Peter Tjernstrom from Uppsala, Sweden posted the highest qualifying series in the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator thus far to advance to the Grand Finale on Sunday, Feb. 12. The Swede shot a 792 three-game series in the last squad on Wednesday, the 12th squad overall. Advancing from the other main divisions were
David Flynn, Placerville, CA, (690 -39 and under),
Sam Carter, Ben Lomond, CA, (717 - 50-59),
Johnny Wiley Jr., Charlotte, NC (651 - 205 and under) and
Daniel Miyamoto, Mililani, HI, 726 - Open Division.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Mini Eliminator has become a major world wide bowling attraction in five short years. Some how Pinacle Events founder and president Steve Sanders has put together a megabuck tournament that has taken on Super Bowl status among megabuck tournaments. 
Dave Guindon (pictured), W. Seneca, NY, topped 2003 ABC Masters champion Bryon Smith, Roseburg, OR and Shane Keefauver, Canton, IL, 233-225-212, in the Daily Finals to advance to the Grand Finale in the Open Division of the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator. Advancing from the other divisions were Jay Futrell - Derby, KS; Bernardo Olechnowicz - Mexico City, Mexico; Mark Estes - Grapevine, TX; and Donnie Worthington - Livonia, MI. 
Shane Keefauver from Canton, IL, led the 11th of 26 qualifying squads in the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator with 726 to advance to Daily Finals of the Open Division. John Benedetta from Las Vegas, NV, and Randy Allen, Lakewood, CO were close behind with 711 and 695 but failed to advance. 
Sam Carter from Ben Lomond, CA, rolled a 717 three -game series in Squad #10 en route to advance to the Daily Finals of the 50-59 Division in the Super Bowl Mini Eliminator. Two PBA champions, Bryon Smith (right) and David Ozio, battled it out for the top spot in the Open Division. Smith, the 2003 ABC Masters champion defeated 11-time champion Ozio, 713 to 658. 
Nine bowlers from the first qualifying squad on Wednesday, the ninth squad overall, have qualified for the Daily Finals of the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator here in Las Vegas, Nev. Leading the 82 players of all seven divisions was Daniel Miyamoto from Mililani, HI, with 726 three-game total in the Open Division.
L-R Curtiss Bergheim, Bo Goergen, Jimmy Young, Tyler Jensen, and Norwegian Ole Johnni Lislien survived two one-game rounds in the Daily Finals on Tuesday to earn their spots in the Grand Finale of the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator, Sunday, Feb. 12 at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas. The deciding match in the Daily Final of the Open Division ended with yet another disappointment for Paul Moor.
Paul Moor (left) of England missed the daily high series in the Open Divisions by the nearest possible margins. Moor, who advanced to the Daily Finals for the second consecutive day, Shot a 717 three-game series in Squad 6 to fall one pin short to Gary Yamasaki (right) of Houston, Texas with 718. 
Dutch bowler Bart Reitsma and Paul Moor from England reached the Daily Finals in the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator in Las Vegas, Nev. for the second consecutive day. Reitsma shot a 626 three-game set to lead the 205 and under Division in Squad 6. Moor was second in the Open Division with a huge 717-series, only beaten by Gary Yamasaki with 718.
72 players took on the lanes in the fifth of 26 qualifying squads in the Super Bowl Mini Eliminator. Jimmy Young (left) from Houston, Texas, shot a 675 three-game series in the 1pm squad on Tuesday to advance to the Daily Finals in the 50-59 Division. Ken Diiorio (right) rolled a 674 to lead the 40-49 Division.
2004 Super Bowl Mini Eliminator champion Lasse Lintilä from Finland fired games of 276, 258 and 220 to lead all competitors on the first day of qualifying in the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator with 754 pinfall total. Lintilä, who has also two High Roller titles under his belt, and the four other main division leaders automatically advanced to the Grand Finale on Sunday, Feb. 12.
2004 and 2005 European Ranking champion Paul Moor from Hull, England, shot the 699 high series to earn his spot into the Daily Finals of the Open Division in the third qualifying squad at The Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas. With one more squad to go on the opening day, Moor holds the lead for the division high series. The daily division leader does not bowl in the Daily Finals but automatically advances to the Grand Finale. 
Greg Wobbema of Lakewood, CO, shot a 688 three-games high in the first of 26 qualifying squads in the 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator in Las Vegas Nev. The player with the highest daily 3-game series from each of the five main divisions will be seeded into the Grand Finale. 1 in 8 players from each division will advance every day to the Daily Finals to bowl for 250-1000 Dollars. 
The 5th Annual Super Bowl Mini Eliminator will roll start today with the first four squads at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm with the daily finals scheduled for 9pm at the Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Top guaranteed top five prizes in the Division Champion Shootout are $50,000, $25,000, $12,500, $11,000 and $10,000. Bowlingdigital will cover the whole tournament live through to the finals on Sunday, Feb. 12.
The field is set for the MoRich Mixed Doubles National Championship at the Orleans Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev. John Petraglia/Angela Chirpich (pictured) and Genie Franklin/Jim Carter led the final two squads on Sunday 10 and 12pm. As only sixteen teams advanced from the eight qualifying squads, the semi-finals will be skipped and the sixteen teams will determine the champion in best-of-three-games match play finals. 
On the second day of the event, Saturday February 4, here at the Orleans Bowling Center, two familiar names in the sport led all qualifiers. Liz Johnson, Cheektowaga, NY and Dave Guindon, W. Seneca, NY rolled a 1341 in the noon squad to secure their spot in the finals.