Big payday for Canadian Dan MacLelland; wins $30,000 top prize in The International Mini
02/06/12
PBA exempt player Dan MacLelland, a native Canadian who lives in Saginaw, Mich., won The International Mini Sunday morning, Feb. 5, at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev., and received the $30,000 first-place check.
The 2011 Canadian Bowlers of the Year bypassed the first four rounds of the Gold Division finals after winning the division's Bye Tournament on Saturday evening.
L-R Darrin Remiticado (2nd), Brunswick's Ron Bragg, Mini Eliminator champion Dan MacLelland, Station Casinos Lanes Director of Bowling, David Garber, and Willie Wells (3rd). Click on the image to enlarge it.
Seeded right into the divisional finals, MacLelland eliminated Ildemaro Ruiz- of Venezuela, and reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, a native Finn, who lives in Howell, Mich., in an all-international final, 245-190-188.
Ruiz, who has made three TV finals in the PBA World Series of Bowling this season, and Koivuniemi received $2.000 each.
MacLelland, who finished fourth in the USBC Masters last weekend here at Strike Zone, bowled Silver Division champion Willie Wells of Herriman, Utah, and Bronze Division champion Darrin Remiticado of Stockton, Calif., in the title match. Wells received 6 pins handicap while Remiticado got 21 pins handicap.
The Canadian took control of the match with a four-bagger and never looked back finishing with a solid 203 game to wrap up the title.
The decision for second place was made in the final frame. Wells, who had a 300 game (scratch) in qualifying, finished with 182 including handicap. Needing a double and four pins to beat that, Remiticado struck twice and added eight pins on the fill ball to secure second place worth $15,000. Wells was consoled with $10,000.
The finals of The International Mini started on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5 8 a.m. Pacific (11 a.m. EST; 5 p.m. CET). Each divisional final in the Gold, Silver and Bronze Division consisted of five rounds. The finals used a single game beat half-the-field by division. All finalists were guaranteed to win a minimum of $750.
The last remaining bowler left in each of the three divisions was crowned the division champion and advanced to the final one-game shootout. The winner received the $30,000 top prize with $15,000 and $10,000 going to the second and third place finishers.
Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. (Jan. 28 - Feb. 5, 2012)
Championship Round:
1. Dan MacLelland, Canada, $30,000
2. Darrin Remiticado, Stockton, Calif., $15,000
3. Willie Wells, Herriman, Utah, $10,000
Playoff Results:
MacLelland (203) def. Remiticado (187 incl. 21 hdcp) and Wells (182 incl. 6 hdcp)
Scroll down this page for the complete results of the three divisional finals.
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Tournament Format
1. MacLelland, Dan - Saginaw, MI 245
Missed Cut:
2. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 190 $2.000
3. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 188 $2.000
1. Wells, Willie - Herriman, UT 225
Missed Cut:
2. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 181 $2.000
3. Leuthold, Cassandra - Black Hawk, SC 179 $2.000
1. Remiticado, Darrin - Stockton, CA 197
Missed Cut:
2. Quitangon, Donato - Walnut, CA 184 $2.000
1. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 264
2. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 258
Missed Cut:
3. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 210 $1.500
4. Larsen, Martin - Gothenburg, Sweden 209 $1.500
5. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 169 $1.500
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 246
2. Leuthold, Cassandra - Black Hawk, SC 206
Missed Cut:
3. Kulow, Marshall - Shawnee, OK 162 $1.500
4. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 150 $1.500
Remiticado, Darrin - Stockton, CA 212
Missed Cut:
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 203 $1.500
3. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 178 $1.500
1. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 224
2. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 224
3. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 222
4. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 221
Missed Cut:
5. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 215 $1250
6. Barrett, Dominic - England 214 $1250
7. Jones, Tommy - Simpsonville, SC 191 $1250
8. Rash, Sean T - Montgomery, IL 177 $1250
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 222
2. Kulow, Marshall - Shawnee, OK 199
3. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 199
4. Nelson, Chad - Owatonna, MN 190 $1250
Missed Cut:
5. Watson, Brian - Washington, WV 187 $1250
6. Rogers, Bryson - Durham, NC 184 $1250
7. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 171 $1250
1. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 253
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 225
Missed Cut:
3. Bland Jr, Ken - Germany 220 $1250
4. Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 182 $1250
5. Bisnar, Roland - Henderson, NV 173 $1250
1. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 279
2. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 264
3. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 258
4. Barrett, Dominic - England 245
5. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 236
6. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 236
Missed Cut:
7. Shafer, Ryan - Horseheads, NY 229 $1.000
8. Van Hees, Jonathan - Charlestown, RI 225 $1.000
9. Smith, Steven J - San Diego, CA 208 $1.000
10. Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 206 $1.000
11. Norton, Scott - Costa Mesa, CA 197 $1.000
12. Aguiar, Alex - N Dartmouth, MA 193 $1.000
13. Scroggins, Mike - Amarillo, TX 190 $1.000
1. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 228
2. Rogers, Bryson - Durham, NC 194
3. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 176
4. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 175
Missed Cut:
5. Klein, Ross - Glen Cove, NY 168 $1.000
6. Vazquez, Humberto - Mexico 165 $1.000
7. Dunleavy, Dan - Staten Island, NY 150 $1.000
8. Nadeau, Chase - Las Vegas, NV 142 $1.000
1. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 225
2. Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 218
3. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 205
Missed Cut:
4. Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 192 $1.000
5. Jones, Willie L. - Lodi, CA 184 $1.000
6. Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 178 $1.000
1. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 247
2. Aguiar, Alex - N Dartmouth, MA 245
3. Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 235
4. Shafer, Ryan - Horseheads, NY 234
5. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 227
6. Norton, Scott - Costa Mesa, CA 225
7. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 225
8. Van Hees, Jonathan - Charlestown, RI 224
9. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 224
Missed Cut:
10. Archer, D.J. - Pt Arthur, TX 216 $750
11. Wolfe, Mike - New Albany, IN 212 $750
12. Legnani, Lucas - Argentina 211 $750
13. Haggerty, P. J. - Roseville, CA 210 $750
14. Page, Rhino - Dade City, FL 196 $750
15. Couch, Jason - Clermont, FL 196 $750
16. Castillo, Dino - Carrollton, TX 187 $750
17. Bock, Dan - Albert Lea, MN 177 $750
18. Novara, Joe - East Patchogue, NY 176 $750
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 267
2. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 240
3. Klein, Ross - Glen Cove, NY 206
4. Dunleavy, Dan - Staten Island, NY 206
5. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 184
Missed Cut:
6. Staley, Lindsy - San Diego, CA 184 $750
7. Blackwell, Andy - Shawnee, OK 182 $750
8. Clark, Mark - Naperville, IL 178 $750
9. Knuth, Tony - Oceanside, CA 156 $750
10. Blancas, Julio - Mexico City, mx 143 $750
1. Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 235
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 229
Missed Cut:
3. Harris, Courtney - New York, NY 226 $750
4. Webb, Bob - Burnsville, NC 204 $750
5. Adams, Chase - Las Vegas, NV 187 $750
The International Mini megabuck event, immediately following the USBC Masters and running concurrently with the WTBA International Open, is a scratch and handicap competition that runs from January 28 through February 5. All three events take place at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in suburban Las Vegas.
Guaranteed top prize is $30,000 for the winner. The International Mini will be contested on the WTBA Athens lane conditioning pattern, which is 40 feet in length.
The International Mini is a four-game qualifying tournament. There were 23 squads and 1 in 8 bowlers each day, per division, advanced to the finals and cash for a minimum of $750. There are three divisions: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
In the scratch scoring Gold and Silver divisions women, super seniors (age 60 & over) and amateur seniors (age 50 to 59) will receive 6 bonus pins per game throughout all qualifying squads and finals. The bronze division is a handicap division based on 90% of 210 average. Minimum average for handicapping purposes is 150 (maximum of 54 pins per game).
Click here to read our summary of the Tournament Format or visit the Mini Eliminator website for all details.
Bowlingdigital covered The International Mini and the WTBA International Open live from Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas.
United States
Darrin Remiticado, Willie Wells finish second and third at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center
PBA exempt player Dan MacLelland, a native Canadian who lives in Saginaw, Mich., won The International Mini Sunday morning, Feb. 5, at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev., and received the $30,000 first-place check. The 2011 Canadian Bowlers of the Year bypassed the first four rounds of the Gold Division finals after winning the division's Bye Tournament on Saturday evening.
L-R Darrin Remiticado (2nd), Brunswick's Ron Bragg, Mini Eliminator champion Dan MacLelland, Station Casinos Lanes Director of Bowling, David Garber, and Willie Wells (3rd). Click on the image to enlarge it.
Seeded right into the divisional finals, MacLelland eliminated Ildemaro Ruiz- of Venezuela, and reigning PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, a native Finn, who lives in Howell, Mich., in an all-international final, 245-190-188.
Ruiz, who has made three TV finals in the PBA World Series of Bowling this season, and Koivuniemi received $2.000 each.
MacLelland, who finished fourth in the USBC Masters last weekend here at Strike Zone, bowled Silver Division champion Willie Wells of Herriman, Utah, and Bronze Division champion Darrin Remiticado of Stockton, Calif., in the title match. Wells received 6 pins handicap while Remiticado got 21 pins handicap.
The Canadian took control of the match with a four-bagger and never looked back finishing with a solid 203 game to wrap up the title.
The decision for second place was made in the final frame. Wells, who had a 300 game (scratch) in qualifying, finished with 182 including handicap. Needing a double and four pins to beat that, Remiticado struck twice and added eight pins on the fill ball to secure second place worth $15,000. Wells was consoled with $10,000.
The finals of The International Mini started on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5 8 a.m. Pacific (11 a.m. EST; 5 p.m. CET). Each divisional final in the Gold, Silver and Bronze Division consisted of five rounds. The finals used a single game beat half-the-field by division. All finalists were guaranteed to win a minimum of $750. The last remaining bowler left in each of the three divisions was crowned the division champion and advanced to the final one-game shootout. The winner received the $30,000 top prize with $15,000 and $10,000 going to the second and third place finishers.
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The International Mini
Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. (Jan. 28 - Feb. 5, 2012)
Championship Round:
1. Dan MacLelland, Canada, $30,000
2. Darrin Remiticado, Stockton, Calif., $15,000
3. Willie Wells, Herriman, Utah, $10,000
Playoff Results:
MacLelland (203) def. Remiticado (187 incl. 21 hdcp) and Wells (182 incl. 6 hdcp)
Scroll down this page for the complete results of the three divisional finals.
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Willie Wells shoots 300 in Silver Division to advance to the finals of The International Mini
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Tournament Format
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Gold Division Finals - Round 5
1. MacLelland, Dan - Saginaw, MI 245
Missed Cut:
2. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 190 $2.000
3. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 188 $2.000
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Silver Division Finals - Round 5
1. Wells, Willie - Herriman, UT 225
Missed Cut:
2. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 181 $2.000
3. Leuthold, Cassandra - Black Hawk, SC 179 $2.000
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Bronze Division Finals - Round 5
1. Remiticado, Darrin - Stockton, CA 197
Missed Cut:
2. Quitangon, Donato - Walnut, CA 184 $2.000
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Gold Division Finals - Round 4
1. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 264
2. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 258
Missed Cut:
3. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 210 $1.500
4. Larsen, Martin - Gothenburg, Sweden 209 $1.500
5. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 169 $1.500
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Silver Division Finals - Round 4
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 246
2. Leuthold, Cassandra - Black Hawk, SC 206
Missed Cut:
3. Kulow, Marshall - Shawnee, OK 162 $1.500
4. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 150 $1.500
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Bronze Division Finals - Round 4
Remiticado, Darrin - Stockton, CA 212
Missed Cut:
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 203 $1.500
3. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 178 $1.500
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Gold Division Finals - Round 3
1. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 224
2. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 224
3. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 222
4. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 221
Missed Cut:
5. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 215 $1250
6. Barrett, Dominic - England 214 $1250
7. Jones, Tommy - Simpsonville, SC 191 $1250
8. Rash, Sean T - Montgomery, IL 177 $1250
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Silver Division Finals - Round 3
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 222
2. Kulow, Marshall - Shawnee, OK 199
3. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 199
4. Nelson, Chad - Owatonna, MN 190 $1250
Missed Cut:
5. Watson, Brian - Washington, WV 187 $1250
6. Rogers, Bryson - Durham, NC 184 $1250
7. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 171 $1250
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Bronze Division Finals - Round 3
1. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 253
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 225
Missed Cut:
3. Bland Jr, Ken - Germany 220 $1250
4. Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 182 $1250
5. Bisnar, Roland - Henderson, NV 173 $1250
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Gold Division Finals - Round 2
1. Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 279
2. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 264
3. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 258
4. Barrett, Dominic - England 245
5. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 236
6. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 236
Missed Cut:
7. Shafer, Ryan - Horseheads, NY 229 $1.000
8. Van Hees, Jonathan - Charlestown, RI 225 $1.000
9. Smith, Steven J - San Diego, CA 208 $1.000
10. Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 206 $1.000
11. Norton, Scott - Costa Mesa, CA 197 $1.000
12. Aguiar, Alex - N Dartmouth, MA 193 $1.000
13. Scroggins, Mike - Amarillo, TX 190 $1.000
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Silver Division Finals - Round 2
1. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 228
2. Rogers, Bryson - Durham, NC 194
3. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 176
4. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 175
Missed Cut:
5. Klein, Ross - Glen Cove, NY 168 $1.000
6. Vazquez, Humberto - Mexico 165 $1.000
7. Dunleavy, Dan - Staten Island, NY 150 $1.000
8. Nadeau, Chase - Las Vegas, NV 142 $1.000
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Bronze Division Finals - Round 2
1. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 225
2. Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 218
3. Pavilack, David - Hollywood, FL 205
Missed Cut:
4. Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 192 $1.000
5. Jones, Willie L. - Lodi, CA 184 $1.000
6. Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 178 $1.000
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Gold Division Finals - Round 1
1. Barnes, Chris - Double Oak, TX 247
2. Aguiar, Alex - N Dartmouth, MA 245
3. Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 235
4. Shafer, Ryan - Horseheads, NY 234
5. Weber, Pete - St Ann, MO 227
6. Norton, Scott - Costa Mesa, CA 225
7. Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 225
8. Van Hees, Jonathan - Charlestown, RI 224
9. Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Venezuela 224
Missed Cut:
10. Archer, D.J. - Pt Arthur, TX 216 $750
11. Wolfe, Mike - New Albany, IN 212 $750
12. Legnani, Lucas - Argentina 211 $750
13. Haggerty, P. J. - Roseville, CA 210 $750
14. Page, Rhino - Dade City, FL 196 $750
15. Couch, Jason - Clermont, FL 196 $750
16. Castillo, Dino - Carrollton, TX 187 $750
17. Bock, Dan - Albert Lea, MN 177 $750
18. Novara, Joe - East Patchogue, NY 176 $750
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Silver Division Finals - Round 1
1. Traylor, Eric - Friendswood, TX 267
2. Nadeau, Dan - Grand Junction, CO 240
3. Klein, Ross - Glen Cove, NY 206
4. Dunleavy, Dan - Staten Island, NY 206
5. Hilligas Jr, James - Beavercreek, OH 184
Missed Cut:
6. Staley, Lindsy - San Diego, CA 184 $750
7. Blackwell, Andy - Shawnee, OK 182 $750
8. Clark, Mark - Naperville, IL 178 $750
9. Knuth, Tony - Oceanside, CA 156 $750
10. Blancas, Julio - Mexico City, mx 143 $750
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Bronze Division Finals - Round 1
1. Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 235
2. Murphy, Henry - Henderson, NV 229
Missed Cut:
3. Harris, Courtney - New York, NY 226 $750
4. Webb, Bob - Burnsville, NC 204 $750
5. Adams, Chase - Las Vegas, NV 187 $750
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The International Mini megabuck event, immediately following the USBC Masters and running concurrently with the WTBA International Open, is a scratch and handicap competition that runs from January 28 through February 5. All three events take place at Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in suburban Las Vegas.Guaranteed top prize is $30,000 for the winner. The International Mini will be contested on the WTBA Athens lane conditioning pattern, which is 40 feet in length.
The International Mini is a four-game qualifying tournament. There were 23 squads and 1 in 8 bowlers each day, per division, advanced to the finals and cash for a minimum of $750. There are three divisions: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
In the scratch scoring Gold and Silver divisions women, super seniors (age 60 & over) and amateur seniors (age 50 to 59) will receive 6 bonus pins per game throughout all qualifying squads and finals. The bronze division is a handicap division based on 90% of 210 average. Minimum average for handicapping purposes is 150 (maximum of 54 pins per game).
Click here to read our summary of the Tournament Format or visit the Mini Eliminator website for all details.
Bowlingdigital covered The International Mini and the WTBA International Open live from Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas.Â