CUYAHOGA FALLS — It came down to consistency — and knowing when to make crucial ball changes from very large arsenals.
Following four qualifying and 12 more Baker System games during Saturday’s fourth annual Junior Tournament Bowlers Association (JTBA) Mystery Trio team event, it was about survival at Clutch Lanes and Sports Center.
“For me, it came down to making ball changes. I literally tried everything I brought with me,” said 12-year-old Beavercreek middle schooler Isaiah Durflinger, a two-handed right-hander who teamed with two other two-handed righties, Max Oeken and Kyle Dunne, to capture the event by just 19 pins with 2,432 total pinfall.
“I started off with my (Storm) Proton standing about 28 (board). But my last line, before I went to my spare ball, with my Purple Hammer I was standing around 39 and basically chucking it as hard as I could across the middle.”
The tournament format was four qualifying games for the 64-player field in one division — including boys and girls — with the field then being cut to the top 42. Those players were then placed on trio teams, according to where they finished during qualifying — one player each from 1 to 14, from 15 to 28 and from 29 to 42.
Oeken, a 14-year-old Ashland High School incoming freshman, was the top qualifier of the threesome, finishing fifth with 848.
“I was pretty much the same as Isaiah. I tried to keep it more to the right, but that didn’t really work in the Bakers,” said Oeken, who earned his first JTBA title. “But I made the most of it and made most of my spares.
“If you got left enough, you had enough room to where you could play the middle and, sometimes, you could get it out. I learned that from watching Kyle. He could do both and still strike.”
Durflinger, whose last JTBA win was a 12U singles event last season, and Oaken agreed Dunne’s striking ability was the key for the team.
“I found out that if you could get far enough left, there was some room there,” said Dunne, a 17-year-old senior at Medina Highland, said. “I tried to use that the best that I could. But there was still a couple of times where I threw it out of the zone. But, in general, I did a decent job.
“But I think I moved my feet 20 boards across the house.”
The trio were never lower than sixth during the 12-game Baker System block, but never took the lead until Game 12 when they combined for 220 thanks to a string of five strikes.
Meanwhile, the second-place team of Richard Lewis, Bethany Strong and Nick Green, which held the lead during Games 7 through 9, faltered to 165 in the finale after consecutive games of 201-202-202. They finished with 2,413.
The team of Andrew Allen, Jacob Moracik and Breanna Hartzler, who led after the first three games with a 711 series, had games of 178 and 176 in the final two games, respectively, to finish third with 2,360. A 149 in Game 4 also hurt the trio.
But consistency was key for the champions, whose high game came in the finale. But they also had just three games under 200, with a low of 171 (Game 11).
Durflinger admitted he threw “probably nine of the 10 balls I brought with me.” Oeken said he used about seven balls; Dunne also around nine. They all agree that, with the lane adjustments across the house, it was necessary.
“It was not fun. Unless you threw the ball with 400 revs with plastic, lofted the entire lane or increased your speed by two miles per hour,” Durflinger said. “I think I did all three.”
And the trio’s strategy paid off with a win.
NOTEBOOK: Among other area players making the cut to trio competition, Wooster’s Allie Leiendecker, who was the final individual qualifier with 741, was on a team with Quinn Dean and Kyle Kalinowski Jr. that finished sixth. The top seven teams earned scholarship money, with the winners earning $160 per player. … Lake’s Zac Abbott also made the cut (23rd, 779), and his team finished 10th. Also making the cut, but on teams finishing out of the money, were Triway’s Chad Harper (31st qualifying, 764) and Ashland’s Landon Dreibelbis (13th, 820). … Of the 42 players that made the cut, seven were girls, with the second- through sixth-place teams having one female each. … Sunday’s JTBA event at Spins Bowl Akron, a singles event, is expecting a field of 111 players, according to tournament director Kyle Wilson … Leiendecker was the cut spot, finishing 25 pins ahead of Triway’s Addy Meshew, who finished 43rd. .. Lutheran West’s John Maslanich was the top qualifier with 967, 73 pins ahead of Kentucky’s Broox Golden. Maslanich’s team, which also included Brendan Tahsler and Delaney Rossette, finished fifth overall. … Maslanich also had the tournament’s high game of 290 in Game 1. Golden and Ian Carpenter had 279. … Leiendecker’s team had the high Baker game of 278 in Game 6. Lewis-Strong-Green also shot 274.
See complete qualifying results here:
https://www.bowlmetrix.com/scoring_rule_results/631?division_id=35#/
JTBA MYSTERY TRIO TEAM TOURNAMENT
(With total pinfalls)
1, Oeken-Dunne-Durflinger 2,432 total pinfall, $480 scholarship earnings; 2, Lewis-Stsrong-Green 2,413, $330; 3, Allen-Moracik-Hartzler 2,360, $285; 4, Carpenter-Strouse-Rhine 2,331, $240; 5, Maslanich-Tahsler-Rossette 2,321, $210; 6, Dean-Kalinowski Jr.-Leiendecker 2,273, $195; 7, Warren-McKinney-Goldman 2,266, $180; 8, Catanese-Combs-Slusser 2,251; 9, Richards-Demchak-Hunter 2,244; 10, Allen-Abbott-Damron 2,243; 11, Furukawa-Fedyszyn-Harper 2,202; 12, Golden-Kelly-Welch 2,163; 13, Dreibelbis-Landers-Throckmorton 2,110; 14, Davidson-Taylor-Craig 2,078.