Ed Smaglik (center) of Flagstaff, Arizona won the 2009 Columbia 300 Mini-Eliminator Winter Classic and the $20,000 at South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas, Nev. Smaglik doubled in the tenth frame to beat out
Steve Brode of Downey, Calif., for the top spot, 231 to 224. Brode almost became the first 205 & under division Mini-Eliminator champion, but suffered an open frame in the 10th to settle for second place, worth $10,000. Finishing third was the Senior division champion
Dick Baker of Henderson, NV who rolled a 205 to earn $5,000.
Local bowler Les Shirwindt, the champion of the 50 and over Division, finished the Shootout Final of the five division champions with four solid strikes for a 216-game en route to win the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the $20,000 top prize. The Mini-Eliminator paid more than $200,000.00 in cash prizes on the ninth and final day of the tournament week. 
After seven days and 22 squads qualifying for the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator finals has ended at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 1 in 8 bowlers per division advanced to the finals each squad and earned at least $750. Each squad leader received one bye worth $1,000. The Division Daily Leaders earned two byes or $1,500. The Highest Division Series was awarded three byes or $2,000. 
Daniel Inocencio, College Station, Texas, shot a 766 three-game series in the 21st and penultimate qualifying squad to overtake the lead in the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inocencio beat the previous high score set by USBC spokesperson Diandra Asbaty (746) in the 4th qualifying squad on Tuesday by 20 pins. 
Scott Norton, Cypress, Calif, and Andrew Cain (pictured), Scottsdale, Ariz., both former U.S. National Amateur champions, advanced to the finals of the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator later this afternoon at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Qualifying will continue with two more squads at noon and 2pm with the finals starting immediately afterwards. 
Amy Stratton (left), San Marcos, Calif., led the 205 and under Division in the last qualifying squad on Saturday with 622, while Randy Russell (right), Monroe, GA, earned the bye in the Open Division. Qualifying for the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator will end on Sunday with the last three of 22 squads at 10am, 2pm and 4pm.
Norwegian Ole Johnni Lislien (left), Steve Wright (right), Cypress, Texas, and Team USA member Bill Hoffman, Columbus, Ohio, overtook the lead in their respective division during the 2pm qualifying squad on Saturday afternoon en route to earn at least one bye for the Mini-Eliminator finals. 
Peter Wolfschaffner from Munich, Germany, is a familiar face to Mini-Eliminator promoter Steve Sanders. The Bavarian, who travels to the Las Vegas megabuck tournament since many years, rolled a 615-series to lead the 205 and under Division in the noon squad worth $1,000. Hong Kong's Wu Siu Hong won his second Open Division squad an got a free re-entry, while second-placed Finn Osku Palermaa got the bye. 
The early bird catches the worm means that if you start something early, you stand a better chance of success. That this is also valid for megabuck tournaments was proven by Maxine Nable, Bob Belmont, Gary Kinyon (right), David Palojarvi Sr. and Daniel Falconi (left) this morning at the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator in Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Australia's Jason Belmonte (left) led the Open Division on the fifth day of qualifying for the finals of the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator in Las Vegas, Nevada. Belmonte, who currently leads the European rankings, shot a 699-series in the noon squad, will bypass the first two rounds of the finals on Sunday and is guaranteed $1,500. The Brunswick Shootout will start this evening. Mini-Eliminator entrants have a chance to win over $42,000 in cash prizes. 
Bill Webb (left) from Enfield, Conn., rolled a 731-series - the highest series of Day Five qualifying thus far - to advance to the finals in the 35 and under Division. Ron Schloss (right), Mesa, Ariz., followed was close behind with 718 to advance from the 36 to 49 Division. Both players received one bye and are guaranteed $1,000. 
Wu Siu Hong, one of the best and most talented players from Asia, advanced to the final of the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator through the Friday morning squad at 10am. The Hong Kong international rolled a 682-series to lead the Open Division and to earn one bye for the finals worth $1,000. 
Ed Roberts of Braintree, Mass., rolled a huge 735 three-game series in the third qualifying squad on Thursday - 12th squad overall - to shoot into the lead in the 50 and over Division. Roberts received 2 byes for the finals on Sunday afternoon as the division Daily Leader and is guaranteed minimum of $1,500, but he will earn even three byes or $2,000 if his score will be the highest division series at the end of qualifying.
Jay Futrell, Derby, Kan., overtook the daily lead in the 35 and under Division with 678 three-game total in the second qualifying squad on Thursday. He earned one bye for being the squad leader and is guaranteed $1,000. With eleven out of 22 squads in the books, U.S. National Amateur champion Diandra Asbaty leads the entire field with the 746-series she posted in the fourth squad on Tuesday morning. 
98 players took on the lanes at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas for the 10th qualifying squad on Thursday morning to earn spots for the divisional finals in the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator megabuck tournament. Lennie Boresch, Kenosha, WI, rolled a 744 three game series to lead the Open Division. Boresch earned one bye as the squad leader (worth $1,000) but may get even more as his score is the highest for the Open Division thus far. 
Team USA member David Haynes (pictured) posted a 705 three-game series in the third qualifying squad (ninth overall) on Wednesday to advance to the Mini-Eliminator finals from the Open Division. Ken Racette from San Diego, Calif. beat out Stephen Bruck, Cincinnati, Ohio, by one pin to become the Daily Leader in the 50 and over Division with 676 en route to earn two byes worth $1,500.
Ann Smith from England was one of just four players in the 205 (average) and under division in the 8th qualifying squad of the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator in Las Vegas. Smith posted a 580 three-game series, good enough to win the squad and to earn one bye for the finals worth $1,000. The international players will be well represented in the finals as Canadian Joe Ciach and Brandon Qualischefski from Australia advanced from the Open Division. 
Kim Ko Woon (left) from South Korea and Lasse Lintilä (right) from Finland set the highlights Wednesday morning at the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator. Kim posted the highest 3-game series with 743 to lead the 35 and under Division, while Lintilä, the 2004 Super Bowl Mini-Eliminator champion, shot 732 to advance from the Open Division. 
Mark Medel (pictured), Mississauga, Ont., Canada, earned two byes for the 13th Annual Mini-Eliminator finals as he advanced as the Division Daily Leader in the 205-average and under Division with 659. Tim Schwerdtfeger, Las Vegas, Nev., tied Greg Benefield, Blue Springs, Mo., in the 36 to 49 Division for the daily lead at 716. Benefield got the two byes as he had the highest game. 