Willie Wells shoots 300 in Silver Division to advance to the finals of The International Mini

    02/01/12

    United States

    Argentina's Lucas Legnani wins $1,000 in Tuesday's six-game Sweeper

     

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    2011BWCLucasLegnani.jpg201112PBAMartinLarsen.jpgWillie Wells of Herriman, Utah, rolled the first 300 game of The International Mini in Tuesday's qualifying en route to advance to the finals of the Silver Division on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5 starting at 8 a.m. Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Central European Time).

    With four qualifying days in the books, Wells' 1063 series is the highest four-game total in all three divisions.

    Also advancing to the finals was Sara Rash of Montgomery, Ill. The wife of four-time PBA champion Sean Rash had a 985 series including handicap to top all players in the Bronze Division, which gives 90% handicap based on a 210 average.

    Two international stars advanced to the finals of the Gold Division. Argentinean national team member Lucas Legnani (pictured left) posted 1011 series to lead the 13 players in that division on Tuesday. Three-time World Champion Martin Larsen (right) of Sweden, beat out fellow PBA exempt player Dan MacLelland of Canada for the second spot by one pin, 985 to 984.

    201112PBA05DominicBarrett2.jpg2010PBASWRegionJesseBuss2.jpgLegnani continued hot hand by rolling four games between 217 and 247 and high games of 266 and 277 to win the sweeper and the $1,000 top prize with 1459 total and an average of 243.17.

    England's Dominic Barrett (left) finished his set with a huge 299 game to shoot into second place with 1421, worth $700. PBA Regional champion Jesse Buss (right) of Wichita, Kan., and 47-time PBA champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala, Fla., tied for third place at 1375 to pocket $550 apiece.

    2011BWCWuSiuHong.jpg201112PBAMichaelHaugen.jpgFifth place Wu Siu Hong (left) of Hong Kong was mere two pins behind in fifth place with 1373 ($400) with 8-time PBA champion Mike Scroggins ($300) of Amarillo and one-time PBA champion Michael Haugen (right) ($250) of Carefree, Ariz., in sixth and seventh place with 1367 and 1360.

    Rounding out the top 8 cashers was Warren Crawford of McKinleyville, Calif., with 1347, worth $200.

    Qualifying for The International Mini continues on Wednesday, Feb. 1, with another three squads at 10 a.m., 12.30 and 3 p.m. (all times Pacific).

     


    Tuesday Sweeper

     


    Tuesday, Jan. 31 Results


    Players with position, hometown and 4-game total

    Gold Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Legnani, Lucas - Martinez, Argentina 1011 Advance to Finals
    2, Larsen, Martin - Gothenburg, Sweden 985 Advance to Finals
    3, MacLelland, Dan - Saginaw, MI 984
    4, Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 956 Free Reentry
    5, Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 950
    6, Mizo, Jarret - Honolulu, HI 935
    7, Shafer, Ryan - Horseheads, NY 935
    8, Fagan, Mike - Grapevine, TX 931
    9, Wojnar, Jason - Chicago, IL 895
    10, Guerrero, Joseph L. - Henderson, NV 889
    11, Belmont, Bob - Clearwater, FL 798
    12, Bohn III, Parker - Jackson, NJ 796
    13, Ciminelli, Ryan - Cheektowaga, NY 696

    Silver Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Wells, Willie - Herriman, UT 1063 Advance to Finals
    2, Caminsky, Guy - Durban, South Africa 998
    3, Leuthold, Cassandra - Black Hawk, SC 953
    4, Clark, Mark - Naperville, IL 938 Free Reentry
    5, Wimer, Darwin - Mesquite, NV 877
    6, Ippolito, Andrew - Forest Hills, NY 811
    7, Chew, David - Brentwood, CA 778
    300 game - Willie Wells

    Bronze Division - Handicap Qualifying (90% of 210)
    1, Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 955 Advance to Finals
    2, Lund, Randy - Salt Lake City, UT 918 Free Reentry
    3, Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 886 Free Reentry
    4, Lund, Randy - Salt Lake City, UT 815
    5, Clark, Artavius - Oxon Hill, MD 812
    6, Wright, Don - Palm Desert, CA 772
    7, Weaver-Purdy, Elaine - Las Vegas, NV 769
    8, Silva, Jayme - New Bedford, MA 741

    Scroll down this page to view all previous qualifying results.

     


    2012MiniEliminatorLogo_small.jpg 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 are 23 squads and 1 in 8 bowlers each day, per division, will advance 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).

    Bowlers can skip the early rounds of the finals by earning byes. The finals of The International Mini will be held on Sunday, Feb. 5 starting at 8am. The finals use a single game beat half-the-field by division. All finalists are guaranteed to win a minimum of $750.

    The last remaining bowler left in each division will be crowned the division champion and will advance to the final shootout. All three division champions will earn a minimum of $10,000.

    The final shootout will be a 1 game match between the three division champions. The guaranteed top prizes in the final shootout will pay $30,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for third place.

    Click here to read our summary of the Tournament Format or visit the Mini Eliminator website for all details.

    BowlingdigitalBanner.gif Bowlingdigital will cover The International Mini and the WTBA International Open live from Sunset Station's Strike Zone Bowling Center in Las Vegas all the way through to the finals on Feb. 5, 2012.

     


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    Tournament Format

     


    Monday, Jan. 30 Results


    Players with position, hometown and 4-game total

    Gold Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Page, Rhino - Clovis, CA 1015 Advance to Finals
    2, Couch, Jason - Clermont, FL 1011 Advance to Finals
    3, Couch, Jason - Clermont, FL 888 Free Reentry
    4, Koivuniemi, Mika - Howell, MI 883
    5, Bohn, Parker - Jackson, NJ 880
    6, Smith, Steven J - San Diego, CA 871
    7, Pepe, Anthony - Queens, NY 853
    8, Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 834
    9, Blanchard, Josh - Rancho Cucamonga, CA 833
    10, Gohagan, George III - Roswell, GA 830
    11, Barta, Adam - Girard, OH 827
    12, Ruiz Jr, Ildemaro - Miami, FL 812
    13, Ciminelli, Ryan - Cheektowaga, NY 429

    Silver Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Staley, Lindsy - San Diego, CA 884 Advance to Finals
    2, Paluszek, Joe - Bensalem, PA 870 Free Reentry
    3, Paluszek, Joe - Bensalem, PA 858
    4, Wells, Willie - Herriman, UT 842
    5, Ippolito, Andrew - Forest Hills, NY 839
    6, Wells, Willie - Herriman, UT 820
    7, Reyna, Alejandro 817
    8, Wilber, Hal - Las Vegas, NV 808
    9, Robertson, Brandon - Clinton, CT 775
    10, Chew, David - Brentwood, CA 733 Free Reentry

    Bronze Division - Handicap Qualifying (90% of 210)
    1, Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 941 Advance to Finals
    2, Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 906 Free Reentry
    3, Badovinac, Steven - Parker, CO 890
    4, Macaluso, Joe - Hudson, FL 868
    5, Cericos, Sol - Arcadia, CA 834
    6, Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 815 Free Reetry
    7, Clark, Artavius - Oxon Hill, MD 772
    8, Macaluso, Joe - Hudson, FL 727

     


    Sunday, Jan. 29 Results


    Players with position, hometown and 4-game total

    Gold Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Norton, Scott - Costa Mesa, CA 963 Advance to Finals
    2, Gohagan, George III - Roswell, GA 915 Free Reentry
    3, Legnani, Lucas - Martinez, Argentina 867
    4, Hamilton, Michael - Miami, FL 835
    5, Daugherty, Tom - West Chapel, FL 770

    Silver Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Vazquez, Humberto - San Pedro, Mexico 883 Advance to Finals
    2, Wilber, Hal - Las Vegas, NV 787
    3, Chew, David - Brentwood, CA 768
    4, Robertson, Brandon - Clinton, CT 748 Free Reentry
    5, Robertson, Brandon - Clinton, CT 724

    Bronze Division - Handicap Qualifying (90% of 210)
    1, Bland Jr, Kenneth J. - APO, AE 933 Advance to Finals
    2, Gerencser, Joe - Henderson, NV 883 Free Reentry
    3, Clark, Artavius - Oxon Hill, MD 766
    4, Sharp, Thomas - Ft. Worth, TX 763
    5, Macaluso, Joe - Hudson, FL 762
    6, Clark, Artavius - Oxon Hill, MD 737
    7, Hill, Harold Jr. - Lakeside, CA 712
    8, Bland Jr, Ken - Germany 711

     


    Saturday, Jan. 28 Results


    Players with position, hometown and 4-game total

    Gold Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Scroggins, Mike - Amarillo, TX 1058 Advance to Finals
    2, Pepe, Anthony - Queens, NY 943 Free Reentry
    3, McNiel, Matt - Prior Lake, MN 938
    4, Legnani, Lucas - Martinez, Argentina 927
    5, Rash, Sean - Montgomery, IL 911
    6, Hess, Tom - Urbandale, IA 905
    7, Pojas, Chad - Wajoaw, HI 885
    8, Thompson, Anthony - Redding, CA 814
    9, Vermilyea, Erik - Mansfield, TX 795

    Silver Division - Scratch Qualifying
    1, Rogers, Bryson - Durham, NC 903 Advance to Finals
    2, Chew, David - Brentwood, CA 864 Free Reentry
    3, Wilber, Hal - Las Vegas, NV 809 Free Reentry
    4, Vazquez, Humberto - San Pedro, Mexico 783
    5, Ippolito, Andrew - Forest Hills, NY 748

    Bronze Division - Handicap Qualifying (90% of 210)
    1, Quitangon, Donato - Walnut, CA 967 Advance to Finals
    2, Bland Jr, Ken - Germany 804
    3, Bland Jr, Ken - Germany 796 Free Reentry
    4, Rash, Sara - Montgomery, IL 785
    5, Hill, Harold Jr. - Lakeside, CA 771 Free Reentry
    6, Reyes, Celestino 739

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