2003-04 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi (pictured left), Finland, and former PBA exempt bowler Tore Torgersen, Norway, led the 21st and penultimate squad in the Brunswick Euro Challenge in Saint Maximin, France en route to jump into the top 10 of the 405-player field from 36 countries.

The "Big Finn", who owns eight career Denny's PBA Tour titles including the 2000 Masters and the 2001 U.S. Open, had six games between 279 and 201 to move into sixth place with 1378 pinfall total and an average of 229.67.

Torgersen (right) closed out his series with 269 and 246 to finish 15 pins behind Koivuniemi with 1363, good for seventh place.

With the final squads to go, Martin Larsen, Sweden, remained atop the leaderboard with 1448 pinfall total and an average of 241.33.

Jason Belmonte, the two-hander from Australia, is second with 1398. PBA champions Mike Fagan and Sean Rash (right)are in third and fourth place with 1390 and 1383.

Rounding out the top 5 is Pasi Uotila, Finland, with 1382.

Trailing Torgersen by seven pins to sit in 8th place is Swede Erik Andersin with 1356. 9th place belongs to Missy Bellinder, United States, with 1348 including handicap. The tow-time PBA regional champion is the sole woman in the top 16.

Rounding out the top 10 is Shaun Ng from Singapore with 1344.

Former world champion Tim Mack (pictured with his wife Brenda), United States is 11th at 1338, with fellow countryman Ronnie Russell, one of the 64 exempt players on the 2007-08 PBA Tour, in 12th at 1332.

Next is multiple European champion Petteri Salonen, Finland, is in 13th place with 1325. Corey Clayton, Canada, is sandwiched between Salonen and his team mate, two-hander Osku Palermaa, in 14th place with 1325. Palermaa is 15th with 1323.

Rounding out the top 16, who will bypass the first round of the finals and will make minimum 540 Euro, is Dominic Barrett, England, with 1320 or an average of 220.00.

Three players, two women and one man, moved up 90 to 140 spots in squad #21.

Former European ranking champion Kamilla Kjeldsen (left), Denmark leapfrogged 140 spots from 162nd to 22nd behind a 1302 series including 48 pins handicap, the standard for women on the European Bowling Tour.

Reigning EBT ranking champion Kirsten Penny (right), England, who won 50,000 Dollar in the Qatar Open earlier this year, jumped from 129th to 39th place with 1278 including handicap.

Her compatriot Adam Scott averaged 215.00 over six games and felled 1290 pins to go from 133rd to 31st place.

To view more pictures from the 2008 Brunswick Euro Challenge go to Bowlingdigital's Photo Album or watch our latest videos .

The Brunswick Euro Challenge is the fifth stop on the 2008 European Bowling Tour and one of the Tour's "majors". The BEC offers total prize fund of 90,000 Euros (currently approx. $136,500) and offers special prizes that will be given in categories such as youth encouragement, "B" bowlers and ladies.

The 2008 Brunswick Euro Challenge sponsored by Brunswick Bowling is organized by Brunswick distributor Valcke Bowling.

The 22nd and final qualifying is scheduled 8 p.m. The players, who got one of the 56 spots, all know what's at stake in tonight's qualifying finale. Alexandre Vahidi, France, is the "man on the bubble" and owns the 52nd and final qualifying post with 1259 or an average of 209.83.

Alex Cavagnaro, United States, who is currently in 45th place, is mere four pins better than Vahidi with 1263.

Those players, who failed to qualify, will have an ultimate chance in the one-game Desperado Squad, with the registration starting immediately after the conclusion of squad #22.

A total of 64 players will qualify for the finals. The top 16 players will receive one bye into step 2 and will seeded 1-16.

The following 48 players will qualify for step 1:
- Players positioned 17-52 in the qualifying
- the top 6 from a separate standing for the squads conducted March 7-9, who are not among the top 52
- the top 6 from the Desperado Squad.

Those 48 will bowl six games starting from scratch to cut to the top 16 , who will meet the top 16 qualifiers in the first match play round. Match play is best-of-three games single-elimination. The field will be cut to 16, 8 and then four, who will determine the champion in a stepladder final.


Bowlingdigital will cover the event live from Paris with updates after each squad and round, respectively, and exclusive video footage commencing Thursday, March 13 all the way through to the finals on Sunday, March 16.