TOURNAMENT: Schott defends title in Alliance Challenge
ALLIANCE — Four-lane center, four different oil patterns, four games to score.
For the second year in a row, Alliance’s Kevin Schott found the secret as he topped a 30-player field during the second annual Al Leasure Alliance Skills Challenge on Saturday and Sunday at Al Leasure Lanes inside American Legion Post 166.
Schott, who had a 152 on the reverse pattern Sunday, finished with 762 for the four games in the scratch event to top the field by 70 pins and take home the $640 top prize.
Proceeds from the event will be used for upgrades and maintenance at the wood-surface center, which also features over-the-top ball returns.
Plain Township’s Jordan Norris, the first two-hander to participate in the two-year-old event according to tourney director Alan Leasure, finished second with 692 despite a 124 game, good for $320
Other cashers included Canton’s Mike Emerick (third, 691, $120) and 65-year-old North Canton right-hander Don Sprout (fourth, 689, $60), just five pins ahead of Massillon’s J.D. Jones.
A $60 bonus was paid to Norris for posting the high game on the reverse oil pattern with 191.
Low score of the tournament was a 60. All bowlers threw on all four lane patterns — house, short, reverse and long.
Here are the final totals from the weekend:
JTBA: Champions crowned in Championships at Heath
HEATH — Champions and special award winners were honored during a two-day finish toe Junior Tournament Bowlers Association season with the 43rd JTBA-Henson Bowling Academy Championships at Park Lanes on Saturday and Sunday.
Only bowlers who competed in five of the JTBA’s 2022-23 events, including one of the last four, were eligible to participate. Bowlers bowled five games Saturday on a long oil pattern and five more Sunday on a medium pattern before the field was cut for match play depending on the size of each age bracket field, with bonus pins being awarded for match-play victories.
Kyle Dunne and Hannah Tahsler captured 18U boys and girls division titles, respectively, with Dunne finishing with 4,285 total pinfall, including a tourney high 210 bonus pins in match play. He finished 121 pins ahead of second-place Joshua Meslanich.
Tahsler topped the girls division with 3,017, 46 pins ahead of Brenna Hartzler (2,971) with Abbie Leiendecker (2,762) taking third.
Other winners included:
- Aidan Furukawa wth 1,154 in boys 15U, 176 pins ahead of Carson Shroyer (978), with 120 bonus pins;
- Addison Rudibaugh with 945 in girls U15, 158 ahead of Olivia Lizzi (787), including 120 bonus pins;
- Miles Gordon with 3,180 in the U12 division, with Isaiah Durflinger (2,854) taking second.
In addition, special award winners were honored for the 2022-23 season by the JTBA.
Players of the Year in their respective divisions included Hayden Tarris (boys 18U), Leiendecker (girls 18U), Furukawa (boys 15U), Kendall Craig (girls 15U) and Gordon (12U).
In addition, George Wooten Sportsmanship Awards, as voted on by the JTBA players, went to Maslanich (boys 18U), Allison Taylor (girls 18U), Landon Dreibelbis (boys 15U), Riley Dunn (girls 15U) and Aaron Cabiness (12U).
For final standings and scholarship awards, see below: