With the help of a 300 game, Brian LeClair (pictured left) of Athens, N.Y., led a field of 10 players who advanced out of the Professional Bowlers Association's Tour Qualifying Round Wednesday completing the field of 64 for the GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship which gets underway with the first round Thursday at AMF Babylon Lanes.

LeClair averaged 240.7 to finish the seven-game qualifying round with a 1,685 pinfall total, 90 pins ahead of Bobby Hall II (right) of Landover, Md., in second with 1,595. All 71 players in the qualifier were required to use PBA-approved plastic balls.

Also advancing were Joseph Costanzo, Plainview, N.Y., 1,588; Johnny Petraglia Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 1,584; Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,573; Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,572; Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,570; Alex Cavagnaro, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,568; amateur Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 1,551, and Brad Kemp, Allentown, Pa., 1,542.

Beginning with Thursday's first Round of 64, all players will be required to use identical special Mark Roth custom-designed plastic balls manufactured by OntheBallBowling.com. These will be the only balls they will be able to use throughout the tournament.

With all players having to rely on 1970s-era technology, the playing field is equalized and there is less reliance on today's high-powered equipment.

After Thursday's second Round of 64, the field will be cut to 32 players who will advance to a match play round Friday morning which cuts the field to the top 16. Friday evening's match play round will determine the top five who will advance to Sunday's finals to be telecast live on ESPN at 2 p.m. Eastern.

 

Related Articles

Desire to attend his own tournament drives Mark Roth's recovery efforts
GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship will require players to use 1970s-era bowling ball technology

 

GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championship - Tour Qualifying Round

Players with position, hometown and 7-game total. The top 10 advance to Round of 64.

1, Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 1,685
2, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 1,595
3, Joseph Costanzo, Plainview, N.Y., 1,588
4, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 1,584
5, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 1,573
6, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 1,572
7, Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 1,570
8, Alex Cavagnaro, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,568
9, Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 1,551
10, Brad Kemp, Allentown, Pa., 1,542

11, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 1,539, $1,000
12, John Lewis, Chester, N.Y., 1,538, $700
13, Matt Freiberg, Somerset, N.J., 1,536, $500
14, Steven Black, Phoenix, 1,534, $400
15, Bryan Paul, Brooklyn, N.Y., 1,533, $350
16, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 1,522, $320
17, Rudy Kasimakis, Baldwyn, Miss., 1,516, $300
18, Tommy Gollick, Oberlin, Pa., 1,513
19, Frankie Calca, Elmont, N.Y., 1,504
20, Andrew Cain, Phoenix, 1,494
21, Vinny D'Ambrosio III, Staten Island, N.Y., 1,487
22, Joseph Gentile, Melville, N.Y., 1,484
23, James Wallace, Hicksville, N.Y., 1,479
24, David O'Sullivan, Orlando, Fla., 1,473
25, Alexander Marsillo, West Babylon, N.Y., 1,461
26, Alex Martin, Coram, N.Y., 1,448
27, Joe Paluszek, Bensalem, Pa., 1,444
28, Michael Dioguardo, Patchogue, N.Y., 1,442
29, (tie) Robert Volk, Ridge, N.Y., and Justin Warhol, Sound Beach, N.Y, 1,439
31, D.J. Archer, Mineral Wells, Texas, 1,435
32, Kerry Fulford, Brownwood, Texas, 1,429
33, Diandra Asbaty, Chicago, 1,426
34, Joe Novara, East Patchogue, N.Y., 1,425
35, (tie) J.J. Vece, Wallingford, Conn., and Michael Vella, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,421
37, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 1,417
38, Kevin Bandrowski, Lancaster, Pa., 1,415
39, Jim Rogers, Brick, N.J., 1,409
40, Michael Houtz, Myerstown, Pa., 1,406
41, Vic Marotto, Wallingford, Conn., 1,404
42, (tie) John Knieriemen, Islip Terrace, N.Y., and Michael Sopper, Schaumburg, Ill., 1,399
44, Howard Ridgeway, Cleveland, 1,389
45, (tie) Chris Blaison, Newburgh, N.Y., and Ryan Abel, Bel Aire, Kan., 1,386
47, Jim Pratt, Glendale, Ariz., 1,385
48, Bob Andretta Jr., New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,375
49, Mark Heller Jr., Allentown, Pa., 1,369
50, Norm Ginsberg Jr., Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., 1,350
51, (tie) Gaetano Sereno, Ridgewood, N.Y., and Brian Dailey, West Hempstead, N.Y., 1,340
53, Steven Raifer, Farmingdale, N.Y., 1,333
54, Chris Lucchese, Fresh Meadow, N.Y., 1,325
55, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 1,323
56, (tie) Robert Eddy II, Saginaw, Mich., and Chris Larsen, Norwich, Conn., 1,316
58, Scott Santos, Ledyard, Conn., 1,308
59, Gennaro Fiorentino, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 1,295
60, Jonathan Wilhelm, Middltown, N.Y., 1,276
61, Chris Liotta, Dix Hills, N.Y., 1,256
62, Ralph Ehrlich, North Massapequa, N.Y., 1,238
63, Jack Nealon, Bowie, Md., 1,209
64, Brian DiCicco, Agawam, Mass., 1,207
65, Andrew Mangiapahella, East Islip, N.Y., 1,202
66, Sun Kim, Flushing, N.Y., 1,174
67, William Beesch, New York, 1,150
68, Gary Elferis, Flushing, N.Y., 1,140
69, Jason Berry, West Islip, N.Y., 1,139
70, Matthew Denmark, Deer Park, N.Y., 1,138
71, Amir Abtahi, Franklin Lake, N.J., 1,094