May 2017 -
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Branka To Make First TV Finals
Appearance At QubicaAMF PWBA
Sonoma County Open
By Emil Williams Jr
ROHNERT PARK, CA.
- Brandi Branka of Fairview
Heights, Illinois, made the first Professional Women's Bowl-
ing Association (PWBA) Tour event of 2017 a memorable
one by capturing the No. 2 seed for the championship round
of the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County Open.
She will be joined on the TV show by a pair of Colombian
standouts, No. 1 Rocio Restrepo, who resides in Louisville,
Ohio, and No. 4 Maria Jose Rodriguez, who lives in Austin,
Texas, along with the PWBA Tour's top left-hander, Shan-
non Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, who went winless in five
championship-round appearances in 2016.
The TV finals of the QubicaAMF PWBA Sonoma County
Open will be taped Tuesday, May 23 during the USBC
Queens and is scheduled to air June 6 on CBS Sports Net-
work.
Branka's day at Double Decker Lanes began with games of
256 and 257 to open Cashers' Round, and the momentum
continued into match play, where the 12 remaining bowlers,
from the field of 32 cashers, were divided into two six-player
groups for round-robin competition.
Branka, who trailed Group A leader Diana Zavjalova of
Latvia by 39 pins entering the final game of match play, en-
tered the 10th frame needing a double and good count on
her fill shot to claim the Group A lead and an automatic tele-
vision berth.
The 26-year-old right-hander rose to the occasion in the
final stanza to earn her first career TV finals appearance as
the No. 2 seed. Restrepo, who topped the Group B stand-
ings, earned the top seed for the TV show based on total
pinfall for 24 games, including 30 bonus pins for each win in
match play.
It was an accomplishment for Branka made even more
impressive considering the demanding 40-foot lane condi-
tion all competitors faced during the first PWBA stop of
2017.
"I was nervous going into the match," Branka said. "I don't
normally play as deep as I was on the lanes, so that made
me a little nervous, but I just told myself to make sure to get
it to the 3 pin and through the front part of the lane. Today, I
wanted to make consistent shots, and I just kept telling my-
self to fill frames and whatever happens, happens. Stay
consistent, get the ball to the headpin and make the spare.
That's what I've been taught since college, so I just take that
and just go with it."
The feat not only is a win for Branka, but as the head
women's bowling coach at Maryville University, it's a win for
her program as well. While Branka pushes the girls to be
better, they also do the same for her.
"This means a lot," Branka said. "My girls push me every
day to get better. When I go out on tour my goal is to win a
title, but I also have smaller goals of making the cashers'
round and making match play every week. If I continue to
reach the smaller goals each week, I'll be able to reach the
larger goal. “
Restrepo, who won two titles in 2016, has learned to use
previous experiences to help her on tough lane conditions.
"Previous events have taught me to be patient and be con-
sistent," Restrepo said. "Today, I won three matches with
190s, and that was something I didn't do at the U.S.
Women's Open last year. So, I feel bowling previous events,
and not winning there, have led me to this because this is
probably the hardest pattern I've bowled on in my life. I felt
everyone was giving their best this week, and it shows the
versatility these women have. To stay patient on something
so demanding shows the character of the PWBA women."
The players in the second, third and fourth positions in
each group at the conclusion of match play advanced to
their respective group stepladders Saturday at Double
Decker Lanes and battled for the final two spots.
Pluhowsky will make her first television appearance of the
season after defeating amateur Karen Rosprim of Albany,
California, 193-170, in the final of the Group B stepladder.
Rosprim advanced by defeating Kelly Kulick of Union, New
Jersey, 192-191.
The final TV spot went to Rodriguez, who defeated Zavja-
lova in the Group A final, 187-181. Rodriguez advanced on
the strength of a 206-152 victory over Missy Parkin of La-
guna Hills, California.
The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds were determined by average,
though Pluhowsky and Rodrigues will meet in the opening
game of the TV stepladder.
Competition at the 2017 QuibicaAMF PWBA Sonoma
County Open began Friday with two six-game qualifying
blocks to determine to the 32 players for Saturday's Cash-
ers' Round. An additional six-game block Saturday morning
narrowed the field from the 32 cashers to the top 12 players
for round-robin match play.
QUBICAAMF PWBA SONOMA COUNTY OPEN
At Double Decker Lanes, Rohnert Park, Calif.
Saturday's results
MATCH PLAY - GROUP A
1, Brandi Branka, Fairview Heights, Ill., 4-2-0, 5,041.
2, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3-3-0, 5,022.
3, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2-4-0, 4,949.
4, Maria Jose Rodriguez, Austin, Texas, 4-2-0, 4,863.
5, Lilia Robles, Mexico, 4-2-0, 4,783.
6, Tannya Roumimper, Indonesia, 1-5-0, 4,638.
MATCH PLAY - GROUP B
1, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 5-1-0, 5,076.
2, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 5-1-0, 5,039.
3, Karen Rosprim (a), Albany, Calif., 3-3-0, 4,845.
4, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2-4-0, 4,703.
5, Leanne Hulsenberg, Pleasant View, Utah, 2-4-0, 4,670.
6, Kayla Johnson, Washington, Ill., 1-5-0, 4,614.
Group A Stepladder
Semifinal - Rodriguez def. Parkin, 206-152 (Parkin finishes
tied for seventh, earns $1,900).
Final
- Rodriguez def. Zavjalova, 187-181 (Rodriguez earns
No. 4 seed for stepladder based on average; Zavjalova fin-
ishes tied for fifth, earns $2,100).
Group B Stepladder
Semifinal - Rosprim def. Kulick, 192-191 (Kulick finishes tied
for seventh, earns $1,900).
Final
- Pluhowsky def. Rosprim, 193-170 (Pluhowsky earns
No. 3 seed for stepladder based on average; Rosprim
finishes tied for fifth, earns $2,100).
TELEVISED STEPLADDER FINALS
(Will be taped May 23 and will air June 6 on CBS Sports
Network)
Match No. 1: (4) Rodriguez vs. (3) Pluhowsky
Match No. 2: (2) Branka vs. Match No. 1 winner
Final: (1) Restrepo vs. Match No. 2 winner
CASHERS' ROUND (18-game totals; top 12 advance)
1, Diana Zavjalova, Latvia, 3,753.
2, Rocio Restrepo, Louisville, Ohio, 3,696.
3, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 3,689.
4, Shannon Pluhowsky, Dayton, Ohio, 3,671.
(Continued on page 10
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