.m. ET with the title match of the
Don Carter Classic between top qualifier Wes
Malott of Pflugerville, Texas, and challenger
Jason Sterner of McDonough, Ga., and the
PBA League Carter round featuring the
BROOKLYN STyLES, the New York City WTT
KingPins, Chris Hardwick's Silver Lake Atom
Splitters and the team that advances from the
Clash eliminator round.
PBA MARK ROTH CLASSIC
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
Championship: Michael Haugen Jr., Care-
free, Ariz. ($15,000) def. Scott Norton, Mission
Viejo, Calif. ($7,500), 215-194.
Billie Jean King’s team clinches berth in inaugural Elias Cup Finals in Indianapolis
ALLEN PARK, Mich. – The New York City WTT KingPins’ Tommy Jones, Jack Jurek, Pete Weber, Scott Norton and John
Szczerbinski struck on eight of their first nine shots to run away from Jesse Williams’ BROOKLYN STyLES, 243-199, in the title
match of the PBA League Don Carter round at Thunderbowl Lanes.
The PBA League Carter round finals, and the championship match of the Don Carter Classic, aired Sunday on ESPN.
The KingPins, owned by women’s sports legend Billie Jean King, clinched a berth in the inaugural PBA League Elias Cup Finals
with their win in the Carter round. The top four of eight PBA League teams, based upon points earned in five preliminary rounds,
will compete for the first PBA League championship on Sunday, March 31, at Woodland Bowl in Indianapolis as part of Barbasol
PBA Tournament of Champions week. The Elias Cup Finals will air on ESPN on April 7 at 1 p.m. ET.
“I think I’m liking my team a lot,” KingPins franchise player Pete Weber beamed after making a surprise lineup change that
worked to his team’s advantage. He moved Norton, a left-hander who had been a dominant player in previous PBA League
rounds, to the No. 4 position in the lineup and he placed Team USA member and former Wichita State collegiate star John Szczer-
binski in the anchor position.
“I know Scott was bowling well (in the anchor position), but Szczerbinski averaged 257 on the Don Carter lane condition in quali-
fying, so I talked it over with the team and they all agreed to make the change and have John bowl anchor,” Weber said. “It isn’t
me; this is our whole team agreeing to what we’re doing. After every shot we communicate and try to help each other.
“I have all the confidence in the world in all of my players. We got a few breaks, but without breaks you don’t win. Tomorrow we
might not get them, but today we did and we took advantage of them.”
In the semifinal match between the KingPins, who won the Salvino round earlier in the PBA League series, and the Roth round-
winning Motown Muscle, neither team put together consecutive strikes until the KingPins started a string of seven strikes in the
sixth frame to run away with a 249-192 win.
In the opening match, owner Jerome Bettis’ Motown team got a string of four strikes from Tom Smallwood, Mike Scroggins,
Ronnie Russell and Mike Fagan to take the lead, and they held on for a 210-199 victory over Chris Hardwick’s Silver Lake Atom
Splitters when Silver Lake anchor Chris Barnes was unable to double in the 10th frame.
With their second PBA League stepladder win, the KingPins have earned 44 points to lock up no worse than the No. 2 steplad-
der position for the Elias Cup finals. The PBA League Anthony round – the final qualifying round heading into the Elias Cup finals -
will include Terrell Owens’ Dallas Strikers, Chris Paul’s L.A. X, Jerome Bettis’ Motown Muscle and a fourth team that will advance
from the Clash eliminator round. The Anthony round and the championship match of the Earl Anthony PBA Players Championship
New York City WTT KingPins Go on Strike Binge to Win
PBA League Don Carter Round
Michael Haugen Jr. Wins Third Career Title
between top qualifier Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Nor-
ton will air on ESPN on Sunday, March 24, at 1 p.m. ET.
PBA LEAGUE DON CARTER ROUND
Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich.
Final Match (five-player Baker team format)
New York City WTT KingPins (Tommy Jones, Jack Jurek,
Pete Weber, Scott Norton, John Szczerbinski) def. BROOKLYN
STyLES (Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ryan Ciminelli, Ryan Shafer,
Sean Rash, Jason Sterner), 243-199.
Semifinal Match (Baker team)
New York City WTT KingPins def. Motown Muscle (Mike
Fagan, Jesse Buss, Tom Smallwood, Mike Scroggins, Ronnie
Russell), 249-192.
Match One (Baker team)
Motown Muscle def. Silver Lake Atom Splitters (Nathan
Bohr, Stuart Williams, Dom Barrett, Josh Blanchard, Chris
Barnes), 210-199.
Clash Eliminator (in order of players eliminated based on low
one-ball total per round; last surviving player’s team advanced
to stepladder finals):
Round One – Norm Duke, Dallas Strikers, seven pins.
Round Two – Jason Belmonte, L.A. X, seven pins.
Round Three – Parker Bohn III, L.A. X; Bryon Smith, Silver
Lake Atom Splitters, eight pins.
Round Four – Amleto Monacelli, Dallas Strikers, seven pins.
Round Five – none (all strikes).
Round Six – Rhino Page, Dallas Strikers, five pins.
Round Seven – none (all strikes).
Round Eight – Dan MacLelland, Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits, six
pins.
Round Nine – Mike DeVaney, Philadelphia Hitmen, nine pins.
Round 10 – Wes Malott, L.A. X, six pins.
Round 11 – none (all strikes).
Round 12 – none (all strikes).
Round 13 - Mike Scroggins, Motown Muscle, eliminated Osku
Palermaa, Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits, 10-8.
ELIAS CUP POINTS STANDINGS (after four of five rounds)
1, New York City WTT KingPins, 44.
2 (tie), Motown Muscle and BROOKLYN STyLES, 33.
4, Dallas Strikers, 20.
5 (tie), Philadelphia Hitmen and Silver Lake Atom Splitters, 18.
7, L.A. X, 14.
8, Pittsburgh Jack Rabbits, 6.