CANTON TWP. — Neither Zachary Abbott nor Abbie Leiendecker started out strong during Sunday’s four-game qualifier of the Stark County USBC Youth Challenge.
But when the Lake High School freshman and Wooster sophomore, respectively, got to match play at Strike Zone, they found their grooves.
Abbott, who topped the field during a PBA junior event in Columbus two weeks ago, rallied from a 17-pin deficit after Game 1 to top Hubbard’s John Jacobs 436-398 in the boys division championship.
Leiendecker, who has a pair of Junior Tournament Bowlers Association wins and other top-10 JTBA finishes this season, opened with 258 in the title match to stop Plain City’s Danielle Phipps 480-361.
Of the four finals participants only Leiendecker threw conventional style. In fact, five of the final eight boys division match-play players were two-handed bowlers.
Abbott goes big
Abbott, who has been bowling two-handed since he started the sport at age 4, struggled in his opening game against Jacobs with four open frames, including a pair of splits.
But Jacobs, who ran off four strikes in a row early, also had problems with spare shooting to only win 198-181 in the opener.
“I had some big-time spare shooting problems,” said Jacobs, a senior at Hubbard High School. “I just kept getting the ball out and didn’t place it where I wanted to. It was just mental errors that I have to fix.”
Jacobs’ problems continued in Game 2 with a 1-2-8-10 washout in the fourth frame. He only had six strikes in the final game for 200.
But Abbott, who admittedly struggled during qualifying with 696 (including a 140 game) to earn the No. 7 seed, found his game.
After leaving a 9-pin on his first shot in Game 2, he ran off six strikes in a row before leaving a 4-6-9 split in the eighth frame. He then struck out for 255 and the win.
“I moved two boards right and went one right with my eyes and just told myself to stay calm,” said Abbott, who will be entering his first high school bowling season. “I started throwing some good shots.
“Qualifying was rough, but once I got to match play, I started bowling well.”
Jacobs began bowling two-handed just two years ago after injuring his wrist.
“I like to travel and see the world,” Jacobs said. “This being my last year, I want to make it last.”
Leiendecker rolls
A ball change led to Leiendecker’s surge after also struggling to start qualifying with a 123 game. She did eventually earn the No. 2 seed in finishing with a 246 game.
“I changed to a Paradox Red from a Purple Hammer,” Leiendecker said. “I went from terrible to the 246.
“I love practicing, but I love tournaments more. When I heard about this I would rather do a tournament than practice for four hours and get something out of it.”
After a pitchout in the second frame of Game 1 against Phipps that led to a three-count and spare, the 15-year-old struck on nine of her next 10 shots for 258 while Phipps struggled to a 181.
“I left a lot of ringing 10s and just didn’t make some of them,” said Phipps, a Jonathan Alder High School junior who taught herself to bowl two-handed two weeks before the start of her freshman season. “I just couldn’t get any strings going.
“The first two games of qualifying were rough, but then the lanes started breaking down and I started finding more of a shot down and in.”
Phipps also struggled in Game 2 with 180 and just four strikes while Leiendecker had a pair of three-strike runs for 222.
After a 139 in her opening qualifying game, Phipps recovered for 221 her final game to earn the No. 4 seed. She also shot 467 in her semifinal match against No. 2 seed Kaylie Gibson.
Maryland duo
Surprise tournament participants were Mark Elmer and John Banfield, a pair of seniors from Anne Arundel in Gambrilla, Md. According to their coach, Scott Gielda, the pair were on a recruiting trip to visit Lourdes University in Sylvania.
“We came up Friday and then toured a museum Saturday and decided to bowl and make a weekend out of it,” Gielda said. “We found out about it on social media.”
The duo went one-two in qualifying, but fell in their opening matches during the quarterfinal round. Banfield was beaten by eventual champion Abbott 459-394, and Elmer fell to Bobby Brennan 377-364.
Seeking donations
The Stark County USBC Youth is seeking donations of gently used bowling balls, bags and shoes to aid with junior programs.
Items can be dropped off at the Canton Amateur Sports Hall of Fame, 1414 Market Ave. N in Canton from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursdays or by appointment. For information, contact Taylor Sturm at 330-949-0250 or Matt McCourry at 330-785-8366.
NOTEBOOK The inaugural Stark County USBC Youth event drew 36 players, 18 in each division. The oil pattern was the OHSAA state pattern used at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl last season … It took a total pinfall of 680 (170 average) to reach match play in the boys division, and a series of 627 (156.8) in the girls division. … Elmer was the boys qualifying leader at 823 while Gibson led the girls with a 725 series. … Leinendecker had the girls high game during match play at 258. Phipps (Game 3) and Jessica Ball (Game 4) were the only other girls to shoot 200 besides Leiendecker during qualifying with 221 and 202, respectively. … Banfield had the boys high game of 257 in Game 1, beating Elmer by one pin. .. Scholarship money through the USBC SMART program was awarded to the top four finishers in each division. .. The youngest participant was 9-year-old Emmalee Ford, who finished 17th in the girls division with 477.
STARK COUNTY USBC YOUTH CHALLENGE
(at Strike Zone Lanes, Canton)
BOYS DIVISION
Quarterfinal round: Bobby Brennan d. Mark Elmer 377-364; Zachary Abbott d. John Banfield 459-394; Matthew Willis d. Alex Coffelt 425-358; John Jacobs d. Aeron Meshew 376-323.
Semifinal round: Abbott d. Willis 467-365; Jacobs d. Brennan 393-388.
Championship: Abbott d. Jacobs 436-398.
GIRLS DIVISION
Quarterfinal round: Kaylie Gibson d. Payton Hartgrove 353-315; Abbie Leiendecker d. Daphne Stuber 420-352; Addyson Meshew d. Rachel Young 345-326; Danielle Phipps d. Katrina Erich 345-276.
Semifinal round: Phipps d. Gibson 467-306; Leiendecker d. Meshew 344-289.
Championship: Leiendecker d. Phipps 480-367.